Ravenna National Archaeological Museum

It is housed inside the former convent of the basilica of San Vitale, which stands next to the splendid Basilica di San Vitale and to the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia. The first nucleus was born between 1877 and 1889 thanks to the sculptor Enrico Pazzi, who wanted to donate a modern Civic Museum to the city. It was initially formed by the many objects collected and preserved by the monks of Classe. From 1885 the museum became National, enriching itself with precious materials that emerged during numerous archaeological excavation campaigns or fortuitous discoveries. Since 1913 it has been in its present location. A visit to the National Museum will let you understand the splendor of the city over the centuries and discover unexpected details. Not only an entire cycle of detached frescoes from the 14th century by Pietro da Rimini–a shining example of 14th-century painting– but also Byzantine fabrics, valuable paintings, ivories, sculptures, terracotta, weapons, coins and a pharmacy. Unique are the ornamental marbles, the floor mosaic from the lost church of San Michele in Africisco (6th century) and a preparatory wall drawing in red pigment, the sinopia, detached from the apse of the basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe in the 1970s. A section of the museum itinerary is dedicated to contemporary mosaics, in which many works are donated by important artists as Felice Nittolo, Marco De Luca, CaCO3, Sara Vasini and others artists.