Initially settled by the Umbri people around the 5th century BC, Ravenna came under Rome’s control in the 1st century BC. The first Roman Emperor (Octavian 63 BC-14 AD) made it the Adriatic base of the imperial fleet. Then, fast-forward to 402 AD, when Emperor Honorius moved the capital of his embattled Western Roman Empire to the city.

Ancient Ravenna architecture is a unique blend of oriental and western styles.

Following the fall of the Western Empire in 476, Ravenna remained first the Ostrogothic and then the Byzantine capital in Italy. Throughout the 5th and 6th centuries it acquired a rich heritage of religious monuments, remarkable for their unique blend of oriental and western architectural style, magnificent Byzantine mosaics and Christian iconography.Today, eight of them are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

Daughter of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, Galla Placidia (393-450 AD) was the mother, tutor, and then regent for Emperor Valentinian III until her death. A devout Christian, she sponsored the building and restoration of various churches throughout her period of influence, including her own intended burial site. 

A starry night covers the cupola of the Galla Placidia mausoleum.

Erected between 425 and 450, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia stands as a small, unadorned cruciform brick chapel. However, upon entering the mausoleum, we are surrounded by compelling early Christian mural mosaics. Sunlight seeps through the alabaster window panes to reveal the mesmerizing starry night of the cupola, with at its center a large golden latin cross. Christian symbols make up the reminder of the design: Christ the Good Shepherd surrounded by sheep, the apostles, and doves drinking from vasques. Note — Despite its name, the mausoleum never served its intended purpose. Galla Placidia died in at Rome in 450, and was buried in there.

Neonian Baptistery 

The central medallion illustrates the rite of baptism.

Located next to the Ravenna Cathedral, the octagonal Neonian Baptistery (a.k.a. Orthodox Baptistery) is the oldest and one of the best preserved early Christian monuments in Ravenna. Converted around 400 AD from an ancient bath house, its interior is startling for its decorations, clearly of Roman-Helenist influence. The central medallion of the cupola features the rite of baptism with Jesus and John the Baptist surrounded by the twelve apostles. An outer ring frames the central medallion with a frieze of plants and flowers alternating with empty thrones that evoke the day of Universal Judgement and altars holding a Gospel.

Capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom

Theodoric left a strong Byzantine influence on Ravenna.

Theodoric the Great (454-526)  was King of the Ostrogoths (475-526), and ruler of the independent Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy (493-526). The son of an Ostrogothic King, his early years were spent as a hostage in Constantinople where he absorbed the sophisticated Byzantine culture. This exposure would prove pivotal in shaping the appearance of his Italian capital.

  Arian Baptistery

The Arian version of the Baptism of Christ.

The Arian Baptistery was built at the end of the 5th century at the peak of the Goths’ power in Italy. Inside the small, unassuming octagonal brick building, little remains from the original stuccoes that once embellished the walls, but the historic and esthetic importance of the monument comes from the superb mosaic scenes spread across the entire cupola. 

Saints Peter and Paul lead the procession of apostles.

Against a gold background, the baptism scene shows Jesus as a young man, nude and immersed to his hips in the water of the Jordan, flanked by St. John the Baptist and an old man personifying the river. Above Jesus, a dove represents the presence of the Holy Spirit. Surrounding this central scene, a double procession of the Apostles, led in separate directions by Saint Peter and Saint Paul, circle the dome. While its iconography is obviously inspired by the earlier Neonian Baptistry, it is the only entirely  preserved monument that illustrates the Arian creed of the Goths, based on the figure of Christ represented both in his holiness and humanity.

Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo

Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo.

Built in the early 6th century as the palace chapel of Theodoric the Great, the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo is exceptional for its two long, richly decorated side walls of figurative mosaics circa 504 (under the Arian King Theodoric) and 560 (when it was converted into a Catholic Church).  

The Magi adoration of the Virgin and Child.

The mosaics left to us today line both sides of the central nave as upper and lower bands. The upper bands, depicting saints and Old Testament prophets, are original to Theodoric’s time. The lower bands contained a number of depictions that were Arian in nature. These were removed and replaced under Justinian’s rule by processions of figures against a continuous gold background. On the south side, male martyrs advance from Theodoric’s palace towards Christ enthroned; while on the north side, female martyrs set out from the port of Classe towards the Virgin and Child, who are adored by the Magi.

Mosaic image of the facade of the palace of Theodoric the Great.

The lively facial expressions of all the participants attest to the mastery of the mosaicists in cutting and setting the tesserae (i.e. tiny blocks of tile and glass used in the creation of a mosaic). All that remains of the palace itself is a sprawling mosaic depiction of its facade along  the upper part of the south wall of the nave.

Archiepiscopal Chapel

The cupola is dominated by the four evangelists .

Located on the first floor of what was then the Archbishops Palace (now the Archiepiscopal  Museum). built  at the beginning of the 5th century by Archbishop Peter II, the Archiepiscopal Chapel is the only Orthodox monument still in existence in Ravenna. It was built in Theodoric’s time as a private oratory for the Catholic bishops.

Iconography of the “Christus militans”, treading the forces of evil.

The cruciform chapel features a decorative scheme dedicated to the glorification of Christ from a clearly anti-Arian point of view. A young warrior Christ with a cross on his shoulder treads upon wild beasts. The images of martyrs, apostles and evangelists also appear in a dominant position in various places, to reinforce  the concept of the glorification of Jesus and the tenets of Catholic orthodoxy.

The small vestibule is decorated with marble and mosaics, and its barrel-vaulted ceiling is dotted with hundreds of birds and white lilies.

Basilica of San Vitale

San Vitale is a unique exemple of Late Antique central plan church.

The Basilica of San Vitale is a unique exemple of late Antique architecture and the most famous octagonal, central-plan church with mosaics decoration in the world. While construction was started in 525, when Ravenna was still under Ostrogothic rule, the church was finally consecrated in 548 under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. 

The underside of the triumphal arch is lined with medalilions of Christ and the apostles.

The interior is richly clad in marble wall decorations and mosaics, with the most magnificent ones concentrated in the chancel. A series of medallion portraits of Christ, the apostles and saint line the underside of the triumphal arch. In the apse’s half-vault, a majestic Christ surrounded by archangels Michael and Gabriel offers the crown of glory to Saint Vitale. On either side of the apse, twin panels representing imperial processions of Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora in full regalia and surrounded by their respective courts are especially stunning. 

Emperor Justinian and his court decorate the apse.

Around the mid-10th century, San Vitale became part of a Benedictine monastery, until it was dissolved in 1860. The Benedictines are the ones who commissioned the striking  – if rather anachronistic —marble inlay floor in the 16th century, and the Baroque frescoes on the dome (18th century).  

Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe

The church features the standard basilica design.

A few miles from the center of Ravenna, the port of Classe was for centuries one of the major seaports of the Ancient World. The Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe was commissioned around 535 AD and consecrated in  549 AD, making it a contemporary of San Vitale. It was dedicated to Saint Apollinaris, the first bishop of Ravenna and Classe (circa 2nd  century AD). Here, the church features the standard basilica design of a central nave with two side aisles. 

The upper half of the apse features a jeweled cross set among stars.

The upper half of the apse is dominated by a large  blue disc bearing a jeweled cross set among 99 stars. In the centre of the cross, a bust of Christ hovers between busts of Moses and Elijah. Below, Saint Apollinaris is depicted at the center of an idyllic wood, surrounded by sheep and birds. Trees reach to a golden sky. 

At the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, mosaic scenes stretch across the entire length of the nave.

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.

Visiting—The diocese of Ravenna owns five of the eight UNESCO World Heritage monuments in the city: the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistery, the Basilicas of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and San Vitale, and the Archiepiscopal Chapel. They can be visited with a cumulative designated day/time  entrance ticket. Although it is possible to purchase these at one of the ticket offices around the city, I strongly recommend the advance  online purchase option.

A Few Souvenirs

Location, location, location!