The green apse
About five kilometres south of Ravenna, in the countryside where the ancient port of Classis once stood, the base of the Roman Imperial fleet in the Adriatic founded by Augustus, rises the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, part of the UNESCO site of Ravenna. Consecrated in 549, it was built on the site where, according to tradition, Saint Apollinaris, the first bishop of Ravenna and evangeliser of the region, was buried. The exterior, in simple brick, is accompanied by a slender cylindrical bell tower of the tenth century, typical of Ravenna, with windows that widen towards the top.
The interior is a vast, luminous basilica with three naves divided by twenty-four columns of Greek marble with Byzantine capitals, and its floor is lined with ancient sarcophagi of the archbishops of Ravenna. But all eyes are drawn to the mosaic of the apse, one of the masterpieces of Byzantine art: in a meadow of an intense, luminous green, dotted with trees, rocks, flowers and birds, Saint Apollinaris stands with his arms raised in prayer, surrounded by twelve white lambs representing the faithful. Above him, in a large blue disc studded with stars, shines a jewelled cross with the face of Christ at its centre, the symbol of the Transfiguration, with the hand of God emerging from the clouds and the prophets Moses and Elijah. Near the basilica, the Classis Ravenna museum tells the story of the city and its port, and the archaeological area of the ancient port can be visited.
Tip: you can reach Classe by local train or bus from Ravenna, or by bike along a cycle path; the basilica is included in the state museums ticket.
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