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This is the world’s only surviving example of a late antique baptistery dedicated to Arian worship, where the mosaics, set against an abstract and luminous gold background, highlight the details that contrasted this religious doctrine with Orthodoxy.
A gem from the Theodoric era in the heart of Ravenna
The baptistery is located in the historic, pedestrianised centre of Ravenna. It was built during the reign of Theodoric, from 493 AD, when Arianism became the official religion.
In the mid-6th century, at the behest of the Orthodox Emperor Justinian, it was converted into a Catholic oratory and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
The building is constructed from simple red bricks and has an octagonal plan, enhanced by four small semicircular apses positioned at the cardinal points. Originally, it was much more complex: a covered corridor (ambulatory) ran around it, but this has unfortunately been lost.
A solemn and silent mosaic
Once inside, in the centre of the dome, we can admire the scene of the Baptism of Christ.
Christ is depicted naked, young and beardless. He is immersed in the clear waters of the Jordan, which is personified as a man with two red crab claws on his head and a marsh reed in his hand. St John the Baptist, barefoot and dressed in animal skin, places his hand on Christ’s head. Above them flies a dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit.
As a backdrop, we see the procession of the Apostles, led by Peter and Paul, converging towards a throne adorned with precious stones and pearls. Peter, with a beard and white hair, holds the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven in his left hand. Paul, on the other hand, with a receding hairline and a dark philosopher's beard, holds up the scrolls of the Law. The other Apostles walk, separated by magnificent palm trees bearing dates, evoking Paradise. On the throne, gleaming with gold tesserae, the gemmed Cross is revealed in triumph, symbolising Christ the man victorious over death. The interior of the baptistery was richly decorated with marble, stucco and mosaics.
Indeed, beneath the floor, no fewer than 170 kg of enamel and gold tesserae were discovered.
