Discover the Stunning Byzantine Mosaics of Ravenna, Ravenna, Italy

The Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna, in northern Italy, are a major tourist attraction. Spread across eight buildings from the early Christian period, these magnificent artworks are now part of one of Emilia-Romagna’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Ravenna played a crucial part in western civilisation during the 5th and 6th centuries, first as the capital of the Western Roman Empire (from 402 until the fall of the empire in 476) and then as a centre of Ostrogoth rule under King Theodoric. It later became part of the Byzantine Empire.

Gallia Placidia, sister of the Roman Emperor Honorius, settled in the city and made it a centre of Christian art and culture. Under her patronage many religious buildings were constructed and decorated with fine mosaics, and this work continued into the Ostrogoth and Byzantine eras.

Today the city of Ravenna is home to some of the most stunning and historically significant mosaics in the world. Not only are they artistically magnificent in themselves, but they set the standard and design for all later Christian mosaics across the world.

The Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The site consists of eight buildings from the 4th to 6th centuries, most of which include mosaics from the Roman and Byzantine traditions. They were recognised by UNESCO for their artistic and historical importance, and also for their iconography and for their blending of eastern and western motifs. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).