Seppellire un vescovo, seppellire un monaco. La gestione della morte all’interno del complesso di San Severo in Classe a Ravenna

The complex of San Severo in Classe, in south of Ravenna, is an emblematic place of memory to understand the funerary practice in this area. The monastery was built in the late ninth century, close to the basilica and to the mausoleum dedicated to one of the most important bishops of Ravenna, who lived in the fourth century. The political and religious importance of the monastic center is attested by written sources since the tenth century. The monastery was a Benedectine foundation, which passed to the Cistercensian between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

The current excavation is being conducted by the University of Bologna, which is investigating extensively the entire complex, bringing to light the different areas of the monastery around the large rectangular cloister. The funerary practice changed and developed according to the life of the basilica and the monastic complex. Different funerary areas found outside the church and in the monastery have different characteristics and may be linked to different chronological phases as well as to different functions or perceptions of the areas themselves. The organization of the monastery cemetery indicating funerary spaces for members of the monastic community and clergy, separate from those of the laity.