RIMINI AND SAN MARINO

Nov. 9. 2024

Hotel Villa Italia, Rimini, Italy

 
Sally woke me at 6:00, this morning, to say goodbye. She had decided to take an earlier train back to Verona so that she could see a bit more of that beautiful city. I didn’t blame her.

My Delightful Bedroom in Ravenna

I couldn’t check into my hotel in Rimini until 14:00, so wanted to remain in the apartment until check-out time at 10:00. I lounged until 8:00, packed my bags, and made breakfast. I worked on my blog for a few minutes and then vacated the apartment at 10:00. I dragged my bag to the nearby train station and bought a ticket to Rimini. I had to wait for two hours for the next direct train. I didn’t want to make a bus connection with my suitcase.

The train ride took just over an hour. The train was nearly empty on a Saturday morning. The route followed the coast, stopping in seaside villages. Rimini appeared modern from the train tracks. We crossed a waterway and I saw boats in a marina. When we arrived, there was no elevator in the station. I got my bag down the stairs to the underpass, but a kind man carried it up the stairs for me. I could have managed it, eventually. I had mixed feelings about being pervceived as an old lady who needed help, but I had a sore foot and really appreciated the assistance.

Bike Ramps on the Stairs

It was a kilometer from the station to my hotel. I had to take another underpass to cross the railroad tracks, but this one had steep ramps in the center of the stairs for bicycles. I was able to roll my bag down the ramps and back up the other side. I walked through pretty treelined streets toward the beach. The Hotel Villa Italia was a few blocks inland. It was a small, basic hotel. I arrived close enough to 14:00 that they let me check in. I had booked a large, single room, but the hotel was not crowded and they gave me a family room that had both a queen-sized bed and a set of bunk beds. It was plain, but clean.

Street in Rimini

I ate the sandwich I had brought from Ravenna and then took a nap for about an hour before setting out to explore. I walked down to the avenue fronting the beach. Most of the bars and cafes were closed, but there were Christmas lights. It was a weird combination of deserted and festive. I cut through a hotel’s grounds to the boardwalk along the beach. The beach was lined with nearly deserted private beach clubs. At one of them, men were playing a game that appeared to be a cross between pickleball and beach volleyball. It was played on the sand with paddles. The net was higher than a pickleball net, but lower than a volleyball net.

Beach Pickleball?

I walked along the beach to the entrance to the harbor. The marina was located on the other side of the channel. It was smaller than the marina in Ravenna, but still sizeable. I turned and followed the channel towards the center of Rimini. Sailboats were moored along the channel all the way to the first bridge. Beyond that, small power boats lined the channel for another couple of blocks.

The Marina in Rimini

Sailboats on the Canal

Power Boats Past the Bridge in Rimini

I was headed for the Cathedral of Rimini, known as the Tempio Malatestiano after Sigismondo Malatesta who commissioned the fifteenth century renovations of an earlier church. Malatesta was reputedly one of the most evil and debauched men of his time. The church is little more than a monument to Malatesta which is why it is not referred to as the cathedral. The church is just off of the city’s main plaza. I had passed through the Piazza Cavour on my way there. People were gathering for a mass, so I quickly peeked into the church but didn’t have a chance to examine it closely.

The Tempio Malatestiano

Tempio Malatestiano Interior

The old section of Rimini was larger and more attractive than I had expected. There were quaint, winding shopping streets. I located a branch of the bank I needed and withdrew some cash. The return journey was shorter. Along the way, I passed the Domus del Chirurgo, the ruins of a Roman house that were enclosed and well lighted.

Piazza Cavour

Once I got back to the hotel, I rested for awhile and then started working on my blog. I wasn’t hungry enough to bother going out for dinner.

Domus del Chirurgo

Nov. 10, 2024
Hotel Villa Italia, Rimini, Italy

My mission for the day was to visit San Marino. After a cappuccino and a croissant at the Illy Caffe shop, I returned to the train station to catch my bus for San Marino. I had booked my tickets online and the process went very smoothly. The drive to San Marino from Rimini took about 50 minutes. I suspect that most of the tourists in Rimini at this time of year were there to visit San Marino, as Rimini is where the train and bus routes meet. Sam Marino is perched on top of Mount Titano and our route trended upward as we passed through the countryside. It was cold and very foggy.

Borgomaggiore Below

There is a cable car that runs from the town of Borgomaggiore at the foot of the mountain up to the citadel, but my bus delivered us to a parking lot high on the mountain. San Marino is Europe’s oldest republic, reputedly founded in the fourth century, although the oldest buildings date to the eleventh century.

View from the Bus Lot

Climbing Uo to the Citadel

I walked gradually uphill, past the mostly shuttered tourist shops and cafes. It was Sunday morning and many of the businesses operating in the off season opened later. I entered the citadel through the Porta San Francesco and switchbacked up the mountain past the archery range. Eventually, I arrived at the Palazzo Pubblico. By this time it was nearly 11:00 and mass was starting in a few minutes. I made a quick visit to the Basilica of Saint Marinus. The nineteenth century church was constructed on the site of an earlier Romanesque church. It was so cold that I considered staying for the mass. Instead, I continued my climb up to the first tower. The three towers of San Marino, combined with the walls and other fortifications provided the tiny republic with security for centuries.

Palazzo Pubblico

The Basilica of St. Marinus

St. Marinus Interior

First Tower from the Second

At the first tower, I purchased a combined ticket for all the state operated

Chapel of Santa Barbara

attractions in San Marino for the senior price of eight euros. I don’t know if I actually qualified for the senior discount because they didn’t ask me and it was only later that I discovered the adult price was actually nine euros. The first tower or Torre Guaita was originally constructed in the eleventh century and was modified and restored in later periods. It was sometimes used as a prison. The chapel of Santa Barbara is located within the walls.

Passo delle Streghe

There is an elevated walkway called the Passo delle Streghe (or witch’s step) that runs from the first tower to the second, but it was closed for repairs. I was forced to walk back down through the Porta della Fratta and then climb a steep hill to the second tower or Torre Cesta. This tower contained the Museum of Ancient Armaments. There were swords and armor, but the display seemed to concentrate on early firearms, of which they had a large selection. I climbed up the tower, through the museum to the battlements. There was a great view of the first tower from there and I stopped to take pictures. On a clear day, San Marino would afford a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside, probably all the way to the sea. On the day I visited, I could barely see Burgomaggiore at the bottom of the mountain.

The Second Tower

2nd Tower Battlements

I wanted to walk to the third tower and there was supposed to be a path from the second tower to the third, but the map was a little unclear as to where it began. I walked all the way back down the long slope before realizing that the path began at the bottom of a stairway just outside the entrance to the second tower. I had to climb back up the hill in order to walk downhill, again, to the third tower.

Path to the 3rd Tower

The third tower or Torre Montale was never as extensive as the other two towers. For security reasons, the entrance door was halfway up the side of the tower and must have required some form of ladder to be lowered. Visitors could not enter the tower. I took a few photos and then climbed back up the hill. My fantasy of spending a day without doing a lot of walking was not to be realized.

The 3rd Tower

Upon returning to the more urban part of the citadel, I intended to first visit the Museum of Stamps and Coins, but they were closed for lunch. I decided that was a good idea and ducked across the street to grab a chicken sandwich. I had all afternoon, so was in no hurry.

After lunch, I returned to the museum. San Marino has always had its own coins and, later, stamps. Seemingly from the dawn of time, coins from San Marino and coins from the surrounding Italian states have been interchangeable. When Italy adopted the euro, San Marino had to issue new, euro coins with San Marino imagery. Postage stamps were a later invention. San Marino was authorized to print its own stamps by the Kingdom of Italy in 1877. It was interesting to see the plates used to print the stamps.

San Marino Euro Coins

Plate for Printing Stamps

Palazzo Pubblica Interior

My next stop was the Palazzo Pubblica. This nineteenth century government building holds the house of parliament. I strolled around the lobby but elected not to climb to the second floor. Next, I went in search of the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, but I never could find it. I walked up and down the hill past the archery range a couple of times before giving up and heading to the State Museum.

Where San Marino's Archers Were Trained

The State Museum held the usual collection of building fragments and renaissance art. There were some prehistoric and Roman pieces from the surrounding area and a confusing display of figurines from Egypt. The museum covers four floors. I walked up but took the elevator back down. More interesting to me was the church and gallery of San Francesco. The building housing the museum was interesting. The religious art was interesting because it had been or was in the process of being restored and the colors were vibrant. One piece had what looked like surgical tape protecting cracks in the paint from something (exposure to moisture?) The church was simple and intimate.

Church of San Francesco

Gallery of San Francesco

Foggy Day in San Marino

By this time, it was nearly 16:00 and my bus left at 17:00. I figured I would walk down to the vicinity of the bus parking lot and grab a beer or something while I waited. Instead, I ended up at the wrong bus parking lot, decided I needed to be further down the hill, and descended a long staircase. At the bottom, I realized that I had been on the right level, just not in the right lot. I then climbed back up an even longer staircase. Climbing extra hills seemed to be the theme of my day. I still made it to the proper bus parking lot in plenty of time to catch my bus back to Rimini. For some reason, about halfway back to Rimini, just when I was about to doze off, the bus stopped and picked up a large group of middle-school aged children. There were more children than seats and they chattered incessantly. I was glad when we finally disembarked. I grabbed a few snacks on the way home and returned to my hotel to plan the next stage of my trip and write.

BOLOGNA AND RAVENNA

Nov. 4, 2024

Vista su San Luca Apartments, Bologna, Italy

 

Sally at the Verona Station

This morning, we went out for coffee and then took a quick walk to the Porta Palio and San Zeno before it was time to check out at 10:00. We walked to the train station and would have had plenty of time to make the 10:22 train to Bologna except that the ticket machine didn’t want to accept Sally’s credit card. By the time we finally got her ticket we had three minutes to get to the furthest platform. We ran. I never would have made it up the stairs to the platform with my suitcase if Sally hadn’t grabbed one end of it. I thought my legs were going to collapse. I don’t usually run carrying a 20 pound backpack and dragging a 45 pound suitcase. We just barely made it onto the train. The train was packed. We didn’t get proper seats until after we changed trains in Padua.

Interior of the Cathedral in Bologna

Inlaid Marble Floor in the Bologna Cathedral

Despite our adventure in train travel, we arrived at our accommodation in Bologna exactly on time to meet the young man who checked us in. We 

had rented a small sixth floor flat near the train station. It was clean and modern. We dropped our luggage and set out to explore Bologna. Our flat was about a kilometer from the center of town. All of the streets in the downtown area were covered by arcades. It was very urban and very grand. We headed for the two towers in the center of town. Along the way, we stumbled across the cathedral which wasn’t even included in my guidebook. It was impossible to photograph the exterior because of the arcade, but the interior was impressive. The inlaid marble floor was especially notable.

Le Due Torre in Bologna

The two towers in the center of Bologna are both leaning. The shorter of the two was shortened by twelve meters because they were so concerned about its lean … seven hundred years ago. The taller of the two, the Torre degli Asinelli, also leans. It is the tallest leaning tower in the world. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), the tower was closed and we were unable to climb the 498 steps to the top.

San Petronio

We wandered around the somewhat confusing, but very interesting, streets of central Bologna for the rest of the afternoon. Just when we had decided to head home for a rest before dinner, we happened upon the Piazza Maggiore and the

San Petronio Interior

magnificent San Petronio. San Petronio was every bit as impressive as the cathedral, although somewhat lopsided. It had been intended to be larger than St. Peter’s in Rome, but funds were 

diverted elsewhere, resulting in an entire internal aisle never being constructed. It is said that Martin Luther became so disgusted with the project’s financial recklessness that he turned against the Catholic church. Finished or not, San Petronio is a beautiful church. We arrived as the sun was setting and the lighting within was very atmospheric. We couldn’t see much of the artwork but we did get to observe the astronomer Gian Domenico Cassini’s 67 meter long meridian set into the floor of the church.

When we came out of the church, the other buildings around the Piazza Maggiore had been lit. It was such an attractive sight that we decided to stop for a glass of wine in a cantina off the piazza. We had intended to eat dinner on the way home, but just ended up stopping into a grocery store and picking up some munchies to take back to our flat. It was nearly 20:00 by the time we got to eat. The rest of the evening passed quickly, planning our next day’s itinerary before I retired to my room to write.

San Giacomo Maggiore

Nov. 7, 2024
Casa Manu, Ravenna, Italy

We spent our second day in Bologna making a pilgrimage from church to church. It was election day in the United States and my American friends and I were all on edge. I am not a religious person, but I felt a need to pray for my country. After a quick breakfast in our apartment, we set off for San Giacomo Maggiore, our first church of the day.

San Giacomo Maggiore Interior

San Giacomo Maggiore is a Romanesque-Gothic church begun in 1267 and consecrated in the late 15th century. Its patrons were the Bentivoglio family and their chapel was the most richly decorated. Two large, glass sculptures of poppies graced the plaza in front of the church. From there, we wound our way across central Bologna, past the two leaning towers, to the Piazza Santo Stefano. Navigating in Bologna is both graced and complicated by the ubiquitous porticoes covering every sidewalk. They are wide and often elaborately decorated, but make it difficult to see landmarks or signs.

The Piazza Santa Stefano

Church of the Crucifix

The Piazza Santo Stefano is Bologna’s prettiest piazza, 

with alternating lawns and cobblestoned walkways.

Tomb of St. Petronius

The Basilica di Santo Stefano is part of a complex of four (originally seven) conjoined medeival churches. The complex is entered through the eleventh century Church of the Crucifix, a smallish church distinguished by its altar raised above the nave so as to allow space beneath it for a crypt. Exiting through a side door, we found ourselves in the fascinating, polygonal San Sepolcro, centered around the tomb of St. Petronius. In that church was a single, seemingly out of place, pillar that was shiny from 1,000 years worth of pilgrims touching it. Supposedly, making a pilgrimage to that pillar would earn one two hundred years of indulgences. We figured we could eat all the gelato we wanted as a result of our visit. We wandered through courtyards and cloisters, one containing an eighth century marble basin. The brickwork was impressive. There were many war memorials in and surrounding the Church of the Trinity. We ended our tour with a visit to the museum and the interesting gift shop where I bought a small purse-sized notebook with a hard cover that I had been seeking for two years.

8th Century Basin

Pillar of Pilgrimage

Portico in Bologna

Basilica Patriarchale di San Domenico

From Santo Stefano, we strolled through more lovely porticoes to the Basilica Patriarchale di San Domenico, the principal church of the Dominican order. While the church appeared somewhat plain on the outside, the inside was a treasure trove. It was built in the thirteenth century to house the remains of St. Dominic. The chapel containing his tomb was the most richly decorated, and featured an elaborately carved marble tomb and painted ceiling in excellent condition. Michelangelo did some of his early work there. The church had two organs, one of which was in St. Dominic’s chapel. Mozart played one of his own compositions there at the age of fourteen. St. Dominic’s skull could be seen peeking out of a reliquary behind his tomb.

St. Dominic's Chapel

St. Dominic's Tomb

St. Dominic's Skull

Mozart's Manuscript

Organ Played by Mozart at Age 14

Sally wanted to see the mummified nun at the Santuario del Corpus Domini, but we found the doors locked, so started for home. On the way, we stumbled across the Cathedral of San Pietro, which was conspicuously absent from our guide book. While the original cathedral was consecrated in 1184, it was substantially rebuilt in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in the baroque style. Why is was omitted from my guidebook is a mystery to me, as it was jaw droppingly gorgeous.

Chapel in the Bologna Cathedral

Neptune's Fountain

On our way home, we stopped at Neptune’s Fountain, the trident of which served as the inspiration for Maseratti’s logo. The fountain was nearby the library which rests atop Roman ruins and features a museum in its basement that we just had to see. By that time, we were cold and tired and glad to grab some soup and wine from a local grocery and return to our cozy apartment for the evening.

The next day, it was cold and foggy and we were glad to spend a leisurely morning in our apartment before checking out at 10:00 and heading to the train station. We got there well ahead of time and avoided a last minute dash across the immense Bologna Centrale to catch our train to Ravenna. The ride took about an hour and a quarter and we chatted with the friendly conductor and some other passengers who were glad to practice English. Everyone was enchanted with Sally’s English accent.

Apartment Building in Ravenna

Our apartment in Ravenna was quite close to the train station and our landlady found it convenient to let us check in early. The apartment block was unassuming on the outside, but the quality of the materials used in construction was exceptionally fine. Our apartment was decorated with gorgeous antiques and featured beautiful hardwood floors and sturdy polished wood doors and handmade tile. It was a two-bedroom flat, so we each got our own room. We did have to call to get them to turn on the heat, as Ravenna was even colder and foggier than Bologna had been.

Our Kitchen in Ravenna

Living Room in Ravenna

Ravenna's Piazza del Popolo

Our goal in Ravenna was more to hang out than to dash about seeing the sights. We spent the afternoon stolling the streets and stopped for cannelloni in a glass enclosed restaurant that looked (and was) warm. We checked out the Piazza del Popolo and visited the tourism information office to obtain information about the transit system. Ravenna’s claim to fame is the Byzantine mosaic work that graces its ancient churches. We weren’t keen on trying to see all of it, but did pop into the Basilica of San Francesco and pay a euro to turn on the lights in its flooded crypt. The water table in the Ravenna area has risen and San Francesco is not the only church with water in its basement. San Francesco is unique in that there are goldfish swimming over the mosaics in its crypt.

Flooded Crypt

Before it got dark, we popped by Dante’s tomb and the pretty garden behind it. Then we bought some groceries and came home. I spent the evening working on my blog while Sally watched TV.

Dante's Tomb

Car Ferry in Marina di Ravenna

The following day, our mission was to check out the Marina di Ravenna, which is located some ten kilometers from the center of Ravenna. We had purchased bus tickets at the tourist office the day before and caught the 10:33 bus from the nearby train station. We rode through the countryside to Punta Marina Terme, an area of seaside resorts where a pine forest meets the beach. The bus route parallelled the beach for miles, finally arriving in Marina di Ravenna. We got off where the bus line terminated at the ferry terminal. The port of Ravenna connects the city of Ravenna with the Adriatic Sea, 12 kilometers away, via a canal. A car ferry crosses the harbor and ferries to Croatia also depart from there. Breakwaters stretch a mile and a half into the Adriatic to form the harbor and a massive pleasure boat marina with 1,000 slips has been constructed inside the harbor. This huge marina, filled almost exclusively with sailboats, has made Marina di Ravenna the heart of the Adriatic yachting community.

Marina di Ravenna

Shopping Village at the Marina

We got off the bus and headed straight for the marina. It was very cold and foggy. The area was almost deserted. There was a large, modern shopping village bordering the marina, filled with nautical shops, restaurants, and services. Most of them were closed, including the supermarket. We walked to the far end of the marina, admiring the boats, and then walked out to the end of the seemingly endless breakwater.

1.5 Mile Long Breakwater

"Lighthouse"

On the outside of the breakwater were large, modern, fishing structures on stilts. At night, they would turn on bright lights and then lower giant nets into the water. Once the lights had attracted a sufficient number of mullet and pipefish, the nets would be raised. We were there during the day and only saw one net operate, but the entire length of the breakwater was occupied by men fishing. They would arrive with their gear on small trailers towed behind bicycles. We were there in the early afternoon and observed them drinking wine and even making coffee on camp stoves. We walked out to the end of the breakwater and saw several freighters pass by, guided by tugs, and two large sailboats bravely sailing in the chill air.

Fishing Huts

Passing Sailboat

By the time we got back from our walk, we were glad to stop for lunch in a local pizzeria before heading for our bus. We just missed one, so spent the next half hour strolling the malecon along the industrial harbor.

The Industrial Harbor at Marina di Ravenna

The bus returned us to the train station about 16:00. It was too late to set out for any of the more interesting churches, since they closed at 17:00, so we decided to pick up a few items for dinner at the covered market off the Piazza A. Costa. We admired the well-executed statue in honor of Garibaldi’s wife, Anita, who was a hero of the struggle for the independence and unification of Italy. Not wanting to go a day without a church, we also stopped at the Basilica di San Giovanni Evangelista, a somewhat plain church that, nevertheless, displayed a large collection of early mosaics.

San Giovanni Evangelista

The Covered Market in Ravenna

San Giovanni Evangelista Interior

Modern Mosaic Crucifix

We returned home about dark and I spent the evening catching up on the writing I had neglected while visiting with Sally.

Nov. 8, 2024
Casa Manu, Ravenna, Italy

It was the off season and none of the attractions in Ravenna opened before 10:00. This allowed us to stay in our cozy apartment to drink coffee and eat breakfast until nearly 10:00. A 24-hour transportation strike was planned for the day, so we weren’t sure we would be able to get a bus out to Classe, where we wanted to visit the Basilica of St. Apollinare in Classe. We took the short walk to the train station and found that, while buses were parked along the street, the line we wanted was still running. We bought bus tickets from a vending machine, as the bus office was closed. Sally thought we could visit the church and return before our tickets’ 60 minutes of validity expired. We didn’t buy return tickets.

St. Apollinare in Classe

While Classe was 8 km from the center of Ravenna, it was much closer than the marina. We arrived after about 15 minutes and found the basilica right away. The church was built in the first half of the sixth century and was dedicated to Saint Apollinaris, the first bishop of Ravenna, who is buried there. It is one of the greatest examples of early Christian basilicas and its polychrome mosaics are in fine condition. The apse features a colorful mosaic where the image of Saint Apollinaris occupies the central position usually reserved for Jesus. The hand of God can be seen reaching down from the glittering gold sky, looking like something out of Monty Python or the Yellow Submarine. The condition of the church was remarkable.

The Hand of God

St. Apollinare Apse Mosaic

The church was so fascinating that we barely made it to the bus stop before our hour was up. However, the strike had reduced the number of buses running. The next bus was scheduled well after our tickets had expired.  We needed new tickets and there was nowhere to buy them. I had to download an app and buy tickets online. When a bus finally did appear, it was a different route than we had used to get there, but it went back to the train station, anyway. I clicked “validate” on my online ticket and then scanned the QR code on the bus. That set my 60 minutes ticking away. We got back without incident.

Statues of Cattle in Classe

Basilica di San Vitale Tower

Back before noon, we decided to visit the Basilica di San Vitale, another sixth century example of mosaic art. It was commissioned by Emperor Justinian. We had to buy tickets to enter and finally decided to buy the combined ticket to visit five sites. San Vitale not only had beautifully preserved mosaics, the floors were almost as ornate. The central dome had been frescoed in later centuries. The church was octagonal and was supported by flying buttresses. I had always heard that such buttresses were invented in the Gothic period and wondered if they were added later or had served as the model for French architects six hundred years later.  I later learned that they were part of the original design.

Basilica di San Vitale

San Vitale Interior

Mosaic of the Empress Theodora

Mosaic of the Emperor Justinian

Floor of San Vitale

6th Century Flying Buttress 

San Vitale is important because it is the only major church from the era of emperor Justinian to have survived intact. The church was constructed on the site where the martyr Vital was buried alive in a well. Across the courtyard was the equally well preserved Mausoleum of Galla Placida, a Roman Empress who died in 450. It was an even earlier structure constructed in the fifth century. We were impressed with the mosaics, especially the repeating borders that wrapped around architectural elements.

Mosaic in Galla Placida's Mausoleum

Detail of Mosaic Border

After viewing San Vitale and Galla Placida’s mausoleum, we walked across central Ravenna to the complex of buildings surrounding the Duomo. We had some time to kill before our 14:00 appointment to see the Battistero Neoniano, so we visited the Duomo, first. The Duomo was somewhat plain except for two baroque chapels. We appreciated an early example of carved and painted linoleum displayed in the Duomo.

Baroque Chapel in Ravenna's Duomo

Carved and Painted Linoleum

Adjacent to the Duomo was a museum housed in the former palace of the Archbishop. The museum was mostly filled with stone architectural fragments from earlier buildings, but it contained the Capella di Sant’Andrea, the private chapel of the bishop of Ravenna. It was built and decorated in the late fifth and early sixth centuries. While the mosaic work was similar to the others, its small size allowed up to examine the work more closely.

Battistero Neoniano Ceiling

Baptismal Font

Finally, our time slot to visit the Battistero Neoniano arrived. My camera battery took that moment to die. I did manage to get one shot of the baptismal font. The mosaics were similar to the others and just as well preserved. The baptistry was built atop a former Roman bath. It was built in the fifth century but decorated fifty years later. The nice thing about the timed visit was that they had lined the walls with chairs and it was possible to sit and gaze up at the mosaics on the dome of the octagonal structure.

Virgins Waiting on Mary in Sant'Apollinare Nuovo

The last site included in our ticket was the Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo on our way home. This sixth century church was commissioned by Arian King Theodoric. He wanted it decorated with mosaics and it represents the meeting of the Roman and the Barbarians. One side of the nave is decorated with a procession of martyrs bringing gifts to Christ. The opposite side depicts a procession of virgins bearing gifts for Mary. The mosaics are exceptionally colorful. The apse was reconstructed after being damaged during WWII.

Detail of the Mosaic in Sant'Apollinare Nuovo

20th Century Apse

We were very hungry after our pilgrimage through the churches of Ravenna. It was siesta time and few restaurants were open. We returned to the restaurant where we had eaten on our first day in Ravenna and sampled the local piadine, a sort of large taco made with flatbread. Then we returned to our flat to relax, graze on leftover munchies, and, in my case, write about the day before the information slipped my mind.