Ravenna Quiz: Galla Placidia, San Vitale and Dante's Tomb

This Ravenna quiz explores the Italian city that was once an imperial capital. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on Emperor Honorius moving the capital in 402, the starry Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, San Vitale's Justinian and Theodora mosaics, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and in Classe, King Theodoric, the eight UNESCO monuments and Dante's tomb.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Region
Which Italian region is Ravenna in?
Capital
Which empire's capital did Ravenna become in 402?
Stars
Which small building has a ceiling of mosaic stars?
Vitale
Which church has mosaics of Justinian and Theodora?
Theodora
Who was Theodora?
King
Which Ostrogoth king ruled from Ravenna?
Classe
Which basilica near the old port has a green mosaic apse?
UNESCO
How many early Christian monuments in Ravenna are UNESCO listed?
Poet
Which poet is buried in Ravenna?
Craft
Which art form is still taught in Ravenna today?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which Italian region is Ravenna in?
Answer: Emilia-Romagna
It is near the Adriatic.
Q2: Which empire's capital did Ravenna become in 402?
Answer: The Western Roman Empire
Emperor Honorius moved there.
Q3: Which small building has a ceiling of mosaic stars?
Answer: Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
Deep blue tiles glitter with gold.
Q4: Which church has mosaics of Justinian and Theodora?
Answer: San Vitale
It was finished around 547.
Q5: Who was Theodora?
Answer: A Byzantine empress
She was Justinian's wife.
Q6: Which Ostrogoth king ruled from Ravenna?
Answer: Theodoric
His mausoleum has a single-stone dome.
Q7: Which basilica near the old port has a green mosaic apse?
Answer: Sant'Apollinare in Classe
It shows a garden of paradise.
Q8: How many early Christian monuments in Ravenna are UNESCO listed?
Answer: Eight
They were listed in 1996.
Q9: Which poet is buried in Ravenna?
Answer: Dante Alighieri
He died there in exile in 1321.
Q10: Which art form is still taught in Ravenna today?
Answer: Mosaic making
Workshops train new artists.

Gold Mosaics of an Imperial Capital

Ravenna, near Italy's Adriatic coast, became capital of the Western Roman Empire in 402 when Emperor Honorius moved there. Later it was ruled by the Ostrogoth king Theodoric and then by the Byzantine Empire, and each left glittering buildings behind.

The small Mausoleum of Galla Placidia has a deep blue mosaic ceiling scattered with golden stars. The Basilica of San Vitale, finished around 547, shows Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora with their courts in shimmering tiles. Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and Sant'Apollinare in Classe add processions of saints and a green garden of paradise.

Theodoric's mausoleum is roofed with a single huge stone. In 1996 eight early Christian monuments in Ravenna were listed by UNESCO. The poet Dante Alighieri died in Ravenna in exile in 1321 and is buried there, and the city still trains mosaic artists today.

What This Quiz Teaches

Art fans will enjoy these questions.

Why Ravenna mattered
Which mosaics are famous
Who ruled there
How it is protected
Which poet rests there

Did You Know?

Florence has long asked for Dante's remains back.
Mosaics use small pieces called tesserae.
The Arian Baptistery shows Christ's baptism.
Ravenna once had a busy Roman naval port at Classe.
Gold tesserae have gold leaf sealed in glass.