Back

Ravenna:



Mausoleum of Theoderic

Mausoleum of Theoderic

Mausoleo di Teodorico is a stone tomb built for the king of Ostrgoths Theoderic. Its unique gothic decorations and the fact it is one of rare monuments from this period of history put it on the UNESCO World Heritage list and on all tourist maps of Ravenna.

The Mausoleum of Theoderic or in Italian Mausoleo di Teodorico is a monument in Ravenna which was built and designed as a tomb for King Theoderic of the Ostrogoths’ Kingdom in 520AD. This mausoleum was completely built of Istria stone, while the roof of the monument is made of a single stone piece that weighs around 300 tons. Together with other 7 sites in Ravenna, the Mausoleum of Theoderic also found its place on the UNESCO World Heritage list, because of unique gothic decorations not used by Romans and the fact that this is the only surviving tomb of a king from this period.

Theoderic was the Ostrogoths’ King who managed to establish the Ostrogothic kingdom, which during his reign reached its zenith and started to weaken afterwards. Ostrogoths were eastern Goths that during the invasion of the Huns fell under their dominion. After the fall of the kingdom of the Huns, Ostrogoths settled in Roman province of Pannonia.

Even though the Western Roman Empire was weak for a long period, officially its end was marked by the victory of Odoacer (most probably an officer in the Western Roman Empire of “barbarian origins”) over Romulus Augustus, the last Western Roman Emperor. Theoderic managed to defeat Odoacer and established a vast Ostrogoths Kingdom which borders extended from modern France to the Balkan Peninsula and Serbia. The capital of the newly formed kingdom was Ravenna.


Interesting facts

  • The siege of Ravenna after which Theoderic defeated Odoacer lasted for three years. This was mostly due to the unique position of Ravenna which was surrounded by a marshy terrain and easily supplied by numerous canals, which made it very hard to organize a successful siege of the city.
  • This siege was ended with surrender of the city; the agreement was reached that Theoderic and Odoacer shall divide a joint rule over the city. Ten days later, during the dinner, Theoderic killed Odoacer with his own hands.


Ticket prices for Mausoleum of Theoderic in Ravenna
Regular ticket price is 4 Euros (€), ($4.56).
Reduced ticket price is 2 Euros (€), (≈$2.28).
Free entry: The first Sunday of every month, citizens of the European Union younger than 18 years of age, handicapped individuals and their companions.
Reduced price: citizens of the European Union between 18 and 25 years of age.

Working hours of the Mausoleum of Theoderic in Ravenna
Summer working hours are Monday to Sunday from 08:30-19:00h.
Winter working hours are Monday to Sunday from 08:30-16:30h.
Mausoleum is closed on January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.
Before you decide to visit this sight, we advise you to check the working hours on the official website of Mausoleum of Theoderic in Ravenna.
 

Contact
Kasadoo.com uses cookies to improve and personalize the content and ads. Find out more about cookies and how to opt-out of tracing cookies in our Privacy policy.
Close