The church was built in the sixth century by order of Bishop Ursicinus, using money from the Greek banker Iulianus Argentarius, and was originally the palatine chapel of Theodoric. The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare is dedicated to St. Apollinaris, patron saint of Ravenna.
It is an important monument of Byzantine art near Ravenna, Italy. Like most Ravenna churches, it is known for its exceptional Byzantine mosaics. It also has elegant architecture and a fine collection of early Christian sarcophagi.When the UNESCO inscribed eight Ravenna sites on the World Heritage List, it cited this basilica as "an outstanding example of the early Christian basilica in its purity and simplicity of its design and use of space and in the sumptuous nature of its decoration".
