Visit the National Museum of Ravenna

Visit the National Museum of Ravenna to see archaeological finds, art, ceramics, coins, and historical items.

The National Museum of Ravenna (Museo Nazionale di Ravenna) displays an eclectic collection of archaeological finds, art, and other historical items from the region. Although the museum is interesting to visit, it does not have any particularly must-see displays. If time is limited, I would rather skip the museum completely than shorten a visit to any of the other top sights in Ravenna.

National Museum of Ravenna

The National Museum of Ravenna is typical of such a museum in a relatively small provincial town. It displays the usual wide variety of items from antiquity to the more recent past. In Ravenna, the museum has the misfortune of having to compete with eight UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites, which are more attractive to most visitors.

The museum collection is divided mostly over two floors spread around three cloisters. It is anybody’s guess which rooms may be open or closed on any particular day, so expect some backtracking to see the whole museum.

Descriptions are often quite cryptic, but the main items are explained in both Italian and English.

Bronze Summit Cross from San Vitale in Ravenna

The ground floor features the lapidarium collection, archaeological discoveries, and a small section on modern and contemporary art. This includes a variety of sculptures, reliefs, grave monuments, and other stonewares that were dug up, fell off walls, or otherwise became detached from their original position. Other collections snapped up the better quality items.

Don’t miss the refectory with frescoes by Pietro da Rimini and the room with items from other churches in the region, including an original bronze summit cross from the Basilica of San Vitale.

The first floor has the museum’s extensive art collection and items from the Paleochristian era. The latter includes a large number of icons, which confirms Ravenna’s strong links to the Byzantine Empire, as well as interesting sinopia from the mosaic in the apse of the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe. (Sinopie are the original drawings behind mosaics or frescoes — a famous collection is in Pisa.)

The art collection includes not only paintings and sculptures but also many applied arts such as weaponry, ceramics, decorations, furniture, jewelry, ivory carvings, and a coin collection (on the upper floor).

Visitor’s Information: National Museum of Ravenna

Sinopia from Sant'Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna

Opening Hours and Tickets

The National Museum of Ravenna is adjacent to the Basilica of San Vitale.

The National Museum of Ravenna operates entirely separately from the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage mosaic sites in Ravenna. It uses different opening hours and ticket systems.

The Musei Nazionale di Ravenna is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30 to 14:00 but closes only at 19:30 on Thursdays and Fridays (and the first Sunday of the month). In winter, opening hours are likely to be shorter.

Admission to the museum is €5. Combination tickets (€10) give admission to the museum, the Mausoleum of Theodoric, and the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe within three days. Buy tickets online, directly at the museum, or at any of the other two combination ticket sites.

Transportation to the National Museum of Ravenna

The National Museum of Ravenna (Museo Nazionale di Ravenna), Via San Vitale, 17, 48121 Ravenna RA, is adjacent to the Basilica of San Vitale on the northern edge of the old town area. There is also a second entrance at Piazetta Escarcato, next to the convenient car parking lot at Largo Giustiniano.

Visit the National Museum of Ravenna

National Museum of Ravenna

Visitor’s Information: National Museum of Ravenna

Opening Hours and Tickets

Transportation to the National Museum of Ravenna

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