Paulo, Me, Barb and Joe - Dinner at the Port in Ravenna.
Paulo and Joe - Barb's VAD coworkers.
After traveling all day, we decided to go with the guys straight to dinner. I'm amazed I look awake at all.
Port - Marina di Ravenna
The beach in the Marina di Ravenna, its before tourist season so its incredibly peaceful.
Looking out on the Adriatic Sea.
The sand felt incredible on my bare feet.
This was the only guy on the beach with me this morning.
Calm day on the beach, looking out at the platforms.
Here you can see the oil plaftorms out at sea
The beach at Ravenna
Dipping my toes in the Adriatic Sea. Cold but nice!
The beach full of shells waiting to be discovered and made into treasures
A beach full of shells waiting to be discovered and turned into treasures.
The hotel at the Marina di Ravenna
The Duomo in Ravenna
Duomo Campanile Tower
Sculpture outside of the Duomo
Battistero degli Ortodossi: Spectacular mosaics decorate the dome.
Battistero degli Ortodossi is the most ancient of Ravenna's monuments, dating from the late 4th to early 5th centuries
Ravenna is largely a pedestrian city.
Basilica of San Vitale holds stunning 6th century mosaics with representations of the Byzantine court and religious scenes, including St. Vitalis, Ravenna's patron saint, receiving the crown of martyrdom.
The Basilica di San Vitale is one of Italy's most important monuments of early Christian art. The Basilica has an elegant cupola and stunning 6th century mosaics in its apse.
Basilica of San Vitale
Basilica of San Vitale: The Emperor Justinian, Emperor of Byzantium at the height of its powers
Basilica of San Vitale: The Empress Theodora, courtesan, sexual performer and Justinian's wife. She also saved Justinian's throne for him in 532 (early in his 527 - 565 reign) by facing down a rebellion after he had given up and was preparing to flee.
Basilica di San Vitale
Basilica of San Vitale - Labyrinth Floor Mosaics
Line of Sarcophagus outside of Basilica of San Vitale
Mausoleo di Galla Placidia: Galla Placidia was the daughter, sister, wife, and mother of Roman emperors. She had this masoleum built in the mid-fifth century. The interior is breath-taking. The mosaics are some of the oldest in the city.
Basilica di San Vitale. 1,400 years old This church was the prototype for Constantinople's Hagia Sophia built 10 years later, and it inspired Charlemagne to build the first great church in northern Europe in his capital of Aix-la-Chapelle, now present-day Aachen.
Mausoleo di Galla Placidia - Interior
Mausoleum di Galla Placidia: The little light that sneaks through the thin alabaster panels brings a glow and a twinkle to the very early Christian symbolism (Jesus the Good Shepherd) that fills the little room
Mausoleo di Galla Placidia: Interior Ceiling of Golden Cross
Mausoleo di Galla Placidia: Interior
Courtyard at the Basilica San Vitale
Entrance to the Basilcia San Vitale was down a staircase
Bikes in Ravenna
Tower at Basilica di San Vitale
Ravenna Street
Domus dei Tappaeti di Pietra (Domus of Stone Carpets Museum)
Duomus of Stone Carpets: Remains of various constructions dating from the Republican Roman period to the Byzantine period.
Domus of Stone Carpets: Restored mosaic pavements with elegant geometries and figured insertions in polychromatic weaves, hence its name “Tappeti di Pietra” (Stone Carpets)
Domus of Stone Carpets: Restored mosaic pavements with elegant geometries and figured insertions in polychromatic weaves, hence its name “Tappeti di Pietra” (Stone Carpets).
Domus of Stone Carpets: The floor exhibits mosaic remains of a small fifth - sixth century Byzantine palace.
Square in Ravenna
Street in Ravenna
Just off Piazza Garibaldi is Dante's Tomb
Dante's Tomb
Inside tomb of Dante Alighieri, "the divine poet." In exile from his hometown of Florence, the author of the Divine Comedy, died in Ravenna on September 14, 1321.
Dante's tomb was built in 1780 and holds Dante's remains.
To the right of the small temple is a mound of earth in which Dante's urn went "underground" from March 1944 to December 1945 because it was feared that his tomb might suffer from the bombings.
a mound of earth in which Dante's urn went "underground" from March 1944 to December 1945 because it was feared that his tomb might suffer from the bombings
Sarcophagus outside of Dante's Tomb
Back of Dante's Tomb where the mound that protected his remains during WWII is located. The pine cone on top of the tomb notes that this a a funeral monument.
Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo: The basilica was originally a Palatine church. Byzantine style mosaics cover two walls reflecting both early-Catholic and Arian cult beliefs.
Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo: Mosaic of Christ enthroned with angels.
Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo: Mosaics of procession
Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo: Mosaics of virgins, the Three Magi, and the Virgin and Child
Mosaic: Three Maji
Mosaic: Theodoric's palace and a view of Ravenna c.500 AD
Interior of cathedral showing Byzantine columns and capitals from Constantinople. The Greek monograms seen in many of capitals are the markets fo the workshops in which they were made.
Scooters, Bikes and Graffiti
Graffiti everywhere.....
Restored mosaic
Cathedral in Ravenna
Battistero degli Ariani: This baptistery is one of the few remaining monuments of the Arian cult, the official religion of the court of Theodora. Built in 561. It has sunk into the ground.
Battistero degli Ariani: The mosaic on the dome depicts the baptism of Christ surrounded by the 12 disciples.
Cupola of the Battistero degli Ariani
Battistero degli Ariani, or Arian Baptistery, Declared a heresy at the Council of Nicea in 325, Arianism is the view that Christ, while divine, was created by the Father and is therefore inferior to him. The orthodox view holds that Christ is equally divine ("of the same substance") as God the Father.
Fortress of Ravenna, now made into a park on the outskirts of the city.
Fortress of Ravenna: Interior tower
Fortress of Ravenna: Interior window
Fortress of Ravenna: Main entrance gate to park
Spring in Ravenna
Fortress of Ravenna used to be surrounded by a moat.
Mausoleo di Teodorico: Teodorico, king of the Ostrogoths, had this tomb built in 520AD. The tomb is made of Istria stone. It is the only one of the monuments without mosaics.
Mausoleo di Teodorico: interior
Graffiti art
Scary Graffiti art
Graffiti art with graffiti
Road between Ravenna & Bologna: Grapevines
Road between Ravenna & Bologna: Orchards
Train to Venice
Train to Ravenna
Musicians who serenaded us at the bus station and on the bus, and also took my luggage to the hotel. Nice.
Barb and Deanna on the Bus to the hotel
