Ravenna Mosaics I

We first heard of the mosaics in Ravenna when we were in Istanbul last fall. In Ravenna are the oldest and most intact of the Byzantine mosaics, 6th century. But that is by no means the whole story. Ravenna became the capital of the western empire in the 5th century, as Rome fell, and thus has Roman mosaics as well. Even better, after the Goths had conquered Italy later in the 5th century, they made Ravenna their capital. It so happens the Goths were Arian Christians, that is, followers of Arius, a 4th century bishop and theologian who became the center of the Arian Heresy, perhaps the most ferocious theological debate the Roman Church endured until the Reformation. In a nutshell, it was about arithmetic, Arius arguing that 1=1, emphasizing monotheism and the humanity of Jesus. The eventual winners of the debate, the Roman Church, held that 1=3, emphasizing the divinity of Jesus, and opening themselves to endless ridicule from Muslims, (some) Protestants, and others about their claim of monotheism. In the 6th century, the (non-Arian Christian) Byzantine emperor Justinian conquered the Goths, set everything temporarily aright, and also had many, but not all of the Goth/Arian mosaics "corrected" vis-a-vis the Arianism. Anyhow, it's all in the mosaics. They're not merely beautiful but also convey much interesting and important history. And some would say that it is in Ravenna that Roman art ends and Medieval (Byzantine) art begins. So we had to go there.

I have brutally edited our pix from Ravenna. Only one of the churches themselves is depicted, and none of the baptistries nor other buildings. Alas they are all 5th-7th century, and what else, I ask, survives in Europe from this age? Intact? Still in its original use? Anyhow, they're all siena brick, and some, e.g., the Apollinaire Church in Classe, are quite large. All the towers lean, though not as severely as the one in Pisa. Just about everything of age on Italy's Adriatic coast is sinking or leaning.

In the so-called Arian Baptitstry; it and
the adjoining church are the only remaining
Goth buildings

John the Baptist baptizing an anatomically correct Jesus

(emphasizing his humanity), while the river god of the Jordan

looks on (a Roman artistic convention); the holy spirit dove is
merely figurative (?); "pay no attention to that holy spirit dove
behind the curtain nor question its divinity..."

In the mausoleum of Galla Placida, a mid-fifth century
imperial personage

All the churches and other buildings emphasize the Gospels

and particularly the written word

From the entrance to the mausoleum; Christian symbolism
abounds; alabaster window treatment; the mosaic work is
exquisite

We're now in the Basilica of St. Vitale, erected after
Justinian re-conquered Italy and made Ravenna the western
headquarters of the empire

Ladies of the court

The empress Theodora

Byzantine guys: Justinian himself in the center, with both
crown and halo

Another day, another Pantokrator; still in St. Vitale

Byzantine representation in mosaic of Biblical Jerusalem 

Capital detail; it is a huge Greek cross basilica, said by some
to have been the inspiration for Hagia Sofia, built a decade
later in Constantinople

Arrivaderci, Firenze, 2011

Arrivaderci, Firenze; we love you; we'll be

back

San Croce, 2011

Our last major site in Florence was the San Croce church, another vast church building, this one something of Italy's Westminster Abbey.

"Oh God, not another cathedral?!"

The facade is 19th century

The rest 14th, including a chapel by Brunelleschi

And all the shrines and occasional tombs: here,

Marconi

Fermi

Galileo; never had anything to do with

Florence as far as I know

Dante (exiled from Florence; mortal remains in Ravenna)

Michaelangelo (design by Vasari)

Machiavelli

Donatello

Rossini ("Hi-ho, Silver!!!")

Ghiberti

Among the great art at San Croce, Donatello's

wood crucifixion, a work so realistic it

frightened its original audiences

Many beautiful della Robbias

In the Capella de' Pazzi; gotta look this one

up, which we liked but did not note

A&W root beer was popular even in the 14th century

"Look, Ma--I mean MOG--no hands!"

Central Market, Orsanmichel, Piazza della Signori

Our last few days in Florence were a hodge-podge of sights, filling in some gaps, indulging some curiosities.

For sightseeing as well as purchasing purposes, we always try

to hit the central market; I have posted about so many now

that I am trying to limit myself to only the most unusual or

interesting shots: here, an item of the plant kingdom we

never did figure out 

And here, an action shot: the master butcher whacking off

some beef-steak Florentine for us; we figured we could

cook this ourselves

More ditto

Not cheap, but worth it

Apparently these items are not so highly valued

We also visited the Orsanmichel, another church

with an interesting history (originally a granary)

And great scultpure

And then back to the Piazza della Signori for a

look at more sculpture, including Cellini's

Perseus

And--X marks the spot--the precise place on the Piazza

where Savanarola was "martyred" on his own Bonfire of

Vanities

Anniversary #43

Actually we passed anniversary #43, June 8, in the thunderstorms. But we had already resolved to celebrate #43 by having a beef-steak Florentine dinner, which we finally did at the Antico Ristoro di Cambi. 800 grams of certainly the best steak we have had in Europe. Nothing's as good as Peter Luger's, of course, but this and a few others have come close.

Antipasti: prosciutto and bufala mozzarella

Pasta course: spinach and ricotta-stuffed ravioli in ragu sauce

Me, luxuriating

Steak Florentine for two

No left-overs; creme brulee and expresso for the dulci; they

had a 250 euro bottle of Brunello, but we opted instead for

the house rosso; I had tried some Brunello earlier and was not

that impressed

Peeking into the kitchen as we left

Piazzale Michaelangelo

It was to be another multi-site day. After the ospedale and the duomo and campanile and baptistry, we caught a bus that took us across the river and up the hill to the Piazzale Michaelangelo, the great belvedere overlooking the city.

Florence from Piazzale Michaelangelo

River and bridges, most prominently, the Ponte Vecchio

Us; the duomo is just below my right ear

We took the bus back down and then walked a couple

kilometers along the river

River traffic, the old-fashioned way

Most commitment padlocks I have ever seen; and this was

one of several...

Ponte Vecchio up close

Up closer

And what it's been all about for several hundred years