Ravenna 5.11.2013

Am I the only person who feels like they sound nothing like themselves on blog posts (or Facebook posts, for that matter)?  Anyway, the next day in Ravenna . . .

Mausoleum of Theodoric the Great. 

I am not sure if I just thought the sky was nice or if I really liked the place.  I did find it interesting.  In a city so renowned for its beauty, this mausoleum could be considered a annoying blemish.  But I found it rather refreshing.  The lady at the hostel thought I was crazy when I asked about it.  She said only the Germans ever want to go there.

It just seems so crude.  

Basilica di San Vitale.  Definitely the most famous in Ravenna.

 That upper line that looks like a water mark is actually where the floor was in the 18th century (I think that date is right.  Some religious figure decided to see what was underneath.  It is amazing what one learns by eavesdropping on the tourist guides.  The whole basilica is about 20 ft. below the actual surrounding ground. 

This dome just doesn't complement the mosaics, but then again neither does the original floor.  An interesting conglomeration at the very least.

Here's the outside.  This is the most interesting part of Ravenna.  All of these amazing Early Christian building are so plain and just downright ugly on the outside.  I think that is what makes it so breathtaking.  You walk inside and expect to see simply more of the same and you don't.  And none of it seemed gaudy, much to my surprise.  Certainly not very Italian. 

 Next stop: Mausoleum of Galla Placidia.

 

 I hope I am not boring anybody with unnecessary pictures. 

 Some random ruins had a small mosaic museum.

Dante's Tomb.

San Francesco

Next pictures are under the altar down those steps. 

Okay, I am now up to date.  Finally.  Now I have homework, that I need to do before I go to Ireland next week.  Ciao. 

Ravenna 4.11.2013

I wish now I had gone to Ravenna a lot sooner.  I knew I would like it, but I never could have guessed how much.  In fact, most of these pictures suck because I was just too fascinated to be paying attention to the outcome.  By the way, the picture above is Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo. 

 I hate that I take a picture and the lighting and colors are all different from what I am actually seeing.  No matter what I do.

 At least you can tell it is a mosaic here.

The whole basilica scintillated like this while I was there, not that you can see it in any of the other pictures.

 Duomo.  I did not go it, but that octagonal building on the right holds the mosaics below. 

 Battistero degli Ortodossi.

 Some random garden I did because everything else was closed. 

 Turned out to be worth it.  I think. 

 Campanile of San Francesco--more pictures on the next day.

The mosaic museum in an old church. 

 

Some exhibit in the Civic Museum.  I was not supposed to be taking pictures, but I really liked it. 

Here's another part of the same exhibit.  More pictures the next day.  To be posted soon?

Siena 3.11.2013

Here, I finally went to Siena. 

Duomo.

Duomo again.

I should have used this for my Art History paper: it looks nothing like this. 

Floor of Duomo.

Still the Duomo.  Can't say I have seen a church look like this.  

This was my favorite part.  Piccolomini Library in the Duomo. 

Ceiling of library.

 Now that I think about it, the Duomo is pretty much what one sees in Siena, but definitely worth the trip.

 I wanted to go up this tower, but the price and the line was ridiculous.  Piazza del Campo.

Nice view of the countryside.  I went to that cathedral as well as about five others.  They did not compare.  I did not even take any pictures.