Storiascopio · Era 7 of 12 · lower secondary year 1
The mosaics of San Vitale in Ravenna
AD 547 · Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna
In short
Ravenna had been won back by the Byzantines when the church of San Vitale was consecrated by Bishop Maximian. The walls of the apse are covered with mosaics made from thousands of tiny pieces of coloured and golden glass. Two large panels show Justinian and the empress Theodora with their courts, carrying gifts. Faces, fabrics and jewels are so precise that they look like portraits.
Why it matters These mosaics are among the most famous images of Byzantine art and show what an imperial court looked like.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Church of San Vitale”
Where we are in the era “Early Middle Ages”
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
about AD 480Event 6 of 25about 1000
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/the-mosaics-of-san-vitale-in-ravenna/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class