We seen photos of the Baptistry at Ravenna, but were not aware of just how much there is to see there.
The city has a long history and there are treasures on display thar date back to the 4th and 5th century. Amazingly, they are in very good condition.
We arrived by bus from Rimini and were met by our guide.
The first stop was the mausoleum of Galla Placida close to the Basilica di S. Vitale. Galla Placida was a ruler of Ravenna who died in 450.
The mausoleum was built in the mid 5th century and houses the remains of the her family, but not herself.
The Basilica di S. Vitale was built in the 6th century. Little is known about S. Vitale, other than he was a roman soldier.
The magnificent mosaics came later, in the 18th century. The basilica has a 'pond' inside, believed to be once a Roman bath.
The Neoninan Baptistry which was built in the 4th and 5th century is the oldest monument in Ravenna.
The mosaics are 5th century on the initiative of bishop Neone, hence the name. The large font was rebuilt in about 1500. The original was much lower than it is today.
After lunch, we moved on to the Arian Baptistry, another 5th century building. The building has had a turbulent history, originally an Arian church but taken over by Catholics when Arianism was ruled to be a heresy by the Church. The only remaining mosaics are on the ceiling, those on the walls have been lost.
We paused outside the church of San Francesco, originally built in the 5th century by Bishop Neone, but rebuilt in the 10th century, so a relative newcomer to this ancient city.
The Duomo is the cathedral of Ravenna, originally built in the 5th century, it was replaced in the 18th century but the remains of the original cathedral are housed in a museum attached to the Duomo.
The modern building contains an elaborate shrine and a couple of 5th century tombs.
By now we were blasé about the 5th century but the best was yet to come! When the current Duomo was built, the marble floor was removed (nice bit of marble, might find a use of it) and when the slabs were turned over their were covered in funeral inscriptions from the 4th and 5th century in magnificent condition. Naturally, photos are not allowed.
To top it all, we saw the ivory throne of Bishop Maximillian from the 6th century (he was responsible for St Vitale being a saint). The throne is believed to be the work of 4 artists. Some panels are missing, but it is stunning.
S. Apollinaire Nuovo is a 5th/6th century church (the Nuovo is there to distinguish it from an older S Apollinaire). It has had renovations and additions over the years but the mosaics date back to the 5th century.
S. Giovanni Evangelista was originally built 425, but destroyed by bombing in 1944 and rebuilt to the same design in 1959. The framed mosaics are, however, original.
Theodoric was the brain behind many of the monuments that remain in Ravenna. He was born around 454 and became king of the Ostrogoths and later of Italy (not that Italy as we know it existed then). This is his mausoleum.
By now, everyone had walked enough and seen enough churches for one holiday. It was time for the ride back and dinner.
- Pat and John on tour
