The treasures of Ravenna
An unmissable destination
A stone's throw from Cervia, the ancient Byzantine capital amidst mosaics, art, music and references to Dante, to discover a city with eight Unesco World Heritage monuments.
HISTORY
Capital of three empires (Western Roman Empire, Empire of Theodoric King of the Goths and Byzantine Empire in Europe), guardian of eight Unesco World Heritage monuments and cradle of mosaic art,
Ravenna is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of a Romagna that is the spokesman for artistic beauty and culture.
Able to provide a marvellous fresco of its rich history today, its intense past marked by continuous political changes is enough to make it an obligatory destination for a trip to Romagna.
UNESCO HERITAGE MUSEUMS AND MONUMENTS
The extraordinary succession of early Christian monuments of the highest artistic value, most of which are decorated with splendid mosaics, is unmissable:
- Neonian Baptistery
- Arian Baptistery
- Archiepiscopal Chapel
- Mausoleum of Theodoric, the only one of Ravenna's monuments not built of brick
- Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe
- Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, guardian of a mosaic cycle dedicated to the Old Testament considered to be the oldest in the world
- Basilica of San Vitale, one of the greatest works of the late Roman age.
Consecrated in 548 A.D., the peculiarity of this Basilica is the presence of elements masterfully blended together that make it unique: the Baroque frescoes of the dome contrast with mosaics of oriental influence and ethereal marble. - Mausoleum of Galla Placidia built at the Empress' request around 425-450.
The modesty of the exterior of this unfinished funerary monument is contrasted by the splendour of the interior, where alabaster windows illuminate the cobalt blue and gold tiles of its starry vault, composing one of the most admirable examples of early Christian mosaic decoration. - Domus of the Carpet Stones, a private Byzantine building from the 5th-6th centuries, only discovered in the early 1990s.
Located about 3 metres below street level, it contains 14 rooms paved with marble and polychrome mosaics, some of which are decorated with unique geometric, floral and figurative elements.
Not only mosaics, the culture in Ravenna unleashes its best potential among a dense network of museums and internationally recognised festivals.
Among the city's "major" museums are the National Museum of Ravenna, in the former Benedictine monastery of San Vitale, rich in archaeological and medieval finds, and the City of Ravenna Art Museum (MAR), which houses collections of ancient and modern art.
Then there is the brand-new Classis, born in 2018 from the ashes of a former sugar refinery to the south of the city, which has already earned a reputation as a must-visit place for those wishing to learn about the history and contemporaneity of this rich area.
FESTIVALS AND CURIOSITIES
Also worth mentioning is the now famous Ravenna Festival, a multidisciplinary summer festival dedicated to dance, theatre and above all music, which involves prestigious performers and attracts a large international audience.
The city is also one of the nerve centres of the Lands of Dante, the literary park that stretches from Florence to Ravenna, where the Supreme Poet died in 1321 and where his Tomb is located, a small neoclassical temple dating back to 1780 with a history that has yet to be discovered and which, among secret hiding places and fears of being stolen, still arouses curiosity today.
Official Tourist Information Site of Cervia