Alex Richardson: Byzantine

"The word Byzantine itself, in modern parlance, is sometimes used to connote confusion, difficulty in understanding, remoteness and mystery."

A continuation of the Early Christian period, The Byzantine period was from 330-1453 C.E. There was three major Byzantine cities: Constantinople, Venice, and Ravenna. The Constantinople was were the capital and administrative center was located. Venice was a "bustling and vibrant center of trade. The city of Revenna was were the seats of the emperor's interests in the West.

San Vitale located in Ravenna. It was built as an attempt to prove that a centrally planned church, "if large enough, could hold a sizable congregation".

As in many architectural places built during the Early Christian and Byzantine period, the numerous design elements is breathe taken when looking at the interiors of these structures. San Vitale is based off a centrally planned, and includes a cupola supported on a tall drum. Also there is a octagon. The mosaic throughout this space is amazing to look at as well.

Another famous architectural monument during this time period was the Hagia Sophia.

"The most visited museums are located between the Hagia Sophia; in terms of art and architectural history is one of the world's prominent monument is shown as the world's 8th wonder."

I personal really find this space extremely interesting and wish that I could have seen how it looked before it got redesigned/converted into a mosque. It was considered the "world's largest cathedral" until 1520. Since I was very interested in the Hagia Sophias after we learned about it in class , I did further research and found some really interesting facts.

Vital Statistics:
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Completion Date: 537
Diameter: 102 feet
Type: Ribbed
Purpose: Religious
Materials: Concrete
Engineer(s): Anthemius of Tralles, Isidorus the Elder

Considered the finest example of Byzantine architecture in the world, the church of Hagia Sophia was constructed on a scale unprecedented in human history. Under the rule of Justinian the Emperor, and with a force of 10,000 workers, the dome atop the church of Hagia Sophia was built in record time: it took just five years, ten months, and four days to complete.

But when construction began, Anthemius found himself in a geometric fix. How would he build a circular dome atop a square base? Anthemius arrived at a revolutionary solution. He built four massive columns at the corner of each square. On top of the columns, he built four arches. He then filled the spaces between the arches with masonry to create curved triangular shapes called pendentives. The pendentives and the tops of the arches combine to form a strong base for the dome.

But it was the dome that made Hagia Sophia the most complex building of antiquity. The shallow dome was made from 40 equally spaced ribs. Forty windows were then set at the dome's base, creating the sensation that the dome actually floated over the church.

In 559 A.D., an earthquake tumbled the dome. It was rebuilt to a smaller scale, and the whole church was reinforced from the outside. After the Turkish conquest of Constantinople (1453), Hagia Sophia became a mosque, and the ornate interior mosaics were obscured by layers of plaster and painted ornament. Today, all plaster removed, Hagia Sophia is a museum of Byzantine Art.

- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/hagia_sophia.html

Furniture that was used during this period was similar to those seen in previous periods. The throne of Maximian was a high point of Byzantine furniture.