Baptistery of Neon facts for kids
The Baptistery of Neon is a very old religious building in Ravenna, Italy. It's one of the oldest monuments still standing in the city. This building was partly built where a Roman bath used to be. People also call it the Orthodox Baptistery. This helps tell it apart from another baptistery built later by King Theodoric.
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A Look Back: History of the Baptistery
This eight-sided brick building was started a long time ago. It was built during the late Western Roman Empire. Bishop Ursus began building it around the late 300s or early 400s. It was part of a much larger church called a Basilica. That big church was destroyed in 1734.
The baptistery was finished later by Bishop Neon. This happened at the end of the 400s. That's when the beautiful mosaic pictures were added to the ceiling.
What Does the Baptistery Look Like Inside?
The original floor of the building is now about 3 meters (10 feet) underground. So, we can't see the full height of the building as it was first built.
The Special Eight-Sided Shape
Almost all early Christian baptisteries were built with eight sides. This octagonal shape has a special meaning. It stands for the seven days of the week. Plus, it represents the Day of the Resurrection and eternal life.
The Amazing Ceiling Mosaics
The ceiling has a stunning mosaic picture. It shows John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. Jesus is shown with a beard, standing in the Jordan River. There's also a figure representing the Jordan River itself.
Around this central picture, there's a procession of the twelve apostles. They walk in two lines. The lines meet with Saint Peter and Saint Paul at the end.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Baptistery of Neon is very important. It is one of eight buildings in Ravenna listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Experts say it's the best and most complete example of an early Christian baptistery. They also note that its art still shows the smooth, flowing style of ancient Greek and Roman art.
See also
- Arian Baptistry
- Ostrogothic Ravenna
- History of Roman and Byzantine domes
