Basilica di San Giovanni Evangelista

The church of Saint John the Evangelist was built in the 5th century by Galla Placida and is the oldest church in Ravenna. According to the historians, Galla was returning to Ravenna in 424 when her boat was hit by a storm. Galla vowed that she would build a church to St. John the fisherman if they survived. The boat reached land and the church is still standing today.

Legend holds that one of St. Johns sandals was given, by St. John, to Galla as a relic to be contained within the church. The relief over the door symbolizes this miracle.

The mosaics in this church are from the 13th century and show just how much skill and knowledge was lost during the dark ages. Admittedly, these were floor mosaics, but the craftsmanship is not even close to the levels shown in the other churches from the 5th century.

Then, as a bit of contrast, there is a large and active painting above the main entrance.