A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Church of San Vitale is the major masterpiece of Byzantine art in Ravenna. Initiated by Bishop Ecclesius during the time of the Ostrogothic queen Amalasuntha, daughter of Theodoric, it was dedicated by Archbishop Maximianus in 547 during the reign of Justinian I. It is reputed to have cost its backer Julianus Argentarius a massive 26,000 gold pieces. It is one of the finest examples of early Christian Byzantine art and architecture in western Europe, and is the only major church from the Justinian era to survive almost intact to the present day. It is especially celebrated for its mosaic art, the most extensive and best preserved outside of Constantinople. The famous mosaics in the presbytery, for instance, reminiscent of similar decorations in the Byzantine capital, portray Old and New Testament figures, as well as 6th century Byzantine Emperors, Bishops and Archbishops.
Based on an octagonal floor-plan, San Vitale's architectural design combines Roman features (dome, shape of doorways, stepped towers) with Byzantine elements from SS Sergius and Bacchus in Constantinople, such as polygonal apse, complex carved capitals and narrow bricks. The dome however is not made from brick but a series of chains of closely fitted terracotta jars. Overall, the design is one used previously for martyria, a fact supported by the apse mosaic and by the church's dedication to San Vitale, reportedly martyred on the actual site of the church during the 2nd century.
San Vitale's Mosaics: Presbytery and Apse
These include Biblical art from the Old Testament, such as: Abraham and the Sacrifice of Isaac; the story of Moses and the Burning Bush, Jeremiah and Isaiah, the story of Abel and Cain, and others. On the side walls are mosaics of the Four Evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - under their respective symbols (angel, lion, ox and eagle). The cross-ribbed vault over the presbytery is decorated with mosaic pictures of foliage, fruit and flowers, stars, birds and animals, as well as a crown, supported by four angels, encircling the Lamb of God. These mosaic decorations, all richly symbolic and all completed prior to Byzantine control, were influenced by Christian Roman art, using rich colours and realistic depictions of landscape and nature. Traces of Celtic-style Christian art are also visible.
At the foot of the side walls of the apse, there are two well-known mosaic panels, executed in 547. One mosaic depicts the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I, clad in purple and wearing a golden halo, flanked by Archbishop Maximianus, various court officials and guards. The presence of priests on his left and soldiers on his right indicates his position as leader of both Church and State, while his halo gives him the same aspect as Christ in the dome of the apse. Another mosaic panel portrays a solemn Empress Theodora (as a kind of Goddess), complete with golden halo, crown and jewellery, accompanied by a number court ladies. Neither Justinian nor Theodora ever set foot in Ravenna, and their mosaics are executed in a very different style from those in the Presbytery: they are more Byzantine, more hieratic and altogether more eastern than the beardless Christ of the main apse. See also: Medieval Christian Art (c.600-1200).
Basilica of Sant' Apollinare in Classe
Built at the same time as San Vitale, the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe was started in 535 by order of Bishop Ursicinus, and finally dedicated by Archbishop Maximianus in 549, to Saint Apollinaris, the first bishop of Ravenna and Classe. The outside of the church features a large facade with two uprights and a single mullioned window with three openings. The narthex is a later addition, as is the distinctive round bell-tower (870–878) that constitutes the earliest example in Italy of the decorative use of majolica.
The Basilica has a nave and two aisles. In the middle of the nave stands an ancient altar, positioned directly above the confessio - the site of Saint Apollinare's martyrdom. The nave also features 24 columns of Greek marble topped by magnificent carved capitals. Several fresco paintings dating from the 18th century depict some of the archbishops of the city. At the end of the church is a polygonal apse, flanked by two chapels, with a beautiful mosaic illustrating the Transfiguration of Christ. Also illustrated are Elijah and Moses, as well as the four bishops who built the main basilicas in Ravenna: namely, Ursus, Severus, Ursicinus, and Ecclesius.
Both the upper and lower areas of the triumphal arch of the Basilica are decorated with mosaics: the upper register features Christ surrounded by winged symbols of the four Evangelists: the Eagle of St John, the Angel of St Matthew, the Lion of St Mark, and the Calf/ox of St Luke. The lower register shows twelve lambs (symbols of Christ's Twelve Apostles), two palms symbolizing justice, and the archangels Michael and Gabriel.
Much of the church's mosaic iconography is related to the struggle against the Catholic heresy of Arianism.
Other Ravenna Monuments
• The Archbishop's Chapel (or Archiepiscopal Chapel)
A private oratory of Trinitarian bishops dating back to the beginning of the 6th century, the cruciform chapel is located on the first floor of the bishops' palace in Ravenna. It is the smallest of the important mosaic sites of the city. Although formerly attributed to St. Peter Chrysologus, Archbishop of Ravenna (433–450), in reality the structure was erected by Peter II not long after he was appointed archbishop in 495. The lower register of the walls are covered with marble slabs, while the remainder used to be decorated with tapestry-like mosaics, as the ceiling still is. Although some of these are still visible, others were replaced with tempera mural paintings by Luca Longhi, some ten centuries later.
• The Baptistry of the Arians (493-526), built during the reign of Theodoric.
• The 6th century Church of the Spirito Santo, initially the Arian cathedral.
• The 5th century Church of St. John the Evangelist, built by Galla Placidia.
• The Basilica of St. Francis, burial place of the poet Dante.
• The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (525–532).
Note: Ravenna's National Museum of Antiquities, adjoining the Church of San Vitale, owns an important collection of Early Christian antiquities, such as plaques, icons, ivories, ceramics, other sculpture, and sarcophagi.
Surviving fragments of late Roman and Byzantine mosaics can be seen in some of the best art museums in the world.