The Veneto Revisited – Ravenna Day 1

The last stop on our Veneto tour is Ravenna (pop 158,784 in 2014), which is in the regione of Emilia-Romagna. A couple of YouTube lectures help us catch up on its unique past. Arriving late in the day, we find food and wine markets in every little square. The place is alive with tourists and locals browsing the stalls; the regional delicacies are tempting, especially the cheeses.

After checking into our hotel, we make our way to the Museo arcivescovile di Ravenna, located in the Palazzo Arcivescovile behind the Duomo (eighteenth century). Inside, the late Roman and early medieval stonework speaks to the history. Many of the carved elements are from the demolished, early fifth century basilica that pre-dates the Duomo. Then at the end of the fifth century, Teodorico il Grande establishes the Regno Ostrogoto (d'Italia) around the Adriatic.

 

 

 

The centerpiece of the Museo is the Cappella Arcivescovile di Sant'Andrea (late fifth century), an 'Orthodox' chapel built during Teodorico's 'Arian' reign. The Cappella consists of a narrow barrel-vaulted entrance hall, and the cruciform chapel – all the ceiling surfaces covered in exquisite mosaics.

Hearing the name of Sant'Andrea, we assume the 'kilted' figure over the door is the saint, but it is 'Cristo-guerriero' (warrior), clean-shaven, in Roman armor, and with the cross-halo. He stands on a lion and a snake, slings a ferula over his shoulder, and holds a book open: Ergo sum via veritas et vita [I am the way, the truth, and the life]. The entrance vault is a dazzling grid of flowers and birds.

Turning left into the chapel, four angels hold a large Christogram on a blue medallion. The beautifully rendered symbols of the Four Evangelists lay in the triangular spaces between (St John's eagle, St Matthew's angel, St Luke's ox, and St Mark's lion). All of this is on a shimmering field of gold.

The half-dome of the altar has a mosaic with the cross and a radial burst of white and gold stars, while the arch has Christ at the center, with six saints (Pertus, Andreas, Filippus, Paulus, Iacobus, Iohannis). Over the entry door is Christ and six more saints, and the dedication to Sant'Andrea in the lunette.

In the arch mosaics on either the side, Christograms replace the image of Christ, with additional male saints on the right, and female saints on the left. Unfortunately, there are twentieth century frescos in place of mosaics in these two lunettes. This is our first taste of Ravenna's famous mosaics. Though the recently installed lights on aluminum stands might be too harsh, after fifteen centuries, the imagery and the effect still impress – like the opening salvo of a fireworks show.

 

 

 

 

 

The remaining rooms of the Museo contain fascinating pieces. The Cattedra vescovile di Massimiano (fifth century) is a chair covered in intricate, ivory relief panels. Il Calendario Pasquale (sixth century) is a nineteen-petal, circular calculator, carved in a marble slab, that tells the dates to celebrate Easter. The Vergine Orante (twelfth century) is stunning mosaic figure of the praying Maria. And in nearby cases are fragments that allow close inspection of the tesserae.