Basilica Of Saint Apollinaire Le Neuf
| Basilica of Saint-Apollinaire-le-Neuf (Ravenna) | |
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| Overview of the building | |
| Local Name | Basilica di Nuovo Sant'Apollinare |
| Contact | Not specified ( Find this place ) |
| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Emilia-Romagna |
| City | Ravenna |
| Worship | Roman Catholic Church |
| Type | Basilica religious |
| Construction begins | 493 |
| Work Completed | 526 |
| Style (s) dominating (s) | Byzantine architecture |
| Protection | UNESCO World Heritage in 1996 |
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The Basilica of Saint-Apollinaire-le-Neuf is one of religious buildings in the city of Ravenna , built in the early sixth century by Theodoric the Great , near his palace, originally for worship Arian. She is known for its family of mosaics of the sixth century.
Summary |
The basilica was built between 493 and 526 by the Gothic king Theodoric the Great , near the palace for worship Arian , a religion of his court and its people. She took the place of church and palate was so dedicated to the Savior.
The conquest of Ravenna from the Byzantines in 540 , saw the beginning of a restoration of Catholic orthodoxy, in which buildings previously linked to the Goths and the Arianism were closed or converted.
From this point of view, the basilica is symbolic because the continuous band located above the arches of the nave had, over its entire length, a huge round of mosaics illustrating the themes unique to Arianism. Bishop Agnello therefore ordered their destruction and a radical redesign, which were not retained as the highest levels, representing the Life of Christ, saints and prophets, while that remained in the lower part, the most visible the observer, the two views of the port of Classis and Palatium of Theodoric. All portraits, probably representing the king and his court, have disappeared.
The basilica was then dedicated to St. Martin of Tours , famous for its fight against the heresy before being finally to St. Apollinaris, the first bishop of Ravenna.
Description
The basilica is built on a plan with three naves. It is devoid of gantry and preceded by the single narthex , called element generally in the area of Ravenna , "Ardic" adaptation of the word Byzantine nrtheka, itself derived from classical Greek (narthex), "cassette".
Externally, the church has a faade covered porch, built in brick , with rows of holes bearers. The upper part is pierced with a double window in marble , topped by two tiny openings joint. The narthex has a single roof slope that descends to the columns of marble white, contrasting with the rest of the building. On the right of the narthex stands a high tower of brick , a circular, perforated single window, then double, then triple, according to a standard provision in the region.
The nave Central provides access to two aisles by twelve pairs of arches supported by columns. It ends with an apse semi-circular, dead-furnace.
Mosaics
Like all the churches of Ravenna period imperial (to 476 ), Ostrogothic (until 540 ) and Justinian (from 540 ), Sant'Apollinare Nuovo Basilica is decorated with beautiful mosaics, multicolored. These mosaics are not all at the same time: some date from Theodoric, and others wanted by the redecoration Bishop Agnello, upon conversion of the building for worship Catholic.
The walls of the nave central exhibit three distinct areas of decorative mosaics.
Mosaics of the upper register
The registry is the highest decorated with alternating panels of reasons to two doves and scenes from the New Testament (above windows), showing the life of Christ. These are discussed in detail, but their situation does not make easy reading. Some of these scenes give an idea of the evolution of mosaic art at the time of Theodoric. The scene of Christ separates the sheep from goats is reminiscent of the Good Shepherd Mausoleum of Galla Placidia , but a century later, the differences are significant: they are no longer arranged in a space in depth, but appear on each patch others, with many simplifications - for example, some animals have no legs. The frontal rigid and loss of perception of the volumes give to Christ and the angels look a hieratic. In the panel depicting the Last Supper , Christ and the apostles treated as early Christian Roman representations, and characters are proportionate because their hierarchical importance, as in art late "provincial" or "plebeian."
Mosaics of the middle register
The middle register alternates with windows that frame of solid figures of saints and prophets, with long dresses gently draped and shaded. They appear clearly in view , despite the merits of gold undefined on which they stand.
Mosaics of the lower register
The Palace of Theodoric
The lower register of the mosaic is the most important but also the most corrupt. The banner right (looking towards the apse) opens with a figure of the famous palace of Theodoric, identifiable by the Latin inscription PALATIVM (palate) visible at the bottom of the pediment.
Inside the palace is shown folded into perspective: what we see is three sides of the peristyle , juxtaposed against a single plane, as if they were unfolded. Between the columns are arranged white curtains embroidered in gold that still bear the shadow of the deleted characters, doomed to what the Ancients called damnatio memoriae: have disappeared, leaving only here and there, some color differences in the mosaic Theodoric (an almost certain), but also his entourage and members of his court. Several columns have also preserved their hands, curiously, it did not bother to erase.
The columns supporting the arches of the building are white and slender, referring to the marble , and surmounted by capitals of Corinthian. Above the arches are figures of angels which tend festoons of flowers and twigs in a long line of low arches protected by railings and topped with tiles. It's probably a long terrace covered.
In the upper panel, above the roofs of palaces, monuments are shown circular or basilica, which symbolically represent the city of Ravenna.
The port of Classis
The band left open by a large sign in the port of Classis (old port of Ravenna, now silted up in the interior), which was then the most important of all ports of the Adriatic and one of the main squares of the Roman imperial fleet. At left, three superimposed vessels are moored in calm, in an unusual aerial perspective, on a background of azure water.
It is protected on both sides by a high wall of masonry-clad towers, battlements and the wall continues, various buildings housing stylish: a theater , an arcade, another civilian building is circular, covered with a conical roof, and a church in the narthex. Right above the entrance to the city, you can read the Latin words: CIVI (heap) CLASSIC (City of Classis).
The virgins and martyrs
The two long processions of holy martyrs and virgins who face each other, always at the lower register, made during the Byzantine rule (as was Ravenna Exarchate dependent Constantinople ), highlight the features of the Byzantine style of the Empire of East : repetition of gestures and attitudes, precious clothing, lack of volume and flattening of the figures in two dimensions, and also to the front, staring, monochrome backgrounds dazzling gold, using purely decorative plant motifs no plans to support the characters, which appear as floating in space.
The apse
The apse was destroyed by an earthquake , was rebuilt and is therefore completely private mosaics that adorned it, probably in the style of those that can still be admired in the Basilica of St. Apollinaris in Classe.
.jpg) The Last Supper (upper register) | .jpg) Remains of hands on the columns of Palatium |  Christ surrounded by angels |  The Magi left wall of the nave |
See also
Bibliography
- (It) Pierluigi De Vecchi & Elda Cerchiari, I tempi dell'arte, volume 1, Bompiani, Milan, 1999
External Links
- (It) Banca dati ICMD , International Center for Documentation of Ravenna Mosaics
| Basilica of San Vitale Basilica Saint-Apollinaire-le-Neuf Basilica of St. Apollinaris in Classe Baptistry Arian Baptistry of the Orthodox Archbishop's Chapel Mausoleum of Galla Placidia Mausoleum of Theodoric |
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