Mausoleum of Theodoric: Architecture, History, and Interpretation
Mausoleum of Theodoric: A Historical Overview
The Mausoleum of Theodoric stands as a testament to the Ostrogothic presence in Ravenna. Unlike other Germanic Ostrogoths, Theodoric embraced the existing culture of Ravenna. The mausoleum’s most striking feature is its roof, the largest monolith used as a cupola in history. This massive structure has a diameter of 10.73 meters at its base, is approximately 1 meter thick, and weighs 300 tons.
The roof features a series of anchors, brackets, or rings inscribed with the names of eight apostles and four evangelists, additions from a later period. Similarly, the cross crowning the mausoleum was added later, after it became the church of Santa Maria la Redonda.
Construction and Transportation of the Monolith
The transportation of this monolith from the Dalmatian coast remains a topic of speculation. It is believed that the monolith was transported by raft along the coast. Once it arrived in Ravenna, it was rolled to the construction site. The only feasible method for lifting the monolith into place would have involved an inclined plane to deposit it on the final course.
The installation may have involved a system using pistons covered with sand, which were gradually raised and lowered to position the monolith. The interior is covered with a cross vault and features tong-friezes, the only Germanic element visible in the mausoleum.
Interior Features
- Later addition scallops
- Porphyry sarcophagus: Similar to fourth and fifth-century bathtubs, with Putis harvested in many Roman sarcophagi. The sarcophagus features lions. The tomb was desecrated before the arrival of the Byzantines.
Originally, the dome likely featured a large central disc with a cross painted in red and green. The original bronze door has not been preserved, but a building of this stature would have been secured.
Interpretation and Significance
Despite the technical challenges involved in its construction, the Mausoleum of Theodoric can be interpreted as a petrified version of ancient Germanic tumuli, or stone piles, reflecting the custom of burial in large mounds of stone. Some suggest that its exterior form resembles a cabin, although these were typically covered with gabled roofs.
Ravenna Ivory Carvings
Ravenna was home to an important manufacturing workshop known for its ivory consular diptychs.
Murano Diptych
The Murano Diptych, dating from the late 5th to early 6th century, was discovered in the Murano area and is believed to be of Egyptian origin.
Diptychs were essentially two-faced tablets with a recess for wax, upon which text was inscribed using a stylus. The stylus had a pointed end for writing and a spatula-like end for smoothing the wax to correct errors. The external face of the diptych would be decorated with ivory reliefs, while the inner surface held the wax framework.
The Murano Diptych, sometimes referred to as a wallet, more closely resembles the cover of a Gospel, adorned with precious stones or, in this case, small boards arranged around a central figure.
Iconography
The diptych features typical imperial iconography, translated into Christian terms:
- A laurel crown, symbolizing victory, is supported by two winged victories, reinterpreted as angels holding the crown of Christ.
- The Archangels Michael and Gabriel are depicted on either side, holding a globe and a cross.
- In the center, beneath a scallop (emphasizing dignity), a beardless Christ blesses from a throne, flanked by Peter and Paul, with two unidentified apostles behind.
Below this scene, the three Hebrews are depicted in the fiery furnace of Babylon, a common theme of the time.
The other three panels depict scenes from the public life of Jesus, always featuring the Cross.