Ravenna Cathedral or Metropolitan Cathedral of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ () is a
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
dedicated to the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ
The resurrection of Jesus () is Christian belief that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion, starting—or restoring—his exalted life as Christ and Lord. According to the New Testament writing, Jesus wa ...
in the city of
Ravenna
Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...
, Italy. Formerly the archiepiscopal seat of the
Archdiocese of Ravenna
The Archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia () is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church. It is a metropolitan see of the Latin Church, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.archbishops of Ravenna-Cervia.
It was granted the status of a
minor basilica
Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...
by
Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...
on 7 October 1960. It is the seat of the parish of San Giovanni in Fonte belonging to the Urban Vicariate of the archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia.
History
The original cathedral was built during the early 5th century by the bishop Ursus of Ravenna and was originally called the Basilica Ursiana.
During the Battle of Ravenna in April 1512, the basilica was sacked. In the 18th century, it was rebuilt in the
Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
style. The cathedral houses the sarcophagi of
Maximianus of Ravenna
Maximianus of Ravenna, or Maximian (499 – February 22, 556; feast day formerly February 21) was bishop of Ravenna in Italy. Ravenna was then the capital of the Byzantine Empire's territories in Italy, and Maximianus's role may have inclu ...
, Exuperantius of Ravenna, and Barbatianus of Ravenna and once housed the Throne of Maximian.
On the top of the belltower there are four bells in chord of D minor.