Under Justinian I, reigning in the 6th century, parts of Italy were for a few decades ( re ) conquered from the Ostrogoths: thus, this famous mosaic, featuring the Byzantine emperor in the center, can be admired at Ravenna.

At first Honorius based his capital in Mediolanum, but when the Visigoths under King Alaric I entered Italy in 401 he moved his capital to the coastal city of Ravenna, which was protected by a ring of marshes and strong fortifications.

That was probably the reason why Ravenna was chosen not only as the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy, but also for the seat of the Byzantine exarchs as well.

The Mausoleum of Theodoric | Mausoleum of the Gothic monarch Theodoric the Great, in Ravenna, Italy.

He successfully fought the rebel dukes of Northern Italy, conquering Padua ( 601 ), Cremona and Mantua ( 603 ), and forcing the Exarch of Ravenna to pay tribute.

After his defeat of Ratchis, the last Lombard to rule as king was Desiderius, duke of Tuscany, who managed to take Ravenna definitively, ending the Byzantine presence in northern Italy.

The deposed king had to flee to Italy and Tiberius detained him 18 years in Ravenna.

Gregory's successors were largely dominated by the Exarch of Ravenna, the Byzantine emperor's representative in Italy.

Popes had galled the emperors by siding with the king of the Franks, crowning a rival Roman emperor, appropriating the Exarchate of Ravenna, and driving into Greek Italy.

Pepin invaded Italy twice to settle the Lombard problem and delivered the territory between Rome and Ravenna to the papacy, but left the Lombard kings in possession of their kingdom.

Before his consecration, Italy was disturbed by the rebellion of the eunuch Eleutherius, Exarch of Ravenna.

It was then part of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna ( changing name to Chrysopolis, " Golden City ", probably due to the presence of the imperial treasury ) and, from 569, of the Lombard Kingdom of Italy.

After a victorious three-year long war, Theodoric killed Odoacer with his own hands, settled his 100, 000 to 200, 000 people in Italy, and founded a Kingdom based in Ravenna.

* Early 5th century – Baptistry of Neon, Ravenna, Italy, is built.

* Battle of Ravenna: Roman forces under command of Flavius Aetius are defeated near Rimini ( Italy ).

* Dome of Baptistry of Neon, Ravenna ( Italy ), is started to be remodeled ( approximate date ).

* c. 546 – 548 ( approximate date ) – Mosaics of Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, are made

* The Ostrogothic ruler Theodoric the Great builds the Mausoleum of Theodoric as his future tomb in Ravenna ( Italy ).

* Emperor Justinian and His Attendants, mosaic on north wall of the apse, Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, is made ( approximate date ).

* Empress Theodora and Her Attendants, mosaic on south wall of the apse, Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, is made ( approximate date ).

* Byzantine emperor Justinian II sends a fleet to Italy under the patrikios Theodore, to intervene in the dispute between Pope Constantine and the archbishop Felix of Ravenna, who claimed to be independent of the pope's authority.

For most of his rule, Glycerius lived in Northern Italy, as testified by the fact that the only mints which issued in his name are Milan and Ravenna.

Ravenna ( Romagnol: Ravêna ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

Theodoric took Ravenna in 493, supposedly slew Odoacer with his own hands, and Ravenna became the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy.

He is Prince Rospigliosi in the Holy Roman Empire, Papal Prince Rospigliosi and Duke of Zagarolo, Prince Castiglione, Marquis of Giuliana, Count of Chiusa and Baron of La Miraglia and Valcorrente in both the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Kingdom of Italy, Lord of Aldone, Burgio, Contessa and Trappeto in the nobility of Rome, and Patrician of Venice, Genoa, Pistoia, Ferrara and Ravenna in the nobilities of both Venice and Genoa.

The Ravenna Cosmography of about 700 CE cites Agiation, which sometimes is taken as evidence of a prior Greek city, as-ion appears to be a Greek ending.

The alienation of possessions of the exarchate of Ravenna is condemned, and the Ordinaries made by the intruders are invalid.

From 1347, Boccaccio spent much time in Ravenna, seeking new patronage, and despite his claims, it is not certain whether he was present in plague-ravaged Florence.

Some manuscripts say that he was a bishop, some even say bishop of Ravenna, but the name Jordanes is not known in the lists of bishops of Ravenna.

Created by law in 1988, it is managed by a consortium, the Consorzio per la gestione de Parco, to which Ferrara and Ravenna provinces belong as well as nine comuni: Comacchio, Argenta, Ostellato, Goro, Mesola, Codigoro, Ravenna, Alfonsine, and Cervia.

The Fiume Po currently flowing to the north of Ferrara is actually the result of a diversion at Ficarolo in 1152 made in the hope of relieving flooding in the vicinity of Ravenna.

* 456 – Remistus, Roman general ( magister militum ), is besieged with a Gothic force at Ravenna and later executed in the Palace in Classis, outside the city.

* April 11 – War of the League of Cambrai: Battle of Ravenna: French forces under Gaston de Foix, Duc de Nemours defeat the Spanish under Raymond of Cardona, but Gaston is killed in the pursuit.

* September 4 –: Romulus Augustus, Roman usurper of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed by Odoacer at Ravenna.

The Donation of Pepin is a cession of lands including Ravenna that will become the basis of the Papal States.

* August 22 – Stilicho is accused of treason against Honorius and is decapitated at Ravenna.

* Priscus Attalus is twice proclaimed rival emperor by the Visigoths at Bordeaux, in order to impose their terms on Honorius who has his residence in Ravenna.

Circles in the court at Ravenna assume inevitably that Honoria is planning to raise her paramour to imperial rank and challenges her brother.

* The dome in Ravenna is built by the entire population of the city.

Emperor Honorius moves his capital to the coastal city of Ravenna, which is protected by marshes and strong fortifications.

He is taken prisoner and put to death at Ravenna.

* September 17 – Remistus, Roman general ( magister militum ), is besieged with a Gothic force at Ravenna and later executed in the Palace in Classis, outside the city.

* Onoulphus, brother of Odoacer, is killed during the siege of Ravenna by archers while seeking refuge in a church.

* The Arian Baptistry is erected by Theodoric the Great, at the same time as the Basilica of Sant ' Apollinare Nuovo ( Ravenna ).

* c. 526 – 547 – Sanctuary apse's mosaic showing Christ enthroned and flanked by Saint Vitalis and Ecclesius, Basilica of San Vitale ( Ravenna ) is made.