Which Byzantine church near Ravenna was consecrated in 549 and is famous for its apse mosaic of Saint Apollinaris?

The Byzantine church consecrated in 549 and famous for its apse mosaic of Saint Apollinaris is the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe.

The church stands near the ancient port of Classe, outside Ravenna, Italy. Bishop Ursicinus commissioned it, and the building was consecrated by Bishop Maximian during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. Its architecture is a three-aisled basilica with a broad nave, marble columns, and a prominent semicircular apse.

The apse mosaic shows Saint Apollinaris, Ravenna’s first bishop according to tradition, standing beneath a jeweled cross. Twelve sheep represent the apostles, while the surrounding landscape evokes paradise and the saint’s pastoral role. The church is often confused with Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in central Ravenna, whose mosaics depict processions of martyrs and virgins.

Sant’Apollinare in Classe is one of Ravenna’s eight UNESCO World Heritage monuments, recognized for preserving exceptionally important late antique and Byzantine art.