World Heritage Identification Number: 788
World Heritage since: 1996
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇮🇹 Italy
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna: A Unique Collection of Artistic Masterpieces
The Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, represent a remarkable testament to the blending of diverse artistic influences during the formative years of Christianity. Located in the heart of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy, these eight architectural wonders serve as a time capsule, offering a glimpse into the rich history and cultural evolution of the city that once served as the capital of the Western Roman Empire.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Ravenna was the seat of the Roman Empire in the 5th century and then of Byzantine Italy until the 8th century. It has a unique collection of early Christian mosaics and monuments. All eight buildings – the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistery, the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, the Arian Baptistery, the Archiepiscopal Chapel, the Mausoleum of Theodoric, the Church of San Vitale and the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe – were constructed in the 5th and 6th centuries. They show great artistic skill, including a wonderful blend of Graeco-Roman tradition, Christian iconography and oriental and Western styles.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
The Committee decided to inscribe the nominated property on the basis of cultural criteria (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) considering that the site is of outstanding universal value being of remarkable significance by virtue of the supreme artistry of the mosaic art that the monuments contain, and also because of the crucial evidence that they provide of artistic and religious relationships and contacts at an important period of European cultural history.
Encyclopedia Record: Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its collapse in 476, after which it served as the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom and then the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna. It has 156,444 inhabitants as of 2025.Additional Site Details
Area: 1.32 hectares
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 44.42041667 , 12.19625
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© Commonists, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
