The Mausoleum of Theodoric
by Joellen Secondo

Pages: 32-35

The mausoleum of Theodoric, the king of Ostrogothic Italy from 488 to 526 a.d., is unique among early Christian buildings. Private mausoleums were a common type of early Christian monument; however, this building is the only known tomb of an Arian Christian leader.
The mausoleum’s construction, form, and decoration are an unusual combination of Roman, Syrian, Byzantine, and Ostrogothic elements. Like other structures commissioned by this Germanic king, it is simple in its geometry, having a centralized plan with two levels.