The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is a small cross-shaped brick building next to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. From outside it looks plain; inside, every surface is covered in 5th-century mosaics, among the oldest in the city, under a deep blue dome scattered with about 570 golden stars around a cross.
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia at a glance
- Where: in the grounds of the Basilica of San Vitale, in the northwest of Ravenna's historic centre
- Built: around 425–430 AD, in the first half of the 5th century
- What it is today: part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna (since 1996), visited with a combined ticket for the city's mosaic monuments
- Time needed: 10–15 minutes inside; the space is tiny, so let your eyes adjust to the dim light
An empress's chapel, but not her tomb
Galla Placidia was the daughter of Emperor Theodosius I and ruled the Western Roman Empire as regent for her young son Valentinian III, with Ravenna as the imperial capital. Tradition, recorded by the 9th-century chronicler Agnellus, says she built this mausoleum for herself, her husband Constantius III and her brother Honorius. No document confirms it, and she almost certainly does not lie here: she died in Rome in 450 and was buried there.
The building was originally joined by a porch to the church of Santa Croce, which she founded and of which little remains today; the link was demolished in 1602. Scholars still debate whether it was built as a mausoleum or as a chapel or oratory, later dedicated to St Lawrence. The ground has sunk around it over the centuries, so the floor now sits about one and a half metres lower than it once did, which is why the building looks squat from outside.
What to look for
- The dome: a night sky of deep blue with golden stars that shrink towards the centre, and a gold cross at the top.
- The four winged creatures in the corners of the dome, a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle, taken from the visions of Ezekiel and the Book of Revelation.
- The Good Shepherd in the lunette above the entrance: a young, beardless Christ in gold and purple, seated among his sheep and holding a tall cross.
- Saint Lawrence in the lunette opposite, striding towards the burning gridiron on which he was martyred, next to a cabinet holding the four Gospels.
- Pairs of deer drinking at a spring among green acanthus scrolls in the side lunettes, an image of souls thirsting for God.
- The windows of thin alabaster sheets, which turn the daylight a soft gold, and the three stone sarcophagi at the ends of the arms.
The candle and the empress
A legend, which even local historians call very unlikely, says the embalmed body of Galla Placidia sat upright in one of the sarcophagi and could be seen through a small opening for over a thousand years, until in 1577 a careless visitor held a candle too close and set it on fire. A more recent story, also impossible to prove, holds that the starry dome inspired Cole Porter's song Night and Day during his honeymoon.
Tips for your visit
- Book ahead in spring and summer, when visits can be by time slot and school groups fill the morning.
- Visit San Vitale first and the mausoleum right after: the same ticket covers both and they share one garden.
- Stand under the dome for a minute before taking photos; the stars seem to appear as your eyes adapt to the low light.
- Speak quietly: it is a small, echoing space and many visitors come here to sit and look.
Nearby
- Basilica of San Vitale: the octagonal 6th-century church with the famous mosaic portraits of Justinian and Theodora; just across the garden.
- National Museum of Ravenna: in the former monastery of San Vitale, with Roman, early Christian and Byzantine finds.
- Remains of Santa Croce: the excavated foundations of the church Galla Placidia founded, beside the mausoleum.
- Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra: the mosaic floors of a Byzantine palace found under a church, a few minutes' walk away.
See Ravenna with World City Trail
Our Ravenna scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around two hours, with about 38 minutes of walking. It includes places such as the Giardini Pubblici. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch.
If you prefer a different format, Ravenna also has a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game.
Play the Ravenna scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Ravenna →
Play the outdoor escape game in Ravenna →
Facts checked in October 2026.