Ravenna Mosaics

Behold some of the world’s most impressive Byzantine mosaics, which adorn the walls and ceilings of Ravenna’s 6th-century basilicas and mausoleums.

Depart from the pier and enjoy a brief drive through the ancient city of Ravenna. After a photo stop at the 6th-century Mausoleum of Theodoric, a rotunda-shaped tomb that the emperor built for himself, you’ll arrive at the city center and begin your walking tour.

Ravenna is revered for its well-preserved Byzantine mosaics, and you’ll see them in all their glory at sights such as the Sant’Apollinare Nuovo basilica, which Theodoric also built. Most of the original mosaics depicting the life of Christ still exist, and the colors are vibrant, even after 1,500 years.

You’ll also tour San Vitale Basilica, whose Byzantine mosaics are considered the finest in the western world. Be sure to note the glittering mosaics in the ceilings of the choir and apse. More spectacular mosaics await you at the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, which dates even earlier to 430 A.D. The Roman empress who commissioned the tomb was never buried here, but it certainly would have been a grand final resting place.

Nearby, you’ll find the tomb of the poet Dante, who died in Ravenna in 1321 while exiled from Florence. The mound of dirt to the right of his tomb is where Dante’s urn was buried to protect it when Ravenna was bombed during World War II.

An hour of free time follows your walking tour, after which you’ll return to the pier.