Ravenna: Baptisteries and Other Structures

The Arian Baptistery

The octagonal Arian Baptistery was built under the Arian Gothic King Theodoric between 500 and 525. It is today the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin.  The dome mosaic centers on the Baptism of Christ, whose humanity is stressed by the clarity of his genitalia. A procession of Apostles approaches a throne with a cross, and the river "god" of the Jordan sits by. Among the most beautiful of Ravenna's mosaics, these derive their quality from the subtleties of shading created by the gentle gradations of color, and the harmony of colors in juxtaposition.

 

Saints Peter and Paul

The Neonian or Orthodox Baptistery

The Orthodox Baptistery was begun around 400, but was not vaulted. The decoration of the lower registers up through the stucco aediculae with 16 minor prophets is original to this period. Around 450, after the defeat of the Goths, the structure was vaulted by Bishop Neon, and the upper wall and dome decoration added. Christ undergoing baptism is surrounded by Apostles (as in the Arian Baptistery), and these in turn by empty altars and thrones.

The Archbishop's Chapel

The Archbishop's chapel is dedicated to St. Andrew (Andreas). It was built during the reign of Theodoric as a private oratory for Bishop Pietro II. The structure is cruciform, with lower registers covered in light marble revetments 
and the upper covered in mosaics.
Thematically these glorify Christ and martyrs, an assertion of the Bishop's Orthodoxy.

Ostrogothic King Theodoric's Mausoleum, c. 525

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