Ravenna: Epicenter of the Roman Empire and Cradle of European History

Patricia Vazquez: Narrator and content were both divine. Can’t wait to go back to Ravenna now that I know what to visit and why.

United States on Nov 30, 2023

A reader: When I first opened the book and read the preface, which describes some of the confusing issues in reference to historical names which the reader will encounter, I was more than a bit intimidated. I am an amateur, not a historian. And indeed, having finished the book I cannot recite which personage appeared in which century. But the read was very smooth. A very well written narrative that told the story very well. There are some high-quality accompanying illustrations which serve to reinforce the narrative...most welcome (though at times the text and Figure #'s don't coincide, but the reader can readily resolve this small discrepancy). I came away with a much deeper understanding of Ravenna which I had visited last year. My only regret was that I had not had this book before my visit as I would have had such a better insight into the historical context of the edifices I was visiting. But please be sure, this is NOT a guide book, it is a historical work but one that is very well suited for the layman.

United States on Oct 18, 2023

nick katko: This is a great book to learn about history between about 300-800 ad. I loved all the detail but I recommend Googling phrases you may not understand

United States on Aug 23, 2023

Martinus: An excellent and well written history book which traces the history of Ravenna from the capital of late Roman Empire in the West through to its decline as an important city in the 9th Century. The key events, people and changing political situation are are all discussed and evaluated as are it's architecture and cultural prominence.

United Kingdom on Jun 01, 2023

Dr. Kurt Heck: Sehr gut

Germany on Apr 22, 2023

netzer juerg, lic.iur.: An excellent survey of the political and ecclesiastical development of Ravenna specially in the 5th and 6th c.
Highly interesting are the indications about the taxes of tenants in Sicily, the annual income of the Catholic
cathedral of 160 lbs., the costs for the construction of San Vitale and the numismatic evidences.
In connection with the octagonal baptisteries an entering into the symbolic meaning of the number eight
would have been very desirable.

Germany on Apr 20, 2023

markr: This is a stunningly beautiful book that does all that a book can to bring to life, through narrative and beautifully produced colour plates, the stunning city of Ravenna. Without having read this book, it is likely that I would have bypassed Ravenna on our recent visit to the Emilia- Romagna, and in so doing would have missed one of the great highlights of our Italian, or any other, trip.

The mosaics in the churches of Ravenna, outstanding examples of early Christian Art, are to gasp at, and the ceilings of the building constructed for the tomb of the last Western Roman Empress, Galla Placidia are beyond breathtaking.

This book explains how Ravenna was the the capital of the Western Roman Empire, the capital of the Ostrogoth king Theodoric, the centre of Byzantine power in Italy, and the inspiration for Charlemagne's church in Aachen.

Some reviewers have commented that they found the book hard going - it can be a little, but only because there is so much information here that you will want to absorb - skimming and cursory reading won't give the understanding that a thorough reading will, and so it does require some effort - but that effort is well...

United Kingdom on Jun 26, 2022

Sunex Amures: I've never visited Ravenna myself but have always been fascinated by its haunting appeal to artists and writers of the aesthetic movement of the late 19th century (esp. Oscar Wilde, Vernon Lee). As I also have an interest in the Byzantine empire and its artistic achievements I was eager to read this publication. The book itself as a physical object is beautifully produced - sumptuous photographs, pleasing font choice, gorgeous dustjacket and elegant board covers but, alas, I found reading it less pleasurable. I started full of enthusiasm and anticipation, but having reached the half-way point I'm finding it rather a chore and wonder whether I'll actually have the application to reach the end. (In fact I'm plodding along feeling vaguely resentful as it feels like a compulsory university set text.) The reader has to wade through a lot of tiresome details (especially about civil and ecclesiastical administrative practice ) to get to anything of interest. Also the books lacks narrative sweep (not helped by chapters divided into annoying sub-chapters) and people are presented as stiff and one-dimensional as their mosaic counterparts with no sense of any personality, but perhaps I'm...

United Kingdom on Jan 10, 2021

A Reader: This truly exceptional history covers the period from the reign of Diocletian to the reign of Charlemagne, about 5 centuries. These murky years - filled with invasions, Huns, Goths, Lombards, popes, Byzantines, and bishops - are typically thought of as the heart of the Dark Ages in Europe and glossed over as confusing and unimportant in most history classes. Herrin instead describes a vibrant time through the lens of the evolution of the city of Ravenna from backwater town chosen by the Roman Emperor Honorius to be his capital due to its easily defended location, through its centuries of importance, before its return to backwater status in about 800.

The cast of characters Herrin writes about include the imperial daughter Galla Placidia, the Arian Goth King Theoderic, Emperor Justinian, a host of dynamic archbishops and popes, the Lombard King Desiderius, the Byzantine Empress Irene, and Charlemagne among others. The author clearly explains the world events that gradually moved Europe's focus away from the dominant imperial rulers in Constantinople to the leaders in western Europe (specifically Charlemagne). I have never read a history that explained this transition so...

United States on Nov 28, 2020

JATL: If you love Ravenna, you'll like this book, but you won't love it. The book is readable, but just. It's a book for historians, not for a general audience. It has 400 pages packed in with information, and 80 pages of notes. The author says she spent nine years writing it. I wish she had spent another year condensing it and trying to appeal to a broader set of readers. I am interested in the story of Ravenna; I don't want to know all the details of the history of the history. Still I am enjoying reading it. I am adapt at skimming to avoid getting bogged down. The plates add a lot and are fantastic. Great color photos of key sites, better than the souvenir books you can buy in Ravenna.

United States on Nov 04, 2020