Basilica of Saint Apollinaris Nuovo, Ravenna

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	The Basilica of Saint Apollinaris Nuovo in Ravenna is a basilica, was built by Theodoric in 505 the Aryan cult of its people in the sixth century and was consecrated to the Catholic after the conquest of the city by the Byzantine Empire. The basilica is an important example of Ravenna. History The basilica was founded by Theodoric early sixth century under the name of Our Domini Jesu Christi, was dedicated to the cult of Aryan and was the palatine church of Theodoric. With the conquest of the city by the Byzantines (540) began a program of restoration of Catholic orthodoxy that led to the cancellation or modification of previous buildings and linked to the Goths to Arianism. Justinian's basilica and then donated to the Church and the re-consecration to St. Martin of Tours, every opponent of heresy. The situation was emblematic of New Sant'Apollinare, which was present in the band above the arches that divide the aisles a series of mosaics with themes related to the Aryan religion, which was at the initiative of Bishop Lamb, cleared and redecorated. Were saved only the higher orders of the decoration (with the Stories of Christ and the saints and prophets), while the lower end, the larger and closer to the observer, it proceeded to a real redecorating that saved only the last scenes with the views of the Port of Class and of Theodoric Palatium, although a purified damnatio memoriae of all the portraits, which probably belonged to Theodore himself and his dignitaries. The church took its current name until around the ninth century after they were brought to the saint's relics from the famous basilica of class to avoid the danger of pirate raids. Planimetry It is a building with three naves, with no four-sided and preceded only by the narthex, which, in the Ravenna area, is more properly called Ardic (Byzantine nàrtheka adaptation of the classic greek word narthex, narthex). Externally, it presents a façade, made of brick. At the top is, exactly in the center, a large mullioned window and a large marble, surmounted by two small openings, the side by side. The narthex has a sloping roof, which slopes down towards the front of the pillars. These are in white marble, creating a striking contrast with the darkness of the building itself. In the front left of the Basilica, rises into the sky by a circular tower, also in brick. The nave, twice as wide aisles, ends with a semicircular apse, and is bordered by twelve pairs of columns placed opposite each other that support round arches. Mosaics Like all churches of Ravenna, the imperial period (up to 476), the Ostrogoths (up to 540) and Justinian (from 540 onwards), including New Sant'Apollinare is decorated with beautiful and colorful mosaics. However, they do not go back to the same age, some are Theodoric, others date back to the redecoration desired by Bishop Lamb, when the building was rededicated to the Christian religion Catholic. The walls of the nave are divided into three groups distinct from the mosaic decorations. The high end is decorated with a series of panels interspersed by reason of an allegorical pavilion with two doves. The illustrations present scenes from the life of Christ and are particularly careful attention to detail, although in ancient times were even higher (due to subsidence), and then read them all in all it was difficult. Some scenes allow you to highlight some developments of mosaic art in the age of Theodoric. The scene of Christ, which divides the sheep from the goats is reminiscent of the Good Shepherd Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, but the differences are significant (the past is less than a century): the figures are no longer arranged in a space in depth, but appear crush on each other, with many simplifications (some animals do not even have legs). The rigid front and loss of sense of volume in Christ and the angels gives an undeniable sense of hieratic. In the scene of the Last Supper Christ and the apostles are depicted similarly to the representations of early Christian Rome, and the proportions of hierarchical (Christ larger than other figures) are in the mainstream art Late "provincial" and "plebeian." The median strip between the windows have panes that frame solid figures of saints and prophets by the shaded dresses and softly draped. They, despite the indefinite gold background, are arranged on a perspective plane. The lower band, the largest, is also the most tampered with. On the right wall (facing the altar), is depicted the famous Palace of Theodoric, recognizable by the Latin inscription Palatium (Palace) at the bottom of the eardrum. The inner buildings represented are shown in reversed perspective. This means that what you see is three sides of the peristyle, rolled on a single floor. Between a column and the other claims of the drapes are white and decorated in gold, covering the shadows of ancient human figures remaining after part of the mosaic was doomed to destruction: a kind of damnatio memoriae all human figures (almost certainly Theodoric himself and members of his court) were deleted and you can still see large parts of slightly different color (as proof of a reconstruction took place at a different time) and incontrovertible traces on the white columns, where the hands come out here and there. The columns supporting the arches of the building is white and thin (in fact had to be in marble) and ending with Corinthian style capitals. Above the arches, which give reasons angels tend floral festoons, is a long series of low arches protected by a balustrade, and surmounted by a tiled roof. This would probably be a long covered terrace. Beyond the Palace you can see some buildings or basilicas central plan that are meant to represent, briefly and symbolically, the city of Ravenna. On the opposite wall is shown instead of the port class, which at that time was the largest in the Adriatic, one of the major branches of Roman imperial fleet. On the left, the pieces of the mosaic forming the figure of three boats lined up, which in and calm blue water of the harbor, in an unusual perspective "as the crow flies", which stands in amplitude. On both sides they are protected by a pair of stone towers. Continuing to the right, you can see the high and mighty crenellated city walls, within which one can see several buildings greatly stylized: an amphitheater, a porch, a basilica, a building construction with a central plan covered by a conical roof. Above the entrance to the city, far right, you read the Latin words: CIVI CLASSIS City (Class). The nave The opposing processions of Holy Martyrs and Holy Virgins, always in the lower register, were performed during the Byzantine era (when Ravenna Exarchate was an employee from Constantinople) and highlight some of its characters of the Eastern art, such as: repetitive movements, the preciousness of the clothes, the lack of volume (with the consequent flattening or two-dimensional shapes). Again, the absolute front, the fixity of the eyes, almost monochrome backgrounds (a dazzling gold), the use of plant matter to fill and decorative purposes only, the lack of a plan of support for the figures, therefore, appear as floating suspended in space. The apse was destroyed by an earthquake and then rebuilt, and so it is completely devoid of mosaics (which almost certainly would be similar to those of the 'church of the same name in class).

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