Ravenna's Byzantine Mosaics UNESCO Site
Italy’s Adriatic City Was Byzantine Capital for Three Centuries
May 1, 2009
In the fifth century, Ravenna was the seat of the Roman Empire, then it became the Italian capital of Byzantium until the eighth century. During the fifth and sixth centuries, the best work of the day’s most brilliant mosaic artists was lavished on the city’s newly constructed churches, turning Ravenna into a showcase in its own time, and a priceless relic of that age today.
Mosaics in the Neonian Baptistery
A good place to begin is at the fifth-century Neonian Baptistery. Inside the round building the riot of design and images is worked in such tiny tesserae that every detail – as small as the pupils of the apostles’ eyes – can be seen even in the dome. In the setting of all this astonishing mosaic work, it’s easy to miss the adjacent cathedral’s sixth-century carved marble pulpit and other stone work.
San Vitale and Mausoleum Galla Placida Mosaics
Two of the finest interiors are in neighboring buildings. The Basilica of San Vitale is almost completely lined in mosaics that wash the inside of its soaring arches and domes with vivid color, and amazingly detailed images. Next door, ceiling panels in the small Mausoleum Galla Placida are covered in intricate designs in gold against an intensely cobalt blue background. The National Museum is in the same complex of buildings.
Basilica di San Giovanniare and Sant’ Aploinare
Mosaics inside the Basilica di San Giovanniare are not Byzantine style, but portray animal themes, more primitive and older than the others. At the long rectangular Sant’ Aploinare, the entire of the upper walls of the nave, over the arches, portrays larger-than-life saints, and the nativity. The Cloister contains a fascinating exhibit of the tools and materials, as well as techniques of mosaic art. Notice especially the number of different shades of gold that are used to give the flat surface depth and life.
Visiting Ravenna’s UNESCO World Heritage Site
The importance of these mosaics is not just the tremendous artistic skill in their creation, but the blend of Graeco-Roman tradition with Christian symbols and saints, and the melding of eastern and western styles. In granting Ravenna World Heritage Site status, the UNESCO committee referred to “the supreme artistry of the mosaic art” and “the crucial evidence that they provide of artistic and religious relationships and contacts at an important period of European cultural history.”
These World Heritage mosaic sites are open daily 9 am until 7 pm, and admission can be purchased separately or on a single ticket, which is by far the best value. Parking is available at San Vitale and several other locations. During June and July, these sites and other churches and squares become venues for opera, symphony, dance and ethnic music, as the city celebrates the annual Ravenna Festival.
