Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

Aelia Galla Placidia (392 - 450) was the daughter of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, and the consort of Ataulf King of the Goths and, after his death, the Empress consort of Constantius III, Western Roman Emperor. The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is "the earliest and best preserved of all mosaic monuments, and at the same time one of the most artistically perfect". UNESCO.Built between 425 and 433, this small mausoleum adopts a cruciform plan, and the crossing is covered by a dome. On the outside, the architect simply juxtaposed masses. However, in contrast to Romanesque architecture, the mausoleum walls give the impression of being simple partitions designed to mark off the interior spaces. Blind arcades are its only decoration. The inside is relatively small and extremely simple. The mausoleum was intended from the very start to be covered with mosaics, and these are the oldest in Ravenna. The eye is seduced by the brilliance of the colours, which mask the architecture and create an illusionistic effect. The principal scene depicts the martyrdom of St. Lawrence at the moment when the saint approaches the red-hot gridiron. The other niche represents the Good Shepherd, and on the upper walls are the apostles. — John Julius Norwich. The World Atlas of Architecture. p179.