Guided tour along the streets of Ravenna’s historical city centre to admire the mosaics of some of the most famous UNESCO monuments of our city.
Book the tour online, for you a 20% discount using the code: TsMs24GhM
Only entrance and visit in autonomy:
Tour in English: every day at 10:10 a.m.
Tourist Information Office – Piazza San Francesco, 7 – Ravenna
(We kindly ask you to arrive at least 10 minutes before the tour’s departure time)
3 hours
Italian & English
During this tour, accompanied by an expert guide, you will have the opportunity to visit five wonders, the jewel of our city:
– Basilica of San Vitale: one of the most important monuments of early Christian art in Italy. The monument dates back to the 6th century, of clear oriental influence, has an octagonal plan, surmounted by a large frescoed dome. When you enter the basilica, your gaze is captured by the high spaces, the wonderful mosaic decorations of the apse and the extraordinary representation of the imperial couple of Byzantium: Justinian and Theodora, with their procession.
– Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo: originally used as a Palatine Church of Arianism, today it allows us to reconstruct the evolution of Byzantine wall mosaics from the age of Theodoric to that of Justinian. Inside, the 26 Christological scenes constitute the largest monumental cycle of the New Testament.
– Chapel of Saint Andrew: representing the glorification of Christ in an anti-Arian key, it is the only example of an early Christian archiepiscopal chapel still intact today.
– Neonian Baptistery: one of the oldest monuments of the city, made of simple brick on the outside but rich in marble, stucco and mosaics of clear Hellenistic-Roman influence inside. To dominate the dome, commissioned by Bishop Neone in the mid-fifth century, the scene of the Baptism of Christ is surrounded by a refined procession of the twelve Apostles that stands out against a background of bright blue tiles. Inside there is still the baptismal font of the Renaissance period, which takes up the octagonal shape of the Baptistery’s plan and which preserves the ambon of the fifth century.
– Mausoleum of Galla Placidia: it was built around the middle of the 5th century, at the behest of Galla Placidia, who ruled the Western Roman Empire. This small mausoleum in the shape of a Latin cross, externally is very simple, while inside it presents a rich mosaic decoration. The innumerable stars of the dome have struck the imagination and sensitivity of visitors over the centuries, and of outstanding personalities such as the great poet Dante Alighieri, who drew inspiration from them for the writing of some verses of the Divine Comedy.