Located on the Adriatic midway between Venice and Florence, Ravenna (pop. 136 000) is best known for the wonderful mosaic decoration of its churches and tombs relics from its Byzantine past.
The international heritage of Ravenna, city of mosaics, has been recognised by UNESCO. Eight monuments built over a period of 1500 years have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. What makes Ravenna's monuments a treasure for all humanity is described as follows: "The grouping of early Christian and Byzantine religious buildings in Ravenna is of extraordinary significance due to the supreme artistic mastery of the art of mosaics. The buildings are furthermore testimony of the artistic and religious relationship and contacts of an important period in the history of European culture".
But of course it is not just mosaics that bring you here. The city itself is very charming, there are many good restaurants and at night the city is very lively. Close to Ravenna you will also find good beaches.
Mausoleum of Theodoric
It was built by Theodoric himself in 520 as his tomb. Its structure, which is divided in two decagonal orders one above the other, is completely made of Istria stone. It is roofed with a single block of Istria stone of 10 metres diameter weighing 300 tons. A niche leads down to a room which was probably a chapel for funeral liturgies. A stair leads to the upper floor where there is a circular porphyry tub in which it is supposed that Theodoric was buried. His remains were removed during Byzantine rule.
National Museum
Housed in the cloisters of the ex-Benedictine Monastery, in the monumental complex of San Vitale, the National Museum includes important collections of minor arts among which some funeral steles and epigraphs, various archaeological fragments, a collection of textiles (from Coptic to Renaissance), an important collection of ivories, a rich collection of icons, a coins and medals section and a fascinating collection of ancient weapons. It also houses the 14th century cycle of frescoes of Santa Chiara which decorated the church of the Poor Clare Sisters in Ravenna, today the Rasi Theatre. There are also floor mosaics from the archaeological complex in Via D'Azeglio, found in 1993 during reconstruction work on a building. After careful restoration work they were put on show in 1995.
