Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
And while the Etruscans had used wall painting - most notably in their tombs at centres
like Tarquinia and Cerveteri in modern-day Lazio, it was the Romans who refined the
form, refocusing on landscape scenes to adorn the walls of the living. A visit to Rome's
Museo Nazionale Romano: Palazzo Massimo alle Terme or to Naples' Museo Archeologi-
co Nazionale offers sublime examples of the form.
Italy's dedicated art police, the Comando Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale, tackles the
looting of Italy's priceless heritage. It's estimated that over 100,000 ancient tombs have been
ransacked by
tombaroli
(tomb raiders) alone; the contents often sold to private and public collect-
ors around the world.
The Glitter of Byzantine
In 330, Emperor Constantine, a convert to Christianity, made the ancient city of Byzanti-
um his capital and renamed it Constantinople. The city became the great cultural and
artistic centre of Christianity and it remained so up to the time of the Renaissance, though
its influence on the art of that period was never as fundamental as the art of ancient Rome.
The Byzantine period was notable for its sublime ecclesiastical and palace architecture,
its extraordinary mosaic work and - to a lesser extent - its painting. Its art was influenced
by the decoration of the Roman catacombs and the early Christian churches, as well as by
the Oriental Greek style, with its love of rich decoration and luminous colour. Byzantine
art works de-emphasised the naturalistic aspects of the classical tradition and exalted the
spirit over the body, so glorifying God rather than humanity or the state.
In Italy, the Byzantine virtuosity with mosaics was showcased in Ravenna, the capital
of the Byzantine Empire's western regions in the 6th century. The city's Basilica di
Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Basilica di San Vitale and Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
house some of the world's finest Byzantine art, their hand-cut glazed tiles
(tesserae)
bal-
ancing extraordinary naturalness with an epic sense of grandeur and mystery.
Yet, the Byzantine aesthetic was not limited to Ravenna. In Venice it would influence
the exotic design of the Basilica di San Marco, while in Rome it would leave its mark in
the technicolour interior of the Chiesa di San Prassede.
In Sicily, Byzantine, Norman and Arab influences fused to create a distinct regional
style showcased in the mosaic-encrusted splendour of Palermo's Cappella Palatina, as
well as the cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù.
