Ravenna: Battistero Degli Ariani

Battistero degli Ariani (or Arian Baptistery; Arian Baptistry), in Ravenna, Italy is a brick UNESCO World Heritage Monument built by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric at the end of the 5th century AD. The church served the Arian Christian community and was originally part of the Arian cathedral, which is now known as the Church of the Holy Spirit. The exterior of the baptistery reveals a subsidence of 2.25 meters. The lower register features apses, while the upper register contains arched windows. It is known for an interior central mosaic in which a very youthful and human looking Jesus is baptized while a personified River Jordan witnesses the event. Photos were taken in May of 2017 by Dr. Beth M. Sheppard and descriptive cataloging was provided by Shelley Rogers.