Cryptic Ravenna

Ravenna may not be associated with Dante the way Florence is, but it is the proud owner of his bones. The "tomb" in the church of Santa Croce in Florence is really just a memorial. Dante died in Ravenna, where he was living in exile, and was buried there. The Florentines have wanted him back for a long time - in 1519, Pope Leo X even ordered his removal to Florence, but the monks of Ravenna refused and hid his bones for centuries. They were found in 1865, and his current tomb is small a modern (19th century) structure in an unassuming part of Ravenna.

Dante on his bike

Like a kid in a sweet shop

Just next to Dante's tomb is the Basilica di San Francisco, one of my favourite of the many fantastic spots in Ravenna. The Basilica is pretty unremarkable except for its flooded crypt, which dates to the 10th century but over the years has sunk into its soft marshy foundations and flooded. They gave up the fight to keep the water out, and today it is an attraction in its own right. You have to peep through a small window - pay the small fee to turn the lights on. It is home to goldfish and lucky coins, and when we visited also featured an underwater table with stone tablecloth and goldfish bowl. This latter doesn't appear in photos I see online, so is presumably a temporary installation highlighting the gentle absurdity of the place.

Grave of the charmingly-named ruler Ostasio da Polenta (d. 1346)

All this and we still didn't see absolutely everything Ravenna has to offer! Very much recommended.

Imperial splendour: the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna

Just next to the Mausoleum of Galla Placida is the Basilica of San Vitale. It's the most cathedral-ly in feeling of all the mosaic sites we visited, thanks to its proportions and size. Construction began in 526, under the rule of the Goths, but was completed in 548, by which time Ravenna was part of the Byzantine Empire, something which is clearly reflected in its beautiful mosaics. I put about a million photos of it below because it's so pretty, especially in the chancel area above the altar.

Exterior of San Vitale by night

Abel and Melchizedeck offering sacrifices to the Lord

The cupola on the right is the only substantial part of the Basilica which has been redecorated. It provides an interesting contrast to the rest of the Byzantine interior. The arch between the two has a central medallion of a bearded Jesus, flanked by the Apostles and two other saints

The vault shows the Lamb of God in the centre, supported by four angels against a background of vines and small animals on a blue, green and gold ground

Two horses prepare to fight to death for possession of the cross

Note the peacock beautifully fit into the co

The whole Basilica glowed with a soft yellow light reflecting off the marble on the floor and walls

Isaiah below a depiction of the evangelist Mark with his lion

The central mosaic over the altar shows a younger-looking Christ, with the church's namesake, Saint Vitale, on his right, and the founder of the church, Bishop Ecclesius, on his left. Christ offers a martyr's crown to St Vitale, but it can also be interprested as an offering to the Emperor Justinian below him

I didn't manage to get a great shot because of the angles, but bottom right depicts the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and his court. He is flanked by church and civil officials, representing his central authority in both realms. However, the Bishop Maximianus, on Justinian's left is actually standing slightly in front of the Emperor, perhaps reflecting tension between Church and State. Justinian is carrying a bowl of bread for the Eucharist, implying they are processing in to the Mass at the altar

There was a moody, Russian-looking model doing a photo shoot in this area when we visited. Here's my attempt

The angels above the arch, holding a medallion, are flanked by depictions of the City of Jerusalem, representing the Jewish/Old Testament Church, and the City of Bethlehem, for the Gentile/New Testament Church

Moses and the burning bush (top) and watching his flocks (bottom)

Abraham offers bread to the "mysterious strangers" (angels), before having a go at sacrificing Isaac. Above, Jeremiah stands on the right, and Moses ascends Mt Sinai on the right. Below Moses is Aaron with the Twelve Tribes of Israel

Facing Justinian is his wife, the Empress Theodora, and her court. She holds the cup for the Eucharist and the bottom of her gown features an embroidery of the three Magi bearing gifts, thus associating herself with these Biblical kings

The Mausoleum of Galla Placida, Ravenna

The Mausoleum of Galla Placida, as the Roman-sounding name may suggest, is older than the buildings we saw in the last blog, dating back to around 430 AD, and also much smaller. Legend has it it was orginally built for Galla Placida, daughter of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, who was regent of the Roman Empire for 12 years while her son was a child. She was supposedly buried sitting up, wearing an imperial cloak, and was there until 1577, when the contents of her sarcophagus were accidentally burnt, when some tomfooling local lads threw lighted candles into the tomb to get a better look at her. That sounds like a pretty big oopsie. However, the story might not be entirely true. It seems there was a body in there, but it was a deliberate fake put there in the 13th or 14th century as part of the general enthusiasm for relics of dubious origin. Apparently, it's more likely that she was buried in the family mausoleum in Rome, and this building was an oratory, not a mausoleum. It also holds the supposed sarcophagi of either her son or brother and her husband, Emperor Constantius III.

It is small and unassuming on the outside, hiding its treasures within.

The starry mosaic sky supposedly inspired Cole Porter, visiting on his honeymoon, to write "Night and Day". The sky is filled by more than 800 mosaic stars! The four evangelists appear in their usual symbolic forms in the corners, with apostles and thirsty dove pals in the niches below.

The windows are filled in with alabaster (not original to the building) to aid in viewing the mosaics, which feature wonderful plants, animals and patterns as well as the religious iconography

The mosaic of the Good Shepherd is probably the most famous. The Good Shepherd was a popular theme in early Christian art, but this version is unusual for the time as it shows a richly-dressed, royal Jesus, rather than a simple country shepherd.

Imagine the work to make this!

This mosaic probably depicts Saint Lawrence, hurrying to his martyrdom on a burning griddle, holding a cross and the Bible. The cabinet on the left holds the four Gospels.