Venice
Ravenna
appropriating hundreds of thousands—ahem, millions—of trees for pilings, to augment the many swampy islands already there. Thus it was that although the place came into being because waves of cruel marauders forced them to think up this creative extremity (simply for the sake of continuing to exist as a people)... in the process of pursuing their inspired water-built community, Venetians became traders (unabashedly wealthy) and of course hyperactive ship builders (with an immensely powerful navy). Throughout their city today evidences remain of that effervescent renaissance era, still visible despite the inevitable upwelling of cheesy tourist shops.
Not above some mischief of their own making, medieval Venetians stole or plundered or appropriated these four magnificent bronze horses from the Hippodrome of Constantinople in 1204, and placed them conspicuously above the entrance of St Mark's Cathedral—an impressive feat of thievery even by standards of the day.
Five nights in Venice and five in Ravenna
Venice
As Sixth-century attacks of Lombard savages on Veneto farmlands became horribly normal—eventually the beleaguered tillers of soil moved into and onto the lagoon, thus
Evenings from our window on the university campus
Designed to display government power, the degree of elegance adorning public buildings in the city betrays a commitment to finery for its own sake. Here is the face of the exceptional Doge's Palace of 1340, of course meant to evoke images of some grandee's home in the then-being-exploited Eastern Roman Empire.
Nearby the little island of Murano produces the most amazing blown glass artwork, while Burano (shown below), a neighboring small island, tats endless lace items for tourists. We'll visit both craft communities by watercraft.
Our train route from Venice to Ravenna—a little over three hours of Veneto scenery.
90 miles down the Adriatic coast-line from Venice is Ravenna, whose primary claim to history-book eminence is that briefly it was the capital city of the entire declining Roman empire. For about 75 years (just before classical Latin society and Roman government finally collapsed), this area of marshes and insects was effectively the seat of late-imperial government. During its identity as the place where influential movers and shakers of both secular and church circles tried to hang onto vestiges of stable Roman civilization, its Byzantine aesthetic connection resulted in some remarkable examples of mosaic artwork.
Ravenna
Which, mirabile dictu,are still with us—housed largely in oddly shaped church buildings that show greater affinity to the architecture of Constantinople than to ancient Rome.
Our place—you can see why we're a little dismissive of sterile hotel rooms.
A walk and a transfer ride eastward along the wide, stubby canal, to our
