The San Vitale Church in Ravenna, Italy was founded in 526 AD by Bishop Ecclesius and completed in 547 AD. It was sponsored by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I and his wife Theodora, who are memorialized in mosaics. The architectural style is Byzantine, characterized by the use of mosaics, a central apse, and clerestory windows. The building combines elements of Roman architecture like domes and doorways with Byzantine features such as a polygonal apse and narrow bricks. It is most famous for its rich Byzantine mosaics, which decorate the interior through an art of small colored pieces.

1. The architect of the church is unknown. The founder of the church is Bishop Ecclesius in
526, when Ravenna was under Emperor Justinian and completed by the 27th
Bishop of
Ravenna, Maximam, in 547 preceding the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna. The church
was sponsor by Justinian and his wife Theodora, who are memorialized in mosaics in the
church. The building symbolizes the achievements of Emperor Justinian, representative
of the First Byzantine Golden Age. Justinian was following in the footstepts of
Contantine, the Roman Emperor who converted to Christianity and elevated it to the level
of a state religion. Justinian was not content to unity his empire by force of arms, because
of the last century had made it clear that swords could not hold the empire together, so
Justinian began am ambitious building project, constructing churches all over his empire.
Architecture
style :
Byzantine
architecture.
Byzantine
architecture
has a lot in
common
with
Christian
architecture, as most of the early Christian buildings were built at the command of the
Byzantine Emperor Constantine. It do not classify early Christian architecture as
Byzantine architecture is because Byzantine architecture diverges from early Christian
architecture during the reign of the Emperor Justinian, from the size, shape and
decorations, Byzantine established a style from their own. The differences between these
two architecture style is the use of mosaic to decorate surfaces, the focus on the apse, or
half domed alcove at the front of the church, and use of clerestory or window at a high
level to bring in light. The Byzantine architecture and be summarized as bigger and more,
because it feature more clerestory windows and mosaics on every conceivable surface.
Byzantine architecture is a distinct style gradually emerged which imbued certain
influences from the Near East and used the Greek cross plan in church architecture. It is
also the combination of basilica and symmetrical central-plan (circular or polygonal)
religious structure resulted in Byzantine church. Basilica architecture is about a
rectangular hall, internally divided by two or four series of columns, ending with an
elevated chancel at the east end. Basilica could accommodate large congregations.
San Vilate Church, a centrally planned church. Its focus on its center instead of a basilica
which has a long, or longitudinal, axis. Its got an ambulatory, or an aisle that surround its
central space. In this case, on the east side of the church, there's also an extension with an
apse at the end. The church has eight sides, its an octagon, within that octagon is a
smaller octagon that rises higher.

2. The building combines Roman elements, the dome, shape of doorways, and stepped
tower. With Byzantine elements, polygonal apse, capitals, and narrow bricks. The Church
is most famous for its wealth of Byzantine mosaics, its an art of creating images with an
assemblage of smaller pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials, its an decorative
art or interior decoration.

3. Byzantine Mosaics