The Italian city of Ravenna is located in the region of Emilia-Romagna, ten kilometers from the Adriatic Sea. The houses in the lanes of this settlement are so neat, bright, clean, perfectly fitted to each other, like pieces of a mosaic. The nobility of world-famous Christian churches seems to be spilled throughout the ancient city.
Ravenna: attractions. Basilica of San Vitale
Perhaps this is one of the most famous and significant Byzantine churches in Europe. Its design is unusual, but the interior is especially interesting. The mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna are the greatest works of art, unparalleled in the world.
The construction of the Church of San Vitale began in 527, after the return of the Bishop of Ravenna from Byzantium. The temple was built at the expense of a Greek interest-bearer and was consecrated in honor of Vitaly of Milan. Over time, the design of the basilica has changed. Thus, in the thirteenth centurya bell tower was built, in the 16th century, fearing flooding, the city authorities decided to raise the entire basilica above ground level.
The building has specific design features that turned the church into a model for subsequent places of worship in the style of the Carolingian Renaissance. You can admire the interior of the church for hours. Most of the room is decorated with marble slabs, but all the vaults and circles are lined in Byzantine style with mosaics: the paintings depict early Christian scenes. Here you can see portraits of the Roman emperor Justinian and his wife with retinue, scenes from the Old Testament - the appearance of a burning bush to Moses, the sacrifice of Abel, etc.
Ariana Baptistery
The Arian baptistery was built in the VI century, under King Theodoric. This event happened a hundred years later than the baptistery of Neon was built. Ravenna (Italy) has two buildings of this kind, which are very similar in appearance. Both of them are small, octagonal in shape, made of the same brick.
But the interiors of these structures are significantly different. Since the baptistery was intended for the rite of baptism, it is decorated with appropriate images. On the dome, a scene of the baptism of Christ is laid out from a mosaic. The paintings in the Arian Baptistery are in a geometrized style. The Ostrogoths were noble craftsmen who knew the art of goldsmithing, but not artistic mosaics. Therefore, researchers believe that the patterns in the baptisteryAriana, as, indeed, in the Orthodox baptistery of Neon, were laid out by Orthodox Christians. In addition to the mosaic on the dome, there are no other decorative elements in the baptistery.
Dante's Tomb
Tourists from all over the world are attracted by Ravenna. The sights of this city are unique. For example, on Alighieri Street, near the Basilica of St. Francis, there is the tomb of the author of the Divine Comedy, the great Dante. Many are interested in why the Florentine was buried in Ravenna. This is a really interesting story.
Exile from Florence
According to historians, Dante was involved in the conflict between the Ghibellines and the Guelphs. After defeating the enemy, the Guelphs were divided into two factions - "black" and "white" - and began a fierce struggle among themselves. Dante was one of the whites who were defeated in 1301. The poet was condemned to exile and imposed a heavy fine. In case of non-payment upon returning to Florence, according to the laws of that time, he could be burned at the stake.
Dante, who passionately loved his native Florence, had a hard time exile. He expressed all the pain of loss in Paradise. After the death of the poet in Florence, they “suddenly” realized that her deceased citizen was a great national poet, and demanded that the authorities of Ravenna hand over his ashes. In 1519, Pope Leo X ordered the release of the poet's remains, which were to be transported to Florence. The sarcophagus was delivered, but it was empty.
Unsuccessful Return of Ashes
As it turned out later, Ravennathe Franciscans made a hole in the tomb, removed the remains from it and secretly buried them in the monastery of Sienzo. In 1810, the monks left the monastery and hid the coffin in Braccioforte, which today is located near the tomb of Dante. The coffin was discovered during construction work in 1865. However, back in 1829, a tomb was built for Dante in Florence. It has been empty ever since.
The interior of the tomb
A narrow and quiet street leads to Dante's tomb in Ravenna, at the end of which you can see a rather modest but worthy memorial. It was completed in the neoclassical style in 1780 by Camillo Morigia. Inside is an urn with a Latin epitaph composed in 1327 by Bernardo Canaccio. Above the urn, a bas-relief by P. Lombardo is carved, which depicts a poet immersed in thoughts. He works while sitting at his desk. Previously, this bas-relief was part of the interior decoration of the tomb of Dante, located in the church of St. Francis. Ravenna, whose sights are very carefully guarded by the authorities and local residents, can rightly be proud of the priceless monuments located on its territory.
Mausoleum of Theodoric
This rather modest outwardly and small mausoleum is located on the outskirts of the city. It was built by the Ostrogothic king for his future resting place. Many locals are sure that Ravenna (Italy) is unthinkable without this monument. The thing is that no more purely Gothic monuments have been preserved in the city. In addition, Theodoric was not a Christian monarch, which makes his tomb unique insome sort of structure.
Many tourists in the reviews say that they were struck by Ravenna. The sights of the city are very different. For example, having seen this mausoleum, no one thinks that this building can seriously impress, especially after visiting the monumental and majestic basilicas of the city. It is a small limestone tower with a central dome that does not exceed ten meters in diameter. The mausoleum was built on the site of the Goth cemetery that operated at that time, in the suburbs of Ravenna.
When Ravenna passed into the hands of Emperor Justinian of Rome, the remains of Theodoric were taken out of the mausoleum and the building was used as a chapel. Therefore, tourists should be aware that no one is buried in Theodoric's mausoleum: the dark red sarcophagus is empty.
The construction of the mausoleum is two-level, ten-sided. On the upper floor there is a room for the tomb, in the lower section there is a chapel. Both inside and outside the walls of the mausoleum have no decorations. Inside there is no decorative decoration, except for the sarcophagus - a powerful block of porphyry, in which a special "bath" is carved. Today, the sarcophagus stands open, without a lid, right in the center of the building.
Mausoleum dome
If you happen to visit Ravenna, be sure to visit the mausoleum and pay attention to its dome. It is carved from a single stone weighing more than three hundred tons. It was impossible to lift such a colossus up in those distant times, but the builders found an original solution - the mausoleum was completely covered with earth, the huge dome was pulled up along the coast, and thenthe land was removed.
We have told you only about some of the attractions that Ravenna is famous for. The city is wonderful, there are many interesting places here. We hope that you will have the opportunity to visit Italy and see the interesting places of Ravenna with your own eyes.
