Neonian Baptistery is yet another beautiful example of early Christian art in Ravenna. Probably the oldest surviving stricter in the city, it is one of UNESCO World Heritage sites as well as an important tourist attraction.
The Neonian Baptistery or in Italian Battistero Neoniano is located in the same churchyard with the Duomo of Ravenna (Duomo in Italian indicates the main religious building in the city or town) and the Archiepiscopal Museum.
Its history and beautiful mosaics ensured it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list, among other 7 sights of Ravenna.
The Baptistery together with the basilica was commissioned by the bishop Ursus and built sometime after 395 AD. The Baptistery was an integral part of the Basilica Ursiana (called the Ursian Basilica after bishop Ursus) which was demolished in the 18th century according to the wish of the Archbishop Niccolo Farsetti.
Bishop Neon is responsible for the beautiful mosaics which he commissioned in the 5th century. The baptistery was named after him.
The main attractions of this site are the vivid mosaics on the interior walls of the building as well as the bath that was used for baptizing. The mosaics on the sealing represent the scene of the Christ’s baptizing: Christ being submerged in the waters of river Jordan and baptized by John. The outer circle depicts 12 Apostils with their names written next to each figure.
The bath used for baptizing was remodeled according to the original shape, while just some of the original decorations of the bath are still visible.
The bath of the baptistery is also called Orthodox, not in reference to the Christian Orthodox religion, but due to the fact that the existing Arian church was forbidden by the more orthodox doctrine. After the fall of the Ostrogoths Kingdom (whose religion was the Arian movement), the Eastern Roman Empire forbade the Arian Church.
Ticket Prices for the Neonian Baptistery in Ravenna
This ticket type is the 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 March 1st to June 15th the additional €2 charge applies for those who want to visit the Mausoleum Galla Placidia.
Reduced price is reserved for students.
Free entrance: children under the age of 10 and disabled individuals.
Before you decide to visit these attractions, we advise you to check the prices on the official webpage of the Neonian Baptistery in Ravenna.
Working hours of the Neonian Baptistery in Ravenna
Throughout the year, all of the mentioned sights included in the cumulative ticket will be opened from 10:00 to 17:00h. During the summer time the working hours will be a bit longer (from 09:00 to 19:00h) while shorter during the winter (from 10:00 to 17:00 or 09:30 to 17:00 depending on the sight)
In order to find out the exact working hours of individual sights (not the same for all attractions) we advise you to visit the official website of the Neonian Baptistery.
