Basilica San Vitale: Attraction informations
The Basilica San Vitale is probably the most famous and fascinating among the UNESCO buildings in Ravenna. The octagonal plan, the extraordinary architecture of its inner spaces and its twinkling mosaic tiles will enchant those who visit it for the first time and still bewitch those who come back.
The construction began during the Ostrogoth domination of the city, on behalf of Bishop Ecclesius. The church was consecrated in 548 AD by archbishop Maximian, at the time when the city had already passed over to the hands of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I.
Watching this bricks building from outside, the greatness of its structure reflects the width and beauty of its interiors which make it one of the most important Early Christian monuments in Italy.
The mosaics of the interiors
Once inside the basilica, you can easily notice the
central plan of the building; on top of it, supported by eight pillars, there’s a frescoed dome, decorated at the end of the XVIII century by painters Barozzi and Gandolfi from Bologna and Guarana from Venice.
The eye gets caught by the
extraordinary mosaics of the apse, which are separated from the rest of the building through a dividing arch. Here we find the representations of the great protagonists of the Byzantine empire:
Justinian, standing next to the archbishop Maximian, and
his wife Theodora. Depicted with their respective processions carrying bread and wine for Eucharist, they highlight the ideology of Justinian’s age.
The figures are dressed elegantly and are represented frontally in a rigid and hieratic position. Moreover, they are placed in a
gold background as if they were immersed in a timeless space.
Justinian and Theodora proceed with their dignitaries towards the centre of the apse where the
figure of Christ Pantocrator emerges from a sea of golden tiles, sitting on a light blue globe and surrounded by two archangels. On his left there’s
Ecclesius, which carries the model of the basilica in his hands; on the right instead there’s
Saint Vitalis, the protector of Ravenna together with Saint Apollinaris.
The presbytery as well is decorated by mosaics. The cross vault shows the clypeus of the Agnus Dei, supported by four angels and surrounded by magnificent flowers and bent branches. On the lunettes on top of the side trifora you can admire the sacrificial scenes of Abel and Melchizedek instead and, opposite to it, there’s the story of Abraham’s hospitality and the binding of Isaac.
Taking a look at the floor of the presbytery, we can find the image of
a labyrinth made of many little arrows which lead to a shell, the symbol of pilgrimage. This is a Christian metaphor for the windy path to purification.
Today, the Basilica San Vitale hosts
events and organ recitals, as well as guided tours by night. It’s also worth mentioning that the entrance ticket includes the visit to the nearby amazing
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, featuring vaults totally covered with mosaics.
