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Unlike most other cathedrals in Italy, San Vitale has a humble, discreet, and unpretentious exterior, befitting the most basic purpose of a church: to be the house of God, a place to welcome devout worshippers. But it is within this simple and unadorned exterior that lies one of the most glorious examples of early Byzantine art and architecture in Europe.
San Vitale Basilica
Like many structures built during the Late Antiquity period, San Vitale is known for the diversity of its interior mosaics. These mosaics are divided into wall mosaics and floor mosaics. The central area is surrounded by two walkways encircling a superimposed altar. A series of mosaics in the small semicircular doorways atop the balconies depict Old Testament sacrifices: the story of Abraham and Melchizedek, the sacrifice of Isaac, the stories of Moses and the burning bush, Jeremiah and Isaiah, representatives of the twelve tribes of Israel, the story of Abel and Cain... all rendered with exquisite detail and complexity using bright turquoise, deep green, and golden hues.
The central dome employs a Western technique using hollow tubes fitted together instead of bricks. The surrounding walkways and corridors were only later arched during the Middle Ages.
At the top of each of these semicircular windows is a drawing of a pair of angels, holding a medal with a cross. On the walls at the corners, next to the window bars, are mosaics depicting the Four Holy Spirits in white robes, standing beneath their respective symbols (angels, lions, oxen, and eagles). The image of the lion is particularly noteworthy for its fierce depiction.
The Baroque frescoes on the dome were painted between 1778 and 1782 by the artists S. Barozzi, U. Gandolfi, and E. Guarana.
The stories illustrated on the walls and ceilings of San Vitale reflect the Christian ideology and beliefs of the Justinian era. The subtle blend of Eastern and Western aesthetics over 1,500 years also contributes to the church's unique architecture.
The Basilica of San Vitale was built in Ravenna in 526 when Ravenna was still under Ostrogoth rule and completed in 547 before the establishment of the Eastern Roman Citadel of Ravenna.
Designed in an octagonal shape, this structure combines Roman elements, including domes, doorways, and stepped towers, with Byzantine elements such as polygonal altars and early buttresses. San Vitale holds immense importance in Byzantine art, as it is the only major church from the time of Emperor Justinian I that remains almost completely intact today. Furthermore, it is believed to reflect the design of the audience chambers in the Eastern Roman imperial palaces, of which nothing remains today.
According to legend, the church was built on the site where Saint Vitalis was martyred.
The Roman Catholic Church declared this church a "Basilica" on October 7, 1960. This is a special honorary title bestowed by the Pope upon certain churches or sanctuaries based on their antiquity, historical importance, and spiritual significance to the Church, even though it does not have the typical basilica floor plan of a cruciform shape, but rather an octagonal one. It is one of eight Ravenna sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
additional information
Opening hours:
- Winter: Open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM
- Remaining time of year: Open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM
- Sunday: Guided tours are not permitted between 10 AM and 12 AM for Mass celebrations.
- Visitors are not admitted 15 minutes before closing time.
Closing date:December 25th and December 31st every year
Entrance fee:
- Ticket: 9.50 EUR
- Students can purchase discounted tickets for 8.50 EUR.
The ticket is valid for 7 consecutive days from the date of issue and allows one person one visit to the attractions, which include the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Neonia Baptistery, Basilica of San Vitale, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Archaeological Museum, and the Chapel.
- Free admission: Children over 10 years old, citizens of Ravenna (with valid documents), persons with a disability certificate showing over 74% disability, religious figures, soldiers, and tour guides employed at work. Journalists must send a letter requesting free admission to the Opera di Religione at the following address.info@ravennamosaici.it
