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42640032 Nave, Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
Nave, Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna; taken with a Canon EOS 1v.
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The Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo is a 6th-century church in eastern Ravenna. Named for Ravenna's first bishop, it is famed for its two side walls full of figurative mosaics dating from c.500 (under the Arian king Theodoric) and c.560 (under Catholic administration).
This basilica was built by Theodoric sometime after 500 AD as an Arian cathedral (in the same era as the Arian Baptistery) dedicated to Christ; it was converted into a Catholic church dedicated to St. Martin around 560.
The dedication was changed again in the 9th century to St. Apollinare, first bishop of Ravenna, when the saint's relics were moved here from Sant'Apollinare in Classe for protection from pirate raids.
The basilica's present name, the "New Basilica of St. Apollinaris," does not mean it is newer than its namesake in Classe - it is actually several decades older. Instead, the "Nuovo" was added to distinguish it from another church of St. Apollinaris in the city, which has since disappeared.
The apse of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo was originally covered in mosaics like the walls, but these were unfortunately removed during 16th century renovations. The present apse and porch date from the 16th and 18th centuries.
Along with other ancient monuments in Ravenna, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995. The advisory body remarked, "Both the exterior and the interior of the basilica graphically illustrate the fusion between the Western and eastern styles characteristic of the late 5th-early 6th century. This is one of the most important buildings from this period of crucial cultural significance in European religious art."
The interior of the church measures 138 by 69 feet and contains 24 marble columns from Constantinople. Greek monograms can be seen in many of the capitals; these are markers of the workshops in which they were made. The present floor level is four feet higher than the original height, which occurred during restorations at the beginning of the 16th century.
sacred-destinations.com/italy/ravenna-st-apollinare-nuovo
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Of all the Ravenna basilicas, S. Apollinare Nuovo has the richest history. It is in fact, in the history of the 6th century, a synthesis of the Ostrogoth reign of Theodoric and the empire of Justinian. Though it has lost the name and the icon of Theodoric, a representation of Justinian remains.
Palatine basilica of Theodoric's court, it held claims (in one sense justified) to set itself up against the imperial palatine basilica of S. Giovanni Evangelista built by Galla Placidia. Theodoric, who was to set his superb Mausoleum against the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, set his palatine basilica against that of Galla Placidia, representative of the great Flavian-Valentinian-Theodosian imperial dynasty. Theodoric's claims must have been supported, at least in part, by several Catholic bishops and Roman senators. These were the high ranking people who frequented the basilica, at least for court ceremonies. This glorifying of Theodoric's power is portrayed in the great mosaics of the Palatium (with the city of Ravenna) and the Portus (with the city of Classe).
There are many mosaics of ancient cities but none equals Theodoric's idea of appropriating Ravenna by portraying it dominated by his own palace and by the Ostrogoth court, represented by personages subsequently cancelled out by the Catholic archbishopric chancery: personages who clearly appeared in the arches of the palace.
But Theodoric, who exalted classical Greek and Latin culture and accompanied it with the culture of the Goths, wanted to show his regal political power joined with the power of Christus Rex who was placed on the right hand wall flanked by the four Archangels. Thus, on the opposite wall, Mary with Christ the blessing lawgiver (in symbols of the wisdom of government), in a Christian tradition that exalted the Arian barbarians. But it was with the great work between the windows that Theodoric legitimized the prestige of his culture and power: thirty-six figures of prophets, apostles and evangelists with Codes, books and scrolls. Above the windows were placed, thirteen to each part, the essential Christological depictions of the public life, passion, death and resurrection of the Savior to whom the Basilica was dedicated and whose name it bore. A historic, artistically sublime monument which archbishop Agnello was to modify in accordance with his Catholic culture, removing the Aryan magistrates and integrating the three Kings and male and female saints into the procession. The building remained uniform because the numerous figures of saints, taken from earlier mosaics and Catholic liturgical literary texts, go well with the thirty-six figures of the Prophets: St. Martin and St. Euphemia are placed symbolically at the head of the procession for their anti-Arian religious vocation. The result is a communio sanctorum as a synthesis of high symbolic meaning.
initaly.com/regions/byzant/byzant4.htm#basnuo
42640032 Nave, Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
Nave, Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna; taken with a Canon EOS 1v.
.
The Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo is a 6th-century church in eastern Ravenna. Named for Ravenna's first bishop, it is famed for its two side walls full of figurative mosaics dating from c.500 (under the Arian king Theodoric) and c.560 (under Catholic administration).
This basilica was built by Theodoric sometime after 500 AD as an Arian cathedral (in the same era as the Arian Baptistery) dedicated to Christ; it was converted into a Catholic church dedicated to St. Martin around 560.
The dedication was changed again in the 9th century to St. Apollinare, first bishop of Ravenna, when the saint's relics were moved here from Sant'Apollinare in Classe for protection from pirate raids.
The basilica's present name, the "New Basilica of St. Apollinaris," does not mean it is newer than its namesake in Classe - it is actually several decades older. Instead, the "Nuovo" was added to distinguish it from another church of St. Apollinaris in the city, which has since disappeared.
The apse of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo was originally covered in mosaics like the walls, but these were unfortunately removed during 16th century renovations. The present apse and porch date from the 16th and 18th centuries.
Along with other ancient monuments in Ravenna, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995. The advisory body remarked, "Both the exterior and the interior of the basilica graphically illustrate the fusion between the Western and eastern styles characteristic of the late 5th-early 6th century. This is one of the most important buildings from this period of crucial cultural significance in European religious art."
The interior of the church measures 138 by 69 feet and contains 24 marble columns from Constantinople. Greek monograms can be seen in many of the capitals; these are markers of the workshops in which they were made. The present floor level is four feet higher than the original height, which occurred during restorations at the beginning of the 16th century.
sacred-destinations.com/italy/ravenna-st-apollinare-nuovo
.
Of all the Ravenna basilicas, S. Apollinare Nuovo has the richest history. It is in fact, in the history of the 6th century, a synthesis of the Ostrogoth reign of Theodoric and the empire of Justinian. Though it has lost the name and the icon of Theodoric, a representation of Justinian remains.
Palatine basilica of Theodoric's court, it held claims (in one sense justified) to set itself up against the imperial palatine basilica of S. Giovanni Evangelista built by Galla Placidia. Theodoric, who was to set his superb Mausoleum against the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, set his palatine basilica against that of Galla Placidia, representative of the great Flavian-Valentinian-Theodosian imperial dynasty. Theodoric's claims must have been supported, at least in part, by several Catholic bishops and Roman senators. These were the high ranking people who frequented the basilica, at least for court ceremonies. This glorifying of Theodoric's power is portrayed in the great mosaics of the Palatium (with the city of Ravenna) and the Portus (with the city of Classe).
There are many mosaics of ancient cities but none equals Theodoric's idea of appropriating Ravenna by portraying it dominated by his own palace and by the Ostrogoth court, represented by personages subsequently cancelled out by the Catholic archbishopric chancery: personages who clearly appeared in the arches of the palace.
But Theodoric, who exalted classical Greek and Latin culture and accompanied it with the culture of the Goths, wanted to show his regal political power joined with the power of Christus Rex who was placed on the right hand wall flanked by the four Archangels. Thus, on the opposite wall, Mary with Christ the blessing lawgiver (in symbols of the wisdom of government), in a Christian tradition that exalted the Arian barbarians. But it was with the great work between the windows that Theodoric legitimized the prestige of his culture and power: thirty-six figures of prophets, apostles and evangelists with Codes, books and scrolls. Above the windows were placed, thirteen to each part, the essential Christological depictions of the public life, passion, death and resurrection of the Savior to whom the Basilica was dedicated and whose name it bore. A historic, artistically sublime monument which archbishop Agnello was to modify in accordance with his Catholic culture, removing the Aryan magistrates and integrating the three Kings and male and female saints into the procession. The building remained uniform because the numerous figures of saints, taken from earlier mosaics and Catholic liturgical literary texts, go well with the thirty-six figures of the Prophets: St. Martin and St. Euphemia are placed symbolically at the head of the procession for their anti-Arian religious vocation. The result is a communio sanctorum as a synthesis of high symbolic meaning.
initaly.com/regions/byzant/byzant4.htm#basnuo