Ravenna

Mosaics of Ravenna are the world-class WHS, and everything important about inscribed monuments has been already covered by other reviewers. Thus, I decided to describe other important but un-inscribed sites in Ravenna. I believe that it is helpful to understand the importance of Ravenna in context. Not to be misunderstood, the list of the inscribed sites is complete in my opinion, and important but un-inscribed monuments were heavily altered in midle ages and modern times, thus they have lost some of their qualities (mostly mosaics...)

It happened to me during my visit in May 2018: We walked with my friends from the parking lot (for free on Sunday) close to railway station towards Piazza del Popolo. We passed by an antient church, and my friend told: Nice church, let`s go inside! As a WHS enthusiast, I refused this idea, because that church is NOT inscribed and probably contains NO mosaics inside running towards S Vitale... Now, after spending a couple of days in Ravenna, I am better informed and know that that church was S Giovanni Evangelista founded by Galla Placidia... PHOTO

(i) S Giovanni Evangelista is one of the oldes churches in Ravenna founded by Galla Placidia close to the port. It partly retains classical shape of Ravenna`s basilica: 3 naves with classical columns, apsida and atrium. Nowadays shape is the result of after-war reconstructions due to the bombing because of a fatal location close to the railway station. The original apsida was round inside and polygonal …

If you arrive in Ravenna by car you will face the usual problem of where to park during your visit. Now, I am congenitally incapable of willingly paying for parking - indeed we toured Italian WHS for 17 days and only spent 2.60 euros on it! Even if others are not so “penny pinching” it may be of use to know that there is a large, well paved area of free, long term parking in front of the Mausoleum of Theodoric. You are going to want to visit there anyway and the car park is only a 15 minute walk from the San Vitale complex and the city centre.

Another logistical aspect about Ravenna’s WHS which it is worth understanding is the ticketing system – this is complex even by Italian standards. There are 8 inscribed locations – 5 of these (Archiepiscopal Museum with the Chapel of Sant’Andrea and the Ivory Throne, Neonian Baptistery, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Basilica of San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia) are in Ravenna centre and require a combined entry ticket (you cannot buy an individual ticket for any of them), 1 (Arian Baptistry) is also in the centre and is free to enter and 2 (Mausoleum of Theodoric on the city outskirts and Basilica of Sant’Apollinare 6kms away in Classe) require a different combined entry ticket. That combined ticket also includes the (non-UNESCO) National Museum at San Vitale and these 3 sites are also available for entry by individual tickets at each …

In my opinion, Ravenna is one of the finest and most interesting WH sites not just in Italy, but in all of Europe. The remains from the late Roman/early Byzantine Empire and the early Christian era are incredibly well-preserved and the mosaics for which Ravenna is so famous are just stunning in every way. The WH listing consists of 8 distinct sites that can be easily visited on a walk through the city (except for Classe). From the station, I first went to the Arian Baptistry (a small building with a nice ceiling mosaic), then to the Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo (a large complex with 2 fantastic rows of mosaics plus some hard-to-spot hands showing Theoderic and his court that were not quite removed when the Byzantines reconquered Ravenna). After a detour to Dante's Tomb and the Basilica of San Francesco with its famous groundwater-covered mosaic floor, I went to the Neonian or Orthodox Baptistry (larger and much more decorated than the Arian one, with exceptionally beautiful mosaics) and then to the Cathedral Museum, which houses the Archiepiscopal Chapel and the only remaining oratory from the early Christian era. Then I continued to the San Vitale complex, which includes the Basilica boasting Ravenna's most famous mosaics which show Emperor Justinian and his (in)famous wife Theodora, who, despite never having set foot in the city, still wanted to project their power in their remaining Italian lands. The complex also features the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, which contains the city's oldest …

I visited this WHS in September 2012. It is truly a hidden gem! The terracotta monuments are a treasure chest of mosaics, one more beautiful than the other. I visited all 8 listed sites and my favourite is the Cappella S. Andrea (Arcivescovile), a small private chapel with fine mosaics (the highlight is the gold/blue sky with 99 species of birds). The least aweinspiring of the sites was perhaps the Mausoleo of Teodorico which is quite a walk out of the historical city centre. The Basilica in Classe is also worth visiting. I reckon Ravenna is one of my favourite WHS in Italy.

The Ravenna WHS consists of eight early Christian monuments of the 5th and 6th Century: basilicas, baptisteries and mausoleums. Probably the significance of the monuments alone would justify the inscription, because little is preserved from the period between the Roman Empire and the Christian Middle Ages. But the exceptional feature of the site are the marvellous mosaics.

We started our tour, like probably the most visitors, at the Basilica of San Vitale. San Vitale is an octagonal building and has mosaic decorations on the walls and the ceiling. The exceptionally well preserved mosaics depict scenes from the Old Testament and portraits of the Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora accompanied by their entourage. The mosaics glow in gorgeous colours: blue, green and gold. It is hardly possible to describe how impressive they are and photos can not adequately illustrate their magnificence. You have to see them.

Close to the Basilica San Vitale is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. Mosaics cover the entire surface of the vault, the central dome and large parts of the walls. The ceiling shows a deep blue sky with white and golden stars. The theme is the Redemption, Jesus is shown as the Good Shepherd with his sheep, and the apostles are depicted.

Next we went to the Neonian Baptistery near the Cathedral. It is dominated by the large octagonal baptismal font made ​​of marble. The mosaic at the ceiling depicts the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan by John the Baptist. Also the walls are …

This is truely a city of stunning mosaics, and all but one of the 8 sites listed in this WHS is decorated with the most colourful of mosaic art. By contrast the Mausoleum of Theodoric has a few faded frescoes and a red stone hip bath. Why was this included in the WHS?

The two churches of St Appolina, one in Ravenna, the other in Classe were for me the most outstanding. I travelled between the two by bus #4 and by train.

In 2011, to visit all 8 sites cost E19.50.

Ravenna is a fairly large city, and the monuments that contain the mosaics are spread out over several locations. One is even in another town, in Classe. I had some trouble orientating myself at first, though there are signposts to the churches. And I had to take care where I was walking, because Ravenna appeared to be a town of cyclists, passing the pedestrians on all sides.

First I arrived at the Basilica of San Vitale. Here I paid the entrance fee of 8.5 EUR which is valid for 5 of the major monuments. What to say about the Basilica? It is an octagonal building, somewhere between Roman and Byzantine in style. Its interior has to be seen to be believed: there are mosaics everywhere, on the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling. Lots of gold, and clear Christian symbols.

At the back of the Basilica lies the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. This is a tiny building. Access is limited to 5 minutes, so I had to wait with a couple of others for our time slot. Certainly worth waiting for - the mosaics here seem a little older and less refined. But what a brilliant blue mosaic that covers the hallway!

Another cluster of these monuments is located about 15 minutes away by foot. Next to the giant Duomo lies the Neonian Baptistery. As small as the Mausoleum, but worthy in its own right. The floor and baptismal font (a former Roman bath) are made …

Wow! There's no other word to describe the reaction when you enter the Basilica di San Vitale for the first time. The shimmering gold and the brilliant greens of the mosaics are just jaw-droppingly beautiful. Do you remember all those pictures from your art history or European history text books? Here they are. Justinian, Theodora, and the last vestiges of the glories of the Western empire are on display here. Due to Ravenna's having served as the capital of the empire for a short period after the sacking of Rome, there exist numerous other impressive monuments from the 5th and 6th centuries AD, such as Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, Sant'Apollinaire Nuovo, and the Neonian Baptistery. All are easily visited in an afternoon, and all are covered by a joint ticket costing 9.50 euros (as of May 2005).