Basilica of San Vitale

Basilica of San Vitale
By Vicki Galati


The Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy is one of the most important examples of Byzantine art and architecture in Europe. It is a Byzantine church that is an expression of early Christian art and architecture. Archbishop Maximian consecrated the church in 547 AD. Its shape is octagonal with a dome and a cylindrical bell tower. The interior is decorated with marble and mosaics.
The structure, an octagonal plan, combines Roman and Byzantine elements such as the dome, doorway shapes and stepped towers found in Roman structures as compared to the polygonal apse, capital and narrow bricks of Byzantine structures. The apse is flanked by two chapels, typical for Byzantine architecture.
The church was started by Bishop Ecclesius in 527 and completed by the Bishop of Ravenna in 548. The architect, considered to be among the best architects of this period, is unknown.
The Basilica of San Vitale is most famous for the largest and best preserved group of Byzantine mosaics outside of Constantinople. As the only major church from the period of Emperor Justinian to survive intact to the present day and the only structure reflecting the design of the Byzantine Imperial Palace Audience Chamber still in existence, the church is the most important piece of Byzantine history.
The church was supposedly erected on the site of the martyrdom of St. Vitalis. There is some confusion as to whether this is the St. Vitalis of Milan, or St. Vitale.
The construction of the church was sponsored by a Greek banker, Iulianus Argentarius although the real sponsor may have been the emperor who used these types of construction projects to speedily incorporate new territories into the empire.
The Church of San Vitale was used as a model by Charlemagne for his Palatine Chapel and was used by Filippo Brunelleschi to design the dome of the Duomo of Florence.
The great triumphal arch is decorated with 15 mosaic medallions, depicting Jesus Christ, the twelve Apostles and Saint Gervasius and Saint Protasius, the sons of Saint Vitale.
The central section is surrounded by two ambulatories, the upper one reserved for married women. A series of mosaics above the triforia (a shallow gallery of arches within the thickness of inner walls), depict the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Moses, the Burning Bush, Jeremiah and Isaiah as well as the story of Cain and Abel. A pair of angels, holding a medallion with a cross, crowns each lunette. On the side walls the corners have mosaics of the Four Evangelists dressed in white. The evangelists are symbolized by the angel, lion, bull and eagle.
A cross-ribbed vault in the area reserved for clergy (known as the presbytery) is decorated with mosaics of leaves, fruit and flowers, moving toward a crown encircling the Lamb of God. The crown is supported by four angels and every surface is covered with flowers, stars, birds and animals. On both sides, are representations of the cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem that symbolize the human race. Jerusalem represents the Jews while Bethlehem represents the Gentiles. All these mosaics are reflective of the Hellenistic-Roman tradition in that rich colors and a certain perspective was used and the landscapes, plants and birds are vividly depicted. They were finished when Ravenna was still under Gothic rule.
In the apse (a polygonal section of the sanctuary) are two famous mosaic panels. On the left is a mosaic of the Emperor Justinian, dressed in purple with a golden halo, standing next to court officials and clergy. The halo around his head gives him the same aspect as Christ in the dome of the apse. Justinian stands in the middle, emphasizing that he is the leader of both the church and state. The figures are placed in a V shape with Justinian in the front and in the middle to show his importance. On the right side is Empress Theodora, also with a golden halo, crown and jewels, and several court ladies. She is almost depicted as a goddess. “These panels are almost the only surviving examples of Byzantine secular mosaic art, and offer a glimpse into the glory, splendor and pomp of the Byzantine world.” (Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, online website).

I read several online articles regarding the Basilica of San Vitale and discovered that many feel that the church is peaceful and quite beautiful. It is surrounded by many other buildings of the same architectural type and is a popular tourist attraction. Even today many people find their way to the church to pray.