Mosaic Beauty - Basilica di San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

Have you ever been on a trip where you have heard of all of the famous locations you will be visiting but it is the unknown ones that you remember most? For me, our visit to Ravenna was one that has stayed with me the longest. Our main destination there was the Basilica di San Vitale that promised to be a must visit. Talk about an understatement. The place is awesome. Why? The age and history blows my mind. Built in the year 547, it is one of the most important examples of Christian Byzantine art and architecture in Europe. When you walk in and walk to the center, you are surrounded by eight walls that rise to the central dome. On each wall, the art made up of small gold mosaic tiles depicting scenes that are simply beautiful. As you look at all of the walls, it is so overwhelming to take in that you feel insignificant in the scene of things. While I tried to capture its beauty in photographs, I failed miserably. That's okay. It is hard for anyone to capture the scale of what you are seeing. The best thing is to visit in person--you will be astounded.