Galla Placidia (386-452), sister of the Roman Emperor Honorius who had transferred the Capital of the Western Empire from Milan to Ravenna in 402 AD, built this little Latin cross-shaped Mausoleum around 425-450 as her own resting place. The mausoleum was never used for that purpose, though, because the empress died and was buried in Rome in 450.
The atmosphere of the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is undoubtedly magical. The countless stars of the cupola have deeply stirred the imagination of many visitors of Ravenna, for instance Cole Porter who, during his honeymoon in the city, was so impressed by the starry sky of the small mausoleum that he wrote his famous song Night and Day.

Tags:   Galla Placidia italy mausoleum mosaic ravenna stars buttare

© All Rights Reserved

Tags:   burano summer dog blue venice italy 50 boat animals canal water houses buildings colors carpet street favorites tenere buttare super

© All Rights Reserved

San Miniato al Monte (St. Minias on the Mountain) is a basilica in Florence, central Italy, standing atop one of the highest points in the city. It has been described as one of the finest Romanesque structures in Tuscany and one of the most beautiful churches in Italy.

Tags:   san miniato al monte san miniato firenze florence toscana tuscany italy italia art architecture mosaic marble romanic churches basilica cathedrals buttare

© All Rights Reserved

Tags:   dnions door eolie islands italy sicily buttare

© All Rights Reserved

Castle of Spilimbergo, Friuli,Italy.
Palazzo Dipinto (Painted Palace), rebuilt towards the end of 1300s and the only building surviving the fire of 1511. It was the home of Irene of Spilimbergo and also hosted Carlo V in 1532, the Queen of Poland Bona Sforza in 1556 and Henry III of France in 1574. The building stands out from the courtyard by reason of its gothic and Renaissance triple-mullioned windows, for its fine stone details and the frescoes that cover all the wall surfaces. The frescoes represent, besides decorative motifs, cardinal and theological virtues and grooms with horses and can be attributed to Andrea Bellunello, active in Spilimbergo between 1469 and 1475.

Tags:   castles flowers frescoes friuli horses italy painting spilimbergo murales windows buttare

© All Rights Reserved