File:Ravenna, a study (1913) (14783959393).jpg

Identifier: cu31924028356396 (find matches)
Title: Ravenna, a study
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors: Hutton, Edward, 1875-
Subjects: Architecture
Publisher: London, J.M. Dent New York, E.P. Dutton
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ellus tells us that the Augusta built close to her palacea great church in the shape of a Latin cross. This shededicated in honour of the Holy Cross which it wiU be re-membered her predecessor S. Helena had discovered inJerusalem. Of this church, though it has long since dis-appeared—the western * part of it having been destroyedin 1602 and what remained restored out of all recognition in1716—we know a good deal. According to Agnellus it wascovered with most precious stones (? marbles) and apparentlywith mosaics and was full of splendid ornaments. It had, too,a great narthex, and at the end of this Galla Placidia presentlybuilt a cruciform oratory for her own mausoleum, whereshe was to lie between her brother Honorius and her sonValentinian. The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is the oldest completebuilding left to us in Ravenna, for it dates from well within thefirst half of the fifth century, whereas the baptistery, alteredand transformed as it was by S. Neon, is as we see it a work
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THE MAUSOLLlM OF GALLA PLACIDIA. CATHOLIC CHURCHES OF FIFTH CENTURY 179 of the first years of/the second half of that century. Simpleas it is, without, a cruciform building of plain brick, withinit is so sumptuously and splendidly adorned that not an inchanywhere remains that is not encrusted with mosaic orprecious marbles. These mosaics were, befor^ their radical restoration, perhaps finer and more classical than thoseof the baptistery. It might seem, indeed, that they wereperhaps the finest and subtlest work done in the Romanrealistic tradition, nor was there perhaps anywhere to befound so noble a representation of the Good Shepherd as thatwhich adorned this great monument. It is, however, im-possible to speak with any confidence of what we see therenow, for all has been restored again and again, and is now littlebetter than a rifacimento of our own time, a copy, faithfulperhaps, but stiU a copy, of the work of the fifth century. Nevertheless, the impression of the whole is very spl

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