Rick Steves: Italy’s Ravenna famous for its mosaics As the westernmost pillar of the Byzantine Empire, Ravenna was a flickering light in Europe’s Dark Ages. Rick Steves Jun 10, 2024 4:30 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Previous Next 1 / 1 Every centimetre of the sanctuary walls and ceiling in the Basilica di San Vitale is decorated with beautiful Byzantine mosaics. RICK STEVES Advertisement Expand Listen to this article 00:04:49 Ravenna is on Italy’s tourist map for one reason: its 1,500-year-old churches decorated with best-in-the-West Byzantine mosaics.
While locals go about their business, busloads of tourists slip in and out of this town near the Adriatic coast to bask in the glittering glory of Byzantium, the eastern Roman Empire. Imagine: It’s AD 540. The city of Rome has been looted, the land is crawling with barbarians, and the Roman Empire is crumbling fast.
Into this chaos comes the emperor of the East, Justinian, bringing order and stability — and an appreciation for mosaic art. As the westernmost pillar of the Byzantine Empire, Ravenna was a flickering light in Europe’s Dark Ages. To fully appreciate the mosaics in its ancient churches, bring your binoculars and take in every last detail.
Sit in a wooden pew, front and centre, and feel yourself transported to a spiritual world. My favourite church in Ravenna is Justinian’s Basilica di San Vitale. The building’s octagonal shape — very m.
