Itinerary:

The Basilica of S. Vitale (half VI cent.) is decorated with wonderful panels showing the Emperor Justinian with his fascinating wife Theodora. From the richness of the garments, her jewels, her diadem and decoration of the materials used we can deduce the splendour of the byzantine court. It took about 22 years to complete the building which started under the reign of the Goths and was finished under that of Byzantines who had conquered Ravenna in the year 540. Unfortunately we do not know the name of the architect of this amazing basilica. He was certainly a great artist and a man of a daring technical thought!
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (beg. V cent.), a powerful building commissioned by the Roman Empress of the Western Roman Empire. On entering you will be impressed by the magnificence of the decorations and of the mosaic scenes and especially by the unreal atmosphere in which you find yourselves. In the sarcophafus in front of the entrance, according to the tradition, Galla Placidia should rest but this is improbable. In it there was an unidentified body sitting on a cypress throne. The body was visible through a hole of about 20 centimetres placed on the back of the sarcophagus. In 1577 some boys throwing some candles into it burnt the body!! The hole was closed with plaster and then with Greek marble. On the back you can still see the visible traces. The astonishing starry sky in the dome inspired many international artists for their works; Cole Porter wrote his unforgettable song Night and Day after visiting this monument !!
Neoniano Baptistery (beg. V cent.) the catholic baptistery equally decorated by wonderful mosaics, stuccos and inlays of polychrome marbles.
Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo which was the private chapel of the Ostrogoths King Theoderic showing the unforgettable processions of the virgins and martyrs dating back to the byzantine period.
Don’t miss to to visit also the the Tomb of the poet Dante Alighieri, the father of the Italian language and the author of the Divine Comedy which represents his masterpiece. He spent in Ravenna his last three years of his life and he died here in 1321. Near his tomb the church of Saint Francis where his funerals were celebrated.
The Archiepiscopal Museum houses the renowned 6th century ivory throne and the mosaic of the Virgin in a praying position.
the King Theodoric’s Arian Baptistery (early 6th century) is an ancient building from the Ostrogoth time.