Tag Archives: Ravenna

Empress Theodora in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna deserves her halo

June 10, 2023 · by · in Italy, UNESCO World Heritage Sites · 12 Comments

If there was Venn diagram of things I can’t get enough of: Byzantine architecture, Western art history and Sears catalogs from the 1980’s, The Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna would be right in that sweet spot where they come together. It was built 540 in a double octagonal Byzantine-stye design that was all the […]

Sant’ Apollinare in Classe: giddy with Byzantine mosaics and too much bread

March 26, 2015 · by · in Italy, UNESCO World Heritage Sites · 17 Comments

A few years ago I was browsing for cheap airfares (okay, so I do that everyday) when I found a remarkably cheap flight into Northern Italy.  People, these tickets were under $400, in late May!!!  Obviously I  snapped up the tickets in a hot second.   Almost as quickly, I drafted an itinerary since I already knew where I […]