In both the Basilica of San Vitale and the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe – both consecrated by archbishop Maximian – the representations of the city of Jerusalem, symbol of the Jewish Church, and of the city of Bethlehem, symbol of the Church of the Gentiles, face each other.
The mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale draws inspiration from the Book of Revelation: “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal” (Rev 21: 10-11). The city is depicted with precious golden towered walls, adorned with pearls and gems. The large access gate is enriched with pendilia, just like the crowns worn by Theodora and Justinian. The sky is realised with partly deep blue and partly gold tesserae. A Latin inscription identifies the city, and below a cypress tree, symbol of eternity, grows slender and verdant.