Apart from museums, the city also cherishes important historic monuments or remains of them.
Eight of them were appointed UNESCO Human Heritage: the most important one is the Baptistery of Neon, the oldest building in Ravenna. It is named after Bishop Neon, who commissioned the building of the chapel and of the colourful mosaics which embellish it.
Another important monument is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, named after the woman who commissioned it as a tomb. However, it was never used since Galla Placidia was buried in Rome. The building still retains numerous mosaics Ravenna which bear witness to the great mastery employed by the artists working there.
Another important historic monument rich in mosaics is the Basilica of San Vitale, whose interiors are decorated with outstanding works of art. The mosaics of the apse celebrate Justinian, an important Byzantine emperor.
The history, culture and monuments Ravenna were deeply affected by the barbaric domination, as evidenced by the buildings commissioned by Theodoric, the king of the Ostrogoths. During his domination, he commissioned the building of the Basilica of the Arians, aimed at reconciling Goths and Latins, and the chapel of the Archbishop's Palace. He subsequently commissioned the building of his personal mausoleum, where his body is said to be still buried.
The first bishop of Ravenna, Sant'Apollinare, is celebrated by two churches, the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo commissioned by Theodoric and the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, commissioned by bishop Ursicinus. Both buildings are embellished by wonderful mosaics Ravenna, although the first Basilica was built as an Arian Church and the second as a Catholic Church, as evidenced by the mosaics depicting Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Saints Moses and Matteo. Not to be missed is the Basilica of Saint Francis, flanked by the tomb of the great poet Dante Alighieri.

Archiepiscopal Museum Ravenna: this museum cherishes most finds belonging to the Curia; it is staged in the first floor of the Archbishop's Palace where even the remains of the cathedrals which were destroyed in past ages are displayed. The most important works of art it cherishes are the ivory altar of Maximian and the famous VIth-century Byzantine mosaics Ravenna.

Marino Marini Museum: it is dedicated to Marino Marini, who once collected mechanical music instruments. It is situated few kilometres far from Ravenna and displays Marini's collection, made up of pianos, organs and gramophones. Marini also restored many pianos, the same which are currently displayed in the halls of the exhibition. The museum has been closed since 1999, but it is still possible to visit it prior previous booking.

National Museum Ravenna: it is one of the oldest museums Ravenna. It cherishes many finds which were unearthed during the archaeological excavations carried out near Classe and Villa Romana; following the transfer to the former Church of San Vitale, the museum was enlarged, thus beginning to host even smaller collections or works of art dating back to the Vth century and built making use of different materials: ceramic, majolica, graphite and ivory. The museum also cherishes historical finds dating back to the Roman and Barbaric Ages.

Natural Science Museum Alfredo Brandolini: one of the most important museums Ravenna, this does not cherish archaeological finds or evidences bearing witness to the history of the Papal States but deals with the animal kingdom. It is named after a famous naturalist from Ravenna, Alfredo Brandolini, and was established thanks to the ornithological research his sisters gave the municipality; the exhibition features a collection of stuffed birds from Romagna divided according to their age and species. Apart from birds, the museum also hosts collections of both Italian and exotic butterflies, reptiles, mammals and shells from the Adriatic Sea. The museum also hosts an important library cherishing scientific books dating back to 1500.