In a provincial town located on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, rulers often changed, and each of them tried to decorate Ravenna with new palaces and temples, as a result of which the Italian pearl becomes the main center of the country's architectural art. Situated between East and West, it is a true treasury of unique historical monuments, eight of which are protected by UNESCO.
However, the main attraction of the blessed Ravenna is considered the most valuable mosaic, which is observed literally everywhere. The quality of its performance surprises and captivates everyone who touches on the cultural heritage of a city with a rich past.
Art of the Byzantine Empire
In the Byzantine Empire, mosaic production was put on stream, and all temples and royal palaces were decorated with colored glass paintings. Of course, this is not a completely correct name, since such art is not painting. The creators of the greatest works did not write them with paints, but gathered from pieces of smalt.
The heyday of mosaic art falls on the V – VI centuries, called the Golden Age. Mosaics of Ravenna and images of Hagia Sophia (Constantinople) are recognized as the most famous masterpieces in the world. The historical temple in Istanbul to this day has retained all the power and grandeur with which it was endowed with its creators - the creators of Ancient Byzantium. The most beautiful works of great value for world culture have been preserved in good condition.
Temples and mosaics of Ravenna: inexpressiveness and luxury
Early Christian religious buildings dating from the 5th – 7th centuries, when Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire, will not surprise anyone with architectural solutions and special beauty. Guests of the ancient city admit that outwardly it does not make any impression: inexpressive streets, inconspicuous squares, the absence of a fabulous atmosphere and special color. However, behind the gray facades of the temples and the thick brick walls hides the mosaic heritage of the city. Original works of art are hidden from prying eyes and, in order to find them, you will have to get a map of a settlement located in the north-east of Italy.
Mosaics of Ravenna are so famous all over the world that other cultural objects go unnoticed by tourists. Priceless treasures, which have no equal in any city in the world, are hidden behind the faceless facades of historical buildings. Before telling about the main pride of Ravenna, it is necessary to pay attention to the features of such paintings.
Mosaic from smalt
Mosaic is a favorite type of decoration of Christian churches, in which the aesthetic ideals of a religious worldview are most fully embodied. This painting was developed by the Byzantines, who created a special technology for the production of smalt. In easy-to-use glass, they added a wide variety of metals (gold, mercury, copper and others) and received shades of different colors. The main element of the mosaic canvas was the same size and neatly laid out cubes.
The Byzantine mosaic in Ravenna became the main component in the decoration of tombs, temples, basilicas, where visual tasks come to the fore. The main theme of the monumental paintings were Christian stories and biblical subjects. The technique of laying smalt improved every year, and the authors of wonderful compositions developed new compositions and colors.
Features of the technique
What is the difference between Byzantine mosaic and Roman? The main feature is the use of a golden background, on which cubes with an unpolished surface were laid out, differing in their position relative to other elements. In addition, the masters used the smooth contours of the borders when portraying bodies or objects, which gave clarity to the composition against a radiant background. This created a single canvas, beautifully flickering in the glow of candles and in natural light. A delightful play of color and reflections created the effect of the movement of the picture, living its life.
The artists of the Ravenna school of mosaic painting, who worked in the period from the 5th to the 7th centuries, worked with a palette consisting of smalt of basic tones and not differing in a variety of shades. Most often, the cubes had a rectangular, square shape, although in some paintings you can see round and oval elements of large sizes - from 7 to 15 mm.
Heritage and modernity
The mosaics of Ravenna, which became the western capital of the Roman Empire, were in no way inferior to the amazing works of Constantinople. The city, which was called the storehouse of art and culture, preserves a rich heritage that has become a source of inspiration for famous writers and artists. The modern city has not forgotten ancient craftsmanship: in one of the academies there is a mosaic department, which is attended by both Italian and foreign students. It hosts symposia and seminars that bring together professionals from all over the world.
The demanded talents of Ravenna perform restoration work, create stunning copies of the most famous works that can be purchased in the art galleries of the city. The authorities of the mosaic capital are aware that the main task is not only to preserve national treasures, but also to make them public.
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
The oldest architectural monument is the mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna. Mosaics made in the 5th century were created by Byzantine craftsmen, who were brought from Constantinople by the daughter of Emperor Theodosius the Great. In fact, as scientists have established, this is not a real tomb, since Galla was buried in Rome, and this structure, which looks rather inconspicuous, was a small chapel dedicated to Saint Lawrence, the patron saint of the family dynasty.
In a brick building that has grown into the earth over several centuries, a real treasure is hidden, from the sight of which it is breathtaking to every visitor. Through the narrow windows laid by the plates of jasper, the rays of the sun penetrate, and in the meager light the cubes of the Ravenna mosaic shimmer like precious stones. There is an explanation for this miracle - this is how smalt plays, conveying various shades of color. Ghostly light falling on a rough surface is reflected from different angles, and the arches and walls of the mausoleum seem to dissolve in front of admiring visitors.
Divine beauty
Mosaics of Ravenna, whose photos delight even people who are far from art, are immediately evident. The dome of the UNESCO-protected mausoleum is a blue starry sky, in its center shines a golden cross facing east, and the Byzantines decorated the four arches with the symbols of the evangelists - a bull, a lion, an eagle and an angel. Here you can see the outgoing world of antiquity, and the masters displayed on the canvases a completely different beauty - divine.
Symbolism
Young Jesus Christ is depicted here as the Good Shepherd surrounded by a flock of lambs. This is a common image for early Christianity of the image of our Savior, only the purple-gold robes of which speak about who we really are. The figures of the saints appear on a blue background, reminiscent of ancient characters in Roman togas, and grape clusters - about pagan orgy.
However, the artists who performed the mosaics endowed each image with a symbolic meaning: the sheep listening to Christ are flocks, pigeons and deers are drinking from a transparent stream, Christians absorbing the new teaching, and grape brushes are a garden of paradise into which believers fall.
Mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale
Near the mausoleum is the famous church of San Vitale in Ravenna. The mosaics of the basilica, made by Byzantine masters, are the main wealth of the ascetic looking architectural monument, where the relics of the patron saint of the blessed city - St. Vitaly - rest. Christians who thought about the beauty of the spiritual, and not external, did not decorate their temples, saving the luxury for interior decoration. Performed in the VI century, the Byzantine mosaic of San Vitale in Ravenna, which was considered the most beautiful outside of Constantinople, adorns the altar, apse and elevation at the altar. Scenes from the Old Testament, images of Jesus with saints, the emperor Justinian with his wife are very different from the paintings in the mausoleum.
The main background in the paintings is a golden color, and the figures look as if they have lost their material. They turned into flat silhouettes and seem ethereal. Even despite the heavy draperies of clothes under their folds, no physical bodies are felt. The gaze of enormous eyes on detached faces fascinates.
Spiritual essence
On the canvases, the ingenious masters did not reflect the momentary, but turned to the eternal, showing not a material shell, but a divine essence, and the motion is replaced by frozen images and a clear outline instead of volume. There are no smooth transitions of shades, and the mosaic of San Vitale in Ravenna represents large color spots.
Byzantine nameless authors never saw the emperor’s wife and tried to convey not a portrait resemblance, but a spiritual essence, embodying their ideas about beauty. Her husband, the great monarch, is depicted at the moment when he donates a golden vessel to the church. The head of Justinian, who did not make any important decisions without a wife, is decorated with a halo. Here it is impossible to see a hint of personal qualities: everything carnal and momentary remained outside the temple, and the emperor and the second half are depicted as ideal rulers.
The main colors of the panel, which emphasizes the solemn atmosphere of the basilica, are white, blue, gold and green. Pieces of smalt are laid at different angles, and the light emitted from them creates the impression of a wonderful atmosphere penetrated by warm sunshine. It is not known what strikes the most: a well-thought-out composition, finely crafted details or an ideal selection of colors.
Canvases Baptistery Orthodox
In the V century, an architectural object, recognized as one of the most significant monuments in the world, appeared - the city baptistery. The mosaic of Ravenna, complemented by marble inlays and stucco molding, as if inscribed in the dome of a building intended for baptism and which is the same age as the mausoleum of Galla Placidia.
Masters used a unique technique: all the figures and the elements separating them are a kind of radius, and golden rays flow from the central disk. On the dome panel you can see the scenes of the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, a dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit, 12 apostles carrying martyrs. The figures of the messengers of God, depicted on a dark blue background, are shown in motion, and the surface on which they step looks lighter. In the tunics of the disciples of Jesus, two colors dominate - gold and white, representing spirituality. The faces of the apostles, with their distinct personality, are solemn.
Themes of Heavenly Jerusalem
The disciples of Christ are shown as carriers of the light of Christian enlightenment. The Savior is baptized, and the outgoing grace through the apostles is transmitted to the earthly church, which is represented by the depicted altars. And fruiting trees on the dome of the baptistery are associated with the Christian soul, bearing good fruit. Such a rich decoration of the religious building emphasized the special significance of the rite of baptism for believers, and the whole composition is related to the theme of New Jerusalem - the city sent by Jesus the victorious to Earth.
One can only admire the special gift of nameless talents that modern Ravenna is proud of. The mosaics and frescoes of the baptistery, laid out of small stones with a rich color palette, were made with local jewelry accuracy by local, not Byzantine, masters. They created amazing compositions, dazzling with rich colors.
Priceless works
Ancient Ravenna, transformed from a great capital to a provincial city, enjoys incredible popularity among tourists. Many years have passed, it has changed, but its priceless masterpieces that survived their creators and are perfectly preserved remained eternal. Amazing mosaics of Ravenna, from which it is difficult to take their eyes off, are of interest to all tourists who appreciate the beautiful.