The Happy Archaeologist has completed his first major research trip of the year, to spectacular Ravenna, late Roman capital of the western empire.
I am in the process of completing my biography of the remarkable Galla Placidia for Pen and Sword Books, due to be published in April 2027. Galla Placidia was a most remarkable woman. Daughter of the emperor Theodosius I, half-sister of Honorius and Arcadius. Wife of the Visigothic king Athaulf, and wife of the emperor Constantius III. Most importantly, as the mother of the young Valentinian III, she was the regent of the later western Roman Empire for 13 years. As such, she actually ruled the empire in her own right, making her the most powerful woman ever in Roman history.
She spent much of her life in Ravenna, so as part of my deep research I visited the city with Andante Travel’s regional expert Oliver Gilkes, also my wargaming mate. Oliver was kind enough to guide me around this amazing city, the mosaic capital of Italy. Highlights included the Gothic Baptistry, the Sant’Apollinare in Classe basilica (pictured), the Sant’Apollinare Nuevo basilica, the basilica di San Vitale with its stunning mosaics of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I and empress Theodora, the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia and its adjacent Santa Croce basilica, the basilica di San Giovani Evangelista and the Mausoleum of the Ostrogothic king Theoderic. We also visited a modern mosaic workshop so that I could get a better understanding of this incredible skill. While there we saw a recreation of the Alexander the Great mosaic from the House of the Faun on Pompeii being made. What an honour.
Dr Simon Elliott FSA said:
To spend time with an expert such as Oliver in the spaces where Galla Placidia once actually stood and lived out her life was truly magical. Visiting key locations when researching books about the ancient world is so important. You can truly get a sense of the real-life agency of the individual, in this case this most astonishing, amazing of women. My key take-out from Ravenna: gold mosaics…everywhere!
