The most complete surviving example of an early Christian baptistery

The Baptistery of Neon in Ravenna, Italy, is a Roman religious building that stands as the most ancient monument remaining in the city. Partly erected on the site of a Roman bath, it was begun by Bishop Ursus at the end of the 4th or beginning of the 5th century as part of his great Basilica. Bishop Neon finished the structure at the end of the 5th century, at which time the mosaic decorations were added. It is also called the Orthodox Baptistery to distinguish it from the Arian Baptistery constructed some 50 years later.

The octagonal design of the building, employed in virtually all Early Christian baptisteries, symbolizes the seven days of the week plus the Day of the Resurrection and Eternal Life. The original floor is now some 3 meters underground, so the proper structure and extent of the building can no longer be seen.

The ceiling mosaic depicts John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, who is shown with a beard, standing waist high in the Jordan River. Zeus, as personification of the Jordan, is also present. A procession of the twelve apostles proceeds around the center mosaic in two directions, ending with Saint Peter meeting Saint Paul.

The Baptistery is one of the eight structures in Ravenna registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is considered the finest and most complete surviving example of the early Christian baptistery, which retains the fluidity in representation of the human figure derived from Greco-Roman art.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons