Ravenna
Mosaic in San Vitale; Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna.
Photos © Paradoxplace.com.
Most people visit the central Italian city of Ravenna for its superb Byzantine mosaics — and rightly so, for they are the finest outside Istanbul.
A thriving seaport in ancient times (it now lies five miles inland), Ravenna rose to power in the 1st century BC under the Emperor Augustus. The Roman emperor built a port and naval base at nearby Classe, which is currently undergoing archaeological excavation. The town converted to Christianity very early, in the 2nd century AD. Ravenna's exquisite early Christian mosaics span the years of Roman and Byzantine rule, enabling comparisons between Classical designs and Byzantine motifs. As Rome's power declined, Ravenna took over as capital of the Western Empire (402 AD). The city retained this role during Ostrogoth and Byzantine rule in the 5th and 6th centuries.
Today, Ravenna is a sleepy town of about 140,000 with memories of a great past. It looks much like any other Italian city at first glance, with old streets, fine shops and peaceful squares, but the Byzantine domes of its churches still evoke its Eastern heritage. Ravenna's early Christian churches and mosaics have been collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe
Located a few miles out in the little suburb of Classe, Sant'Apollinare dates from the 6th century and has fine Byzantine mosaics, especially in the apse. |
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Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
Also dedicated to St. Apollinarus (Ravenna's first bishop), this 6th-century basilica is known for its two rows of figurative mosaics that stretch the length of the nave. |
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Basilica di San Vitale
Standing on the site of the martyrdom of St. Vitalis, this church contains some of the most celebrated mosaics in the West. The basilica was completed in 548. |
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Battistero degli Ariani (Arian Baptistery)
This baptistery was built at the end of the 5th century, when the Arian Visigoths ruled Italy. Only the interesting mosaic in the dome was spared later Orthodox renovation. |
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Battistero Neoniano (Orthodox Baptistery)
The Baptistery of the Orthodox (as opposed to the Arians) dates from the 5th century and has beautiful mosaics lining its dome. |
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Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
One of the most powerful women in history, Galla Placidia was probably never buried here. The main attraction is the splendid mosaics, which date from 430 AD. |
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