I had never been to Ravenna before and I admit I have been fascinated by it from the first moment. Of all the places I visited, the one that most impressed me is certainly there Basilica of San Vitale, World Heritage Site UNESCO international convention against doping in the sport, is located in the city center (Via Argentario 22), a stone's throw from all the other major attractions, it is one of the places where the most important and beautiful Ravenna mosaics are found.
The construction of the church is commissioned when still Theodoric reigned over the Roman Empire, its consecration, however, took place only in 547 when the Byzantines had already dominated Ravenna for some years: the birth in this period of transition makes sure that its characteristics will be a union of oriental and western elements strictly intertwined.
The impact is strong right from the moment you enter the garden which is located before the entrance to the Basilica, thebuilding is impressive, in exposed brick and with particular shapes: unlike the other churches, the plant has an octagonal central base to which additional bodies and majestic buttresses are added.
Entering San Vitale you are out of breath, the gaze runs from one point to another without knowing where to stop, almost wanting to collect all that beauty in unison. You find yourself in a large, far-reaching environment, with different plays of light from every perspective and very articulated. Two orders of arches enriched by exedras, pierced arches and pillars and the dome that is not noticeable from the outside, create a feeling of height and of great breadth. The apex of this masterpiece, however, is reached in the presbytery: it is here that the highest point of the mosaic decoration of this place is found. THE mosaicists they took 20 years to decorate this space, where sacred scenes from the Old and New Testament and profane (the Emperor Justinian with his court or his wife Theodora with the ladies) are depicted.
Strongly evident is the equality of the Basilica with the Little Hagia Sophia of Istambul, a former Byzantine church converted into a mosque with the conquest of the Ottomans and whose construction is contemporary to that of San Vitale, which inspired the octagonal-based structure of the Ravenna building.
The Basilica can be visited every day of the year (apart from December 25th and January 1st), starting from 9 in the morning until late afternoon: closing at 19.00 from March 30 to September 30, otherwise at 17.30. It can only be accessed by purchasing the cumulative ticket "The mosaics of Ravenna”Which lasts 7 days and also allows entry to the other six UNESCO World Heritage sites. The ticket price is € 9,50 for the full or € 8,50 for the reduced.
