Explore in the ‘city of mosaics’ with visits to some of the most impressive early Christian monuments in the world
Engage with Ravenna’s earliest mosaics in the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, including an intense portrayal of the martyrdom of St Lawrence
Bask in the ancient port of Classe, shimmering in gold and turquoise
For details regarding our second departure, please see here.
“Nick brought his own reflections to the sites and artefacts, which was thought-provoking. His knowledge of the era was excellent”
– ACE customer on a 2024 Roman & Byzantine Ravenna tour with Nick Jackson
Ravenna, once among the Mediterranean's most distinguished cities, is now a small, peaceful town that conceals a rich history. It served as the Western Roman Empire's final capital and the base of Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths, before the Byzantines transformed the city into one of Europe’s foremost centres of art and culture.
Ravenna’s surviving collection of early Christian monuments and mosaics is without parallel in Christendom, a beguiling blend of Greco-Roman tradition and Christian iconography. At the heart of this opulent legacy lies the Basilica of San Vitale, begun during the Ostrogoths’ rule and finished under Justinian, where the glittering mosaic portraiture of Justinian and his wife Theodora captures the essence of Byzantium: the emperor, set against a flat, gold background, is dazzling in imperial purple, a gold paten in his outstretched hand, a halo encircling his shimmering crown.
The seemingly humble Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, erected a century before San Vitale, boasts Ravenna’s earliest mosaics, including a vivid portrayal of the martyrdom of St Lawrence as he approaches the red-hot grid-iron. Breathtaking, too, is the interior of the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, erected by Theodoric and later re-consecrated under Byzantine rule: the twin nave mosaics depict a sparkling ceremonial procession of martyrs and virgins, saints and angels.
Just outside the ‘city of mosaics’ we will visit the ancient port of Classe, founded by Augustus, to view the huge Basilica of Sant’Apollinare with its exceptional mosaics rich in gold and turquoise. While here, we will have an opportunity to stop at the site’s excellent museum, which takes visitors on a journey back in time to explore the origins of Ravenna and Classe.
Accommodation is in Ravenna’s three-star Hotel Bisanzio, situated in a quiet area of the city just a few steps from San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. While of a simpler standard, the hotel is comfortable and welcoming, and has been selected particularly for its excellent location in the heart of Ravenna offering an ideal base for our visits.
Nick Jackson
Nick's research interest is the late 2nd millennium BCE and the proto-Neolithic period, but he has also developed a passion for early Christian places of worship and Byzantine pilgrimage sites.
Tour Director Nick Jackson graduated from the Institute of Archaeology at University College London, and proceeded to a career as a field director excavating the ancient history of the Eastern Mediterranean in Turkey and the Near East. After a research post at the University of Cambridge, he began work as a guide lecturer in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Oman, and has continued leading tours to the present day.
5
£1795
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