BASILICA DI SAN VITALE, Interior

The interior immediately strikes you with its large volumes, its distinctive octagonal central plan, and its height, which reaches 26 meters, or around 85 feet, in the dome.

The dome is supported by 8 massive pillars, which form wide arches that enclose 8 large niches. Inside of these is a walkway known as the ambulatory, reserved in the past for men only, while on the upper floor was the women's matroneum.

Just walking through the ambulatory, you can observe the phenomenon of the sinking of the ground, called subsidence, which led to the overlapping of multiple layers of pavement.

Look for a pillar with an iron ring around it, placed about a meter high, near which is the so-called "well," a small basin in the floor with water.

Press pause and press play again when you reach there.

You should know that the bottom of the basin is made up of pavement that may date back as far as the 3rd century, where it is said that St. Vitale was martyred. If you look at the edges of the basin and the steps at the base of the column, you can count the different layers that have overlapped....