Basilica of San Vitale

For this second exploration of San Vitale, we turn our focus away from the famous imperial panels to the broader architectural landscape and the hidden treasures found underfoot and along the walls. While the mosaics of Justinian…

Look down at the floor as you enter the main area of the basilica. While some parts of the mosaic pavement are original 6th-century fragments, much of what you see was renovated or added in the 16th century. …

As you stand in the ambulatory and look toward the central space, pay attention to the way the columns are arranged. In each of the seven niches surrounding the center, there is a set of 'doubled' columns—one set on the ground…

Look up toward the second level, known as the matroneum. In the early Christian and Byzantine eras, this gallery was reserved for women, following the Eastern custom of separating the genders during worship. …

Take a closer look at the lower portions of the eight large piers. They are not just plain stone; they are covered in marble revetment, or thin panels of decorative marble. …

In the ambulatory, you will find several ancient marble sarcophagi, including the notable 5th-century sarcophagus reused for Isaac, an exarch of Ravenna in the 7th century. Isaac was a high-ranking official of Armenian origin who…

Look up at the great triumphal arch that marks the entrance to the presbytery. While we often focus on the youthful Christ in the apse, the Christ portrayed on the summit of this arch is quite different. …

As our second tour of San Vitale comes to an end, take one last look at the way the light dances across the floor's labyrinth and the polished marble of the piers. You have explored a building that was designed to be a total…