The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna

The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, 425 C.E., Ravenna, Italy Speakers: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.

[@imparter9337]

Come for the history, stay for the ASMR.

[@andrearojas2119]

omg hahah same

[@NCbassfishing24]

Come for the art, stay for the art ; )

[@RhangDao]

World's most artistic ASMR video.

[@GrlzzIy]

I DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT THE COMMENTS AND I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING HAHA

[@andrearojas2119]

like why are they talking so slow and soft? Not complaining tho haha i almost went to sleep cause it was so soothing

[@HipixOFFICIAL]

@@andrearojas2119 when they do these voiceovers they're in museums so they're trying to be respectful

[@SimonSozzi7258]

3:36 WOW! This detail is stunning! The amount of colors and the three dimensional illusion it creates is absolutely fantastic! Incredible! 🤯

[@maple1255]

So sumptuously beautiful, I enjoyed very much your thoughtful, almost whispered narration, superbly done.

[@dayros2023]

I visited Ravenna a few years ago, if you travel to Italy is really worth a visit, there are incredible roman mosaics, the mausoleum of Teodoric, a barbarian king of Italy, the tomb of the famous poet Dante, and city centre is really nice. Not to mention that it’s at the heart of a region that is famous for it’s good food even in Italy.

[@JaneESeymour]

Upon listening to and viewing this mini-seminar, I'm packing my bags and heading to the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. Ciao and the most adorable video.

[@chosen111]

Beautiful. Thanks for video

[@jonjrosen]

I am passing my final because of you guys

[@alecblunden8615]

The Roman Empire lasted until 1453, ruled from its capital at Constantinople. It was only the the less important bit in the West fell in 476 and, just because the West wants to suggest it was the Roman Empire does NOT make it true. As to Rome, it was an undistinguished provincial city which ceased to be capital of the Empire in 276 when Diocletian moved it to Mediolanum - modern Milan. The capital moved from Mediolanum to Ravenna in 402.

[@ericagos1601]

This is probably my favourite example of late Roman/Byzantine mosaic. Partly because its perfectly preserved, which is so rare, but also because of the secular designs. It gives an idea of what the interior of the palaces of Constantinople would have looked like. The colour and variety is absolutely stunning. This is just a modest building in a provincial city, even if it was built as an imperial mausoleum. Imagine what the palaces and chapels in the capital of Constantinople would have looked like, before the fourth crusade and ultimately, the Ottoman conquest.

[@andyigwe7119]

I still consider the Fall of Constantinople as one of the most important events in human history. It can direct be linked to the birth of the Renaissance, the Discovery of the new world and marked the death of ancient antiquity and the beginning of the modern era

[@28diefee]

Beautiful place. Thanks

[@michaeldirosa6514]

it is one of the most enchanting and memorable spaces i've ever been in. the atmosphere created by the alabaster windows makes it otherworldly. i remember reading they were a gift in the modern era- do you know any more about them?

[@switchdogdotorg]

I was there when I was 9 or 10 and I was absolutely stunned ...

[@lorisuprifranz]

As a Ravennate (person of Ravenna) I was always though that 5:40 that saint is meant to be San Lorenzo (aka Saint Lawrence). In his legend he was the treasourer of his Christian community and was ordered by the romans to give up his community's riches. He instead brought the gospels to the romans, arguing that in those lied all of christianity's wealth. For that he was executed by being slowly grilled over the fire. During the grilling his alleged miracle happened: as many others saints he felt no pain during his martyrdom and he supposedly said something like "I am cooked on this side, now turn me the other way and I'll be perfect to eat"

[@smarthistory-art-history]

That makes sense, the general assumption is that this is a representation of Saint Lawrence. Still it is worth noting that that assumption may not be correct and it could be someone such as Saint Vincent.

[@margospheres]

Thank you for this video, I can't wait to visit some day. 🌌

[@noahkidd3359]

This is bloody gorgeoous!

[@AutumnHillFarm]

Outstanding, both in content and execution. The narration is so pleasant to listen to, and so very informative.

[@paulolelewe2330]

Most people go to Italy for one reason it's because of their culture. Most of the people who live over there have probably lived inside that place for years all throughout their whole life.

[@baraxor]

Wonderful!

[@cicocice]

One of best source of knowledge on yt

[@SonicPhonic]

Fantastic!

[@mosaicartnow4040]

Wonderful videos. Great info entertainingly presented. I've shared this and the one on San Vitale on MAN TV.

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

Could you provide some additional commenting on: a) the "I" and the "T" on the low part of the drapes left and right of the saint's garment in the first mosaic and whether that provides any clue as to who he is or whether it symbolises something else and b) on the cliff and the pale yellow straight line before it separating the cliff and the sheep in the second mosaic?

[@noname-ez1en]

Why are speakers, Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, whispering? Is something here a big secret? It's hard to hear and understand. Subtitles might remedy this. Maybe the whispering effect was a filter done in post production.

[@neuralvibes]

Because they are talking on spot, which is why you can also hear a faint echo in the background. An alternative to subtitles would be simply to put on a pair of headphones.

[@Forceprincess]

They are on location, they are whispering to not disturb other guests of the mausoleum.

[@elainechubb971]

I used the closed captioning available now--perhaps added in response to your comment and other people's about the volume. Very good captions!

[@lebarosky]

Thank you for the wonderful mini-lecture. I'd like to point out that the rocks to Christ's left in the last lunette discussed seem to be producing a fountain or spring of water.

[@elainechubb971]

I think this is part of the theology behind the scene: Christ as the source of the living and life-giving water in a semi-desert land, with reminders of Psalm 23, where the Lord as shepherd leads his flock alongside the still or quiet waters and through the green pastures, as well as, perhaps, of Psalm 42, where the hart seeks the water source, a simile for the soul longing for God.

[@christieemerson5564]

HOLY MOSIAC. I would never be able to do that because I don't have the patience to do it.

[@annpom6487]

Wspaniałości!!!

[@diggy62]

I love these, ... yet I REALLY wish the volume was louder. It's SO hard to hear them. And it's like they are whispering. Even with all the audio turned up, I can't hear them! LOL But so cool all the same!

[@smarthistory-art-history]

That's odd, even though we were being quiet as this was recorded on site, I can turn up the volume on my computer so that it is uncomfortably loud.

[@elainechubb971]

@@smarthistory-art-history I think this may depend on the sort of device one views the video on. I had volume at max while viewing it on my laptop, and it was very soft, but I would like to thank you for very good closed captioning, which backed up the commentary. Thank you for a beautiful video!

[@dougmorrow7040]

You guys got your dates wrong for Galla Placidia. You state she was Regent from 379-395, when I have found other sources saying she wasn't even born until 393 at latest and as early as 388. Likewise just a quick wiki search and it says she was Regent from 425-437. Yay for nerd facts!

[@Kaiserohnepurpur]

Indeed, she was the regent for his son Valentinian III of the Western Roman Empire.

[@mango2005]

Her mother was also called Galla I think

[@Umbrian2003]

built in 425 AD when Jerome died in 420 AD (though hundreds of miles away) and they question the symbolism of the 4 Gospels and then one book that's altogether? Sounds like Jerome to me at 4:28 onward.

[@mango2005]

Would the building have had marble cladding originally?

[@chris7921]

Is this the place where Carl Jung and his friend Toni Wolff had the strange experience of seeing mosaics that didn’t exist? Or they did exist but were removed centuries before

[@StevePetrica]

The cabinet with the gospel books, I think, would be entirely consistent with martyr depicted being St. Lawrence. That's because Lawrence was a deacon -- the first of the ranks of ordained ministry (the others being priests and bishops) -- and the deacon's principal role in the liturgy is to read the gospel.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

See Gillian Mackie, "New Light on the So-called St. Lawrence Panel at the The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna," Gesta 29 where the figure is identified as the deacon St. Vincent of Saragossa.

[@gln48cn]

Want to know if this place is open to the public?

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Yes, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is now part of a public museum.

[@gln48cn]

@Smarthistory Thanks a lot！love your video so much.

[@ocendo1]

It is nice exsample old Roman tradicion still holding in The West.Conquer,distroy,rule,and pay contribution to Pontifex and you are good to go.

[@arturovecchione]

Very interesting.. history of Ravenna is always difficult to remember. Anyways, Antique techniques and products such as Mosaics techniques. Ravenna and Rome were very inspiring to Annalisa Marcucci, Mosacist / Restorer and designer of Micro Mosaic Jewellery kzbin.info/www/bejne/epqseoCgo6aJbMU.

[@dlwatib]

The saint with the gridiron is probably not either Saint Lawrence or Saint Vincent of Saragossa, though admittedly Saint Vincent fits with the gridiron+gospels motif better than Saint Lawrence. If it is Saint Vincent, that would explain the grapevine motif in the chapel since Saint Vincent is patron saint of vintners. Both of these men were deacons and should therefore be wearing a deacon's dalmatic. Both men were also martyrs, and martyrs are traditionally shown wearing red, emblematic of their blood being spilled for the faith. Instead, this haloed saint is wearing a flowing white toga over his full-length robe with two blue vertical stripes. On each side of the hem of the toga there is a large capital I complete with serifs, indicating that we should probably be looking for a saint with a name starting with an I or J. The staff of the cross the saint is carrying also appears to have a word written in Hebrew on it. Unlike the Jesus in gold and purple on the opposite wall, this saint is bearded. This is not the only toga with "I"s on the hem (see 5:33 ), so perhaps it is a literal feature of togas of that period.

[@anchoreter]

Saint Lawrence considered as a patron of the family, he's Spaniard like Theodosius I, Galla became a queen of visigoths in Spain, etc

[@SonicPhonic]

(....why are they always whispering...?_)

[@smarthistory-art-history]

We record on location. This location, like many of the locations we visit, are quiet places (churches, etc.). We recognize that our quiet voices are in sharp contrast to the loud voices that dominate most videos, movies, and TV. Perhaps by keeping our voices low, we are helping visitors to better understand the atmosphere at the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia.

[@3John-Bishop]

@@smarthistory-art-history thank you guys for not using loud background music that drowns out the dialogue.

[@bgcreationz]

Why is this a "so called mausoleum"

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Well, because it was likely a part of a church and not built as a burial place.