Mosaic of Night
Evening openings and guided tours of Ravenna's UNESCO monuments under the stars
About Mosaic of Night
Ravenna's Mosaics Under the Stars
Mosaic of Night is the major summer event featuring evening openings and guided tours that the Municipality of Ravenna, through its Tourism Service, dedicates to its extraordinary early Christian and Byzantine heritage. From July until early September, the city's UNESCO monuments—eight World Heritage sites—can be discovered after sunset, when the golden mosaics reveal a completely different light and charm compared to a daytime visit.
The Monuments in the Spotlight
The initiative involves the symbolic sites of late antique Ravenna and its museums. Among the sites open in the evening and included in guided tours:
- Basilica of San Vitale, a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture with the famous mosaics of Justinian and Theodora;
- Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, with its starry sky of blue tesserae;
- Arian Baptistery and the National Museum of Ravenna;
- Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, the Domus of the Stone Carpets, and the Mausoleum of Theodoric;
- the MAR - Art Museum of the City of Ravenna and the Byron and Risorgimento Museums.
Guided Tours and Organ Music
The heart of the event is the thematic evening guided tours, which accompany visitors in discovering the mosaics and the city's history when the day's heat gives way to the evening's coolness. Every Friday, moreover, the Basilica of San Vitale hosts concerts from the "Mosaic of notes... at night" series: evenings of organ music, instruments, and voices that resonate under the mosaic-covered vaults, created in collaboration with the Verdi Conservatory of Ravenna and the Maderna Conservatories of Cesena and Rimini and Frescobaldi of Ferrara.
A Historic Ravenna Event
Now in its twenty-first year, Mosaic of Night is one of the most beloved events of the Ravenna summer, successfully combining cultural tourism, heritage valorization, and an intimate, contemplative visiting experience. In Emilia-Romagna, it's the best way to experience Ravenna's UNESCO treasures away from the crowds, immersed in the magical atmosphere of the night.
Mosaic of Night — edition 2026
From July 1 to September 6, 2026, every Wednesday and Friday, Mosaic of Night returns, the event of evening openings and guided tours of Ravenna's UNESCO monuments organized by the Municipality of Ravenna - Tourism Service, in collaboration with the Opera di Religione of the Diocese Ravenna-Cervia, the National Museums of Ravenna (MIC), the Fondazione RavennAntica, the Istituzione Biblioteca Classense, and the MAR.
The Basilica of San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia remain open, usually on Friday evenings, while on Wednesdays the Arian Baptistery and other city sites and museums are added. On Fridays, the Basilica of San Vitale hosts the organ concerts of "Mosaic of notes... at night".
The complete program of thematic guided tours and the concert schedule will be published by the Municipality of Ravenna in the weeks prior. Reservations for guided tours are mandatory and can be made at www.visitravenna.it.
Programme Mosaic of Night 2026
The detailed schedule of evening guided tours and organ concerts for the 2026 edition will be announced by the Municipality of Ravenna in the weeks preceding the start, as every year.
Usual structure of the event
- Friday evening — Basilica of San Vitale and Mausoleum of Galla Placidia open in the evening (usually 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM), with guided tours.
- Friday evening — organ concerts of the "Mosaic of notes... at night" series in the Basilica of San Vitale (in recent years starting at 10:00 PM), featuring the Conservatories of Ravenna, Cesena, Rimini, and Ferrara, with a repertoire from Bach to Frescobaldi, Pachelbel to Franck.
- Wednesday evening — evening opening of the Arian Baptistery and the Byron and Risorgimento Museums, as well as other UNESCO sites and city museums.
Thematic guided tours depart from the IAT Office in Piazza San Francesco 7. Program and reservations at www.visitravenna.it.
Highlights Mosaic of Night 2026
- Evening opening of the Basilica of San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, with mosaics illuminated after sunset.
- The organ concerts of the "Mosaic of notes... at night" series under the mosaic-covered vaults of San Vitale.
- Evening guided tours of UNESCO sites away from the daytime crowds.
Prices Mosaic of Night 2026
Practical information — Mosaic of Night
When
From early July to early September, every Wednesday and Friday evening.
Where
UNESCO monuments and museums of Ravenna. Starting point for guided tours: IAT - Tourist Information and Reception Office, Piazza San Francesco 7, Ravenna.
Tickets and Reservations
Access to the monuments requires a regular entrance ticket; reservations are mandatory for guided tours. Cumulative ticket for monuments managed by the Opera di Religione starting from €12, with reductions and free admissions (residents, children, tour guides). Information and reservations at www.visitravenna.it.
How to Get There
Ravenna is reachable by train (central station a few minutes' walk from the monuments) and by car from the A14 Bologna-Taranto highway, Ravenna exit. The historic center is easily walkable.
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Where does it take place — Mosaic of Night
Basilica di San Vitale e monumenti UNESCO di Ravenna
Via San Vitale 17, 48121 Ravenna