Ravenna - Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

This building, located next to (younger) San Vitale, was commissioned by Galla Placidia. It was erected 425 - 430 as an oratory dedicated to Saint Laurentius (= Lawrence of Rome). It once was connected to Santa Croce, the church for the imperial palace, built in 417 but now in ruins. Santa Croce was as well commissioned by Galla Placidia.

This is a late Roman building. Though the "The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia" may not have been built as a mausoleum, it now contains three sacrophagi. It is known for it´s mosaics.

Gallia Placida, after whom the building is named, was born ~390 in Constantinople. Her father was Theodosius I, the last emperor to rule over the eastern and the western halves of the Roman Empire. She was granddaughter of Valentinian I and the half-sister of emperors Arcadius and Honorius.

When the Visigoths conquered the Italian peninsula, the "Nobilissima Puella" was captured by Alaric. After his death, she was taken as a hostage to Gaul by Alaric´s brother in law Athaulf in 412. After the Romans had attacked the Visigoths in Gaul, she was not returned to Rome, but married by Athaulf. In 415 Athaulf was stabbed by servants of his successor Sigeric, who then killed Athaulf´s six children (from an earlier marriage) and abused the young widow. Days later Sigeric was assassinated and was replaced by Wallia, a relative of Athaulf. He signed a treaty with Galla Placidia´s half-brother and Roman Emperor Honorius and so she could finally return to Rome.

Honorius then forced her into marriage to Constantius III in 417, who was a sucessful military general and the power behind the throne. In 421 he even briefly became co-emperor of the Western Empire with Honorius.

The couple had two children: Justa Grata Honoria, famous for her plea of love and help to Attila the Hun, and Valentinian III, born 419. After their father´s death and before the political turmoil started, Galla Placidia fled to Constantinople with her kids. When they returned to Italy in 425, Valentinian was installed as Western Emperor at the age of six.

The young Emperor ruled under the regency of his mother Galla Placidia. Her regency ended, when Valentinian reached his eighteenth birthday in 437. Galla Placidia died in Rome in 450 - and was probably not buried in this mausoleum. Her son Valentinian III was assasinated five years later.