Ravenna & Aquileia

We travel to Aquileia. Founded by the Romans in 180BC on marshy ground between the mountains and the lagoons, the city lay on an important route between eastern and western Empires, and thrived in the late Roman period. We explore the Cathedral, and the Christian and earlier mosaics under its campanile. Afterwards, we walk along the riverine port, noting the mooring posts which pay homage to the city’s rich trading past, to the 6th century Church of Monastero and museum. We end the day at newly refurbished National Archaeological Museum of Aquileia, which houses some extraordinary mosaics and amber jewels.

We head into the foothills of the Alps to the first Lombard city of Cividale. Here we visit the Tempietto Longobardo, an exquisite ducal chapel with wonderful stuccowork, before returning to the Diocesan Museum, with its Lombard Altar of Ratchis. After lunch, we explore the Cividale Archaeological Museum, which displays splendid finds such as armour, jewellery and glass from Lombard graves. Later we return to Grado and visit the 6th century cathedral and the churches of S. Eufemia and S. Maria delle Grazie. Tonight we have our final dinner in Grado.

This morning we travel to Ravenna. En-route we stop at the former Roman colony of Concordia Sagittaria, to the site of an important early Christian basilica, which was discovered and laid out below the floor of the present cathedral. We proceed to the Abbey of Pomposa, the monastery where Guido D’Arezzo invented modern musical notation. Here we view a wonderful Cosmati floor and 14th century frescoes, hauntingly painting in the wake of the Black Death.

Today we start our exploration of Ravenna with a series of superb monuments, including the Arian Baptistery, the Neonian Baptistery, Ravenna Cathedral, and the Bishop’s Palace with its museum and mosaic decorated private chapel. In the afternoon we visit San Giovanni Evangelista, founded by Galla Placidia.

Still in Ravenna, we will also explore the remains of the church of Santa Spirito, which now contains the mosaics from ‘Theoderic’s Palace’ and then on to the Church of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo, Theodoric’s Palatine chapel. In the afternoon a walk across town takes us to the late antique Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra. We end the day at the National Museum, with a vast and eclectic of architectural and archaeological material from Ravenna and its environs. This evening we plan to have our special private visit to San Vitale and the mausoleum of Gallia Placidia.

We drive south this morning to Classe. This was the location of the commercial port of Ravenna and a city in its own right. We will pass by the excavated port and visit the church of San Apollinare in Classe with its distinctive belltower. In the afternoon on our way backing the city we will stop to visit Theoderic’s great stone mausoleum.

We drive to Bologna airport for our return flights home or onward connections.