Ravenna Mosaics (6 UNESCO sites)
Must-SeeUNESCOThe finest Byzantine mosaics outside Istanbul. San Vitale, Galla Placidia, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Sant'Apollinare in Classe, the Baptisteries. Buy the combined ticket and spend a full day.
St Mark's Basilica, Venice
Must-See8,000 square metres of gold mosaics covering every surface. The basilica itself is a Byzantine-Romanesque hybrid. Visit at 11am when the sun illuminates the gold through the windows.
Cappella Palatina, Palermo
Must-SeeNorman king Roger II's private chapel — every surface covered in gold Byzantine mosaics with Arab-style muqarnas ceiling. Possibly the most extraordinary single room in Italy.
Monreale Cathedral, near Palermo
Must-SeeUNESCO6,340 square metres of golden mosaics depicting the entire Bible. The Christ Pantocrator in the apse is 7m tall. The cloisters have 228 individually carved columns.
Galla Placidia Mausoleum, Ravenna
Must-SeeA tiny mausoleum with the oldest mosaics in Ravenna — deep blue ceiling with gold stars. The intimacy and the 1,600-year-old colours are breathtaking. Five-minute timed visits.
Where to start
Ravenna for the definitive Byzantine experience (1 full day). The Cappella Palatina in Palermo for the single most extraordinary room. San Marco in Venice at 11am for gold-light magic.