One of the most important early Christian art monuments in Italy and the world...
Today Ravenna, between Paleochristian and Byzantine mosaics, preserves as many as eight monuments included in the #UNESCO World Heritage List... #tuttitaly
The Basilica of San Vitale is one of Ravenna's most famous and critical Catholic places of worship. Its construction began in 526 AD. and ended in 547 AD when it was consecrated by Maximian and dedicated to San Vitale, a martyr of the first centuries of Christianity.
An exemplary masterpiece of early Christian and Byzantine art, it is the only Italian monument that can compete with the outstanding Byzantine monuments;
Thanks to the refinement and preciousness of the decorations and materials used and the originality of the spatial solutions.
The space inside cannot be embraced with the gaze: it is all a succession of curves, a rotation of surfaces. The multiple views are made even more suggestive by the effects of the light that filters through the diaphragms of the triple lancet windows, with different angles, enhancing the preciousness of the materials and the splendor of its famous mosaics.
The processions of Justinian and Theodora of the mosaics of San Vitale's vigorous example of Byzantine art offer a historical testimony to how Ravenna must have been in the sixth century. Furthermore, next to the emperor, the bishop of Ravenna is represented, thus highlighting the close relationship between the State and the Church.
Another curious element is the labyrinth on the floor of the Presbytery, with a diameter of about 3.5 m, dating back to the 15th century.
It symbolizes the path to purification. Its spiral course can purify anyone who finds himself retracing it with concentration, imitating the devout pilgrims of the Middle Ages. Finding the way out is an act of rebirth today, as in the early years of Christianity.
Visiting the Basilica of San Vitale is like diving into the Byzantine past of the city.
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