Archiepiscopal Museum of Ravenna

The Archiepiscopal Museum of Ravenna (Italian: Museo Arcivescovile) is a museum of early Christian, Byzantine, and medieval archaeology located in the historic centre of Ravenna, Italy, next to the Baptistry of Neon and behind the Duomo. Founded in 1734, it holds the distinction of being the first diocesan museum established in Italy. The museum preserves relics from Ravenna's paleo-Christian past, including fragments from the first cathedral church, and provides access to the extraordinary Chapel of Sant'Andrea, a rare surviving episcopal oratory from late antiquity. In 1997, the chapel was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with seven other monuments of Ravenna.

The museum's origins lie in the first half of the 18th century, when the bishopric decided to demolish and entirely rebuild the medieval cathedral of Ravenna. The old building had housed numerous artworks belonging to the earlier paleo-Christian cathedral, constructed when the capital of the Roman Empire was transferred from Milan. During this process, mosaics, inscriptions, capitals, and tombstones were removed and set aside. Archbishop Maffeo Nicolò Farsetti (1727-1741) decided not to reinstall them in the new church, but to gather them in a dedicated space, thus establishing the museum in 1734. At the beginning of the 20th century, the museum was rebuilt and supplemented with objects from churches of the diocese. Excavation finds from the second half of the 20th century were subsequently added. After several years of closure, the museum reopened in February 2010 following extensive structural and exhibition redesign, including the addition of a second floor, a small picture gallery, and collections of liturgical objects and vestments. Some of these interventions were funded by proceeds from the Italian national lottery, in accordance with law 662/96.

The exhibition itinerary comprises four rooms in which historical environments, archaeological discoveries, and works of art alternate. The collection encompasses lapidary inscriptions, mosaic fragments, stone monuments dating from the 6th century onward, textiles, and liturgical garments. The museum also maintains a small pinakothek and a collection of liturgical vessels and vestments. Among the textile holdings are fragments of fabrics, a chasuble from the 10th century, and another from the 13th century. The museum is equipped with an information panel system in Braille for visually impaired visitors.

The jewel of the collection is the Ivory Cathedra, the bishop's seat of the Byzantine era (6th century), associated with Bishop Maximianus and considered among the finest pieces of ivory carving in Western art. It is displayed in what was the tower of Porta Salustra, the Roman gateway that commanded the southern entrance along the Cardis. The front bench features Saint John the Baptist flanked by the Evangelists, with a frieze of peacocks, lions, goats, and deer among vines; the backrest represents scenes from the birth of Christ, including Mary proving her virginity by immersion; the other side shows the miracles of Christ, his baptism, and entry into Jerusalem; the armrests depict the Old Testament life of Joseph, reading from left to right. Other significant objects include the so-called Cross of Agnellus (6th century), a silver cross associated with Archbishop Agnellus of Ravenna; a marble Paschal calendar slab from the 6th century, which follows the eastern lunar cycle and gives dates for Easter from 532 to 626 AD; a headless Byzantine porphyry statue possibly representing Emperor Justinian (6th century); and an marble rosette serving as a Paschal calendar. The 12th-century mosaics from the apse of the old Ursian cathedral (named after Bishop Ursus, died circa 396, who had it built) include a notable image of the Madonna orans. Also of importance is the tombstone of Antiphon, depicting Christ the Good Shepherd by a tree, the earliest Christian record in Ravenna, dating from the end of the 2nd or beginning of the 3rd century. The main room contains the lapidary inscription HIC REQUIESCIT IN PACE VIR SBL SEDA IGNUCUS, marking the burial in 541 AD of Seda the Eunuch, Cubicularius or Bedchamberlain to Theodoric the Great. Nearby is a reliquary for the martyred saints Quiricus and Julietta, whose remains were carried from Tarsus to Auxerre and thence to Ravenna, with depictions on its four facings including Christ giving the Tables of the Law to Saint Peter with Paul standing by, Daniel in the lions' den, the Three Wise Kings, and the women at the empty tomb.

The museum is housed in the Archiepiscopal Palace (Palazzo Arcivescovile), situated in the historic centre of Ravenna in immediate proximity to the Duomo and the Baptistry of the Cathedral. The visit is complemented by the Roman tower called Salustra, where the Maximian Cathedra is displayed. The most remarkable architectural space within the complex is the Chapel of Sant'Andrea, the private chapel of the bishop, built as an oratory by Peter II, bishop of Ravenna (494-519), during the time of Theodoric. It is the only episcopal chapel from Christian antiquity to have survived. The narthex vault features an exquisite working of blues and greens with interlaced aquatic birdlife; the lower parts have been restored with painted 'mosaic', including the inscription Aut lux hic nata est, aut capta hic libera regnat. Above the door, a lunette is decorated with a young warrior Christ shouldering his cross and displaying the book with the words 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life', treading underfoot a lion and a snake representing the forces of evil and Arianism. Unfortunately, the chapel itself was heavily repainted with Renaissance frescoes by Luca Longhi and marbling to give the same intimate feeling as the narthex. The apse has a starry sky possibly inspired by the oratory of Galla Placidia; the vaulting has four angels arching inward to sustain the Christogram, with symbols of the Evangelists and portraits of the first Apostles.

The Archiepiscopal Museum of Ravenna is located in the historic centre of Ravenna, Italy, adjacent to the Baptistry of Neon and behind the Duomo of Ravenna. The museum is owned by the Archdiocese and serves as the principal repository for the diocese's archaeological and artistic heritage. After its reopening in 2010, it now occupies two floors and welcomes visitors to explore its collections, which include the UNESCO World Heritage Chapel of Sant'Andrea. Information is available through the museum's website at http://www.ravennamosaici.it, and the museum provides Braille information panels for visually impaired visitors.