About
In this mosaic-lined Roman baptistry, Carl Jung reported a paranormal experience.
The Baptistery of Neon is a relic from the last years of the Roman Empire, when the seat of the western government was Ravenna. It was originally connected to a great basilica called the Church of the Anastasis, which was destroyed in the 18th century. The baptistry’s mosaics were updated by a certain Bishop Neon (hence the name) in the 470s, freshened up just in time for the city to fall to the Goths in 476. The center of the colorful cupola shows John baptizing Jesus in the River Jordan, represented on the right by a gray-bearded man. The subsequent ring shows a procession of the 12 apostles led by Saints Peter and Paul; the farther ring displays empty thrones, heavenly gardens, altars with Gospel books, and seats surrounding the altars reserved for the elect. The arches feature prophets and biblical stories.
