Art And Architecture 381
brought to Ravenna.83 The monolith, 10.76 m in diameter, 3.09 m thick, and
weighing around 300 tons, was carved into the shape of a dome, curved both on
its top and underside. Twelve spurs are arranged around the edge, each carved
with the name of an apostle. Their original purpose is debated. Some scholars
have seen the openings carved into them as possible mooring for ropes that
would have manoeuvred the great stone into place atop the monument. In this
case the names would have been added later as an afterthought. The fact that
83 Tabarroni, “Scienze”, pp. 129–34.
FIGURE 14.18 Mausoleum of Theoderic, reconstruction of De Angelis d’Ossat
Drawing reproduced from De Angelis d’Ossat,
Studi ravennati: problemi di architettura
paleocristiana (1962)