• HOME
  • BLOG | TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
    • NATURE AND LANDSCAPES
    • HIKING, OUTDOORS AND ACTIVE TRAVEL
    • CITIES, CULTURE AND ART
    • FOOD AND WINE
    • TRAVEL TIPS
  • DESTINATIONS
    • EUROPE
      • AUSTRIA
      • BELGIUM
      • FRANCE
      • GERMANY
      • GREAT BRITAIN
      • GREECE
      • ITALY
      • PORTUGAL
      • SPAIN
      • SWITZERLAND
    • ASIA
      • INDONESIA
      • JAPAN
      • MYANMAR
      • PAKISTAN
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
    • OCEANIA
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • AFRICA
      • GAMBIA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
  • LEARN ITALIAN FAST
  • ABOUT
    • WORK WITH ME
    • CONTACT
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Twitter

Wild About Travel

Travel Tales by a Travel Addict

  • HOME
  • BLOG | TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
    • NATURE AND LANDSCAPES
    • HIKING, OUTDOORS AND ACTIVE TRAVEL
    • CITIES, CULTURE AND ART
    • FOOD AND WINE
    • TRAVEL TIPS
  • DESTINATIONS
    • EUROPE
      • AUSTRIA
      • BELGIUM
      • FRANCE
      • GERMANY
      • GREAT BRITAIN
      • GREECE
      • ITALY
      • PORTUGAL
      • SPAIN
      • SWITZERLAND
    • ASIA
      • INDONESIA
      • JAPAN
      • MYANMAR
      • PAKISTAN
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
    • OCEANIA
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • AFRICA
      • GAMBIA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
  • LEARN ITALIAN FAST
  • ABOUT
    • WORK WITH ME
    • CONTACT
Home » Blog » The Magnificent Ravenna Mosaics of S. Apollinare Nuovo
Ravenna Mosaics

The Magnificent Ravenna Mosaics of S. Apollinare Nuovo

//  by Simon//  9 Comments

As I stood in front of the Ravenna mosaics, I thought that art sometimes looks close to a miracle…

Ravenna Mosaics S. Apollinare Nuovo, Holy Virgins Procession

That’s how I felt when I visited Ravenna – one of the most beautiful cities in the Emilia-Romagna region – and admired the magnificent mosaics of S. Apollinare Nuovo, actually only one of the eight religious buildings inscribed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and a unique collection of Early Christian Art.

Ravenna Mosaics S. Apollinare Nuovo, The Three Kings

How could I have possibly never visited the Ravenna mosaics before?

As I slowly walked along the nave, looking at this wonderful work of art, I couldn’t help feeling a little ashamed.

After all, Ravenna is not that far from Milan, and although I had been determined many times to spend a couple of days in the city, I practiced over the years one of my most unfortunate talents: the art of procrastination.

Ravenna Mosaics S. Apollinare Nuovo, Virgin and Child

Actually, the mosaics in S. Apollinare Nuovo, like all Ravenna mosaics, are just breathtaking and I felt awestruck by the beauty and workmanship right in front of me. Thousands small pieces of colored glass and stones assembled to create beautiful scenes which survived – although not entirely – to the present time. If this is not a miracle…

Ravenna Mosaics S. Apollinare Nuovo, The Palace of Theodoric

Like with all Ravenna Mosaics, the construction and decoration of the S. Apollinare Nuovo Basilica are deeply related to the history of Europe after the decline and fall of the Roman Empire and the establishment of the Catholic Church. Truth is that I forgot most of Medieval history and the journey to Ravenna was the opportunity to refresh old memories from school and university.

Ravenna Mosaics S. Apollinare Nuovo, Procession of the Martyrs

That’s how I came to rediscover the role of Ravenna in the 5th Century A.D., when it became the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 402 to 476 A.D. A few years later, in 493 A.D., king Theodoric established Ravenna as the capital of his Ostrogoth Kingdom, where he built what would be later called the Basilica of S. Apollinare Nuovo as the chapel for his palace.

Ravenna Mosaics S. Apollinare Nuovo

Over the centuries part of the original decorations have been replaced, modified with additions or gone lost,  some only a few years after Theodoric, others later on. Nonetheless, Ravenna Mosaics, and the ones beautifully restored of S. Apollinare Nuovo haven’t lost their power of attraction and the charm exercised by one of the highest artistic representation of the early Middle Age.

Ravenna mosaics

S. Apollinare Nuovo was the last site I visited during my trip to Ravenna, and as I headed back to the railway station I couldn’t help thinking about how many wonders can be seen in Italy at almost every corner, and wondering why it took me so long before I resolved to go and see the mosaics of Ravenna.

If you plan a trip in northern Italy anytime soon, don’t miss to include Ravenna mosaics into your itinerary. They will take your breath away!

Have you seen any remarkable ancient mosaics, and where? 

 

Practical information:

Getting there: Ravenna is well connected by train from Bologna (1 h 20), Venice (3 h), Milan (2 h 45) and Florence (2 h 30). It can be seen with a day trip but I strongly suggest to spend one night since the city is charming.

Visiting Ravenna Mosaics: The entrance fee is Euro 9,50 and includes the access to the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Neonian Baptistery, Basilica of San Vitale, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, and the Archiepiscopal Museum and Chapel. Opening times: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (from 30th March to 30th September), 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. the other months of the year.

More information: Visit Ravenna website 

______

Note: Special thanks to Emilia Romagna Turismo  for the invitation to spend a few days at the Blogville house and discover this beautiful Italian region. Without them, I may not have yet resolved to visit Ravenna, depriving myself of an unforgettable art experience.

 

 

Simon

Travel addict and passionate about photography, Simon Falvo started Wild About Travel back in 2009. Leveraging her strong PR background, she developed an extensive knowledge of Digital Communications and Social Media Marketing. Besides travel writing Simon holds workshops and trainings, she collaborated with tourism boards for digital marketing campaigns and participated as a speaker at several events.

Category: ITALYTag: europe, fascinating cities, unesco whs

Previous Post: « Avignon ‘Palais des Papes’, Masterpiece of Gothic Architecture
Next Post: Postcards From Marseille Vieux Port »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AmyMonahan

    at

    Seeing Ravenna’s beautiful mosaics is a lifelong dream of mine. How is the area for hotels and restaurants. Is there a swimmable beach anywhere nearby? I ask because my daughter lives in Asia and I live in the U.S. and we have talked about meeting in the middle (Europe) and was wondering if we would be comfortable there for a few days

    Reply
    • Simon

      at

      There are plenty of hotels and restaurants in Ravenna, and the food is excellent. The sea and beaches are very close, and you can reach them in as little as a 20-30 min drive. Perhaps this other article on Ravenna will be also interesting to you: https://wild-about-travel.com/2015/10/postcards-from-ravenna-city-of-mosaics/

      Reply
  2. Margaret Lukens

    at

    “Have you seen any remarkable ancient mosaics, and where?”

    A few years ago I visited the Greek island of Delos, which is famous for its millennia-old stone lions guarding the birthplace of Apollo. Somewhat less well-known are the houses there. A few have mosaic floors in the entry – very beautiful to see, wonderful to imagine how they fit in with the architecture of the house. But when the guide poured a glass of water over one of them, simulating its function as a rain catch, the mosaics leaped to life with shimmering colors and depth. Incredible!

    Reply
    • Simon Falvo

      at

      That’s really interesting, Margaret. I’ve never been to Delos and your description of the mosaics over there really made me want to go and visit. I also like a lot the idea of the guide pouring water, thus allowing you to see the mosaics colors in all their brightness and splendour.

      Reply
  3. Kathryn Burrington

    at

    Saw your post just before I went there myself. So I was really looking forward to seeing them person. They didn’t disappoint, they really are very special and I feel so lucky to have seen them.

    Reply
    • Simon Falvo

      at

      Ravenna mosaics are quite unique and I’m glad you liked them, Kathryn.

      Reply
  4. Leslie

    at

    Beautiful mosaics! I’d love to see them in person. I just visited southern Spain and was amazed by the medieval architecture. Love the art in my hometown of NYC but we don’t have anything nearly as old 😉

    Reply
  5. Simon Falvo

    at

    I hear you, Leslie! That’s why I’m in love with the beautiful old Europe! NYC is an amazing city, though, although for different reasons.
    As for history, Europe is unique! 🙂

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Maserati 100 Years Anniversary: The Cars Collection of Museo Panini says:
    at

    […] by foreign visitors the Emilia-Romagna region not only means cities of great beauty like Bologna, Ravenna, Ferrara, Modena, Parma, the delicious food specialties and the lovely […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

about me

simon-falvo

Hi, I’m Simon!

A solo and independent traveler for over 20 years, and a 50+ girl young at heart.

I worked for over a decade in Investment Banking, then a few years in one of the largest international PR groups. In 2009, after a burn-out, I left the corporate world and started a new adventure.

MORE

book your stay



Booking.com

book a tour / skip the lines

questions about italy?

Send me an e-mail

 

featured posts

Fun Facts about Italy

Fun Facts About Italy: Interesting Things You May Not Know

Vie di Dante - Views from Dante's Train

Dante’s Train: A Beautiful Train Ride From Faenza To Florence

Ski resorts in Switzerland

Ski Holidays in Switzerland: How to Pick your Ideal Mountain Resort

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Mai Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT