Theodora cake

The image of Theodora

How honoured Theodora would feel to see her name and image in so many places of the city.

Before becoming an Empress, she was an actress, an ordinary woman who won Justinian over, so much so that she influenced his political choices and legislative drafting in order to improve the status of women. She never came to Ravenna, but she is depicted in one of the Unesco World Heritage Monuments of the city, the Basilica of San Vitale, at the heart of one of the most magnificent mosaics in the world.

Today, her name is not only the name of this cake, bringing Italian and Eastern flavours, but also of one of Italy’s best-established and successful volleyball societies.  We are talking about Olimpia Teodora, which in the ’80s and ’90s achieved an unparalleled series of records.

The image and the name of Theodora can be found also on many objects, from souvenirs to designer clothes, from advertisements to street art works. As already said, Theodora never came to Italy and didn’t have any heirs. But her figure lived over the centuries and is still one of the most important icons of Ravenna.