Ravenna is widely recognized as a showcase of Italy’s early Christian and Byzantine history. Between the 5th and 7th centuries A.D., it was successively the capital of the Western Roman Empire, the Gothic Kingdom of Theodoric the Great and the Byzantine Empire. This tumultuous period has left us a rich heritage of religious monuments, remarkable for their unique blend of oriental and western architectural style, magnificent Byzantine mosaics and Christian iconography. However, there is more to Ravenna than these glorious mosaics-clad masterpieces.
Mausoleum of Theodoric
The mausoleum of Theodoric the Great.
Built around 520 AD at the behest of Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths, as his burial place, the mausoleum is the only early Christian royal tomb in the city. Located in an area close to the city walls, it was at the time overlooking a lagoon, now a serene verdant park.
This Roman porphyry tub originally held the remains of Theodoric.
The monument features two superposed decagonal levels, made of Istrian stone sourced from a quarry approximately 400 kilometers (249 miles) away by land. The roof consists of a single carved stone 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter weighing 230 tonnes. At ground level, a niche leads into a room supposed to have been a chapel for funeral liturgies. External stairs lead to the upper floor where, at the center of the space an ancient Roman porphyry tub, likely from a bath complex, held the remains of Theodoric. These were removed during Byzantine rule, when the mausoleum was turned into a Christian oratory.
Basilica of San Giovanni Evangelista
The columns of the nave are topped with elaborate Corinthian capitals.
Also somewhat removed from the historic center, the Basilica of San Giovanni Evangelista has an interesting story to tell. Erected by Empress Galla Placidia after 424 A.D. to fulfill a vow made during a storm at sea, it is one of the oldest churches in the city. Built entirely of exposed brick in the typical Ravenna basilica layout it consists of three naves separated by two rows of 12 columns each and a semi-circular domed apse. In the middle ages, the church was annexed to a Benedictine monastery and over time, stripped of all its sumptuous wall mosaics. Despite this incredible loss, the church remains one of the oldest and most elegant in the city.
Fragment of mosaic pavement depicting scenes of the fourth crusade.
Heavily bombed during World War II, the building was subsequently restored. At that time, excavations uncovered a startling set of 13th century floor mosaics, depicting the main events of the fourth crusade (1202-1204), as well as a disparate collection of naive images ranging from folks tales to the signs of the zodiac and mythical beasts. These are now displayed along the walls of the nave. However, what makes them remarkable is their modest, child-like execution. Clearly addressed to an humble, illiterate congregation ,they tell their story in plain, straight-forward line drawings. They are a record, a Bayeux Tapestry in stone, of this last, calamitous crusade that shook the very foundations of society.
Archiepiscopal Museum
Lattice marble balustrades (transennae) 8th and 9th centuries.
Built in the beginning of the 5th century as the palace of the archbishops (and home of the Archiepiscopal Chapel), the Archiepiscopal Museum was established in early 18th century at the behest of Archbishop Maffeo Niccolò Farsetti. Its primary purpose was to safeguard the marbles, mosaics fragments and other artifacts removed from the early 5th century Ursiana Basilica, the original cathedral of Ravenna. After restoration works carried several times throughout the centuries, it was now being entirely rebuilt in the Baroque style.
The ivory Throne of Maximianus-6th century.
The museum’s galleries house masterpieces from the different historical and artistic periods of the city, ranging from Early Christian to modern times. An outstanding example of Byzantine art is the Throne of Maximianus. Made of ivory in the 6th century, it is considered among the finest pieces of ivory carving in Western art. Also of note is the circular 6th century marble Pascal Calendar. Its purpose was to fix the movable feast of Easter so that it might be celebrated everywhere in Christendom on the same day (in spite of the East and West using different calendars).
Domus of the Stone Carpets
Banquet Hall (circa 5th century).
Considered one of Italy’s most important archaeological sites discovery of recent decades, the Domus of Stone Carpets is what remains of a complex of buildings dating back to various periods between the 1st century 6th centuries. The excavations revealed a rich, 700-square-meter ( 7,500 square meters) Byzantine residence consisting of 14 rooms and 2 courtyards. All their floors are entirely adorned with stone inlays and polychromatic tesserae (mosaic tiles) featuring sophisticated patterns and figurative elements.
The Dance of the Seasons.
Raised walkways lead visitor around the perimeter of the site and guide them through the various spaces. Most rooms feature various elaborate geometric patterns. Outstanding among them, in the center of the large banquet hall, a mosaic scene represents the Seasons, dancing in a circle to the sound of a musician (Pan). It is possible to identify Autumn from behind, Spring on the left, Winter covered by a hood and fragments of Summer on the right. In an earlier part in the domus, an other vignette pictures a shepherd and his sheep (possibly the Good Shepherd?).
Dante in Ravenna
When it comes to Dante (1265–1321), the great Florentine poet, writer, and philosopher instrumental in establishing the Tuscan dialect as the Italien language, our mind naturally goes to Florence. Yet if we want to visit his tomb, Ravenna is the place.
A small neoclassical mausoleum hold Dante’s sarcophagus. sarcophagus adjoins the basilica.
Modern artwork memorializes Dante in the Garden of Silence.
How did that come to be? Dante, like most Florentines of his day, was embroiled in the Guelph–Ghibelline (i.e. Pope vs Holy Roman Emperor) conflict, which resulted in his being condemned in 1302, to exile for two years, and ordered to pay a large fine. He would never return to Florence. He lived in Bologna and Verona among other Italian city-states, before spending his last few years in Ravenna, where he died in September 1321. He was 56. It was during this 19 years exile that he wrote the masterpieces that led him to be recognized as one of the Western world’s greatest literary icons.
His funeral was held in the cloister of a Franciscan monastery, then the Church of San Pier Maggiore, (now Basilica of San Francesco). He was entombed in the ancient Roman sarcophagus in which he still rests. Florence eventually came to regret having exiled Dante. The city made repeated claims for the possession of his remains. The custodians of the body in Ravenna consistantly refused, at one point going so far as to conceal the bones in a false wall of the monastery.
A contemporary artwork exhibit honors Dante.
Today a small neoclassical mausoleum built over his sarcophagus adjoins the basilica. The monument stands in a corner of a Garden of Silence, once the monastic cloister, of which only one colonnade remains today. Hanging from the mausoleum’s vault, a votive lamp burn continually, with Tuscan olive oil donated yearly by the Municipality of Florence to commemorate its fellow citizen. Every evening at sunset, volunteers gather on the steps of Dante’s tomb to recite a canto from his ‘Divine Comedy’, to celebrate the poet and give everyone the opportunity to try their hand at reading one of the most illustrious works of Italian culture.
Good to Know
- Getting There—Ravenna is located a few miles inland from the Adriatic coast, some 100 miles south of Venice, and 50 miles east of Bologna. It is easily accessible by train from both cities. The nearest international airport is Bologna, with flights from most European countries.
- Getting Around—Just walk! The historic city center is mainly pedestrianized, and most of the main sites are located within an easy 15 minutes from each other. Even the Mausoleum of Theodoric is no more than approximately 1.5 kilometer (1 mile) from the center of town
- Visiting —Mausoleum of Theodoric —Via delle Industrie, 14 – Ravenna, is open daily, April through October, 8:30 am to 7:00 pm and November through March, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Basilica of San Giovanni Evangelista — Viale Luigi Carlo Farini – Ravenna, is open year-round Tuesday through Sunday: 10.00 am to 4.30 pm. Archiepiscopal Museum — Piazza Arcivescovado, 1 – Ravenna, is open daily from March through October: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and November through February: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Domus of the Stone Carpets — Via Gian Battista Barbiani – Ravenna, is open year-round Tuesday through Sunday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Dante’s Tomb — Via Dante Alighieri, 9 – Ravenna, is open daily from November through March: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and April through October: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm.
A Few Souvenirs
