Byzantine Aspects of Italy

Of the three basic elements that formed the culture of Byzantium—Roman political concepts, Greek culture, and Christian faith—two were closely related to Rome. This affinity made Byzantium’s artistic impact upon Italy a special one, despite the great political differences between the two parts of the former Roman empire. In this illustrated handbook, Daniel Crena de Iongh guides the reader to the surviving treasures of Italy’s Byzantine heritage—the mosaics, paintings, and sculpture, in churches, palaces, catacombs, grottoes, and museums, from Milan and Venice in the north, to Calabria and Sicily in the south.