Discover Ravenna's glittering treasures
The 'magical' town is home to a collection of magnificent churches

It receives fewer tourists than the great cities of the Italian Renaissance, but Ravenna has its own, highly distinctive treasures, says Norman Miller in The Times. Situated 90 miles south of Venice, an easy cycle ride from the beautiful beaches of the Adriatic coast, this "magical" town was the capital of three empires in succession – Western Roman, Ostrogoth and Byzantine – between AD402 and AD751.
The magnificent churches their rulers built still stand, and the mosaics that adorn their interiors are amazingly well preserved. Dante lived (and died) in Ravenna after his exile from Florence, and Byron spent three years here. To Wilde, it was a "poet's city", and it has also inspired painters such as Klimt, who first used gold in his work after seeing its mosaics.
Among the oldest of Ravenna's great buildings is the mausoleum of Galla Placidia (half-sister of Emperor Honorius), with its depictions of the night sky, doves drinking, and Jesus as "a young man, lively and happy". Next door, the "soaring" Basilica di San Vitale has "shimmering" mosaics of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora in "lush greens, brilliant gold and deep blues". In the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo is the oldest known artistic image of the Last Supper, created nearly a millennium before Leonardo's.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And these masterpieces of the Dark Ages are not Ravenna's only attractions. There's a good museum of modern art and another dedicated to Dante, and the town's restaurant scene is excellent. The coast, with its golden beaches and seafood restaurants, is four miles to the east, and 20 miles north is Comacchio, a "colourful" 17th century town built around canals like a "miniature Venice". For centuries, it was "the eel capital of Europe", a heritage chronicled in the "evocative" Manifattura dei Marinati museum. It sits beside the watery Po Delta national park. "Puttering" in a boat through its "serene" lagoon channels, I didn't see another human for an hour – just flamingos "taking to the air at our approach".
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 health-conscious cartoons about anti-vaccine rhetoric
Cartoons Artists take on RFK Jr's militant methods, the viral lottery, and more
-
September 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include court-approved racial profiling and America's moral compass
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Video games to curl up with this fall, including Ghost of Yotei and LEGO Party
The Week Recommends Several highly anticipated video games are coming this fall
-
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale – a ‘comfort’ watch for fans
The Week Recommends The final film of the franchise gives viewers a chance to say goodbye
-
The Paper: new show, same 'warmth and goofiness'
The Week Recommends This spin-off of the American version of The Office is ‘comfortingly and wearyingly familiar’
-
Rachel Jones: Gated Canyons – ‘riotously colourful’ works from an ‘exhilarating’ painter
The Week Recommends The 34-year-old is the first artist to take over Dulwich Picture Gallery’s main space
-
Born With Teeth: ‘mischievously provocative’ play starring Ncuti Gatwa
The Week Recommends ‘Sprightly’ production from Liz Duffy Adams imagines the relationship between Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe
-
10 upcoming albums to stream during spooky season
The Week Recommends As fall arrives, check out new albums from Taylor Swift, Jeff Tweedy, the Lemonheads and more
-
Art review: Lorna Simpson: Source Notes
Feature Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, through Nov. 2