RaVennice

Still working our way up Italy's east coast we visited Ravenna and Venice on our journey towards Trieste, our last stop in Italy

Choosing Ravenna as a stop on the Italian itinerary was an early decision for its long and important history from the end of the Roman Empire all the way to the 8th century. Ravenna was the new home of the western roman imperial court from 402 AD after it was moved from Rome, its proximity to a port and natural defences of a marsh make it an obvious choice. The defensive nature of Ravenna also made it an ideal choice for the invading goths in the late 5th century to use as a capital once the final remnants of the Western Empire fell in 478. Ravenna was then also used as a capital of the Byzantine attempt in the 550s to 751 to reconquer Italy for the Empire, now exclusively existing in the east. All of this dramatic and politically important history has in fact left very little trace.

Regardless, there was a museum with this cool stamped lead pipe from the Roman era.

Clearly in his right mind, Rob takes in some local art.

One of the few remaining classical / antique structures standing was this, now called the palace of Theodoric. Whether it was the palace of Theodoric, a gothic king following Rome's collapse, or that of Honorius, the Roman Emperor's vast palace, or perhaps a gatehouse on one of those estates we will never know. What we do know is that it only opens from 9am to 1.30pm one day a week. Perhaps more inexplicable than its origins...?

Ravenna's true claim to fame in terms of the material evidence from the late antique period instead of buildings is its mosaics. Many of the more famous ones are spread out across a series of museums, tickets for which are more complicated to come by than those for Oasis. Fortunately the aptly named House of Stone Carpets was readily accessible. This was by far the most impressive set of mosaics we had yet seen and the extent of them is actually unknown since many of them go off the site owned by the museum into the foundations of the surrounding buildings. 

Our favourite mosaic was from the middle of the entrance hall and shows the four seasons having a happy little dance around holding hands.

All Ravenna-ed out we moved onto Venice and slept in the mainland ready for an early bus the next day.

First stop in Venice was the famous Ponte di Rialto but finding it was an absolute maze given Venice's lack of main streets and chaotic urban planning. 

Just wandering around Venice, supposedly one of the best ways to visit this sprawling maze of beautiful streets, we happened across the first ever Venice map expo. Those 5 rooms filled with map merchants and their absurdly expensive maps provided an hour of bliss for Rob but was perhaps a less exciting time for Danni. Pictured here is actually not the map expo but a cool frieze of Rome on a nearby governmental building.

Having a good gondole.

Shattered by all the walking around Venice and freshly drowned by the rain we made our way back to Moira then up the coast to Trieste ready to move on from Italy tomorrow.

Rob's favourite fact: instead of a kingdom the Byzantines' territory in Italy was called an Exarchate

Danni's favourite fact: there are no cars within Venice itself and even ambulances have to use the water