I have been in Italy for 9 months now. When I first arrived
I could not stop marvelling at its beauty, how different it was to New Zealand.
I loved the old cities and the amazing, ancient buildings. I thought I would
never, ever get used to it! But, put someone in a place, no matter how
beautiful, for long enough and you will find that they do. Of course I still
find the cities, churches, cathedrals, narrow streets and bustling markets just
as beautiful as when I came, but more in the way that you look at a sunset,
find it stunning but it isn’t something you haven’t seen before. Each city I
have been to in Italy, like each sunset, is slightly different, but still
basically a variation on the same theme. So when I found myself walking the
streets of Ravenna, I still admired the beauty of the place, but perhaps not in
the way I would have had it been the first Italian city I had seen. That was
until I walked into the first Basilica, Basilica di San Vitale. Then Ravenna
changed from a beautiful though seen before sunset to one of those spectacular
ones that still make you stop, catch your breath and marvel at the beauty in
this world as though seeing it for the first time.
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| Outside view of Basilica di San Vitale |
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| Outside view of Basilica di San Vitale |
Why? One word; mosaics.
I had of course seen mosaic work before, namely on the Duomo
in Florence, but I had never seen anything of this magnitude, intricacy and
beauty before. I cannot even begin to describe how I felt as I walked through
those large doors of the Basilica di San Vitale, into the centre of the room,
turned to face the Alter and stopped dead in my tracks. Undoubtedly my mouth
dropped comically open. The entire back wall, side arches and roof were covered
in beautiful, detailed mosaics. I had never seen anything like it. If you stood
far enough back or slightly squinted your eyes it looked like a vibrant
painting, but taking a closer look you could see the pea sized coloured tiles
that made up the different biblical scenes and detailed patterns along the
wall. The fact that they were made hundreds of years ago only added to my
wonderment. I could have stood there for hours, every second seeing something
new in those thousands of tiles. However, the multi-destination ticket I had
purchased that morning meant that I had to move on so I could see the rest of
Ravenna’s unique beauty before it was time to go home.
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| Mosaic work in Basilica di San Vitale |
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| Mosaic work in Basilica di San Vitale |
For the next 5 hours I walked in and out of museums and
churches, each with its own stunning mosaic work slightly different from the
last. Each making me catch my breath and stand speechless at the work of the
artists who had spent so much time creating beauty that would outlive them for
centuries. Though I am not particularly artistic myself and doubt I will ever
leave such a legacy, it must be amazing to have created something like that. Something
that took so much effort that it was truly a part of you so that even years
after your death you will bring joy to the people who will look at that beautiful
part of you that was left behind.
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| More of Ravenna's beauty |
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| More of Ravenna's beauty |
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| More of Ravenna's beauty |
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| More of Ravenna's beauty |
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