Page 136 - DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - The World's Must-See Places

134 EUROPE Basilica of Euphrasius, Porec

This 6th-century church, a Byzantine masterpiece (Byzantine
HUN(;ARV
Style, see p. 148}, is decorated with splendid mosaics on a
CROATIA gold background. The Basilica of Euphrasius was constructed
BASILICA Of
EUPH!IAS IU$. for Bishop Euphrasius between 539 and 553 by enlarging
POREC
the 4th-century Oratory of St. Maurus, one of the earliest
IIOSNIA &
HERZEGOVINA
Christian religious sites in the world. Over the centuries,
• Spill the building has undergone several alterations. Some of the
ADRIATIC
Sf A original floor mosaics have survived-they were discovered Mosaic in the apse
ITALY
during restoration work in the 19th century.
~ Apse Mosaics
ST. MAURUS AND BISHOP EUPHRASIUS
Mosaics from 1tle 6th century cCNer the aps e.
Little is known about the lives of St. Maurus, the On the triumpha l arch a re C hris t a nd the
first bis hop of Pore( and Bishop Euphrasius. In Apostles; on thevault 1tle Virgin e nthroned
with C hild and two Angels; to the le ft are
the 4th century, St. Maurus built an oratory used
St. Ma urus, B is hop E uphrasius wi1tl a model of
by early Christians for secre t wors hip. Legend the bas ilica, a nd D eacon C laud with his son.
says that he endured a martyr's death during the
Roman Emperor Diocle1ian's persecution of
~ Ciborium
Christians. In the 6th century, his body was Dominating the ---------------Jk!;lJM~tfl.~RI
transferred from a cemetery near the basilica presbytery is a beautiful
to the Votive Chapel. The influential Bishop 13th-century ciborium.
or canopy, supporte d by
Euphrasius sought the best craftsmen for the
four marble c olumns. It is
construction of his baSilica and created one of the decorated with mosaics.
greatest archrtectural complexes of the period.
BYZANTINE MOSAIC TECHNIQUE
The art of mosa1c, espec1ally 1n cll.Jrches, peaked
during the Byzantine penod S mall, colored glass
pieces were 1Jiad onto the walls, ....tlile hard·
wearing natural stones and marbles were
encrusted into the floors In the 6th century,
mosaidsts began to use gold and Sliver glass
tesserae in their designs to reflect the maximum
amount of light. Most mosaics depicted biblical ~ Sacristy and Votive Chapel
scenes or saints, but a few also 1 ncl uded images Past the sacristy's left wall is a
triple-apsed chapel wi1tl a mosaic
of the builders. Bishop Euphrasius commissioned
floor from the 6th century. The
marvelous Byzantine des1 gns for his basilica. The remains of saints Maurus and
most impressive is that of the Virgin and C hild in Eleuterius lie here.
the apse, flanked by images of S t. Maurus and
Euphrasius (apse mosaics). Floor Mosaic
The rema ins of a mosaic
floor from the 4 th-cen twy
THE INTERIOR
oratory can be seen in the
The Basilica of Euphrasius is entered through c hurch's garden.
the atrium, which contains traces of the
Byzantine mosaics that were restored in the 19th
century. Nearby is the baptistry, buitt v..ith a
wooden roof in the Sth century and remodeled Y Apse Mosaics
during the construct1on of EuphraSius's basilica.
Christian converts were baptized in the central
font until the 1 Sth century. Inside the basilica,
beautiful mosaics, made partly from semi·
predous stones and mother-of-pearl, are still
visible, espeaally 1n the apse <l"'d the ciborilnl.
Several fires and earthquakes c:Ner the centuries
have altered the shape of the building; the
southern wall of the central nave was destroyed
in the 15th century and later rebuilt \IIIith
Gothicvvindows (Gothic Style, see p.54). On
the western side of the basilica is the Holy C ross
Chapel, adorned vvith a 15th-century polyptych
by the Venetian artist Antonio Vivarini.