The mosaics of the church of San Michele in Africisco in Ravenna (northern Italy), consecrated in 545, depict in the apse Christ flanked by the Archangels *Michael and *Gabriel (S00181 and S00192), and, on either side of the apse, *Cosmas/Kosmas and Damianus (brothers, physician martyrs of Syria, S00385). The mosaics were detached in 1844, and comprehensively 'restored' for display in what is now the Museum für byzantinische Kunst in Berlin.
Evidence ID
E06049
Type of Evidence
Images and objects - Wall paintings and mosaics
Inscriptions - Inscribed architectural elements
Reconstructed mosaics from San Michele in Africisco, Ravenna
In the centre of the apse, an unbearded Christ stands in front of a golden background, holding a cross and an open book with the words:
+ Qui vi/dit me/ vidit et/ Patrem.
Ego et/ Pater/ Unum/ Sumus.
‘He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. I and my father are one.' (John 14.9; 10.30)
Christ is flanked by two angels. The one on the left is labelled 'Michahel'; that on the right 'Gabrihel.
Above the apse, an enthroned and bearded Christ is flanked by nine angels, seven of whom are blowing trumpets (Revelation 8:2 and following)
On either side of the apse were two figures, that on the left labelled 'S(an)c(tu)s Cosmas' (Saint Cosmas), that on the right 'S(an)c(tu)s Damianus' (Saint Damianus).
Cult PlacesPublic display of an image
Cult building - independent (church)
Use of ImagesPublic display of an image
Commissioning/producing an image
Source
The 9th-century historian of Ravenna, Agnellus recorded the now-lost dedicatory inscription in San Michele (E05787), which was probably in mosaic below the figures in the apse. From this inscription, we learn that the church was built from the foundations by a certain Bacauda (who is otherwise unknown) and by Iulianus, who is presumably Iulianus/Julianus Argentarius (the banker), who also paid for Sant'Apollinare in Classe and San Vitale. Quite how a single banker accumulated sufficient funds to pay for the massive churches of Sant'Apollinare and San Vitale (and for half of San Michele) is unknown – an earlier view that he served as the 'long-arm' of the emperor Justinian is rightly out of favour (as there is no mention of Justinian in any of the inscriptions). Agnellus (Lib. Pont. 77) records that 'as some say' (ut asserunt quidam) that Bacauda was the son-in-law of Iulianus, and that he was buried in a stone sarcophagus near the church of San Michele, but it is uncertain how reliable this information is (particularly regarding the relationship between the two men).The story of the mosaics of San Michele is a sad one. The church was deconsecrated in 1805, and in 1842 its mosaics were sold to Friederich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. In 1844 they were detached and sent to Venice, where they were consolidated and 'restored'. Sent to Berlin in segments in 1850, these were only finally reassembled and displayed in 1904, in the Berlin museum now known as the Museum für byzantinische Kunst.
Already at the time, discriminating observers noted that what was (and is) displayed in Berlin is not the original mosaic, but a completely reworked copy (it is even uncertain how many of the original tesserae were reused). Corrado Ricci concluded an article about the mosaics, published in 1905, with the following all-too-accurate observation: ' ... if Ravenna has one less Byzantine mosaic, Berlin certainly hasn't gained one!' (... se Ravenna ha un musaico bizantino di meno, Berlino non ne ha certo uno in più!).
Although this was and is an art-historical and aesthetic disaster, the iconography of the mosaic was reliably recorded before it was reworked. First by Giovanni Ciampini in his Vetera Monimenta of 1699, who published both a detailed description and an engraving (see Images). When recorded by Ciampini, there was already damage to the bottom of the mosaic: he notes in his written description (and shows in the engraving) the loss of Christ's feet. But all the saints represented, and their labels, were still substantially intact. When next recorded, shortly before the mosaics were detached (most comprehensively in a water-colour by Enrico Pazzi of 1842), much more had been lost, particularly on the right; but quite enough still survived to show that Ciampini's engraving, though stylistically far from accurate, was a reliable record of the mosaic's iconography (again see Images).
Discussion
Although both Michael and Gabriel were depicted in the apse, the dedicatory inscription (E05787) is explicit that the church was dedicated to Michael alone, apparently in gratitude for favours received from the Archangel by Bacauda and Julianus, and probably as the result of a vow. Dedications to the Archangel Michael are uncommon in the Latin West, and Bacauda and Julianus' dedication may well reflect the influence of eastern cult: Michael was one of the major saints of Asia Minor and of the region around Constantinople.Eastern influence is, of course, undoubted in the presence of Cosmas and Damianus (the physician martyrs of Syria) as auxiliary figures on either side of the apse. In the early to mid 6th century, Cosmas and Damianus feature prominently in Italy: though absent from the twenty-six male saints processing in Ravenna's Sant'Apollinare Nuovo (E06046), they are two of the six martyrs whose busts are shown in the Cappella Arcivescovile (E05950); at Poreč, on Istria, they play a rather similar role to that in San Michele, featuring in one of the side-apses of the basilica of Eufrasius (E08567); and in Rome, Felix IV (526-30) dedicated to them a sumptuously decorated church (E08150, present-day SS. Cosma e Damiano). In San Michele, if the depictions are accurate, each appears to have been shown wearing a long-sleeved white tunic under a sleeved over-garment, though they are more usually shown in the paenula (the cloak of ordinary civilians) – see, for instance, E08150. Ciampini recorded that each was holding a book (volumen), but this again would be unusual (and not suited to their role in life): more likely would be a roll of medical equipment.
Although not relevant to the cult of saints, it is worth noting that the texts Christ displays – both stressing the complete unity of Father and Son – are a refutation of 'Arianism', some five years after the fall of Ostrogothic Ravenna to Belisarius.
Bibliography
On Bacauda and Julianus:Deichmann, F.W., Ravenna, Hauptstadt des spätantiken Abendlandes, II Kommentar, vol.2 (Wiesbaden, 1976), pp. 3-33 (with full discussion of Iulianus' building works and their inscriptions).
Martindale, J.R., The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire III, A.D. 527-641 (Cambridge, 1992), p.162 'Bacauda' and pp. 730-731 'Iulianus 7'.
Pietri, C. and Pietri, L., Prosopographie chrétienne du Bas-Empire, 2 Prosopographie de l'Italie chrétienne (313-604), 2 vols. (École française de Rome, 1999), at vol. 1, pp. 246-7 'Bacauda' and pp. 1192-5, 'Iulianus 25'.
On the structure of the church of San Michele:
Grossmann, P., S. Michele in Africisco zu Ravenna; baugeschichtliche Untersuchungen (Mainz, 1973).
Pre-1844 descriptions:
Ciampini, G., Vetera Monimenta (Rome 1699), vol. 2, pp. 63-65 and Tav. XVII (between pp. 62 and 63).
Effenberger, A., "Das Apsismosaik aus der Kirche San Michele in Africisco. Versuch einer Rekonstruktion," in H.L. Nickel (ed.), Beiträge zur byzantinischen und osteuropäischen Kunst des Mittelalters (Berlin, 1977), 32-46.
On the mosaics:
Effenberger, A., Das Mosaik aus der Kirche San Michele in Africisco zu Ravenna (2nd edn, Berlin, 1989). [Not seen by us]
On the removal (and 'restoration') of the mosaics:
Andreescu-Treadgold, I., "The wall mosaics of San Michele in Africisco rediscovered," in: Corso di Cultura sull'Arte Ravennate e Bizantina 37 (1990) (= Seminario Internazionale di Studi sul tema: 'L'Italia Meridionale fra Goti e Longobardi'; Ravenna, 1990), pp. 13-57 [includes a detailed discussion of surviving original fragments, removed during the work in Venice].
Centro Internazionale di Documentazione sul Mosaico:
http://www.mosaicocidm.it/Mosaico/Read_full.action?cardNumber=348&leaves=2 [a full account in Italian of the sorry story].
Ricci, C., "La chiesa di S. Michele 'ad Frigiselo' in Ravenna," Rassegna d'Arte 5 nr.4 (1905), 136-142.
Wulff, O., "Das ravennatische Mosaik von S. Michele in Affricisco im Kaiser Friedrich Museum," Jahrbuch der königlich preussischen Kunstsammlung 25.4 (1904), 374-401.
Images
)
San Michele in Africisco: the apse mosaic as it appears now in the Bode Museum, Berlin.
)
San Michele in Africisco: Ciampini's 1699 engraving of the mosaic
)
San Michele in Africisco: water-colour of the apse mosaic, made by Enrico Pazzi in 1842, before the mosaic was detached. The parts in a lighter colour, on the right-hand side of the image, were in paint (replacing mosaic that was already lost).
Record Created By
Bryan Ward-Perkins and Frances Trzeciak
Date of Entry
30/07/2018, substantially rewritten 17/09/2024
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00181 | Michael, the Archangel | Michahel | Certain | S00192 | Gabriel, the Archangel | Gabrihel | Certain | S00385 | Kosmas and Damianos, brothers, physician martyrs of Syria | Cosmas, Damianvs | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Bryan Ward-Perkins and Frances Trzeciak, Cult of Saints, E06049 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E06049