PAST GLORIES OF RAVENNA

Evening Star, Issue 19698, 27 October 1927, Page 9

PAST GLORIES OF RAVENNA

EXCAVATION SCHEME Arclnoologicul interest has during the last year been directed towards the intended excavation of Herculaneum and the recovery of Caligula's barges from the Lake of Nemi. The excavation of Ravenna, which should reveal matters of arolueological interest equal to those to he expected from Herculaneum, although it would probably he less productive of complete works of art, has, except from local enterprise, received little or no attention (writes the Ronio correspondent of ‘ The Times'). _ The small discoveries made with the limited means at the disposal- of the local authorities are an indication of what remains to be found if the search is extended, and are sufficient to justify a scheme for which it is hoped to secure Government support—namely, to create an “Arolueological Zone” for Ravenna such as is in course of formation in Rome. The field of excavation proposed would have roughly as its centre the church of Santa Croce, and would include the greater part of the additions made to the original city by the Emperor Honorius and his sister, Galla Placidia. A second field might subsequently bo explored on the site of Classo.

No icsthctic objections can ho raised to the constitution of these archccological zones, since the houses which cover the remains of the city of Honorius have for the most part neither architectural merit nor picturesque beauty, and the site of Clnsse_ is in the open country. Signor Hi Pietro, curator of antiquities in Ravenna, recently obtained permission from the owners of the site to begin operations immediately behind the church of Santa Croce. His first attempt brought to light remains of great importance. On the lowest level are the mosaic pavements of two large rooms. These are almost certainly the first traces to come to light of tho palace of Honorius and Galla Placidia, a building which probably equalled, if it did not surpass, in luxury and magnificence the palace of the Caesars in Rome. Regard for the safety of tho surrounding buildings does not permit these pavements to be completely uncovered, but enough has been laid” bare to show fine designs in black and white. Superimposed on these pavements arc iho remains of two walls, of only slightly later construction, which must have formed the original apse of tho Palatine Chapel, of which tho church of Santa Croce is all that remains intact. * About a yard above the level of the original mosaic arc remains of a black-and-white pavement with a curved white border, the- edge of which shows traces of a vertical lacing. The most plausible explanation ior this raised pavement, which, is unquestionably ot Roman workmanship, is that it surrounded a sunken space, which constituted in all probability the baptismal Font of tho Imperial Family. Evidence in favor of this contention is provided by tho ninth century historian Agncllo, who, in his work on the churches of Ravenna, states that tho mosaic decorating the apse oi the Palatine chape! represented the Baptism of Christ. THE CHRISTIAN CULT. A portion of the palace of Honorius would therefore seem to have been sacrificed only a few years alter its completion to the erection of tho Palatine chapel. This might he accounted for by the pious habits of Gal!a_ Placidia,'who, Agnello tells us, “et jactabai se noctu in medio pavimento Deo fuudere prcces, cfc tamdiu pcrnoctabat in lacrimis orans, quamdiu ipsa luinina perdurabant ”■—and who would require her place of worship to bo as near as possible to, if not to lorm an actual part of, her apartments. lb is fairly certain that the mausolea of tho Imperial Family wore connected with tho Palatine chapel, that of Galla Placidia, still no miraculously preserved, opening out of the south end of the external portico, while that destined for the other members probably balanced it at the north end of tho portico. IF then wc accept tho hypothesis that tho baptistry was also incorporated in the chapel, wo may assert that this building contained everything necessary for tho practice by tho Imperial Family of the Christian cult from the cradle to the grave. Another wall, ot Romanesque construction, proves that in the ninth century the original square apse, winch had probably by this time lallcn into disrepair, was replaced by a curved one. A square detached block of masonry may also belong to the later construction', but may conceivably—and this only further excavations can show —have formed part of a support similar to those found in tho basilicas dedicated to tho Cross in Jerusalem and Rome, which upheld tho reliquary of tho True Cross and tho four great candelabra which surrounded it. WORK TO BE DONE.

On tho evidence at present available only the most approximate ide;i can be formed of the topography of tho city of Honorius, which witnessed the declining years and final extinction ot the Western Empire. Occasional excavations for the sinking ot wells or the laying of foundations in tho area between tho church of San Vitale and the line followed by-the Honorian extension of tho decumanns of tho original city have revealed sufficient fragments of masonry and mosaic to warrant tho conclusion that the sites and plans of the Sacred Palace, the Imperial Mausoleum, the Mint, and the other buildings _ which formed _ tho nucleus of the city could be definitely established if tho whole zone were systematically explored Already the sites of many of the basilicas and oratories which surrounded tho Imperial Court have been identified, and their complete excavation should throw much light on the religious life of tho fifth century. The isolation of this zone for archaeological research would also be of great benefit to tho existing monuments. With the draining of the area it would, for instance, be possible to restore the original floor level, which lies 9ft or 10ft below that at present in use, to tho tomb of Galla Placidia, allowing us thereby to judge of its original proportions and to. see the incomparable mosaics from the correct angle and distance. The excavation of Classo, although of interest on account of the important part it played in tho naval history of the Empire', and as tho seat of one of the earliest Christian bishoprics, will always be of secondary importance compared to that of the city of Honorius. In view of the support invariably given by the present Government to arclneological enterprise, the scheme erolved by the enthusiasm of local experts will be put into operation in the near future, and much of inestimable value will thereby be added to our knowledge of. the last years of the Western Empire.