Things to Do and See in Ravenna

Ravenna, the capital of the province of the same name, is considered one of the most interesting cities in Emilia-Romagna, especially for its complex of early Christian and Byzantine monuments, having been at the center of the world for centuries—first as the capital of the Western Roman Empire under Theodoric, King of the Goths, and later as a center of the Byzantine Empire. The city has been admired by countless artists and writers, including Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron, and Dante, whose tomb—a small neoclassical shrine housing the remains of the great Italian poet, who died in Ravenna in 1321—can be visited. The undisputed stars are the famous mosaics that reflect the city’s ancient history—works of incredible technical perfection that define its eight UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Basilica of San Vitale, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Arian and Orthodox Baptisteries, the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and in Classe, the Archiepiscopal Chapel, and the Mausoleum of Theodoric. In addition to these monuments, we recommend continuing your visit to the central Piazza del Popolo, which marks the heart of the city’s historic center with the Government Palace—now the seat of the prefecture, occupying two-thirds of the square—and City Hall, flanked by two Venetian granite columns. As for coastal resorts, we recommend Marina di Ravenna and Cervia, two of the most renowned vacation destinations; and Milano Marittima, one of the busiest beach resorts on the Romagna coast, with a vibrant nightlife. Meanwhile, the immediate inland area surrounding Cervia and Milano Marittima is characterized by the water bodies of the ancient salt flats and the famous Cervia Pine Forest. Furthermore, Faenza is world-famous for its ancient tradition of artisanal majolica and ceramics production, to which the International Museum of Ceramics has been dedicated since 1908. In the town of Russi, you can admire the Roman villa from the Augustan era, and in Lugo, the Pavaglione—constructed beginning in 1771 and completed in 1784 by Giuseppe Campana—is an imposing four-column portico built on the site of an older late-16th-century loggia to serve the needs of the silkworm cocoon market.