Inner Beauty - Orientation Trip Part 2

Exterior of Mausoleum

The second day of the orientation trip we went to Ravenna to see some of the oldest (5th & 6th century), most well preserved, and beautiful mosaics. When we got to the first sight our tour guide pointed out a small brick building that I would not have taken notice of when she pointed it out. She told us that inside were the oldest and some of the most famous mosaics in Europe. "The outside cannot prepare you for the inner beauty" she told us. I stepped inside the small unimportant looking Mausoleum Galla Placidia and I stood in awe. It was beautiful, glistening with walls and a ceiling of intricate gorgeous mosaics.

Interior of Mausoleum 

The guide had been right I wasn't prepared for the beauty within. That sentiment really stuck me and got me thinking about how with people too we cannot be prepared for inner beauty.

Exterior of San Vitale

We then journeyed to another place keeping that blessed sentiment of inner beauty in mind and experienced again the inner beauty disguised by a simple exterior at San Vitale.

inside of San Vitale

It was filled with incredible mosaics! I also learned that Dante wrote part of Paridisio of the Divine Comedy in Ravenna and later we saw his tomb. We also visited a beautiful baptistry and Sant Apollinare Nuovo. Ravenna was such a beautiful town, and I loved the time we had to wander around the streets.

View from San Marino

The next day we went to San Marino which is a small republic situated on top of a mountain surrounded by Italy. The views were amazing, and my friend Laura and I headed up to the top of the city to see the fortress. It was incredible walking around this fortress. We saw a castle, prison cells, and even climbed to the top of the guard tower. This wasn't easy! We had to clim up some wooden steps that turned into sketchy metal rungs going straight up into a trap door in the floor of the tower. I was a little skeptical of the climb, but it was totally worth it, and once inside we climbed another two levels to the very top. All together the trip was great, but I'm glad to be back in Rome now so I can start exploring here.

San Marino