Archiepiscopal museum in Ravenna is one of the main tourist attractions of the city, because it holds numerous artifacts that had been collected after the demolition of an ancient Basilica which stood on the same grounds. This collection is enriched with other valuable objects from the early Christian church which all together compose the collection which can be seen today.
Archiepiscopal museum in Ravenna is located in archiepiscopal palace next to Duomo of Ravenna (Duomo in Italy represents the main religious building of a city or a town) and Neonian Baptistery. It occupies the first and second floor of the archiepiscopal palace, and offers to visitors a large collection of stone artifacts and decorations, valuable objects used by different representatives of the church, Christian artifacts etc.
The main attractions of the museum are the Chapel of Sant Andrea and the Ivory throne of Maximianus.
The Chapel of Sant Andrea (Saint Andrew) dates back to the 5th century and the period of Theoderic the King of Ostrogoths. Even though the beautiful and colorful mosaics of the chapel have been restored many times so that small sections of the original art work remain, its beauty and significance ensured it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The Chapel of Sant Andrea together with other seven locations in Ravenna is under the protection of UNESCO and also on all tourist maps of the city. The main feature of the chapel is a fresco that shows Christ as a young man dressed as a soldier, in one hand showing a book (saying “I am the way”) and in the other he holds a large cross. Interestingly, Christ is depicted standing on a lion (beneath his foot) and a snake (beneath the other foot) most probably symbolizing the forces of evil (Arian Christian church) that he defeated. Another key feature of the chapel is the sealing mosaic which depicts colorful aquatic birdlife of Ravenna.
The Ivory throne of Maximianus (Maximian) belonged to Bishop Maximianus, who occupied this position during the dominion of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) over Ravenna. The seat is a beautiful masterpiece made entirely of ivory panels, which depicts different saints as well as numerous animals.
Most probably, this art masterpiece was carved in Constantinople in 6th century AD and then shipped to Ravenna.
(!) Taking photos in the museum is for some reason strictly forbidden.
Ticket Prices for the Archiepiscopal museum in Ravenna
This ticket type is a cumulative ticket for the following attractions of Ravenna: Basilica of San Vitale, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Basilica of San Apollinare Nuovo, Neonian Baptistery and Archiepiscopal Museum.
Regular ticket price is 9.5 Euros (€) ($10.94).
Reduced ticket price is 8.5 Euros (€) ($9.79).
During the period from 1st March to 15th June, the additional €2 charge applies for those that want to visit the Mausoleum Galla Placidia.
Reduced price is reserved for students.
Free entrance: children under the age of 10 and handicapped individuals.
Before you decide to visit these attractions we advise you to check the ticket prices and working hours on the official webpage of the Archiepiscopal Museum in Ravenna.
Working hours of the Archiepiscopal museum in Ravenna
Throughout the year all of the mentioned sights, included in the cumulative ticket, will be opened from 10:00 to 17:00h. Obviously, during the summer time the working hours are a bit longer (from 09:00 to 19:00h) while during winter period working hours are shorter (from 10:00 to 17:00 or 09:30 to 17:00, depending on the sight).
