Ravenna, veduta esterna del Mausoleo di Galla Placidia.

Unesco monuments

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

Let yourself be moved where time and space are suspended!

Ravenna, mausoleo di Galla Placidia, veduta panoramica interna.

WHY IS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is one of the most extraordinary monuments of late-Antiquity that has survived intact, both architecturally and decoratively. A cultural bridge between Rome, Constantinople and Milan, where Ravenna and Hellenistic-Roman features coexist in the mosaics.

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History

The exterior of the building is made of simple red bricks, with a cruciform plan topped by a central quadrangular tower. It was once connected by a portico (narthex) to the now-lost Church of Santa Croce, of which it was an annex, likely serving a funerary purpose.
Commissioned in 426 AD by Empress Galla Placidia – a strong-willed woman with remarkable political acumen who greatly influenced the city’s architecture. She attracted some of the finest artists and craftsmen of the time, especially from Constantinople.
The interior of the mausoleum still leaves us breathless today. The theme of the mosaic depictions, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, centers on the Cross as a symbol of Salvation and Eternal Life. Countless polychrome glass and gold tesserae – set at varied angles to refract the light filtering through the alabaster windows – form images that pulse in the dim light. The mosaics blend the vibrant imitation of nature typical of Greco-Roman art with the rigidity and stylization characteristic of Byzantine art.

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Must-see mosaics in this place

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Saint Lawrence

From the lunette in front of the entrance, Saint Lawrence observes us. The open book in his left hand and the golden cross on his shoulder do not hinder him in his conscious impulse towards his martyrdom. A breath of wind swells his white tunic, while the pallium, with its stylized lines, wraps around his shoulders. The huge flaming grill awaits him. The movement of the fire is rendered by juxtaposing, with sinuous movements, glass paste tesserae in different tones of red, orange, grey and gold. To our left stands a golden cabinet, its doors open, showing us the four Gospels.

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Ravenna, dettaglio del mosaico col martirio di San Lorenzo nel mausoleo di Galla Placidia.

Carpet of heavenly flowers

As soon as we enter and look up – still uncertain in the half-light – we are greeted by a sparkling ‘carpet’ of radiant flowers. From the indigo of the background emerge, framed by concentric golden circles, rows of small heavenly-white flowers alternating with rows of red flowers, surrounded by vibrant green and blue. They evoke a starry sky, or a paradisiacal garden, as in the precious oriental fabrics that circulated in Ravenna, thanks to relations with the East through the port of Classe.
The white flowers are reminiscent of daisies: camomile was used in military camps to soothe wounds. The red flowers, with small white tesserae in the centre, are reminiscent of anemones, whose Greek name evokes the soul (ànemos).

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Ravenna, mosaico della volta del mausoleo di Galla Placidia, con fiori rossi e bianchi raggiati di oro.

Drinking doves

On the lunettes of the east and west walls of the central tower, under the alabaster windows, we find a pair of delicate doves resting on a basin filled with water. One quenches its thirst, while the other takes its gaze elsewhere.
The origin of this representation is very ancient. Pliny the Elder already describes a floor mosaic with this theme executed by Sosos, a mosaicist active in Pergamon in the 2nd century BC. In the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, centuries later, the representation takes on a funerary symbolic meaning – it is the Christian souls finding comfort in water, the source of Life and celestial refreshment.

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Ravenna, mosaico delle colombe bianche che si abbeverano nel mausoleo di Galla Placidia.

Tetramorph

From the triumph of the Cross, in the centre of the dome, we see the 567 golden stars up to the pendentives.
The Four Living Creatures of the Apocalypse of John are represented there: a Lion, a Calf, an Eagle and a Man/Angel. The Church Fathers, from the 2nd century onwards, interpreted them as symbols of the Evangelists (starting from the incipits of their Gospels: the Lion for Mark, the Calf for Luke, the Angel for Matthew and the Eagle for John) and as such they spread in early Christian art.
The Four Living Creatures stand out against the indigo sky and emerge from stylised blue and pink clouds. They are executed mainly with gold tesserae. The Lion is enlivened by the skilful use of white tesserae to define the icy lustre of the wings, the outline of the eyes, the muzzle, the canines. A few black tesserae, on the other hand, define the tufts of the mane and hint at the vibrissae.

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Ravenna, dettaglio del leone nel pennacchio della cupola del mausoleo di Galla Placidia.

Info & Tickets

Via San Vitale, 17, 48121 Ravenna RA

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Entrance Fee

Admission: €10.50
Concession: €9.50€ (*)
The combined ticket includes the entry to Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Neonian Baptistery (**), Basilica of San Vitale, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (**), Archiepiscopal Museum and Chapel.
The ticket is valid for 7 consecutive days from the date of issue and entitles the holder to one entry to each monument.
* Valid for Italian and foreign students during the school year; groups (min. 20 paying persons); for organizations with special agreements (see details).
** For the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and the Neonian Baptistery is an additional charge of €2 and a mandatory booking. The charge applies also to children over 6 and residents of the Municipality of Ravenna.

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Booking

BOOKING
Tickets can be booked online or by contacting the Reservation Centre.
In addition, tickets can also be purchased on the day of visit at the ticket offices located at the following monumental complexes (priority to pre-booked and pre-sale tickets, subject to availability).
For further information: www.ravennamosaici.it

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Free of charge

Children up to 10 years, people with certified disability over 74% or “carta bianca” holders, ecclesiastics, servicepersons, tourist guides of Regione Emilia-Romagna at work.
Journalists must request a written permit of free admission in advance to the Opera di Religione by writing to info@ravennamosaici.it
For groups: 1 free tour leader every 20 paying visitors. For schools: 1 free teacher every 10 paying students

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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 Places

Explore the other UNESCO Monunents of Ravenna

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