Ravenna

For many years I have wanted to go to Ravenna, the Roman capital of the 5th cantury; the names of Galla Placidia, Justinian, Theodora, Theodoric, the pictures of the Byzantine mosaics had been on my mind ever since I read about them, so Ravenna was the high point of my latest Italian trip.

Ravenna is presently a small and pleasant city, with cosy piazzas and nice cafés, and its treasured churches with Byzantine mosaics are its biggest asset. And what asset they are! I started at San Vitale basilica - the modest exterior doesn't prepare us for the stunning interior. It's not only the amazing mosaics, but the whole building, one gets inside a soaring and majestic space, and the magic sets in. The mosaics are incredibly beautiful, no picture makes them justice. I stood literally dumb founded. The colours, the details, such beauty and perfection. And it was just the beginning.

In the courtyard of San Vitale, there's the mausoleum of Galla Placidia. A small red brick building, then one enters through a dark courtain and it's like an Ali Baba's cave, all blue and gold, the fabulous mosaics around three heavy stone sarcophagi.

After such wonders, the Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra, with its Roman pavements, seems almost lame. But then I went to the Archepiscopal Museum, with several very good artefacts and the beautiful Cappela di San Andrea. Right next door, the Neonian Baptistery, with more amazing mosaics, especially the centrepiece of Christ's baptism.

Sant'Apollinare Nuovo is another wonder, a huge church with two symmetrical set of mosaics, a female and a male procession, and lots of characters and biblical scenes, like the Magi.

The Arian Baptistery is like a smaller version of the Neonian Baptistery, more impressive Apostle figures surrounding the Baptism scene.

Taking a pause from the mosaics, I spent some time chilling and writing in a nice café by the San Francesco church, and then visited the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, with beautiful Paleo-Christian pavements.

Theodoric's tomb is a big building, with an empty interior. I took the bus to Sant'Apollinare in Classe, another big church with a luminous mosaic in its apse - green and golden; and a beautiful set of corinthian columns.

I finished the Ravenna tour visiting the church of San Francesco, with a crypt that is lighted paying a euro coin - a magical space flooded with water where goldfish swim over Roamn mosaics.