Ravenna - Should we have stayed here instead of Bologna?

Ravenna offers a ton of history stretching from the height of the Roman empire to the Byzantine empire to its downfall at the hands of the Ostrogoths and then into the Medieval Age and 1,000 years of European conflict.  It still retains a small-town feel and a great range of services for visitors, the best shopping in terms of price-to-quality we have found in Italy, and a collection of mosaics that equal the frescoes we saw in Rome.

Ravenna is like a great gift wrapped in newspaper.  The mosaics are simply mind-boggling.  How such beauty could have been created a thousand years ago, in an environment of seemingly constant war and conflict, is beyond me.  Here is an example.

In this small, nondescript, 5th century building...

...the ceiling is decorated with this mosaic, created with small bits of marble and stone.

In this 5th century mausoleum...

...the ceiling is a field of stars that has inspired songwriters (Cole Porter)...

The windows are wafer-thin marble, and every surface has an amazing mosaic embedded.  This shows a martyr who was so filled with faith that he was grilled alive and told his torturers to "turn me over, this side is done".

In this small town, there are eight UNESCO-designated historical sights.  In some, you can't take pictures at all, and bear in mind that all of the pictures here were taken without the benefit of a flash, which is forbidden, on a very foggy day with low ambient light.

We also had delicious pastries for breakfast in Ravenna,

...and a great meal with the best service we've had in Italy short of Felice in Rome, and the BEST LOOKING AND TASTING cafe in Italy at Fricando, via Maggiore, 7 48121 Ravenna.

After a 80-minute train ride back, we finished the day with another excellent meal at La Praia, this time enjoying the risotto frutti di mare in squid ink.

...followed by yet another pastry filled with mascarpone cheese.