yakalskovich | Big picture post of my Italian journey, part 1

This is in Verona, close to our hotel -- occasionally, the pavement opens in that city, and you can look all the way to Roman times. This was one of the Roman city gates.

A view into the interior of the famous Arena di Verona, the Roman circus where they have been playing Verdi operas for over a hundred years now.

On the second day (Tuesday), on our way to Ravenna -- landscape of Emilia Romagna.

My mother on the train to Ravenna. Of our adventures in that city, I have posted here.-

Now follows the pictorial proof. This is San Apollinare in Classe -- out in Classis, which used to be the port of Ravenna. It was an Arian church -- one used by the Goths, that is.-

The basilica of San Apollinare in Classe. I like the starkness of that place.

Architectural details. Note the newer medallions vs. the old mosaics. Also, bick and marble.-

The original floor, in a little side chapel.

Somewhat skewed sarcophagus.

My mother takes a picture of the statue of ~~that little twat, Octavian~~ the great Emperor Augustus.

Approach to the tomb of King Theodoric the Great.

The tomb itself. It was around two in the afternoon, and very bright and hot.

My mother between the curtains in the downstairs entrance.

That reminded me of the mosaic in San Apollinare Nuovo, so I stood there on pupose.

There is some inscription inf Gothic left on the wall of Theodoric's tomb, but I an't read that.-

Because the curtains don't close the lower chamber properly, pigeos nest in there.

Upstairs chamber -- Theodoric's alleged sarcophagus, that huuuuge porphyry trough, was tots a Roman bath tub in an earlier incarnation. Romans liked that colour stone in their baths -- pictorial proof in the second picture post.

There was an archaeoligical excavation on one side of the tomb, almost more interesting than the monument itself.

Here's a view on the dig from above -- there were lots of structures around the main tomb, it seems. You see the little vaulted part in the middle? That's where we saw the dead Goth.

There -- close-up with bones inside!

The archaeologists were having their siesta in the shade.

Floors, walls, stump of a column. The ladder is moderm.- ;=)

The area on the other side of the tomb -- just look at that vegetation pattern! There's lots of stuff underneath there as well.-

A typical street in Ravenna. Note the neatness, and how everything is colour coordinated.

One would assumes that to these people, a new little female Ravannate was born.

There IS graffiti in Ravenna -- but it keeps strictly to this one wall.

Another typical street in Ravenna. Note the big, clean, well-kept cars.

Baroque church, with much older campanile.

They still teach how to make mosaics in Ravenna.

Even the town prison fits in.

Right opposite the prison wall, a little ancient church. To give all the 'heretic' Arian churches in Ravenna back t the 'true' faith was one of the reasons why Justinian started the war against the Goths. Or at least he said so. Bigot.-