Originally built as a Palantine church, the building was converted to a basilica dedicated to St.Martin in the mid-6th century. The relics of St.Apollinaris were removed from the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe and transported here.  The gorgeous mosaics inside the church document the evolution of the Byzantine revolution and their influence on the styles and ideologies of that time. The Basilica is home to the oldest surviving original mosaic work on the New Testament.

When the UNESCO inscribed the church on the World Heritage List, its experts pointed out that "both the exterior and interior of the basilica graphically illustrate the fusion between the western and eastern styles characteristic of the late 5th to early 6th century. This is one of the most important buildings from the period of crucial cultural significance in European religious art".

• Last admittance: 15 minutes before closing time.
• Reduced ticket price is EUR 8.50.

• Bus stop: V. Di Roma St Apollinare Nuovo
• Viale Pallavicini
• Via Guaccimanni

• Al Passatore
• Randi Cristiano
• Camst - La Ristorazione Italiana
• Ristorante Il Cerchio dei Golosi

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