Mosaics to the Past

In 1907, work began for the creation of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis in St. Louis, Missouri. This cathedral was built to replace the previous St. Louis Cathedral built along the Mississippi River, but it had something special added to it. The Basilica of Saint Louis has the largest installation of mosaics in the Western Hemisphere. The installation of the mosaics began in 1912, two years before the Basilica was open for use. The collection contains 41.5 million glass pieces in more than 7,000 colors and in total it covers 83,000 square feet. Pictures depicted in the mosaics included images of St. Louis, significant archdiocesan events, and biblical scenes from the Old and New Testament in the Bible.

The mosaics in the basilica are more than just pieces of art they are historical references too. The mosaics are composed in two styles, Byzantine and Italian. The two styles differ in the intensity

Alter of Blessed Sacrament Chapel

of the colors used to complete the mosaics, with the Byzantine mosaics being intensely colored and the Italian being composed of muted shades. One of the most famous Byzantine mosaics that we examined in class was Emperor Justinian’s and Attendants mosaics of San Vitale, in Ravenna, Italy. The most fascinating and interesting thing about the mosaics is not just how large and impressive they are, but rather how they incorporate history from 1,367 years ago. The Basilica of Saint Louis is not just a historical homage to the patron saint of the city, but is an architectural treasure incorporating the old with the new.

Works Cited

"Cathedral Basilica Celebrates Its 100th." Explore St. Louis. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.http://explorestlouis.com/2014/08/06/cathedral-basilica-celebrates/

"Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Basilica_of_Saint_Louis