Talk About a Reslient Woman: From Orphan to Head of Roman Empire
When historians discuss Galla Placidia, living in 5th century AD in Europe, from Constantinople to Rome, South France, Barcelona and then Romagna Italy, one word continues to crop up: Resilient. This woman was forced to adapt to many extreme circumstances: from daughter of an emperor, to orphan, hostage, then wife and widow, all before she was 30. Yet, she rose to become one of the most powerful people in the Roman Empire. While there are few studies of her, it's clear that she was a strong, influential woman.
The Life and Times of Galla Placidia
Portrait of Galla Placidia (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Galla Placidia was born around 390 AD in Constantinople. A daughter of Emperor Theodosius the Great, Galla Placidia’s lineage traces back to several generations of Roman emperors. After her father’s death while she was still young, the Roman Empire was thrown into turmoil, and Galla was sent to live in Rome and be raised by her cousin Serena and her husband, the general Stilicho. Sensing treason during a Visigoth siege of the city of Rome, the Roman Senate ordered the deaths of Stilicho and Serena, setting into motion a series of events that propelled Galla, now only about 20 years of age, to be kidnapped and taken hostage.
In the hands of the Visigoths, she went to Gaul, in southwest France, and married the Visigoth King Ataulf, in a wedding that was famous for its elaborate elegance. The couple then moved to live and rule in Barcelona. After a few years, Galla gave birth to a baby boy (a world-changing potential heir to both the Roman and Visigoth empires); however, the boy died young. To rub salt in the wound, soon after their child’s death, her husband, King Ataulf, was assassinated, and Galla was forced to march, barefoot, in front of the new ruler’s horse for 12 miles. The starving Visigoths traded widowed and childless Galla Placidia for corn during a peace treaty with the Roman empire.
Her brother Honorius, now the Roman Emperor, ‘saved’ her by bringing her to Ravenna, in Romagna, Italy and sending her off into a loveless marriage with Roman General Constantius III. When Galla gave Constantius three children, he was proclaimed co-emperor with the childless (and thus heir-less) Honorius, and Galla was proclaimed Empress. Shortly after, Constantius fell ill and died, and Galla kept her Empress title. After the death of her brother, she became ‘acting Emperor’ , the most powerful woman in the Western Roman Empire, until her young son became Emperor Valentinian III.
During her time in power, Galla was a great friend of the church. When witnessing upheavals and conflicts, Galla Placidia’s word became the deciding factor in several clashes between warring popes and influenced the expansion of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and parts of Old St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
However, her influence began to wane with the rise of Roman General Aetius and the growing fear and danger of the approaching Mongol hoard, lead by Attila the Hun. Events came to a head when a daughter of Galla Placidia, Honoria, in an attempt to flee an undesired message, wrote a letter containing a wedding proposal to Attila, diverting him from his attacks on Constantinople. Attila accepted Honoria’s proposal, and stated he would take the remaining Western Roman Empire as a dowry, thus causing him to hone in on Northern Italy. Horrified, only Galla was able to dissuade Emperor Valentinian and General Aetius from killing Honoria. Thankfully, Galla did not live to see Attila’s sacking and ravaging of her beloved homeland, as she fell ill and died in 450 AD, shortly before this took place when the Western Roman Empire entered its final decades of existence.
Roman coin bearing image of Empress Galla Placidia. Image courtesy of Classical Numismatic Group, Inc.
Galla Placidia in Romagna, Italy
In Galla Placidia’s time, the Roman Emperor rarely resided in Rome due to frequent barbarian attacks on the city. Instead, the Emperors ruled from a jewel of a city in Romagna, in Central-North Eastern Italy: Ravenna. This tenure of Roman residence left Ravenna with some of the most spectacular antiquities outside of Rome. Galla herself resided here for a large portion of her life, starting with her return to Italy after the death of her first husband. She would travel back and forth between Rome and Ravenna, but Ravenna was where her heart was. Scattered throughout the city are numerous churches, courtyards, and works founded by and dedicated to Galla Placidia. None of these are more famous than the breathtaking Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While not her official resting place (that would be in Rome), it was commissioned by her and is famous for the stunning examples of mosaics decorating the ceilings.
Her Lasting Legacy in Romagna: Bertinoro and Albana Wine
Galla Placidia also left a lasting impression on the wines of the Romagna area (you can read more about the area HERE). A white grape known as Albana was very popular in Galla’s time, and still today is grown in Romagna by artisan farmer growers such as Braschi. While in recent times Albana is made mainly as a dry white wine, during ancient Roman, Galla would have drank it as a sweet wine, just like this Sweet Albana from Braschi winery.
In Galla’s times, the area that was popular for growing Albana grapes was ‘Bertinoro’, which even today bears the name that was given by her: as the legend goes, after a sip of delicious Albana from the Romagna hillsides, she proclaimed that it was like drinking liquid gold, or ‘bere oro’ in Italian. This evokes an image of Galla, joyfully raising her cup of Sweet Albana and christening the hillside vineyards as ‘Bertinoro’. With red wine gaining popularity in modern times, Sangiovese red grape cultivation has taken over Bertinoro. Braschi winery makes 2 Bertinoro Sangiovese single vineyard wines, Costone Superiore and Costone Riserva.
Whether you are a red wine or sweet wine lover, buy Taste of Romagna Wine Tasting Trio which includes both the Sweet Albana and Bertinoro Costone Superiore. Then drink like the Romans, and give a toast to one of the most powerful woman of Roman times!
Learn more about the land of Romagna that Galla once called home, by watching a guided tasting of three Romagna wines live with Braschi winery and winemaker and sommelier Ruth Ryberg. You can also watch a second guided tasting that explored Romagna with a live cooking demonstration from the farm of Chef Riccardo Severi in Romagna and pairing with Braschi wines.
Hurry and buy Taste of Romagna Wine Tasting Trio to immerse yourself in culture and history and taste going back to Ancient Rome! Shipping is included for the set, and add-ons have free shipping.
