Ravenna’s Mosaics: A Monument-by-Monument Guide to What You’re Looking At

The eight UNESCO monuments in Ravenna were built over roughly 150 years by three successive rulers, each working in the same tradition but at different moments of technical ambition. Knowing what you are looking at in each building changes the experience considerably. This is a site-by-site guide to the six monuments in the city centre, with notes on what makes each one distinctive.

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia — c. 430 AD

Start here, and book a timed entry in advance if visiting in summer. Galla Placidia was the daughter of Emperor Theodosius I, sister of two emperors, and regent of the Western Empire during her son’s minority. She commissioned this small cruciform building during Ravenna’s first period as imperial capital. From outside it is unremarkable — a low brick structure in a garden behind San Vitale. The interior is the oldest and most technically refined mosaic ensemble in the city.

The ceiling of the crossing dome is deep blue with gold stars arranged around a central cross. The lunettes show the Good Shepherd (south), Saint Lawrence approaching his martyrdom on a gridiron (north), and two pairs of apostles flanking a window (east and west). The colour of the blue ground — achieved through cobalt-rich tesserae — is extraordinary even by the standards of later Ravenna work. The mausoleum was never actually used for burial: Galla Placidia died in Rome in 450 AD and was buried elsewhere. The three stone sarcophagi visible through the grilles may have held other members of the imperial family.

Basilica di San Vitale — consecrated 547 AD

The largest and most architecturally complex of the six. San Vitale is octagonal in plan — an unusual choice for a Western church, borrowed from Eastern Byzantine building traditions — and took roughly 25 years to build. The bishop who started it (Ecclesius) died before it was finished; the bishop who dedicated it (Maximian) appears in the most famous mosaic panel.

The two apse mosaic panels facing each other across the sanctuary are the reason for the visit. On the left, Emperor Justinian stands in full imperial regalia, flanked by clergy and soldiers, with Bishop Maximian identified by inscription. On the right, Empress Theodora leads her retinue bearing the chalice and paten. Both panels are processional — the figures advance toward the altar as if bringing offerings. The faces are individualised enough to read as portraits, which makes them among the earliest surviving likenesses of named historical figures in Western European art. Above them, the apse conch shows Christ enthroned between two angels, with Justinian’s bishop presenting the model of the church. The dome above the nave was painted in a later century by Bolognese artists, creating a jarring Baroque overlay that the eye gradually learns to filter out.

Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo — c. 504 AD

Built by the Ostrogoth king Theodoric as his palace church. The mosaics here are easier to read than those in San Vitale because the programme is spread along the two nave walls in continuous horizontal bands, like a slow scroll. At the top level: 26 scenes from the life of Christ, among the earliest surviving narrative cycles of the New Testament. At the middle level: individual standing figures of prophets and saints. At the lower level: the two processions for which the building is best known.

On the left (north) wall, 26 male martyrs advance from the Port of Classis toward Christ enthroned. On the right (south) wall, 22 female virgins advance from the Palace of Theodoric toward the Virgin and Child. The palace depiction is the only surviving contemporary image of Theodoric’s residence. Look closely at the spaces between the arched windows of the palace: you can see ghostly hands where full figures once stood. When the building passed from Arian Ostrogoth to Catholic use, the original figures (presumably of Arian clergy or Theodoric himself) were removed and replaced with curtains, but the hands were missed.

Neonian Baptistery — early 5th century

The oldest surviving building in Ravenna, originally built in the late 4th century and decorated under Bishop Neon in the mid-5th century. The dome mosaic is the centrepiece: a central medallion shows the Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, with the river Jordan personified as an old man with a crab claw emerging from the water. Around this central scene, the twelve apostles process in a circle. The figures draw directly on Roman floor mosaic conventions — you can see the connection to pagan decorative traditions being repurposed for Christian imagery.

Arian Baptistery — late 5th century

Built by Theodoric for the Arian Christian community (the Ostrogoths followed the Arian branch of Christianity, which held that Christ was created by God rather than co-eternal with him). The dome mosaic follows the same scheme as the Neonian Baptistery — Baptism of Christ in the centre, apostles in procession — but the theological difference between the two communities shows in the figure of Christ. In the Neonian version, Christ is bearded and adult. In the Arian version, Christ is young and unbearded, consistent with Arian emphasis on his human nature. The comparison requires both buildings in sequence.

Archbishop’s Chapel — 494–519 AD

The smallest of the six and often skipped, which is a mistake. This is a private oratory built for the archbishop within the episcopal palace complex. The entrance vestibule has a mosaic portrait of Christ as Warrior — armoured, carrying a cross-staff rather than a shepherd’s crook — a rare militaristic image. An inscription over the door reads aut lux hic nata est aut capta hic libera regnat: “either light was born here, or, captured here, reigns free.” The small chapel beyond has a vaulted ceiling covered in white lilies on a gold ground.

Practical Notes

Order of visit: Start at Galla Placidia (book ahead), then San Vitale immediately adjacent, then Sant’Apollinare Nuovo (10 minutes on foot), then the Neonian Baptistery (2 minutes from Sant’Apollinare), then the Archbishop’s Chapel (same building as the Neonian). The Arian Baptistery is a 10-minute walk northeast. This order follows the chronological sequence of the buildings and covers all six in roughly three to four hours.

Ticket: A combined ticket covers San Vitale, Galla Placidia, Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, the Neonian Baptistery, the Archbishop’s Chapel, and Sant’Apollinare in Classe. The Arian Baptistery is covered separately or included in extended combinations. Buy the combined ticket at the first site you visit. In peak season, book the Galla Placidia entry online before arriving.

Light: The morning light enters the south-facing windows of San Vitale from around 10.00 and illuminates the Theodora panel directly. The Galla Placidia ceiling is best seen shortly after opening when the room is less crowded — the alabaster windows filter the light differently depending on the angle of the sun. Avoid midday in summer when tour groups are at their densest.

For the full walking route through the city see our Ravenna half-day walking route, which adds Dante’s tomb and the Piazza del Popolo. For logistics on getting here from Bologna see our Ravenna overview guide. For what to eat in the city after the monuments, see the Ravenna food guide. For the Adriatic beaches a bus ride away, see our Ravenna beaches guide. To see these mosaics in person with a guide who explains the iconography, see our Ravenna guided tour.