As I left San Vitale, it was getting cloudy again. I hurried to the next mosaic, but a light rain began to fall before I reached the Battistero Neoniano, Neonian Baptistry. And by the time I got there, the rain got heavier. Just like myself, other tourists hurried inside this brick building, the most ancient monument remaining in Ravenna.

This building is also octagonal in shape; it is said to symbolize the seven days of the week plus the day of Christ’s resurrection and eternal life.

The mid-5th century Battistero Neoniano is named after the Bishop Neon who may have commissioned its decoration, including this beautiful mosaic.

Looking up, the ceiling mosaic depicts the 12 apostles surrounding the Baptism of Christ.

As opposed to the similarly designed Battistero degli Ariani, the mosaics were set against a deep blue background.

The central medallion depicts Christ immersed to the waist in the waters of the River Jordan and being baptized by St. John the Baptist.

Just a few minutes' walk from the Battistero Neoniano, there is Dante Alighieri's tomb. Dante was born in Firenze in 1265 and he spent his last years here in Ravenna where he wrote La Divina Commedia, the Divine Comedy.

This is Dante’s mausoleum. I found it a bit small for Dante, one of the greatest poets in the history of world literature.

Inside his mausoleum, I soon saw the marble relief of Dante reading at a desk. He died here in 1321.

And right down the bell tower, I found a mound of earth covered with ivy. In it, I barely saw this plaque. It says:

"From March 1944 to December 1945, Dante’s urn was buried here."

It was feared that his tomb would suffer damage from the bombings of World War II. Fortunately, it didn’t happen.