Ravenna, Italy's Mosaic City
Ravenna, sometimes called the mosaic city, is famous for its stunning 5th-6th century mosaics adorning the walls of its churches and monuments. Because Ravenna was both the western seat of the Roman Empire and the capital of the Byzantine Empire in Europe from the 5th to 8th centuries, its historical monuments show Byzantine influence.
src="http://z.about.com/d/goitaly/1/0/c/8/-/-/ravenna-mosaic-picture.jpg"
align="right" border="0" hspace="5" height="117" width="170">My favorite monument is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, shown in the picture. Built in the mid-fifth century, its breath-taking mosaics are some of the oldest in the city. Take a look at more of the monuments in our Ravenna Picture Gallery.
Ravenna is in the Emilia Romagna region of northeastern Italy (see Emilia Romagna map). Our Ravenna Travel Guide has more about Ravenna and its monuments and mosaics.
Near Ravenna:
- Bologna - Beautiful city with great cuisine
- Brisighella - Medieval spa town
- Rimini - top seaside resort
Photo of Mosaics in Mausoleo di Galla Placidia © 2007 by James Martin, Europe Travel
Comments
Boris Raymond’s book, the Phoenix Circle (book review), is a good introduction to Ravenna and the last days of the Roman Empire. Although it’s fiction, it’s based on historical fact and I learned a lot from reading it.