Ravenna, esterno del battistero Neoniano.

Ravenna, veduta esterna del tamburo con finestre del battistero degli Ariani.

Unesco monuments

Arian Baptistery

A pearl from the age of Theodoric, right in the heart of the city

Ravenna, vista notturna dell'esterno del battistero degli Ariani.

Ravenna, vista della cupola col medaglione a mosaico del battesimo di Cristo.

WHY IT IS A UNESCO HERITAGE SITE
It is the only evidence in the world of a late antique baptistery dedicated to Arian worship. The mosaics, with their abstract and metaphysical gold background, bear witness to Arian art and culture. On close reading, they highlight the details that pitted that religious doctrine against the Orthodox.

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History

The building is of simple red bricks. The octagonal plan is enlivened by four small semicircular apses, corresponding to the cardinal points. The building was originally much more articulated – a covered corridor (ambulatory) ran around it, unfortunately lost today. Originally the interior of the baptistery was rich in marble, stucco-works and mosaics. Almost 170 kilograms of colored and gold tesserae were found under the floor level! Today, the splendor of the mosaic decorating the dome, and the flash of golden tesserae surrounding the medallion with the Baptism of Christ, leave us breathless. It was erected during the reign of Theodoric, from 493 A.D., when the official religion became Arianism. In the mid-6th century, at the behest of Emperor Justinian, who considered Arian worship a heresy, it was converted into a Catholic oratory and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

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Must-see mosaics in this place

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Baptism of Christ

Christ is naked, young and beardless and is immersed in the clear waters of the river Jordan. The dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit, sprinkles his head with a flow of water. St. John the Baptist, barefoot and clothed in animal skin, lays his hand on Christ’s head, and a man with a marshy reed and two red claws on his head, the personification of River Jordan, witness the scene. The image of Christ’s baptism was reflected, as if by enchantment, on the waters of the lost baptismal font in the center of the building. The gaze of the newly baptized, emerging purified from immersion in a large pool, now lost, was greeted by the image of Christ. The luminescence of the gold-tesserae, caressed by the flickering candlelight, gave a miraculous atmosphere.

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Ravenna, il mosaico del battesimo di Cristo nel battistero degli Ariani.

Jordan River

At the right hand of Christ there is a mysterious man. He is the personification of the Jordan River. He has long white hair and beard, two red crab claws on his head, and in his right hand a marshy reed, suggesting his river origin. The body is defined by rows of vitreous tesserae in dark hues that fade into lighter tones to define the forms, until they merge with white tesserae at the points of light. The drapery of the robe, green, is angular just like the riverbank on which St. John rests. Jordan is leaning against an inverted vase from which Holy Water flows, forming the river itself. The personification of rivers is a very ancient custom, which we first find in the Trajan Column in Rome (2nd century AD) and which will run through art for many centuries.

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Ravenna, mosaico della cupola con la personificazione del fiume Giordano nel battistero degli Ariani.

Procession of the Apostles

The procession of the Apostles is led by Peter and Paul and runs around the medallion of the Baptism of Christ, converging towards a throne adorned with precious stones and pearls. Peter, with his white beard and hair, holds the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven in his left hand. Paul, balding and with a dark philosopher’s beard, displays the scrolls of the Law. The other Apostles, walking divided by beautiful date palms, suggesting Paradise, hold the Crowns of Received Glory. Their hands are covered, as a sign of respect, because they were not allowed to touch the sacred objects directly. On the purple cushion of the throne stands the jewelled Cross, glittering with gold, the symbol of Christ victorious over death.

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Ravenna, mosaico con la processione di Santi, guidati da Pietro e Paolo, verso il trono, nel battistero degli Ariani.

Bejewelled Cross

Unlike the crosses we can admire at other UNESCO sites, such as inside the Neonian Baptistery (where they are symbols of the Apocalypse or of the expectation of Christ’s coming for the Last Judgment), here the precious Cross on the throne is interpreted as a symbol of Christ’s physical suffering. At the intersection of the two arms hangs a purple cloth. It could symbolize the Sudarium, that is the tissue with which Veronica dried Christ’s face during the ascent to mount Calvary, and thus the purple color would simulate the red color of blood. The Arians, unlike the Orthodox, believed that Christ was a human and physical being, thus of non-divine nature and was subordinate to the Father, who was instead the only God.

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Ravenna, mosaico con la croce d'oro e gemmata, con appeso un sudario color porpora, battistero degli Ariani.

Info & TIckets

Piazzetta degli Ariani, 48121 Ravenna RA

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Entrance Fee

Tickets: €2
Every first Sunday of the month admission to the Baptistery is free.
Furthermore, also on February 7th, April 25th, June 2nd, July 23rd, August 30th, October 14th (Notte d’oro), November 4th and December 7th admission is free.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the RavennAntica ticket offices.

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Booking

Tickets can be purchased online or at the RavennAntica ticket offices.

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Free of charge

Admission to the Italian State museums, monuments, galleries and archaeological areas is free for EU citizens aged less than 18 years old. In addition, admission to Italian state archives and libraries is free for all citizens (regardless of age).
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Ravenna, vista dell'interno della Cappella di Sant'Andrea, mosaici del Vi secolo e affreschi di Luca Longhi, XVI secolo, nelle lunette laterali.

Mosaic place

Explore the other UNESCO Monuments of Ravenna

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