The Garden of Heaven

One of the most remarkable depictions of paradise can be found in the apse of the church of Sant’Apollinaire en Class, just outside of Ravenna, Italy. Ravenna has probably the best collection of early Byzantine mosaics anywhere, mostly from the 6th century CE, and I have to say this one is my favorite. The saint stands in the center of a verdant glade filled with trees, birds, and blooming flowers. Above floats a cross and Moses and Elijah drift among clouds above. The myriad shades of green evoke an eternal spring, ever lush, overseen by the golden glow of a sacred sun (see post below).