Ravenna, Italy the City of Octagons. The Axis Mundi.
Of all the structures that may serve as an Axis Mundi, the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy stands alone in its significance in history and its use as a compass rose placed on the face of the earth. The rays that are suggested by the facets of the structure lead to some places on the globe that are highly valued by those who built San Vitale.
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| The Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna |
An examination of San Vitale’s place in the evolution of architecture in this age may reveal some hidden attributes and meanings associated with the structure. San Vitale may have been the first in a long line of structures built with octagonal attributes that define what the Byzantines and later the Holy Roman Empire considered their sphere of influence. It is well known that Baalbek and its hexagon were considered an Axis of great importance to the Roman Emperors that existed before Christianity. Emperors from Alexander the Great to Kaiser Wilhelm II were known to have visited and been fascinated with Baalbek.
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| The little known and discussed Labyrinth of San Vitale |
By examining these famous men’s value of the octagonal shape for a structure one may infer that the Byzantine Empire and Holy Roman Empire is somehow associated through the vagaries of history and both of those groups association with the City of Ravenna. The value of the octagon and its directional attributes seems to have been passed down to the Order of Knights Templar and others via the legions of Rome, Emperor Constantine and the octagon of San Vitale. Later Knights Templar churches would also be circular suggesting an octagon or octagonal in form.
This value of the octagon may have led Emperor Justinian II to later construct the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem as well as other octagonal structures. The Augurs or priests of Pagan Rome may have evolved into the Cistercian Order of Monks. Both groups may have served to ritualize the creation of an Axis. Both groups share the symbols of the Sheppard’s crook (Egyptian) and the crow. The Cistercian order created the later Knights Templar.
San Vitale’s use as an Axis Mundi may include the placement of other monuments or places of talismanic importance along the azimuths suggested by the shape of the building itself. The area encompassed by the temporal influence of the Axis is known as a Templum and is the domain of the ruler that established it. Included in the many functions of the Axis Mundi is its use as a datum or place from which to measure. Significant directions may be inferred by the orientation of construction elements of the structure. Often, when measured on a globe, the facets of an octagonal or hexagonal structure will point the way to other important places. This is an ancient tradition that dates back to at least the Egyptians.
San Vitale’s use as an Axis Mundi may include the placement of other monuments or places of talismanic importance along the azimuths suggested by the shape of the building itself. The area encompassed by the temporal influence of the Axis is known as a Templum and is the domain of the ruler that established it. Included in the many functions of the Axis Mundi is its use as a datum or place from which to measure. Significant directions may be inferred by the orientation of construction elements of the structure. Often, when measured on a globe, the facets of an octagonal or hexagonal structure will point the way to other important places. This is an ancient tradition that dates back to at least the Egyptians.
Examining these places on the globe reveals some exciting and startling results. San Vitale also has some very pertinent places of importance located within the city of Ravenna that also align with the facets of its octagonal shape. Many of the local monuments that align with San Vitale were built by both previous and subsequent rulers who may have known the directional attributes of the structure. Indeed San Vitale may have been used as an axis by no less than three separate rulers of Ravenna beginning with Justinian I. San Vitale points to the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, The Arian Baptistry, and the Neon Baptistry. A line or azimuth extending from the Egyptian obelisk over the N. widrose marker of St. Peter’s Square passes the eastern environs of Ravenna about three miles from San Vitale.
Two of the most startling associations “pointed to” by San Vitale include Mt. Ararat in Turkey and Axsum, Ethiopia. This makes Mt. Ararat very special in that it is also pointed to by Baalbek, The Great Pyramid, The Dome of the Rock, as well as the array at St. Peter’s. Axsum, Ethiopia is said to be the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant (Axsum also pointed to by the Dome of the Rock). San Vitale also seems to point an azimuth to the City of London and Buckingham Palace as well. All of these directions are based on the shape of the building and are not randomly drawn. All measurements must be done on a globe as the ancients did.
The Basilica of San Vitale was built between 527 and 546 A.D. beginning during the rule of the Ostrogoths. It was completed during the Excharate or occupation of Ravenna under the rule of Emperor Justinian I who is often credited with building the structure. Justinian I also rebuilt Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and used pillars and construction elements from other more ancient structures including columns from the ruins of Baalbek that originally came from the Aswan granite quarries in Upper Egypt. Later Holy Roman Emperors would loot Ravenna for what they considered to be sacred relics. In addition to Holy Relics a clear value of pieces or construction elements from past Axis Mundi seemed to have been highly valued as well. This tradition continues today in 2012.
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| Plan of San Vitale |
Later Deutschland King Kaiser Wilhelm II would donate columns taken from Baalbek to the construction of his allies the Ottoman Turks Blue Mosque in Istanbul. There are many instances of this type of use for the remains of older monuments. During this period the Kaiser may have also ordered the production of a map using Baalbek as the center of its projection. This may have allowed the Kaiser to plot the lines extending from the hexagon at Baalbek. Many linear parks such as that of the Schloss Schonbrunn in Vienna, Tower Grove Park in St. Louis, and the Vatican depict ruins that are contrived or fake but are built in as elements of the park or landscaping. Many of these linear parks serve as Axis or talismanic elements of alignments.
The Etruscans may have been the founding culture of Rome. One of their largest cities was Ravenna. The earliest date of recorded Etruscan culture is about 700 B.C. The Etruscans remained a unique and
independent culture until their assimilation into the Roman Empire sometime in the 1st Century A.D. Among the many achievements of the Etruscans was the development of a sixteen point directional system. The shape of an octagon also indicates sixteen directions. Some researchers feel that the Etruscans may have developed the use of a magnetic compass. A map later produced by a German Cartographer known as the Ravenna Cosmography may depict knowledge of this phenomena by the Germans at least during the nineteenth century. The map depicts 24 rays extending from the center of Ravenna (San Vitale) to important sites. Though the map is crude this does match the assumptions gleaned from Google Earth digital globe.
Etruscan material culture depicting a circle with sixteen gods in a directional context has been identified. The shape of an octagon indicates sixteen major compass directions somewhat like the array of Egyptian obelisk and windrose markers of St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican or the Tower of the Winds in Athens. Other earlier directional systems were based on the Hexagon and depicted up to twelve important directions similar to the hexagonal structure in the ruins of Baalbek, Lebanon. Both St. Peter’s and Baalbek can be used to sight significant places on the globe to those cultures. It is known that older directional systems were based on the hexagon.
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| The Hexagon of Baalbek, Lebanon. |
independent culture until their assimilation into the Roman Empire sometime in the 1st Century A.D. Among the many achievements of the Etruscans was the development of a sixteen point directional system. The shape of an octagon also indicates sixteen directions. Some researchers feel that the Etruscans may have developed the use of a magnetic compass. A map later produced by a German Cartographer known as the Ravenna Cosmography may depict knowledge of this phenomena by the Germans at least during the nineteenth century. The map depicts 24 rays extending from the center of Ravenna (San Vitale) to important sites. Though the map is crude this does match the assumptions gleaned from Google Earth digital globe.
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| A map generated from the Ravenna Cosmography displaying an axis. |
As the Etruscan and Roman Cultures merged Ravenna became a valued Roman port city. In the early fifth century the Western Roman Empire became weak and succumbed to the invasion of the Goths. While the Visigoths sacked Rome Ravenna was occupied by Ostrogothic ruler Theodoric. Theodoric made Ravenna the capitol of the Italian Ostrogoths and developed a humanistic live and let live relationship with the Latin inhabitants of Ravenna.
Theodoric may have been the first to build an octagon in Ravenna. He may also have been eliminated so that San Vitale could be built. Somewhere near the beginning of the sixth century he constructed what is known as the Arian Baptistry (octagonal) as well as the Basilica Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo . Theodoric was from a region that would later become Austria. He was the first in a line of Germanic people to show an interest in Ravenna and its octagons.
It was during the last year of Theodoric’s reign that construction on the Basilica of San Vitale began. Construction started on the Basilica in 527 A.D. coincidentally the first year of Byzantine ruler Justinian I’s reign.
In a story similar to the later construction of the Dome of the Rock the Ostrogoths enlisted the help of Byzantine artists and engineers to construct the Basilica. Theodoric admired Roman architecture and employed Roman architects exclusively later in his reign. These architects undoubtedly designed the Arian Baptistry, Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo and the Basilica of San Vitale. If the details are examined it may become clear that the creation of San Vitale was entirely the work of Justinian I Emperor of Byzantine Rome.
The Ostrogoths were followers of the Arian branch of Christianity (much different from the Aryan/Nazi meaning). Arians had somewhat of a gnostic view of Christ in that they believed he lived as an exceptional human being and was not divine like god. During this period the Romans/Byzantines had good relations and lived together peacefully in Ravenna. Arian values and views of Christ would later be echoed in relation to the Holy Grail via the Cathars and Bogomils of southern France.
It may be inferred from the construction date of San Vitale that Emperor Justinian was entirely responsible for the construction of San Vitale in 527 (as a coincidence his first year as emperor). It would not be until the year 535 that Justinian and the Byzantines would officially re-conquer Ravenna but it may be telling that 527 was the Church’s first year of construction since it matched both Justinian’s first year as emperor and the last year of Theodoric’s life. .
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| The Arian Baptistry from Google Earth fly in view. |
It is not out of the question that the Byzantine Empire would manipulate a situation to this degree. It is almost as if the Byzantine Romans had built the Arian Baptistry, San Vitale, and the Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo in forms desirable to them in anticipation of their re-conquering Ravenna later. Again this is a pattern that is later repeated at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the construction of the Church of St. Mary Justinian which sits atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Ca. 560 built by Justinian I now the Al Aqsa Mosque) and later the Dome of the Rock built during the reign of Justinian II.
What was so special about Ravenna? Justinian at various points controlled the Axis of Jerusalem (prior to the DOTR construction), Constantinople, Rome, and now we see Ravenna. Justinian I reunited the western and eastern Roman Empire for the last time. This also meant he controlled regions that included the Great Pyramid and Baalbek as well.
Perhaps in some way he resented Ostrogothic occupation of Ravenna and saw it as a significant place of power. Perhaps he admired the Etruscans who founded Ravenna as the seed culture of Rome and wanted to control the city. It is possible that the Etruscans had earlier designated Ravenna an Axis Mundi of great importance. Emperor Justinian eventually captured all of the significant game-pieces that were on the board during this era including Ravenna.
San Vitale is home to what are considered to be the pinnacle of Byzantine mosaic technology. The mosaics depict Justinian and Empress Theodora in brilliant colors and patterns. These mosaics are famous for depicting figures as if they are floating divinely. Also noted is Christ’s depiction without a beard and shorter hair. Nearby to the northeast the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (equilateral cross resembles and octagon) aligns with San Vitale. Perhaps Justinian chose this location for San Vitale due to its location near the mausoleum and the former Basilica of Sain’Croce (cross) that was destroyed during the Ostrogothic invasion.
In addition Ravenna was the location of the Axis Mundi that Justinian had created himself. This must have been a point of pride with him. Justinian seems to have been the creator of San Vitale even though he didn’t control Ravenna until eight years after the beginning of its construction. By the time of its completion in 546 he had controlled Ravenna for over eleven years. Perhaps the octagonal part of the plan of the Basilica was added after he re-conquered the city. It is also not beyond the scope of possibility that Theodoric’s Byzantine Engineers were in league with the Byzantine Emperor and had designed it this way in a clandestine manner! In fact this scenario may well be more likely.
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| Byzantine Empress Theodora (Justinian I) mosaic at San Vitale. |
The next Axis Mundi in the saga of the octagons of Byzantium is comprised of the array of the Al Aqsa Mosque in relation to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
The stories of the construction of both the Dome of the Rock and San Vitale are almost identical. The Basilica of San Vitale was finished in 546 and the Dome of the Rock was completed in 691. The Dome of the Rock has an octagonal plan the same dimensions of that of San Vitale and its dome is said to be a copy of the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulcher with which it aligns. Both Roman/Byzantine buildings. The baptistery of St. John just east of the Dome of the Rock echoes the association of smaller octagonal structures associated and aligned with the main axis.
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| Plan of the Dome of the Rock (left) and plan of Baalbek. These layouts are very similar |
Prior to the construction of the Dome of the Rock Byzantine engineers were requested to assist in the construction of the Dome of the Rock. This is a fact of history even though Jerusalem was in Muslim hands and the building would be one of the holiest places in Islam. The stories behind these two buildings are so similar and so suggestive of Byzantine manipulation that it is hard not to imagine that they were actually the ones who wanted these buildings built in these forms and not the Ostrogoths or Muslims. The Church of St. Mary Justinian (built in 560 by Justinian I) was now called the Al Aqsa mosque. Both of the buildings now sitting atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem were built by the Byzantines for their own purposes.
The spatial relationship of the octagonal Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque echo the spatial relationship of the hexagon of Baalbek and the Temple of Jupiter in Lebanon. Baalbek represented Rome’s pagan axis and now they may have manipulated a similar array into existence atop the Temple Mount even though they didn’t even control the region any longer! This may be indicative of their rite of divine ownership of this region and the belief that they would soon re-conquer it. The later Holy Roman Empire may be associated with the Byzantines in many ways and the Crusades to conquer the Holy Land may have been an extension of this philosophy.
The eighth century began with Justinian II ruling the Byzantine Empire and ended with Charlemagne being crowned Holy Roman Emperor. Only about 40 years separate the lives of these two men. There are many aspects of Charlemagne’s and both emperor Justinian’s lives that display similar values and concepts.
Charlemagne was known to value both of the former Byzantine Emperors and it may be possible that they share some lineage. Charlemagne had statuary and likenesses of both men brought to Aachen, Germany from Ravenna and Constantinople. It was during this period that the Byzantine Empire was failing and the Holy Roman Empire and Charlemagne were becoming allies with Rome.
An odd story with a link to the Emperor Justinian II and later Holy Roman Empire ruler Charlemagne involves a golden prosthetic nose that was used by Justinian to cover up a scar on his nose. Justinian is the only Roman ruler to have been deposed and then later regain his Empire. When Justinian was deposed his nose was slit because Roman law stated that a person who was defaced could not rule. This prompted Justinian II to wear a golden prosthetic nose. He eventually may have been driven to regain the throne in order to finish his plan of secretly building the Dome of the Rock.
When Charlemagne's vault was opened by later rulers they placed a golden prosthetic nose onto the corpse of the long dead king. Charlemagne was left interred sitting upright on a throne in his vault with the famous book The Coronation Gospels placed on his lap One story has Holy Roman Emperor Otto III opening the vault in 1000AD to recover the codex. When Otto resealed the vault the golden prosthetic nose was said to have been placed to cover up the deterioration that had occurred to Charlemagne’s corpse. Many feel that this was a veneration of Justinian II whom Charlemagne and the Ottonians may have admired. This event also involved the removal of some other mysterious manuscripts from the vault at that time. Many scholars dispute the accuracy of this tale. These types of tales may have begun or continued the tradition of Holy Grail myths having treasure stashed in hidden vaults associated with them (Holy Grail, Lost Ark, Oak Island, Williamsburg vault, Beale treasure, Blue dog treasure).
This is a strange image that must somehow link to Emperor Justinian II. Was the golden nose placed in this manner in veneration of Justinian II? Charlemagne also once had an original statue of Justinian I brought from Constantinople to Aachen. One theory with regard to this value of rulers Justinian by Charlemagne is the possibility that Charlemagne saw himself as blood descendant of these two other rulers. Is it possible that the Holy Roman Empire had more of a connection with the failed Byzantine Empire than the Empire of Rome and the Vatican? These facts may hint at such a hidden truth and may have led to the Masonic character of the later Holy Roman Empire.
When Charlemagne's vault was opened by later rulers they placed a golden prosthetic nose onto the corpse of the long dead king. Charlemagne was left interred sitting upright on a throne in his vault with the famous book The Coronation Gospels placed on his lap One story has Holy Roman Emperor Otto III opening the vault in 1000AD to recover the codex. When Otto resealed the vault the golden prosthetic nose was said to have been placed to cover up the deterioration that had occurred to Charlemagne’s corpse. Many feel that this was a veneration of Justinian II whom Charlemagne and the Ottonians may have admired. This event also involved the removal of some other mysterious manuscripts from the vault at that time. Many scholars dispute the accuracy of this tale. These types of tales may have begun or continued the tradition of Holy Grail myths having treasure stashed in hidden vaults associated with them (Holy Grail, Lost Ark, Oak Island, Williamsburg vault, Beale treasure, Blue dog treasure).
This is a strange image that must somehow link to Emperor Justinian II. Was the golden nose placed in this manner in veneration of Justinian II? Charlemagne also once had an original statue of Justinian I brought from Constantinople to Aachen. One theory with regard to this value of rulers Justinian by Charlemagne is the possibility that Charlemagne saw himself as blood descendant of these two other rulers. Is it possible that the Holy Roman Empire had more of a connection with the failed Byzantine Empire than the Empire of Rome and the Vatican? These facts may hint at such a hidden truth and may have led to the Masonic character of the later Holy Roman Empire.
The largest evidence supporting the notion of Charlemagne’s Byzantine connection is his construction of the beautiful Aachen Cathedral. The cathedral in Aachen Germany has an octagonal element to its construction as well a Moorish or Islamic influence in its interior architecture. It resembles the inside of the Dome of the Rock and what would later be termed a "Templar Church." Many elements of the interior of the cathedral resemble the style of the Dome of the Rock especially in the arches of the octagonal portion of the building. This cathedral is the location at which many of the German Monarchs and rulers of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned.
The cathedral in Aachen also aligns with a windrose marker and obelisk at the center of St. Peter's Square. St. Peter's Square points to Aachen. Other important Holy Roman Empire sites pointed to by the array at St. Peter's include Regensburg, Germany home of Holy Roman Emperors the Ottonian dynasty, and the Schloss Shonbrunn, in Vienna, Austira. The Schloss is the former home of the Hapsburg dynasty and onetime palace of the Holy Roman Empire. All are pointed to by the Array at St. Peter's. The Dome of the Rock and Aachen Cathedral are included in the Templum of the Vatican. All of these properties may have been obtained and valued due to their spatial relationship with the central axis.
The cathedral in Aachen also aligns with a windrose marker and obelisk at the center of St. Peter's Square. St. Peter's Square points to Aachen. Other important Holy Roman Empire sites pointed to by the array at St. Peter's include Regensburg, Germany home of Holy Roman Emperors the Ottonian dynasty, and the Schloss Shonbrunn, in Vienna, Austira. The Schloss is the former home of the Hapsburg dynasty and onetime palace of the Holy Roman Empire. All are pointed to by the Array at St. Peter's. The Dome of the Rock and Aachen Cathedral are included in the Templum of the Vatican. All of these properties may have been obtained and valued due to their spatial relationship with the central axis.
The value of the octagon may have extended to colonial Virginia and Rhode Island. The Newport Tower, Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, and the Powder Magazine in Colonial Williamsburg, all octagons, were all three built to carry on this tradition. Each acts as a directional device or compass rose constructed on the face of the earth (see Holy Grail of North America chapter). Along with the International Peace Garden and Georgia Guidestones these structures may well define the saga of the Holy Grail in America.
The final locus in the saga of the octagons is Thomas Jefferson’s octagonal estate near Bedford and Lynchburg, Virginia. Thomas Jefferson may have been a Knights Templar Strict Observance, American Rite. The rite of Strict Observance is a designation of German Masonry that descended from Prussian Royalty. This association and others may indicate that Jefferson valued the octagon in the same manner as Justinian I, Justinian II, and Charlemagne had.
Interestingly Jefferson built his octagonal Axis Mundi as a small private residence using his own funds and not as an imperial axis as his forebears had. This was the octagons of the Byzantines American style. He may have valued and been amused by this phenomena and practiced it differently than his Imperial cohorts.
Jefferson oriented this structure so that one of the facets of his home created an azimuth or ley line that pointed to several structures he had designed or built before and after including Monticello, University of Virginia campus, Barboursville Mansion, Montpelier (James Madison’s home named for the Capitol of the Languedoc), and Washington D.C. Others would later add the Georgia Guidestones to this alignment as well as the towns of Madison and Monticello, Georgia.
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| Jefferson's own hand drawn plan for Poplar Forest |
This same azimuth on the globe crosses the region of Germany known as Prussia as it extends to Europe. Charlottesville, Jefferson’s hometown near Monticello, was named for Queen Charlotte of England who was originally from Hanover, Germany. The town was named such in 1762 when Jefferson was about 19 years of age. The actual structure of Monticello is located only about a hundred yards from the exact 38th parallel.
This value of the octagon may go back to much more ancient times and be transparent via the recorded history of the Romans, the Holy Roman Empire, Britain and France. The true story of the world may be deciphered if one takes the time to examine this tradition. If these axis are legitimate then the history of the world is much different than we have been told.
Analysis:
What does all of this mean? In short these places may have been meant to mark prime meridians that were established by each ruler. As well as all the spiritual overtones these octagonal structures were datums or places from which to measure. The word datum itself infers the word “date.”
By interpreting the history and directions inferred from these structures some little known or hidden facts may become apparent. The Dome of the Rock defines the Lost Ark of the Covenant mystery by pointing to and being associated with Axsum Ethiopia, and Lalibela, Ethiopia. Lalibela may have been built as a replacement for the Temple Mount in Jerusalem later during the Muslim occupation and is home to several churches hewn from solid rock.
St. Peter’s Square of the Vatican points to both the Dome of the Rock and Lalibela. The direction opposite from the Lalibela Azimuth is Chartres Cathedral which has stonework depicting the Queen of Sheba taking the Ark to Ethiopia (see Lost Ark Chapter). St. Peter’s defines the geography of the Holy Roman Empire by pointing azimuths to Aachen Cathedral, Regensburg, Germany, and Vienna, Austria (Regensburg seat of Ottonian dynasty, Austria seat of Hapsburg dynasty). St. Peter’s also points to Fatima, Portugal, site of the miricles of Fatima as well as the Hajia Sophia in Istanbul.
Jefferson seems to have been heavily influenced by this tradition. This fits the assumption from the book of the Holy Grail that he was a Knights Templar Strict Observance. He created his home Poplar Forest as an Axis Mundi. He created alignments of architecture that are still being added to today as evidenced by the Georgia Guidestones. All of this is a tradition that harkens back to ancient Egypt but may be best defined in the buildings created by the Emperor Constantine, Justinian I, Justinian II, Thomas Jefferson, and Bernini (St. Peter’s). If anyone ever asks you what do Istanbul and Lynchburg, Virginia have in common one can point to Jefferson’s octagon and the Hajia Sophia in Istanbul as significant Axis in world history! Lynchburg itself is home to an array of classical statuary and place names inspired by grail legends.
All of this activity through history contributed to the creation of what may be the first Axis Mundi created by Europeans in North America. This Axis may be represented by the International Peace Garden today. If the history that is associated with these alignments is true it may mean that North America was settled long before history tells us this occurred. Since the IPG is located at the east to west axis of N. America it may also mean the entire continent had been surveyed prior to its original establishment near the time frame defined by the Kensington Runestone (1362).
Other factors such as the Newark Earthworks being oriented towards the Great Pyramid of Giza from half a world away infer that people other than the Native Americans were responsible at least for Newark if not many of the “pre-columbian” structures in the America’s. This also fits Joseph Smith’s (founder of the Mormon faith) assumption that Native Americans were a lost Hebrew tribe. They may have learned Hebrew writing or had artifacts with such writing that were seen by Smith while he lived in New York and Ohio. Many groups of Knights Templar were known to use Hebrew writing as a code or way to communicate secretly.
The creation of faith may be associated with these alignments. Mecca is pointed to by the Great Pyramid as is Baalbek, the Arcadia region of Greece and all of Italy. Joseph Smith found the Golden Tablets in alignment with the Great Pyramid. All of this hints that the creation of religion is not an organic, naturally occurring phenomena but a contrived and manipulated effort to control people.
The facts also indicate the people like Christ, Mohammed, and Joseph Smith were natural spiritual leaders than may have been taken advantage of by some unknown priesthood or group that may control events of this nature. All of this is associated with the talismanic alignment of monuments and structures as a form of organization and property designation. It seems that any activity (ritual) carried out by this group must be in association with these systems.
