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Visit Ravenna

Ravenna is inland from the Adriatic sea at the eastern side of Emilia-Romagna.

The town is best known for its very fine mosaics, but also has many other buildings and sights of interest.

The church at San Vitale was constructed to an octagonal design in the 6th century, and is one of the most important examples of Byzantine art in Europe (as such it is also a UNESCO listed world heritage site, as are several other buildings in the town, see further down).

The church itself, and its fine paintings and decoration, are in themselves architecturally interesting and very impressive, but the mosaics in San Vitale are something else - laid out in extraordinary detail, they largely represent scenes from the bible and the byzantine era and are unmissable if you are in the region.

Several other buildings in the town also have exceptional mosaic decoration, including the small mausoleum just north of San Vitale, the church of SantApollinaire Nuovo, the Neonian baptistry (originally a Roman bathhouse), and the baptistry Battisterro degli Ariagni. All are worth visiting!

When you have seen enough mosaics, or for a bit of variety, head to the Church San Francesco and visit the tomb of Dante, who died here in 1321 (after he had been exiled from Florence).

The centre of the town is around Piazza del Popolo, an attractive square surrounded by impressive 15th century buildings.

(There are a total of eight UNESCO listed heritage sites in Ravenna, all dating from the 5th-6th centuries: the Neonian Baptistery; the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia; the Arian Baptistry; the Archiepiscopal Chapel; the Basilica of SantApollinare Nuovo; the Mausoleum of Theodoric; the Basilica of San Vitale; and the Basilica of Sant Apollinare in Classe).