WW23-24 Brochure updated for Yumpu

ARTS & CULTURE • ITALY
Ravenna:
Mosaics & Marble
Duration • 4 days & 3 nights
Category • Superior
Expert-led group tour • From £1,495 (incl. flights)
Art • Architecture
Tour overview
Uncover Ravenna's glittering past with
experts Rowena Loverance or Dr Sally
Dormer. In 402AD, the city became the
capital of the western Roman empire,
and mosaic-decorated churches were
built. It flourished during the early
sixth century under the Ostrogoths,
who commissioned further splendid
monuments. By 540AD, it was the main
outpost of the Byzantine empire in
western Europe, experiencing another
lavish period of patronage before the
Lombards assumed control in 751AD.
Today, Ravenna is replete with relics of
this illustrious history, as you will see
first-hand across four insightful days.
Signature Experiences
Visit the Church of San Pietro in Silvis,
the oldest in the Ravenna area
See the variety of different marble &
mosaic decoration at the church of
San Vitale
Explore the unique 10-sided
mausoleum of Theodoric the Great,
king of the Ostrogoths
Discover how mosaics are made in a
contemporary studio
See the work of Ravenna’s modern
mosaicists in a city that remains at the
centre of mosaic art
Expert lecturers
Rowena Loverance is a
Byzantine art historian,
specialising in sculpture,
mosaics and icons. She
worked for more than
20 years at the British
Museum and is a visiting
research fellow at King’s College, London.
Dr Sally Dormer is a
freelance art historian
and lecturer. She read
history at the University of
Durham, before gaining
an MA in medieval art and
a PhD at the Courtauld
Institute of Art. She is a course tutor and
lecturer at the Victoria & Albert Museum
and also lectures for the Art Fund and the
Arts Society.
Day 1: Fly to Bologna • Ravenna
Fly from London (regional connections
available) to Bologna with British Airways.
Transfer to Ravenna and stay at the historic
Palazzo Bezzi Hotel (or similar) for 3 nights.
This afternoon, visit Sant’Apollinare in Classe,
which demonstrates the form and function of
early Christian basilical churches. (D)
Day 2: Ravenna
Visit the so-called Mausoleum of Galla Placidia,
which contains fine early Christian vault
mosaics. Continue to San Vitale, one of the
most significant surviving Byzantine churches.
Travel to the Residenza dei Vescovi to view
masterpieces from the Museo Arcivescovile,
the archiepiscopal chapel and Ravenna’s 18thcentury
cathedral. Finally, stop by a modern
mosaic studio (subject to confirmation). (B)
Day 3: Ravenna
Visit Theodoric’s Palace and the octagonal
Orthodox baptistery. Continue to the
Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, built by
Ostrogoth king Theodoric; the fifth-century
Mosaic in the Galla Placida mausoleum, Ravenna
Arian baptistery, with its mosaic of Christ’s
baptism; Dante’s tomb and the basilica of
San Francesco. Visit the city art museum to
admire contemporary mosaics. Continue to the
palace of Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra to see its
marble inlays and mosaics. (B, D)
Day 4: Ravenna • Fly to London
Visit the unique, 10-sided Mausoleum of
Theodoric, built from huge blocks of ashlar
masonry on the outskirts of Ravenna. Drive
to San Pietro in Silvis, which dates from
the seventh century and provides useful
comparisons with Ravenna’s churches.
Transfer to Bologna for your flight home. (B, L)
Meal basis: As per itinerary – B: Breakfast,
L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals.
TOUR EXTENSIONS
Please enquire for prices to extend your stay in
Ravenna or Bologna.
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