The last church I visited in Ravenna was Sant'Apollinare di Nuovo. Like the first church I saw, this one is also dedicated to St Apollonius, but it's a newer church than the one in Classe, hence its name, "di Nuovo".
The mosaics in this church run the entire length of the colonnades on either side of the nave. Above the right colonnade is a procession of 26 martyrs who leave the palace of Emperor Theodoric and process towards Christ enthroned and surrounded by angels.
Detail of the palace of Theodoric.
Detail of the martyrs.
Detail of Christ enthroned with angels.
On the left side of the nave the mosaics depict 22 virgins leaving the city of Classe. They are led by the 3 Magi who approach the Virgin and Child surrounded by angles.
Detail of the city of Classe.
Unfortunately when I was there the sun was setting and although it created a beautiful effect on the mosaic, making it shine in the light, it made a detail of the virgins impossible.
The 3 Magi. This is probably the best detail of any of the mosaics that I was able to get, and you can really see the individual tesserae here.
Virgin and Child with Angels.
At the rear of the church is a small portrait of Emperor Justinian, the man who started the Byzantine mosaic craze in Ravenna.
No comments:
Post a Comment