S. Apollinare Nuovo, the most important basilica in the town, was built by Theodoric to be the largest of Arian churches. The exterior is uninteresting, and the church lost both atrium and apse in the 16th century. The interior has twenty-four columns of marble, with almost uniform capitals. The walls of the nave are adorned with mosaics of the 6th century; the scenes from the New Testament above the windows date from the time of Theodoric. The campanile (850-878) is circular, and has perhaps the earliest example of the use of disks of coloured majolica as a decoration. This, like the other campanili of Ravenna, is later than the church to which it belongs. Those of the cathedral of S. Apollinare in Classe, S. Maria Maggiore and S. Agata, also circular, probably belong also to the 9th century, while the two square campanili of S. Giovanni Evangelista and S. Francesco probably belong to. the loth century. The other churches erected by Theodoric are : S. Teodoro (or S. Spirito), erected by Theo doric for the Arian bishops, but entirely modified; the baptistery of this church (afterwards the oratory of S. Maria in Cosmedin), formed out of the octagonal hall of a Roman bath, with mosaics of the 6th century ; S. Maria Maggiore, founded by the Archbishop Ecclesius but almost entirely rebuilt ; and S. Vit tore, which has suffered a similar fate. To the same period probably belong a few columns of the so-called Basilica of Hera cles in the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, with capitals like those of S. Apollinare in Classe.
The impulse given by Theodoric was continued by his suc cessors, and during the regency of Amalasuntha and the reigns of Theodatus and Vitiges (526-539), S. Vitale and S. Apollinare in Classe were constructed by Julius Argentarius contempora neously with S. Lorenzo in Milan and the cathedral of Parenzo also S. Michele in Africisco, little of the original structure of which now exists; the apse mosaic is in the Berlin museum. The former, well restored by Ricci (except for the dome with its baroque frescoes which has not been altered), is a regular octa gon, with a vestibule, originally flanked by two towers on the west, a choir added on the east, triangular outside and circular within: it is surrounded within by two galleries interrupted at the presbytery, and supported by eight large pillars, the intervals between which are occupied by open exedrae. The mosaics of the choir (547) are due to Justinian, and, Clough inferior in style, are remarkable for their splendour of colouring and the gorgeous dresses of the persons represented, and also for their historical interest, especially the scenes representing the emperor and the empress Theodora presenting offerings. The marble screens of the altar are wonderfully finely carved. The marble mosaic pave
ment (11th century) is very effective. Remains of the original marble wall lining and stucco decoration also exist.
The architecture of S. Vitale (for plan see ARCHITECTURE, sect.
Early Christian), according to Rivoira, was inspired not by Byzan tium, where similar churches—S. Sofia and SS. Sergio and Bacco —are slightly later in date, but by the churches of Salonica (A.D. 495), while the plan is derived from a Christian baptistery, or from such a building as the so-called temple of Minerva Medica at Rome. It has been ascertained that a 5th century building already occupied the site.
S. Apollinare in Classe, erected at the same time outside the walls of Classis, and now standing by itself in the lonely marshes, is the largest basilica existing at Ravenna. It has a nave and aisles with a closed vestibule on the west, and a fine round cam panile of the 9th (?) century. The exterior brick walls are di vided by shallow arches and pilasters, as in other churches of Ravenna. It has twenty-four columns of Carystian (cipollino) marble, with capitals probably of Byzantine work with swelling acanthus leaves; but the rest of the church is due to native architects. The lofty presbytery and the crypt under it belong to the I2th century. The walls of the interior were stripped of their marble panelling by Sigismondo Malatesta in for the adornment of his church at Rimini. The apse has mosaics of the 6th and 7th centuries. The 18th-century series of portraits of the archbishops of Ravenna is no doubt copied from an earlier original. There are a number of fine carved sarcophagi in the church (5th to 8th century). The building activity of the Gothic kings was continued by Justinian, to whose time we owe the completion of S. Vitale and S. Apollinare in Classe, and some of the mosaics in S. Apollinare Nuovo.
The buildings of a subsequent period are of minor importance, but the basilica of S. Maria in Portofuori near the ancient har bour (1o96 sqq.), a basilica with open roof, with frescoes by masters of the Rimini school, may be noticed. The campanile dates from 1173-87. The tomb of Dante, who died at Ravenna in 1321, is close to S. Francesco; it is a square domed structure, with a relief by Pietro Lombardo (1483) representing the poet, and a sarcophagus below, in an urn within .which lie the poet's remains. Close by is a small court with early Christian sarco phagi, containing the remains of the Braccioforte family. The important museum near S. Vitale has Roman and Byzantine an tiquities, inscriptions, sculptures, jewelry, etc. The library has rare mss. (including the best extant ms. of Aristophanes), and incunabula. The Accademia has pictures by local masters.