Mausoleo di Teodorico

About the museum

The Mausoleum of Theodoric is the most famous funerary monument of late antiquity and is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It was intended by Theodoric as his own burial place around AD 520, and it bears witness to the political and religious balance that the Gothic king sought to maintain between the Roman people and the Goths: the architecture combines Roman building tradition with Eastern influences.

The building has a decagonal plan and rises on two levels, surmounted by a large monolithic dome. The walls are made of blocks of Aurisina stone laid dry, that is, simply stacked and held inside by iron clamps. The roof is a single block of more than 230 tonnes, in the form of a shallow dome with twelve handles on which the names of the Apostles and Evangelists are carved; a large crack opens in the dome, which according to a legend was caused by lightning.

The lower floor has a Greek-cross plan, while the upper hall holds a porphyry labrum, the basin in which, according to tradition, the king’s body was laid. Neither his remains nor those of his family have been found: they were removed in 540, when the Byzantines reconquered Ravenna. Today the monument stands in a park and forms part of the Musei nazionali di Ravenna.

Highlights

• Monolithic dome of over 230 tonnes
• Decagonal plan in dry-laid Aurisina stone
• Porphyry basin (labrum) on the upper floor
• Tomb of the Gothic king Theodoric, UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Park surrounding the monument

Permanent exhibition

• Visita al mausoleo e alla sala superiore – The route covers the lower Greek-cross chamber and the upper hall with the porphyry labrum beneath the great monolithic dome.

Operated by

Musei nazionali di Ravenna (Ministero della Cultura)

Visitors per year

approx. 88,470

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of the month; 25 April, 2 June, 23 July, 30 August, Notte d’Oro, 4 November and 8 November

A 10% service fee applies to online purchases. Tickets can also be bought at the on-site ticket office (tel. +39 0544 456 701).

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The mausoleum is on Via delle Industrie, in a park outside the historic centre.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop (tel. +39 0544 456 701).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit