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Ravenna UNESCO world heritage sites

Ravenna center

Teodorico Mausoleum at Via delle Industrie, 14
Built as his own burial place by Theodoric in 520 AD, the mausoleum shows the masterful use of eastern influences and of the Roman traditional building technique, typical of some other mausoleums.

Arians' Baptistry on Piazzetta degli Ariani
Built by King Theodoric the Great as his royal baptistry, the octagonal structure depicts, in gold mosaic, the baptism of Christ surrounded by the apostles and an enthroned cross. To the left of Jesus sits a bearded figure with a crab on his head, a pagan-influenced representation of the River Jordan.

Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo at Via di Roma, 53
It was erected by Ostrogoth King Theodoric the Great as his palace chapel during the first quarter of the 6th century (as attested to in the Liber Pontificalis).

Bishop Chapel at Piazza Arcivescovado, 1
According to the ICOMOS evaluation of this World Heritage Site, "the significance of this property is the fact that it is the only Early Christian private oratory that has survived to the present day. Its iconography is also important by virtue of its strongly anti-Arian symbolism".

Neonian Baptistery at Piazza Duomo, 1
It is in fact the best preserved baptismal building in the world, both for the architectural structure and for the interior (marbles, stuccos and mosaics).

Basilica of San Vitale at Via San Vitale, 17
The Basilica, built in a few years between 532 and 547 under the order of Bishop Ecclesius, has a distinctive geometric shape and features the perfect blend of Roman architectural elements, such as the dome and two towers, and Byzantine ones, including the elegant capitals and exposed brickwork.

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia at Via San Vitale, 17
The signature motif of its breathtaking mosaics, described by UNESCO as “among the best surviving examples of this form of art in Europe,” is the starry sky that drapes parts of the ceiling. Elsewhere are grapevines, representing the Eucharist. In the center of the mausoleum’s cross-shaped barrel vaults rests a shallow dome, covered with stars, centered with a cross. Each corner contains a figure of the four symbols of the Evangelists.

Ravenna south

Basilica of Sant'Apollinare at Via Romea Sud, 224, 48124 Classe RA
This is one of the most important buildings from the period of crucial cultural significance in European religious art.