RAVENNA INTRODUCTION, Introduction
Language: English / USA
Hi, my name’s Marcy, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: Ravenna.
The beautiful city of Ravenna is a perfect destination for those who love the sea, art and history.
Just think that until about 3,000 years ago this area consisted only of islets surrounded by the sea. Then came the Romans who, in addition to building connecting bridges, established the Port of Classe, a large military port that could accommodate 250 vessels.
In fact, Ravenna's many historic buildings, which have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, date back to the centuries of Roman rule.
They are all early Christian and Byzantine religious buildings that share an extraordinary feature: they are rich in splendid mosaics which testify to the remarkable skill of the artists who made them and the history of their patrons.
After nearly sixteen centuries, through these masterpieces, you can, for example, discover the faces of Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora, or admire the costumes, hairstyles, and wonderful jewelry worn in the days of the ancient Roman Empire.
Basilicas, baptisteries, and mausoleums date back to a complex historical period between the fifth and sixth centuries A.D. in which, in the space of a few decades, Ravenna was elected capital of a great kingdom three times, first under the Western Emperor Honorius, then under the Ostrogothic king Theodoric, and eventually under the rule of the Eastern Roman Empire.
You should know that the history of Ravenna has been populated by great people in the following centuries as well, and the best known among them is surely the supreme poet Dante Alighieri, the father of the Italian language who, exiled from Florence, lived here from 1318 until his death in 1321. It was in this very city that he finished writing his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy. I recommend that you visit his tomb, in an area dedicated to him, which bears the evocative name "Zone of Silence."
An interesting fact: You should know that mosaic art, after a period of great success, was abandoned around 1300.
But what happened to the many Byzantine, Greek, and Ravenna artists skilled in this technique? They apparently started the prestigious glassmaking tradition in Venice, where many of them moved.
