Page 57 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

THE HIST OR Y OF IT AL Y  55

Charlemagne
The King of the
Franks was
invited by the
pope to crush
the Lombards.
In return, he was Saracens Besieging Messina
crowned Holy In the 9th century Sicily was conquered by
Roman Emperor Muslims from Africa. Saracen raiders even
in AD 800. reached Rome, where Pope Leo IV built
a new wall to defend the Vatican.
The emperor holds a large Maximian, Archbishop
gold paten, the dish in which of Ravenna
the bread is placed for Mass.
Where to See Early Christian
and Byzantine Italy
Though the fall of the Roman Empire led to war,
famine and depopulation, the continuity of the
Christian religion has preserved many monuments
of the late Empire and Byzantine period. Rome has
the catacombs (p446) and great basilicas, such
as Santa Maria Maggiore (p417). In Ravenna, the
administrative capital
of the Byzantine
Empire, are the
churches of San Vitale
and Sant’Apollinare
(pp272–3) with their
magnificent mosaics.
Sicily and the south
also preserve
many Byzantine
churches, while
Stilo in Calabria has the finest example
a beautiful Byzantine of late Byzantine
church, the Cattolica architecture is San
(p524), dating from Marco in Venice
the 10th century. (pp114–15).

The Court of Justinian Priests
Byzantine churches were decorated with Santa Costanza in Rome (p445) was built
glorious mosaics of coloured glass and gold in the 4th century as the mausoleum of
leaf. This one, from the apse of the church of Constantine’s daughter. Late Roman mosaics
San Vitale in Ravenna (see p272), completed decorate the vaults.
in 547, depicts members of the Imperial court.

774 Charlemagne conquers
752 Lombard
c.595 Lombards King Aistulf Italy and takes Lombard crown 878 Saracens capture
control two- takes Byzantine 800 Charlemagne city of Syracuse from
thirds of Italy stronghold of crowned Holy Roman Byzantine Empire and
Ravenna Emperor in St Peter’s gain control of Sicily
500 600 700 800 900
Gregory the Great 754 Pope appeals
(reigned 590–604) to Franks for help; 6th-century Lombard gold
599 Pope Gregory negotiates King Pepin helmet in the Bargello
peace between the Lombards invades Italy and museum, Florence (see p287)
and the Byzantine Empire defeats Lombards

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