Explore Ravenna, city of mosaics

The rich of history of Ravenna and its fabulous mosaics and architecture allow us to look at a particular moment in Roman History. We'll look at Ravenna when it became a late Empire capital city and its protagonists like Galla Placidia, Odoacer, Theodoric, Justinian, and more!
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0:00 Introduction and history of the city
2:08 so-called Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
3:43 Odoacer
4:23 Theodoric the Great: Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and Mausoleum
6:58 San Vitale
8:33 Sant'Apollinare in Classe

[@davidpescod7573]

Ravenna is one of the really magnificent cities in Italy and indeed Europe with a history stretching back over two thousand years. It is remarkable that the original 5th and 6th mosaics still exist, together with those of a later date. I definitely would recommend visiting this beautiful city if for no other reason that to admire the workmanship of those who designed and made the mosaics. Once seen, never forgotten. Many thanks, Darius

[@DariusArya]

I haven't visited it enough- and I plan to go back! We will offer a course on the area via ancientromelive.org/courses in 2025!

[@fredyair1]

I'm fortunate enough to have visited Ravena twice, last time was September 2023, coinciding with Dante's death anniversary, there was a big procession to the Dante's tomb. The city is beautiful and the mosaics just extraordinary, you walk on history at every corner.

[@DariusArya]

Wow- what an occasion!

[@gayprepperz6862]

I'm so JEALOUS! LOL Seriously, I do envy you. I hope to make the visit once before my time is over.

[@jack6964]

Ravenna has some truly breathtaking monuments. I’m glad that we made it part of our itinerary on our recent trip to Italy!

[@DariusArya]

Great !

[@mh8704]

Luminous mosaics must have shimmered in candle light. Gorgeous colors!

[@barrymoore4470]

Yes, their full beauty was probably best captured by the flickering illumination available to the ancient worshipers.

[@DariusArya]

Yes, indeed!

[@yul498]

Ravenna is one of my favourite city in Italy. If you happen to be in Ravenna, just walk around in a central part and the main Christian building to see mosaics and absolutely unexplainable filing of magic.

[@DariusArya]

Yes!

[@wizzardofpaws2420]

I am always blown away that we have art from that early in history.

[@darrenmclellan6712]

Ravenna is at the peak of my list for the next visit to Italy. My sister was there last autumn and she said it exceeded her expectations!

[@DariusArya]

You will not be disappointed.

[@barrymoore4470]

The level of preservation of these ancient monuments is phenomenal. Unlike paintings, mosaics don't fade, and the colors of these wonderful panels are as rich today as they were when first crafted. The decorations in San Vitale are especially precious in enshrining probably the most vivid representation we have left of the emperor Justinian, as well as what I believe to be the only fully authenticated portrait of Theodora, his exceptional consort. Ironically, neither of these personages ever actually visited Ravenna, though that city now immortalizes their likenesses.

[@DariusArya]

Of all the artwork, those are my favorite in the church!

[@simplymilla]

Il mausoleo di Galla Placidia is for me one the most remarkable pieces of art on this planet, the colors combination alone

[@DariusArya]

Absolutely

[@FitzRabbits]

Wow. This was an incredible video. Did not realise that so much was preserved in Ravenna. And thank you for covering the period just after the 'fall' of the Western Roman Empire. It does not get anywhere near the attention it deserves. Thanks Darius.

[@DariusArya]

Yes, it's a rich topic. Look for more related content here- and also on @ancientromelive in coming months.

[@petrismaximus]

Such beautiful sites. When I do eventually get back to Rome I will spend a couple of days in Ravenna. Thank you for taking us there 😊👍

[@DariusArya]

Sounds like a great itinerary!

[@bluedeep8041]

By looking at all these magnificent work of the ancient people, we can only wonder how these beautiful works were done in the absence of machinery and computers and any modern tools. It’s pretty amazing.

[@MegaLivingIt]

Those mosaics from just rough cut stones; marvelous!🌿. My gosh, your store of knowledge is so impressive! And we find you easy to follow.

[@DariusArya]

Thank you!

[@DeneF]

I loved the majesty, solidity and pure craftsmanship of those Sarcofogi at the end of the video. Thank you.

[@DariusArya]

What a collection!

[@barrymoore4470]

I just learned of the collection of sarcophagi from this upload. Definitely an additional element of fascination.

[@duffyduffy1453]

Had a great time in Ravenna last year in February! Almost no other tourist in town, was definitely a highlight of the trip!

[@DariusArya]

Totally agree!

[@gayprepperz6862]

So glad the architectural treasures of Ravenna have been preserved! I hope to see it with my own eyes before my time it is done. In the meantime, thank you for bringing to me (via internet), which I have played over many times.

[@Jeff034]

Thank you mate, I travelled a lot during my younger years but now a bit crook and can’t move much. Your vids take me to places I’ll never go, but I feel I’ve been there through your excellent videos. Grateful, thank you so much!!

[@DariusArya]

Much appreciated. More on the way.

[@33Donner77]

Thanks. I appreciate your thorough presentations of ancient sites.

[@DariusArya]

Thank you!

[@atticus3203]

Thank you, Darius! Very good introduction to the art of Ravenna and magnificent visuals of the sites.

[@DariusArya]

Thank you!

[@wouter8794]

Had the honour of visiting this beautiful city last summer. Great video :-)! It inspired me to write my thesis about Galla Placidia.

[@DariusArya]

Nice!

[@reneknaap1745]

I’m in the process of planning my 4th trip to Italy later this year. I was thinking of adding Ravenna onto the schedule. I think you’ve convinced me!!

[@DariusArya]

You will not be disappointed! You see see most of the sites on foot. It's a lovely town. The Sant'Apollinare in Classe is just a couple of miles of way (and new archaeological museum and related sites).

[@user-bc4kt6nc1p]

Great video with beautiful pictures and a great narration. Thanks Darius!

[@DariusArya]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@anonymanonym4900]

Brilliant to see how the Middle Ages are shaping slowly out of fundamentally Roman heritage. A caterpillar that sheds its skin. It seems as if Rome never really ceased to exist it just morphed into the Middle Ages. Just like the Roman Basilica for law cases became the quintessential church structure - I believe that was the case, but Darius is the expert here 🙂

[@daveweiss5647]

Yes if it wasn't for the Gothic wars the evolution would have been quite slow, there are some cities in Europe that maintained there Roman architecture until they were destroyed by the vikings.

[@DariusArya]

The basilica was a great architectural form (non- religious) adopted for public meetings of legalized Christianity.

[@vm.999]

So glad I found this channel. legit!!!

[@DariusArya]

Welcome aboard! Appreciate it!

[@user-uz2op6og3l]

Went to Ravenna two times and plan go again. Beautiful place to see.

[@DariusArya]

Yes, it's impossible to get enough of it!

[@CrankyHermit]

Visited there almost 30 years ago, and was charmed by the inclusion of so much pagan imagery in these early Christian churches - especially the depictions of nature with flowers, birds and other animals, and celestial skies.

[@DariusArya]

Absolutely - it is a great example of the merger of images.

[@paulmokidespaul5347]

Magnificent😢!!!

[@Belisarius_IC_XC_NIKA]

This man is out here liking and replying to every comment... you just earned a subscriber my friend. Keep up the amazing work!

[@DariusArya]

Welcome aboard!

[@DeneF]

Thank you so much Darius. I have oft wondered how Ravenna looked every time I hear its name mentioned in my audio books.

[@davidvilmin3457]

Thanks for a great video! You make history fun, exciting and interesting! Thank you!!!

[@DariusArya]

I appreciate it!

[@Zenocrat]

Loved this so much!

[@marthaarya167]

Lovely.Enjoyed Ravenna

[@horsepowerdude]

That is stunning! I want to visit now.

[@DariusArya]

Yes, worth a trip!

[@ultor7654]

Beautiful thank you Sir!

[@DariusArya]

Thank you kindly!

[@alexclement7221]

5:48: If you look at the columns on the building (on either side of the curtains blowing in the breeze), you can see on 4 of them remnants of people's hands as if they were being outstretched in welcome. It is thought that the center opening showed Theodoric, and the other 8 openings contained members of his court. Obviously, this annoyed the 'orthodox' Byzantines, so they re-worked the old mosaic.

[@maxwalker1159]

Wow!

[@user-et5yw8cu7b]

Danke,, sehr interessant ❤❤❤❤

[@DariusArya]

thank you!

[@Materialworld4]

What a glorious sight to wake up to in Scottsdale, Arizona, thank you Darius.

[@DariusArya]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@theoldar]

Ravenna is near the top of my bucket list.

[@DariusArya]

Totally a worthwhile visit!

[@marialuizasaboiasaddi2160]

E deslumbrante e emocionante

[@alexos8741]

Beautiful buildings and decorations, in a sense help to imagine what Hagia Sophia would look like if it were still Christian.

[@DariusArya]

Truly we are so fortunate that we have these frescoes!

[@barrymoore4470]

@@DariusArya Or rather, mosaics. Frescoes of comparable antiquity probably wouldn't have preserved as well as the more durable medium of mosaic.

[@calvingrondahl1011]

John Romer first introduced these mosaics to me in his Testament Series on PBS. Your presentation shows me these mosaics in high-definition for the first time. Thank you.

[@DariusArya]

wow thanks !

[@tomreed-oe7hi]

The Ravenna Mosaics are probably top in their class in the world

[@DariusArya]

Truly unique!

[@rosskourtis9602]

Seeing this, I don't believe that the quality of Roman art declined-the style just changed. Thanks for this video, Darius.

[@DariusArya]

My pleasure!

[@mango2005]

I think the patrons of the arts like local aristocracy didn't have as much to spend on it, because of the laws of Diocletian requiring them to serve on local councils and pay tax shortfalls out of their personal wealth.

[@LondonPower]

Ravenna is the face of Greco-Byzantine Italy ❤

[@DariusArya]

And so much more!

[@inisipisTV]

A lot of people don’t realize much of the capital of the Roman Empire isn’t in Rome

[@DariusArya]

I'm fascinated by all of the later capitals. I've got more to share on Sirmium, Trier, and more!

[@AlexVictorianus]

There is also the Exarch's palace, from which exarchs of the Eastern Roman Empire ruled central Italy until the 8th century

[@DariusArya]

Wonderful!

[@inEmiliaRomagna]

😍👏🤗

[@lesliewatson-cq8mb]

I wonder what mosaic pictures distinguish the church as Arian?

[@barrymoore4470]

I'm not sure, but I don't think the iconography used by the Arians distinguished them from the orthodox. I believe both communities cultivated a similar array of images and symbols.

[@DariusArya]

For another discussion- as it's subject to scholarly debate- but yes there are signs.

[@chanaheszter168]

Fresco of Abraham would logically include Isaac, not Abel. Also, i think these are glass and smalti tiles, no? Fabulous mosaics, so nice that they are preserved so beautifully.

[@harveywabbit9541]

Zeus became Abraham.

[@mango2005]

Ravenna is more intact than Rome itself archaeologically, probably as it was the capital of the Late empire and better defended. Theres some dispute about whether what is left of the "Palace of Theodoric" is actually a different building.

[@DariusArya]

yes could say more about the so-called palace! but it's in the vicinity- we know from archaeological exploration in the zone.

[@Suz-e-K]

Bravo Darius! Ravenna is on my list of places to go.

[@DariusArya]

Excellent

[@26Bluegb]

In San Vitale, some of the floor mosaic sections are a mix of design and letters, like the letters had been relocated, but not in order. I haven't been able to find out what happened. Were they part of the ceiling prior to the Baroque frescos?

[@DariusArya]

The floors were decorated with mosaic in eight triangular slices radiating out from a central medallion. Six segments were remade in the 1540s, while the other two were remade in the early 18th century. In 1931, excavation revealed two segments of the original floor, after which the entire level was lowered to the original level, with the two 18th century segments being replaced with restored original mosaic. (As per Byzantine legacy)

[@26Bluegb]

@@DariusArya Thank you so much!

[@derwillmehrsein]

Great work, I love your videos! But the remains (ruins) you show in your video are not from the original Palace of Theoderic. (Acording to Wikepedia)

[@DariusArya]

Yes, you are right. I glossed over it- it's the "so-called" and although it was in the vicinity - this is not it- rather a 6-7C exarch building, possibly a guardroom... or a narthex facade of San Salvatore. Hard to squeeze it all in!

[@paulm.4977]

It's a shame that the mosaics of Theodoric and his court were replaced with curtains after his reign. It would have been fascinating to see the face of the Gothic king.

[@DariusArya]

Indeed!

[@PatSmith-wi1kz]

Those mosaics look so lifelike they appear painted..nothing on earth comes close

[@DariusArya]

yes!

[@generalputnam2990]

If you have mold allergies, take a double dose of benedryl if visiting S. Appolinaire in Classe. Magnificent building, but mold from risen water table left me senza voce & laid low for two days. Go anyway Ravenna is an awesome town.

[@DariusArya]

I hear you !

[@carausiuscaesar5672]

Ravenna the bolt-hole of Honorius.

[@babiyarnazarismaily6207]

Darius look amazingly alike justin trudoe the canadian prime minister,even you can mistake them if you are not familiar with who is who

[@OlympusKnight]

Roman AND Byzantine?

[@maxwalker1159]

!

[@tebo1958]

While I recognize that many churches, buildings, roads and art from the ancient world have been rebuilt or recreated due to time and wars, I wonder how much that you show here was destroyed, then rebuilt, following the second world war. I understand that Ravenna was bombed 52, or more, times.

[@DariusArya]

There's restoration in all of the sites shown- but luckily ones I cover the most were spared major damage.

[@kaloarepo288]

I believe paleo Christian churches and monuments were made to be plain and even rough on the outside but ornate and opulent inside to make the point that one may be ugly and plain on the outside but be beautiful inside one's soul?

[@seanp8220]

Much of it looks Byzantine

[@DariusArya]

Absolutely! Thanks to the 6C constructions and money/ skill from the Eastern Empire!

[@tomreed-oe7hi]

The word Byzantine does not exist. It demeans and debases the Roman empire. This is Roman not b word

[@barrymoore4470]

@@tomreed-oe7hi I don't like the term 'Byzantine' either, preferring 'Eastern Roman' (to distinguish the historical phase from the earlier united Roman imperium), but 'Byzantine' remains a widely used adjective by historians and art specialists, and will likely persist.

[@PatSmith-wi1kz]

@@barrymoore4470 byzan is a made up word from the 1600s

[@gilpaubelid3780]

​@@tomreed-oe7hiAnd medieval Greeks were not the same people as the ancient Romans. The state may have been the same but the people that were ruling it during the medieval period weren't. So a different word is necessary in order to understand when we're talking about medieval Greeks and when we're talking about ancient Romans.

[@GrandAncientOak]

Lots of swastikas. So much symbolism to be interpreted.

[@harveywabbit9541]

Lots of magic mushrooms here.

[@user-xu6rb5cp1r]

BJP ka prajwal revanna ke bare me bhi btao usne kya Kiya hai 2000+ female ke saath

[@tadopoulostadopoylos5864]

Thanks god the tourco bigs don’t come there….as civilisators…

[@SaulVector]

Bem fraco esses temas cristãos, triste que se perderam todo o glamour e riqueza cultural da Roma antiga