An Incredibly Well-Preserved Ancient Church

The Basilica of Sant'Eufemia in Grado, Italy, built during the sixth century, has survived almost unchanged since. Uniquely, the church still has its original mosaic floor.
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[@cabinessenceking]

What's so fascinating about these early medieval buildings is you can see the obviously reused columns from even more ancient roman temples and basilicas. That's why so few monumental roman buildings survive today - they were pillaged for their intricate stonework, which was a long lost skillset at this point, in order to adorn newer buildings more relevant for the people who came later.

[@maxasaurus3008]

Indeed tiny A, indeed. I wonder if they thought the building MORE sacred with the inclusion of previously holy parts.

[@billlombard9911]

Lots of Roman spolia , amazing ,

[@flyingisaac2186]

@@maxasaurus3008 I think in some cases the use of art of a certain era was seen as a way of harking back, so the Arch of Constantine has carefully selected spolia of certain renowned emperors. Perhaps also these columns were from certain temples whose names are lost to time which were of note to the area - a way of grabbing their renown, maybe.

[@raffriff42]

The concrete nave above the columns looks modern. I approve - they have restored the building to make it live again while making clear what is ancient and what isn’t. Wikipedia says, “Alterations were made in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries… The apse is decorated with a thirteenth century Gothic fresco… Well preserved sixth century floor mosaics… The present Basilica of Sant'Eufemia stands on a fourth century basilica, of which not much is known… ”

[@stepps511]

The history here is immediately evident. Thank you, Garrett, for taking us with you to view this ancient basilica. I coulnd't help but notice the variety of columns and capitals...likely recycled from other other (older) buildings, I assume. The mosaic floor is stunning.

[@bruceschneider4928]

Amazing. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing these important historic locations!

[@hakon5873]

The atmosphere! What a lovely place

[@clairejohnston2461]

How awe-inspiring that basilica is,and beautiful, too. I am glad you didn’t do any narration, as the mosaics spoke for themselves. Thank you!

[@MikeS29]

Well off the beaten tourist track are gems like this!

[@michaelstevenfriedlander4583]

It really gives us a clearer idea of what ancient construction actually looked like...what it was like to be living in those times.

[@Jsmith2024]

Beautiful. Thank you.

[@RizzstrainingOrder66]

0:50 i love the marble columns with those veins

[@MrAristaeus]

Wonderful footage! Thank you for sharing it and for all the work that you do!

[@D-777i]

Beautiful ancient church, and the distant singing sounds divine!

[@alaingadbois2276]

Really interesting to see reused columns, with mismatched bases. One base looks like an upside down capital. That mosaic floor is astounding!

[@paulkoza8652]

There are other places such as this. I find it inspiring how the ancients took such simple designs and made them as spiritual as some of the most ornate and baroque churches of Europe.

[@RasmusDyhrFrederiksen]

Amazing.

[@ricahrdb]

Remarkable building. The floor is quite incredible.

[@jcgabriel1569]

Fun fact: theres another smaller ancient basilica right next to it! The whole place is a part of an old episcopal complex. Both basilicas had been a cathedral at some point in their past...

[@timeflysintheshop]

Thank you for this wonderful video! Would you consider making an update with a voiceover to explain the symbols in the floor mosaics and to translate what is written?

[@kerryrwalton7791]

The reuse of what is called spolia also embodies the idea of "triumphalism " of Christianity over the Pagan world

[@Blackadder75]

too bad the bits they made themselves almost always look worse than the ancient bits, so far for the triumph......

[@kerryrwalton7791]

It's the idea that is more important@@Blackadder75

[@ReplyToMeIfUrRetarded]

@@Blackadder75Found the Pagoon larper

[@dystopik32]

Truly a relic from a different age

[@odietamo9376]

Very interesting and fascinating to see. Thank you. Wouldn’t have objected if you had moved the camera more slowly and lingered looking at things a bit longer.

[@bullfrommull]

Reminds me very much of Santa Maria Trastevere. Colonnades probably taken from a Roman temples. Recycling in the ancient times.

[@Thickfreakness77]

Wow!

[@michel.montreal]

It reminds me a lot of Basilica di Sant’Apollinare in Classe. Beautiful.

[@johnspizziri1919]

That is magnificent.

[@kidmohair8151]

one is almost able to feel the presence of the people who used this church over the centuries...

[@12TribesUnite]

Very cool !!!

[@CarthagoMike]

What a beautiful building

[@ogrejd]

Part of properly preserving a building is doing things like repairing the mosaics and brickwork, applying plaster (or whatever was used) when it wears away, replacing rotted beams, etc... Keeping as close to the original materials as possible, of course. This idea we have that a building or monument loses its historical value or beauty if we do anything more than the absolute bare minimum to preserve it is repugnant.

[@airingcupboard]

Stunning.

[@baarbacoa]

Wow, very unique!

[@golDroger88]

There's a very old church with its original mosaic in Aquileia as well.

[@horizondevelopment3466]

Here is packed all the urban weath of Aquilea, ruined by waves of barbarian attacks in the late years of the Roman Empire. Like Venice and Ravenna, Grado was certainly spared by its geographical isolation.

[@phoule76]

I hope you get to visit Tarragona someday, where a 1,000-yr.-old ruined Basilica sits inside the 2,000-yr.-old ruins of the amphitheater, more or less.

[@ReplyToMeIfUrRetarded]

The Beauty of Christian Architecture. Christos Anesti!

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

It's impossible to visit Italy and not bump into something ancient .

[@neoclassic09]

Stunning

[@hamiljohn]

beautiful

[@rickb3078]

Incredible

[@leemosher5513]

Please translate the Latin written on the floors in the beginning of the video. Pretty please!

[@kevindoran9389]

In the name of the Lord [something something] he paid. Maybe it's the person who paid for the church.

[@czeremis]

+1

[@marial8235]

Wow.😮❤

[@t.vanoosterhout233]

Beautiful, those mosaics so well preserved. Did you visit the crypt, or was it perhaps closed?

[@AlexTannertv]

I know you’re from the Chicago area and if you make it up to Holy Hill in Wisconsin, it looks eerily similar to this church imo

[@clarencetaylor7455]

wow imagine the people who built this church would have thought of the fall of Rome as recent history.

[@tommcallister7647]

Interesting that this was built in the 6th century. I would not have expected such fine work in the chaotic time relatively soon after the fall of Rome.

[@raylivengood8040]

Cool 👍🏼

[@ginzo666]

Brilliant mosiacs! Thanks for taking me to a region of Italy that I haven't seen quite yet. I've seen about half of them, and haven't found one I didn't like yet.

[@josephtrahan8045]

Vvery awesome. But are you no longer talking about & explaining what we are looking at? Please voice over the videos again.

[@MarcusAgrippa390]

Was that Dr. Ryan singing or a choir?

[@constantinexi6489]

He certainly has a heavenly voice

[@jewhunterbiden]

Do you know anything about the monogram? i tried to search for it, but couldnt find any more information other than that it might belong to patriarch elia of aquileia

[@B_uttcrumbs]

Give us this day our daily burrito, and forgive us our hot sauces as we forgive those who burn us with hot sauce. Lead us not into fried ice cream, but deliver us to tres leches. Amen.

[@michelsmithuis3690]

Maybe I missed it, but which church is this?

[@scenicroutestothepast]

The Basilica of Sant'Eufemia in Grado, Italy

[@larsrons7937]

Marvellous mosaic floor. Incredible it still remains intact. 500's, then it has been built during the Ostro-Goths, or the Lombards? 2:48 - which years does it say here? I think the first is something with 44.

[@llywrch7116]

The inscription is hard to read, due to letters being damaged & the poor lighting. (The fact words are separated only in 2 places also makes it difficult, but solvable.) The mentions of "annus" -- or "year" -- appear to refer to how long the local bishop held his seat, if I parsed what I could read correctly. (His name is obscured.) It appears this bishop had been exiled for part of his tenure, either 1 year, 44 years, or 64 years. (At this time putting the X before the L did not always mean 40: more often it meant 60.) The only certain clue to the date of this inscription is the last line -- "viii Kal. Maias Indict undecim", or "24 April, 11th indiction". Roman practice was to give the date as days before one of three times of the month, in this case the Kalends or first day of the month, which works out to be 24 April; "indiction" refers to the 15-year tax cycle that was used in the 4th, 5th, & 6th centuries AD -- & later, so this could fall in any one of 13 years of the 5th or 6th centuries. Until more of this inscription can be read, this is the best that can be done. (We need something like the local bishop's name, or the reigning emperor's name, or some other historical fact to narrow the possibilities.)

[@larsrons7937]

@@llywrch7116 Thank you for a very interesting, detailed, educative explanation. Now that we can't find exact answer to my question, in stead you answered questions I didn't even know I could have asked. I very much appreciate it. _"At this time putting the X before the L did not always mean 40: more often it meant 60."_ - Aha, this was new to me. Is this special only for this late Roman period?

[@belmeen]

Whose monogram is that?

[@undergroundman4646]

Wild, probably wrong Guess: Marcos the evangelist

[@billlombard9911]

Lots of reused Roman Spolia ,

[@paulcapaccio9905]

Spolia

[@golgumbazguide...4113]

ok

[@bivvystridents3752]

The guy with the jorts was pretty cool too.

[@bifeldman]

Uniquely?

[@CHAS1422]

Clearly the colonnade is built from spolia from older pagan buildings. The diameter and entasis of many columns do not match the base or capital. Also the ancient skilled artisans never mixed the orders like this. Italy was impoverished by the end of the 5th century. Building materials were taken from older structures, and marble and travertine were burnt for lime to make mortar. There was little to no masonry industry or shipping from remote quarries.