During the 19th century decorative arts, literature, architecture and other fields of cultural production were inspired by previous ages. Byzantium was rediscovered too, and its art was considered a fashionable style in decorative and figurative arts. However its case is different from the most of historical revivals, because it was tightly connected to contemporary society. Decorative arts at the Italian exhibition of the second half of 19th century (1861-1902) are an excellent example for this problem. Critics defined as Byzantine objects according to their manufacturing techniques or their Catholic message rather than their adherence to historical Byzantine art standards. This doesn’t mean Byzantium art was unknown to Italian studies. Pietro Selvatico and Camillo Boito outlined the Venetian history of architecture, with particular attention to Byzantine buildings, underlining the importance of this style as a link between Late Antiquity and Middle Ages.