Battistero Neoniano

The Battistero Neoniano, erected in the late 4th or early 5th century, is the oldest surviving building in Ravenna and one of the most intact early Christian structures anywhere in Europe. Named after Bishop Neon, who commissioned its lavish interior decoration in the second half of the 5th century, the octagonal centrally planned building is crowned by a mosaic cupola depicting the Baptism of Christ, encircled by twelve apostles processing on a gold ground. The craftsmanship fuses late Roman technical mastery with nascent Christian iconography at a density rarely preserved from this era. Part of Ravenna's UNESCO World Heritage cluster of early Christian monuments, the baptistery charges a modest entrance fee and is fully wheelchair accessible.