A Mosaic Day in Ravenna

The so- called Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (5th century), a splendid building on a plan of a latin cross, is completely bare on the exterior and sumptuously decorated inside with marbles and mosaics.
It's a casket that contains the oldest mosaics in Ravenna.
The building dating to the first half of the 5th century was commissioned by Empress Galla Placidia.

The Basilica of San Vitale (6th century) commissioned by Emperor Justinian together with the cultured members of the Church of Ravenna and consecrated by Archbishop Maximian (546-556AD.) is an extraordinary example of unity of mosaic art and architecture.

The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo (6th century) dating to the commission of the arian King Theoderic who wanted the interior decorated with splendid mosaics, later integrated by the byzantine.
It's the most important testimony of meeting of romanitas and barbaritas.

The Neonian Baptitery
(5th century) so-called
Orthodox Baptistery, was built by the bishop Orso in the 5th century but mosaics were added 50 years later by the bishop Neone. In its interior, the magnificent mosaic ofthe dome has a central scene: St. John the Baptist who baptizes Jesus surrounded by the Apostles and a sequence of thrones and altars.

The Archbishop's Chapel of
St. Andrew is guarded as a gemstone inside the Bishop's Palace. It was the private chapel of the bishops of Ravenna and it was built and decorated with mosaics from 494 till 519. Set up inside the rooms of the Bishop's Palace, the collection of the Archiepiscopal Museum contains epigraphs, the Cathedral treasure, remains of mosaics from the ancient Basilica of Ursus and above all the ivory throne of the bishop Maximian (6th century).Read more