Ravenna (Ravèna in Romagna) is an Italian town of 157 731
inhabitants, capital of the province of the same name in
Emilia-Romagna. It is the largest and historically most important
city in Romagna; its municipal territory is the second in Italy by
area (surpassed only by that of Rome) and includes nine shores of
the Romagna Riviera.
In its history, it has been the capital
three times: of the Western Roman Empire (402-476), of the Kingdom
of the Ostrogoths (493-553) and of the Byzantine Exarchate
(584-751). For the vestiges of this luminous past, the complex of
the first Christian monuments of Ravenna has been included, since
1996, in the list of Italian World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, as a
serial site "Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna".
In the
second half of the twentieth century the city experienced a period
of great expansion. The population growth has been accompanied by a
series of architectural projects that are concentrated in particular
around the Candiano canal, which connects the city to the Adriatic
Sea.
Settlement of remote times, the toponym is believed to
derive from a prelatin "* rava", probably of Umbrian origin, which
originally designated a "cliff produced by flowing water" and
subsequently "channel, swamp, lowland, mud", joined to a suffix
"-enna", of Etruscan origin.
Since prehistoric times, the
stretch of the Po Valley on which Ravenna was built was
characterized by frequent flooding of the short torrential rivers
that descend from the Apennines towards the Adriatic Sea. This led
to the formation of large lagoon areas, which from Ravenna extended
up to lap the Po (which flowed further south than the current
course), creating a vast lagoon agglomeration called the Padusa
Valley.
Ancient history
In the absence of archaeological
evidence on the foundation of Ravenna, the origins are uncertain.
The first settlements in the area were the work of Thessalian,
Etruscan and Umbrian Greeks, subsequently the Senoni Gauls settled
on its territory, especially from the Montone river to the south,
including all the Ager Decimanus, or the countryside towards Forlì,
the so-called territory of Ville Unite, which was not a lagoon
territory compared to the areas to the north. The inhabited area
consisted of stilts spread over a series of small islands located
within the Padusa Valley, a situation similar to the Venice of
centuries later.
The fundamental characteristic of Ravenna
throughout antiquity was precisely that of being surrounded by water
and accessible only from the sea. This peculiarity did not go
unnoticed by the Romans, and the emperor Caesar Octavian Augustus
deployed the upper Adriatic military fleet here. For this purpose
the emperor had important hydraulic works carried out: he had the
Fossa Augusta excavated, a canal that connected the Po with the
large body of water south of Ravenna and here he founded the port of
Classe. The port was built with the criteria of a mighty military
machine. According to Pliny the Elder, it could contain up to 250
triremes and 10 000 sailors or classaries destined to control the
entire eastern Mediterranean (the base intended for the control of
the western Mediterranean was instead the port of Miseno).
At
the time of the Roman Empire the city grew in importance: the
military port also became a commercial port with merchant traffic
towards the whole Mediterranean. The emperor Trajan probably left
from here for the two expeditions in 102 and 105 AD. which would end
with the conquest of Dacia. In 402 the emperor of the Western Roman
Empire, Honorius, transferred the imperial residence from Milan to
Ravenna, to escape the threats of Alaric. In this period the bishop
of the city became metropolitan, and the city experienced a phase of
expansion with the construction of the land near the Ursiana
cathedral (now the Duomo) and towards the north. However, in the
same period, the silting of the lagoon caused by the floods of the
rivers made the port of Classe progressively unusable.
The
fate of the Western Empire was decided in Ravenna when the last
emperor, Romulus Augustus, was deposed in 476 by the hand of
Odoacer, king of the Heruli. The reign of Odoacer had a very short
life and the king of the Goths Theodoric, in 493, claimed control of
the city, after a long siege. The Gothic sovereign, who died in 526,
distinguished himself for a policy of detente, especially from a
religious point of view. The presence of a large community of Aryan
Christians led to the construction of numerous religious buildings,
and the city was enriched with works and culture.
The
exarchate
Having become emperor of the East Justinian I, he
launched a political program aimed at the reconquest of those
territories of the Western Roman Empire occupied by "barbaric"
kingdoms (Ostrogoths in Italy, Vandals in Africa and Visigoths in
Spain). To do this he initiated a military offensive known as the
Greek-Gothic war. Italy too soon came under the control of the
Byzantine Empire. Justinian established a protectorate in the
peninsula which was based in Ravenna, subsequently controlled by
exarchs (έξαρχος in Byzantine Greek). Justinian also took care to
have Maximian, his trusted man, occupy the Ravenna bishopric, who
assumed, by the will of the emperor and for the first time in the
ancient history of the church, the role of archbishop.
In 751 the Exarchate fell under the offensive of the Lombards. By
the will of the king of the Franks Pepin the Short, the city in 754
with the Quierzy pact passed under the control of the pope. The pact
was never operational as the Lombards remained in the city until 756
and after that date the power was exercised by the local archbishops
with the support of the local aristocracy and by virtue of ancient
privileges that recognized the independence of the Ravenna church.
by the papacy of Rome (autocephaly). The privileges enjoyed by the
archbishops led the latter to positions of open conflict with the
Roman popes: they supported the emperors, from the Ottoni to the
Swabians.
In this period the city was stripped of many works
(furnishings, mosaics, marbles, statues), and Classe, sacked and now
far from the coast, was definitively abandoned. After 1152 the Po
moved about 60 km further north (Rotta di Ficarolo). Ravenna, which
was 15-20 km from the river, thus found itself irremediably
disconnected from the great river artery.
The middle Ages
Ravenna had a municipal order, first under the control of the
archbishops and later among the noble families who aspired to the
lordship. The first chronologically was the Traversari family who
ruled Ravenna until 1275 and was replaced by the Da Polenta family.
It was in these years that Dante Alighieri found hospitality in
Ravenna and died here of malaria contracted during an embassy to
Venice on his own behalf of the Da Polenta family.
Between
the 13th and 14th centuries, the bed of the Montone and Ronco rivers
was modified, bringing the two rivers to embrace the city walls
before reaching the sea; the regulation of the water improved the
agricultural yield of the surrounding land and the safety of the
city.
The lordship of the Da Polenta lasted until 1441 when
the control of the city passed under the Republic of Venice. The
Venetians ruled Ravenna until 1509, and in this period several
Venetian-style palaces were built in the city center and the Rocca
Brancaleone was built. The wall remains that can be seen today
around Ravenna date back to the Venetian period. However, there are
few surviving buildings from that period: Casa Minzoni (via
Cairoli), formerly the home of Vitale Lando (Venetian authority of
the city), built around 1460; the Palazzina Diedo (via Raul
Gardini), built in the Renaissance period; Melandri House; the Clock
Tower (1505).
From the sixteenth century to today
The
city, which passed under the control of the Papal State in 1509, was
sacked by the French army in 1512, during the war of the Holy
League. Ravenna will remain under the Papal State for the next 350
years.
In this period, the progressive raising of the bed of
the Ronco and Montone rivers, now hanging around the city, had
caused several floods; the problem was put to an end only in the
eighteenth century, with the deviation of the two rivers that were
made to merge into the channel of the United Rivers south of the
city. The new dock, the Corsini port-canal (from the surname of Pope
Clement XII), was opened on the path of the old Montone river bed.
In the city, freed from the threat of water, the new Duomo was built
to replace the Ursiana cathedral, and numerous works including the
temple for Dante's sepulcher.
After the momentary Napoleonic
dominion, Ravenna returns again to the Papal State until, in 1859,
following a plebiscite, it is annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia,
which will become the Kingdom of Italy from 1861.
In 1877 the
city was visited by the Irish Oscar Wilde, who the following year
dedicated a poem entitled Ravenna to it. Fifty years earlier another
illustrious English-speaking poet, George Byron, had lived in
Ravenna. In 1903, the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, who reluctantly
moved from his Vienna, went to Ravenna twice, where he admired the
splendor of the Byzantine mosaics. The Ravenna mosaic gold inspired
him in the decoration of the dining room of Palazzo Stoclet, the
residence of the industrialist Adolphe Stoclet, collector and
patron.
Ravenna was awarded the title of City decorated for
military valor for the war of liberation as it was awarded the Gold
Medal for military valor for the sacrifices of its populations and
for its activity in the partisan struggle during the Second World
War.
After the war Ravenna experienced a strong industrial
development thanks to the creation of an oil refinery, a
petrochemical plant and the development of natural gas extraction
activities discovered in the hinterland and in the nearby off-shore.
World Heritage Sites
The
complex of the first Christian monuments of Ravenna is considered a
World Heritage Site by UNESCO; they are part of:
the basilica of
San Vitale (first half of the 6th century)
the mausoleum of Galla
Placidia (first half of the 5th century, post 426)
the
Archiepiscopal Chapel (about 500)
the basilica of Sant'Apollinare
Nuovo (early 6th century, with partial redecoration in the second
half of the 6th century)
the mausoleum of Theodoric (about 520)
the Arian baptistery (first half of the 6th century)
the Neonian
Baptistery (around 430, decorated around 458)
the basilica of
Sant'Apollinare in Classe (consecrated in 549)
Religious
architectures
From the documents of the time, we know that
Ravenna was endowed with many religious buildings in the VI and VII
centuries of the High Middle Ages and in the Late Middle Ages. What
is left to us is only a small part of what was built. Many buildings
have been destroyed, others have been renovated and have lost their
original structure.
Basilicas and churches
Metropolitan
Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Resurrection, built in the eighteenth
century on a project by the architect Giovan Francesco Buonamici by
demolishing the ancient five-nave cathedral with a mosaic-decorated
apse, called Ursiana basilica (named after the founding bishop
Ursus) and dedicated to the Hagìa Anastasis or rather at the
Resurrection. Of the ancient cathedral, among others (besides the
bell tower and the baptistery dedicated to San Giovanni in Fonte)
remain visible: a portion of masonry with a walled entrance arch;
some of the 56 columns that supported the five naves of the ancient
building; some capitals called "ram's head"; fragments of the 12th
century mosaic decoration; marbles of uncertain original location
(partly coming from the spoliation of the Schola Cantorum located in
the central nave) cut and set to form the floor of the new building;
and the ambo decorated with bands of tiles bearing symbolic animals.
It is the seat of the archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia.
Basilica of
Sant'Agata Maggiore, from the 5th century.
Basilica of Santa
Croce, partly remodeled over the centuries, in the area behind the
current church you can see copious remains of the walls of the
original church building, annexed to those of previous Roman
structures.
Basilica of San Francesco, rebuilt in the 10th-11th
century over a previous building dedicated to the apostles and then
to St. Peter. Behind the humble brick facade, there is a central
nave and two aisles. Mosaic fragments from the early church are
visible on the floor. Dante Alighieri's funeral ceremony took place
in this church in 1321. In the chapel of San Liberio the famous
recumbent statue of the young leader Guidarello Guidarelli was
preserved, a work by Tullio Lombardo moved to the Accademia Gallery
(now the City of Art Museum Ravenna): "The statue of the deceased
lies, closed in the rigid casing of the armor, the hands joined on
the sword, the head turned three-quarters to the viewer, like a
felled tree trunk", this is how A. Venturi describes it in History
of Italian art.
Basilica of Santa Maria in Porto (mid 16th
century), with a rich 18th century facade. It has a central nave,
two aisles and a high dome. From 1570 there is preserved the image
of the famous Greek Madonna, which was brought to Porto Fuori from
Constantinople around the year 1100.
Church of Sant'Apollinare in
Veclo
Church of Santa Barbara
Church of San Biagio
Church
of San Carlino
Church of Santa Chiara, now Teatro Rasi.
Church
of San Domenico
Church of Sant'Eufemia, from the 18th century, is
the entrance to the so-called Domus of the stone carpets (6th-7th
century), which has inside splendid mosaics from a Byzantine palace.
Church of San Giovanni Battista
Church of San Giovanni Decollato,
chapel built in 1576 inside the Palace of the Papal Legate (now the
seat of the Prefecture). The church was managed by the Company of
the Good Death, a group of faithful with the task of giving the last
religious comfort to those sentenced to death. It is located in
piazza Unità d'Italia (formerly the square of the Antiche Carceri).
Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, built in the 5th century by
Galla Placidia as an ex voto after a shipwreck. Partially destroyed
by Allied bombing during World War II, it was rebuilt in the 1950s -
1960s in its original shape.
Church of Saints John and Paul
Church of Santa Giustina
Church of San Lorenzo in Cesarea,
recently built, rises not far from where the homonymous basilica was
located.
Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli
Church of Santa
Maria delle Croci
Church of Santa Maria Maddalena
Church of
Santa Maria Maggiore
Church of Santa Maria in Porto Fuori
Church of Santa Maria del Torrione
Church of Santa Maria del
Suffragio
Church of San Michele in Africisco
Church of San Nicolò
Church of San Pier Damiano, consecrated in 1958, is located in the
Darsena district; the circular plan of the temple and the bell tower
are a reference to the architectural models with a central plan
typical of the Ravenna basilicas; significant works of art are the
bronze statue depicting the patron saint (1959) and the ceramic Via
Crucis (1961) by the artist Angelo Biancini, as well as a singular
wrought iron gate that delimits the churchyard, the work of
architect L. Palmeri (1992).
Church of San Rocco
Church of San
Romualdo, today the Memorial of the Fallen.
Church of San Simone
and Giuda Antica
Church of the Holy Spirit, originally the
cathedral of the Arian cult, flanked by its baptistery.
Church of
Santo Stefano degli Ulivi
Church of San Vittore
Church of the
Santissimo Crocifisso al Camposanto.
Parish church of San Pietro
in Trento
Basilica of Sant'Agnese
Petrian Basilica, the first Christian church in Classe
Church of
Sant'Eleucadio
Even private and
representative buildings, especially in the sixth and seventh
centuries, were of considerable quality [without source], but
difficult to document, given that very few traces survive. The
oldest palace in Ravenna is the so-called "Palazzo di Teodorico", in
fact the entrance to the previous church of San Salvatore. Inside
there are mosaics from the real palace of the Ostrogothic king.
Ravenna was an imperial seat of the Holy Roman Empire in the 10th
century. An imperial residence was built by Honorius; it was
subsequently remodeled, until it reached the size of a district
entirely occupied by structures linked to the presence in Ravenna of
the imperial court. We know very little about it today.
Piazza
del Popolo. The origin of the square dates back to the late 13th
century, when the Da Polenta family became mistress of the city and
the Piazza del Comune was created, widening the road facing the
noble residence of Bernardino da Polenta. On the south side of the
square was built the palace of the Rector of Romagna (1295), which
in 1544 became the Apostolic palace, seat of the Legate of Romagna.
The palace of Bernardino da Polenta was replaced in 1681 by the
Palazzo Comunale, known today by the people of Ravenna as "Palazzo
Merlato". Also in Piazza del Popolo there is the former headquarters
of the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, built by the architect Camillo
Morigia; it is connected to the prefecture building by a vault (the
second in the square) from which it is possible to see Dante's tomb,
the work of the same architect. Other civil buildings are also
worthy of note, such as the Palazzo dei Rasponi del Sale, the
current headquarters of the UniCredit bank, recently renovated.
Dante's Tomb, adjacent to the convent of San Francesco, built in
1781 by Camillo Morigia in the shape of a small temple, houses the
remains of the Divine Poet enclosed in a Roman sarcophagus, enriched
from 1483 by a beautiful bas-relief by Pietro Lombardo with the
figure of the poet seen in profile, illuminated by a lamp that burns
perpetually. A Dantesque area of respect and silence was
established around the temple.
The Classense Library, an ancient
Camaldolese abbey (1512-1797), the original nucleus of the book
heritage comes from the monastic library dating back to the 18th
century. The Classense is today among the most important in Italy
for heritage and collections. Thanks to the beauty of its spaces,
the monument is included in the main visits to the city, especially
for its sixteenth-century refectory, frescoed and finely decorated
by Luca Longhi, and for the Aula Magna, frescoed by Francesco
Mancini.
Other civil buildings are worth mentioning: Palazzo
Rasponi dalle Teste, current seat of municipal offices, in piazza
J.F. Kennedy, the seat of the Province of Ravenna, adjacent to the
Basilica of San Francesco, equipped with a precious hanging garden
and the Palazzo Rasponi (since 1877 Bellenghi) called Domus Magna of
the homonymous family, now home to the Circolo Ravennate and
Forestieri and the historic restaurant and "Ca 'de Vèn" wine shop,
formerly home to the Bellenghi grocery store. Also worthy of
interest is the fifteenth-century house once believed to belong to
Francesca da Polenta (better known as Francesca da Rimini), a fine
example of architecture from the Venetian period (1441-1509),
located in Piazza Andrea Costa and the current location of the hotel
" Hat". Finally, the building of the Dante Alighieri Theater should
be mentioned, completed in 1852 with neoclassical forms that bring
it closer to the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice.
Casa Maioli, also from the Venetian Renaissance period.
Noteworthy is the covered market, located in Piazza Andrea Costa,
built in 1922.
Almost all the gates
built in different eras and the remains of some towers remain of the
walls. Let's remember these:
Porta Adriana, also called
Port'Aurea nuova;
Port'Aurea, as attested by documentary sources,
erected in the year 43 AD; it was demolished at the end of the 16th
century;
Porta Gaza, or dei Gazzi, takes its name from a
crenellated fortress of medieval origin which was founded there;
Porta Nuova, also known as Porta Gregoriana or Porta Pamphilia;
Porta San Lorenzo, incorporated in a residential area near the
Public Gardens;
Porta San Mama, or San Mamante, of medieval
origin (10th century), was heavily remodeled in the 17th century;
Porta Serrata, or Anastasia or Food;
Porta Sisi, or Sisina, or
Ursicina;
Porta Vandalaria, of which you can see the entrance
arch buried in the Public Gardens;
Porta Nuova dei Veneziani, or
simply Porta Nuova, dating back to the construction of the Rocca
Brancaleone. Once connected to the Citadel, it is now surrounded by
the gate of a private house.
"Il portonaccio", the last one
built, in front of Porta Sisi, erected by the architect Morigia in
1785 following the annexation of Borgo S. Rocco to the city;
Torrione dei Preti, built in the 15th century. near the Walls of
Port'Aurea at the intersection with the stretch of walls of the
Rocca dei Gazzi;
Torrione Zancano, built in the fifteenth
century. near the walls of Port'Aurea, now the base of the church of
Santa Maria del Torrione;
Venetian Tower of the Walls of San
Vitale, in a state of ruin near the courtyard of a house;
Torre
Sallustra (or Sallusta), of Roman origin, is believed to be part of
an ancient gate of the oldest part of the city. It is now
incorporated into the complex of the Archbishop's Palace;
Remains
of the walls are visible starting from Porta Gaza; continuing
towards Port'Aurea you can reach the church of Santa Maria del
Torrione, built in 1730 on the remains of the ancient Torre Zancana.
Continuing along the walls it is possible to follow the ancient path
behind the area where the Callegari factory stood (in 2009 the
conversion of the structure into apartments and offices was
completed as well as the demolition of a part to make room for a
parking lot) which continues until in via Oberdan.
The walls
resume at Porta Adriana and continue behind the basilica of San
Vitale for a few tens of meters and then stop. Other remains are
still visible further on along via Sabbionara to the square of Torre
Umbratica, where the walls rejoin Porta Serrata. Of the stretch
between Porta Serrata and Rocca Brancaleone only a few stones
remain, visible along via Rocca Brancaleone. A good 535 meters were
sacrificed when the railway station was built in 1863. Skipping the
railway station, the visible remains remain on the stretch along the
railway line that leads to Rimini following the avenue of gardens
that reaches Porta Nuova.
Finally, starting from Porta Sisi,
some remains remain towards Porta Nuova, while between Porta Sisi,
Porta San Mamante and Porta Gaza there are no more visible remains.
Rocca Brancaleone was built by the Republic of Venice in 1457.
It was originally part of the city walls; today it is a public park.
It is divided into two parts: the castle itself and the citadel, for
a total extension of 14,000 m².
In
Ravenna, traces of some Roman and Byzantine villas have recently
been discovered, the most famous of which is the Domus of the stone
carpets, dating back to the 5th-6th century and found in 1993 during
some building works. Located inside the eighteenth-century Church of
Santa Eufemia, in a vast underground environment located about three
meters below street level, it consists of 14 rooms paved with
polychrome mosaics and marble belonging to a private Byzantine
building.
Classe Archaeological Park: the archaeological site
corresponds to the port area of the ancient city of Classe
(Southern Area of the city of Ravenna between the districts of
Classe and Ponte Nuovo) and includes a series of warehouses built
along the quays of a canal, overlooking a road paved with Euganean
trachyte. The complex, probably built at the beginning of the 5th
century AD, was built following the choice of Honorius to transfer
the capital of the Western Roman Empire from Milan to Ravenna (402).
It was therefore necessary to create an infrastructure capable of
receiving, storing and redistributing the large quantity of goods
and foodstuffs arriving in the new capital city. The 15,000 m²
archaeological area was inaugurated in 2015.
The Ravenna area includes a large urban park in
Fosso Ghiaia (park on May 1st) and the Park on June 2nd, with the
WWF oasis of Punte Alberete, as well as the Pineta di Classe, which
extends from Lido di Dante to Lido di Classe .
Also in the
city we can find several public parks, the most important:
The
public gardens of Ravenna (about 37500 m²), formerly the site of the
hippodrome and velodrome, were built in the early 1930s on a project
by the architect Arata and constitute the first urban park in
Ravenna and now the Old Town. The gardens house the planetarium.
Parco Teodorico, whose surface is about 14 hectares, represents the
connecting node between the nearby Path of the historic walls and
the external green belt and inside it contains the Mausoleum of
Theodoric.
Baronio Park, located in an area behind the hospital,
with an artificial lake, asphalted circuit and equipped areas.
1 Mirabilandia, Statale Statale 16 Adriatica Km. 162, ☎ +39 0544
561156, mirabilandia@mirabilandia.it. It is a large amusement park
located about 15 km from the city centre.
2 Pala De André (Palazzo
Mauro De André), Viale Europa, 1. It is a covered arena capable of
hosting different types of events from sporting events to musical
concerts.
3 Book sharing, Via Massimo D'Azeglio 3 (Near the window of
a bakery). Here you can exchange books. They are contained in a wooden
case.
4 Safari Ravenna, ☎ +39 0544 690020, +39 370 3161335,
info@safariravenna.it. Full: €25, reduced (up to 10 years): €21, free
(up to 4 years), disabled €15, carers €20 (April 2020). It is a tourist
complex that includes a zoological garden and a safari zoo. Inaugurated
in 2012 near the Mirabilandia amusement park, the zoo covers an area of
35 hectares. There is a large area for large mammals and birds only to
be seen by car or train, and a smaller traditional zoo with reptiles,
primates, Australian and domestic animals section. Some of the animals
featured are: American bison, kangaroo, Asian elephant, hippopotamus,
lion, tiger, crocodile, etc.
5 Planetarium of Ravenna, Viale Santi
Baldini, 4/A (near the public gardens), ☎ +39 0544 62534, info@arar.it.
€5 full, €2 reduced (May 2019). Mon-Fri 8:30 - 12:30; Tue and Fri 8.30pm
- 10.30pm. In addition to viewing the stars, the planetarium offers the
possibility of conferences and night observations.
By plane
Forlì Airport (Luigi Ridolfi Airport, IATA: FRL). The
nearest airport is Forlì, 30 km away. There are no flights to/from other
Italian cities, but only connections with some Eastern European cities
operated by Wizzair.
Rimini-Miramare Airport ("Federico Fellini"
International Airport, IATA: RMI). It is about 50 km from Ravenna, has
national connections with Rome Fiumicino
Palermo and Catania.
Bologna-Borgo Panigale Airport. About 80 km from Ravenna. It connects
the following cities with domestic flights: Alghero,
Bari, Brindisi,
Cagliari, Catania, Lamezia Terme,
Milan (Malpensa),
Naples, Olbia,
Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Rome (Fiumicino), and serves numerous
destinations in Europe and worldwide .
By car
Ravenna can be
reached from Bologna via the A14 motorway, with a branch that starts
about halfway between the toll booths of Imola and Faenza and leads to
the Ravenna ring road, where you just need to follow the signs for the
Center and the Monuments. Note that the S.Eufemia Ovest service area (on
the return journey from Ravenna to Bologna) is one of the few motorways
to be equipped with a methane gas station.
For those arriving
from Venice, the shortest route is to take the SS309 Romea, which in
some stretches allows beautiful views of the Comacchio valleys and
passes alongside the San Vitale pine forest and the Punte Alberete
Oasis. The road is wide and in fair condition - although there are
stretches with little maintenance - but the heavy traffic, especially on
weekdays made up of heavy vehicles, makes it inadvisable to take a pace
suitable for enjoying the landscape.
From
Ferrara, take the SS16
Adriatica, which for most of the way passes through the various towns
that follow one another along the itinerary, with the relative speed
limits of 50 km/h and traffic lights.
The SS16 is still the
fastest way to get from Rimini. For a short stretch the road widens into
a dual carriageway with a limit of 110 km/h, for the rest the limit is
50 or 70 km/h. However, there are only 2 traffic lights in the entire
route. On the way, view of the Cervia salt pans (part of the Delta
Park). Before entering the Ravenna ring road there is a crossroads that
leads to Classe, therefore it is advisable to start your visit to
Ravenna from the Basilica of S. Apollinare in Classe, only a couple of
kilometers away. Then continue towards Ravenna - it is not necessary to
go back, the road continues towards the Centre.
Coming from the
Marches it is faster to use the highway, leaving the A14 motorway at the
Cesena Nord junction and following the signs for Ravenna. It also takes
you up to the Ravenna ring road.
Also through Ravenna it is
connected to Perugia and Rome. The road crosses a small part of Tuscany
and all of Umbria, where in Terni it enters the link road that allows
you to reach the Orte tollbooth on the A1 motorway, to get to Rome.
Maintenance on the road is always in progress, so inconveniences are
always possible, as are the obligatory exits for works, lane
interchanges and the asphalt in poor condition. In winter, snow is not
uncommon at the Verghereto pass on the Romagna Apennines.
On boat
Port of Ravenna. The port has a predominantly commercial vocation thanks
also to its conformation within canals, however there are also Tirrenia
ferries that connect with Catania, even if the service is not regular.
'Marinara' Tourist Port, Via Marinara, 11/r, Marina di Ravenna (in
Marina di Ravenna about 13 km from the city centre), ☏ +39 0544 531644.
There are 1074 berths available. It is equipped to accommodate boats up
to 30 meters.
On the train
Ravenna station, Piazza Luigi Carlo
Farini (city and suburban buses stop in the station square). Located on
the Ferrara-Rimini line. Links from:
From Rimini: From the airport,
the railway station can be reached by bus on the urban line number 9
(runs every 30 minutes), from where runs leave every hour on weekdays
for Ravenna, taking around 1 hour.
From Bologna: The "AeroBus"
shuttle [1] takes you from the airport to the Bologna railway station,
from which there are regular runs (1 per hour on weekdays, lasting
around 1 hour and 20 minutes) to Ravenna.
From Ferrara: Via a
regional railway line managed by TPER.
From Ravenna there are
connections with the seaside resorts of the neighboring areas (Cervia,
Milano Marittima Lido di Classe, Lido di Savio, Gatteo a mare etc.)
By bus
Ravenna Puntobus (bus terminus), Piazza Luigi Carlo Farini
(in front of the station). From Forlì: ATR makes several trips a day
from Forlì to Ravenna departing from the Punto Bus, which can be reached
from the airport via the shuttle service, getting off at the terminus of
the railway station.
There are no train connections between the two
cities.
All the most important monuments, except the Mausoleum of Theodoric
and the Basilica of S. Apollinare in Classe, are located in the historic
centre, which, being compact and flat, lends itself easily to visits on
foot.
Arriving by train, the journey from the station to Piazza
del Popolo, which represents the center of gravity equidistant from all
the places to visit, consists of a long straight road of about 800
meters, half of which is closed to car traffic.
By public
transport
To reach the Basilica of S. Apollinare in Classe you can
take the urban START bus line n. 4 - 44, which runs on weekdays every
10-15 minutes in the morning until 14:00, then every half hour until 20
in the evening, with the last run from the Basilica to the station at
19:36; on public holidays the runs are reduced throughout the day to a
frequency of 30 minutes, with the last run from the Basilica at 19:06.
The urban connections map can be downloaded here. The Moovit app for
smartphones can be used, which allows you to give all the info and times
to reach a location by public transport.
By ferry
There are
also ferry connections between the towns of Marina di Ravenna and Porto
Corsini, through the Candiano Canal (the port of Ravenna).
By car
Arriving by car, from Bologna (with the A14), from Cesena (with the E45)
and from Rimini (with the SS16) take the ring road. It is a road with 2
separate carriageways and 2 lanes for each direction, with traffic
lights at the main intersections - Via Ravegnana, which leads to Forlì
and Via Dismano which leads to Cesena -; on weekdays, especially in
summer, queues of heavy vehicles - for which overtaking is prohibited
for the entire stretch - in the lane are not uncommon, and the speed
limit is often only 50 or 70 km/h h.
From the ring road, follow
the signs for the Center to reach the monumental area.
Arriving
by car from Venice (via the SS309) you enter the city well before
reaching the ring road: follow the junction indicating Centro e
Monumenti.
Coming from Forlì, take the SS67 (Via Ravegnana) which
leads to the traffic light on the ring road, where you must continue
straight on towards the Centre.
It is advisable to park in the
immediate surroundings of the Center and continue the visit on foot (see
map or in detail). It should be noted that some car parks have too
limited maximum parking limits (2 and a half hours) to be used by
visitors, while there are paid structures specifically designed for
tourists and there is no shortage of free parking, although generally
less comfortable for visiting the monuments.
Piazza Aldo Moro
Parking, Piazza Aldo Moro. Free.
Piazza Mameli parking. For a fee.
Resistance Square, Resistance Square. €0.50 per hour, 24 hours €2.25.
00:00-24:00.
G. Guidarello car park, Via Guidarelli Guidarello, 5.
00:00-24:00. from 08.00 to 20.00, hourly rate €. 1,20/hour, €. 5.00 per
day or after 20.00 and until 08.00 the following morning, hourly rate €.
0.10/hour
Cinema City Parking (Parking Exchanger) (At the Cinema
City). free. 00:00-24:00. Free parking lot. To go downtown, take bus
line 1.
Parking Pala De André (Parking exchanger) (At the Pala De
André). 00:00-24:00. Free parking lot. To go downtown, take bus line 1.
It should also be considered that an electronic access control
system is active in the Limited Traffic Zone which significantly
increases the risk of fines for those who are not familiar with the city
road network. Road conditions, it must be underlined, that the Ravenna
inhabitants themselves consider rather confusing, with numerous
roundabouts approaching the historic center and a forest of direction
indicators. It is better to study the city at a table before leaving and
identify a convenient parking area that will be the starting point for
the excursion on foot.
There are several charging points for
electric car owners.
By bike
The city has a number of cycle
paths that allow you to reach various areas of interest in and around
the city. Route information can be downloaded here.
There is also
a bike sharing service that can be used in various parts of the city.
Modest prices
1 Bizantino Self Service, Via Angelo Mariani, 12.
Self service located in the historical centre. Suitable place for lunch
break.
2 La Piadina del Melarancio,, Via IV Novembre, 31, ☎ +39 0544
201108. Mon-Fri 11:30-21:00, Sat-Sun 11:30-22:30. Piadineria with
outdoor tables. You reserve the piadina and then you are called
according to the shift to pick it up.
3 Papilla Gelateria, Via IV
Novembre, 8, ☎ +39 0544 213433. Mon-Sun 10:00-24:00. Excellent ice cream
parlor with organic milk ice cream.
4 Grand-Italia Lounge Bar &
Restaurant, Piazza del Popolo, 9/10, ☎ +39 0544 217529. Mon-Thu
7am-midnight, Fri-Sun 7am-1am.
Average prices
5 Ca' de Vèn,
Via Corrado Ricci, 24 (In the historic center near piazza del Popolo
where you take via Cairoli and then continue until you reach via Corrado
Ricci), ☎ +39 0544 30163, info@cadeven.it. Tue-Sun 11am-2.15pm,
6.30pm-11pm. Historical restaurant where it is possible to eat from
piadina to typical dishes of the Romagna tradition. In the restaurant
there is a wide selection of wines produced in Romagna. The environment
is often crowded and it is best to book.
6 Restaurant Al 45, Via
Paolo Costa, 45 (Between the church of Santo Spirito and the baptistery
of the Ariani), ☎ +39 0544 212761. In the summer it is possible to eat
outside in a splendid, very peaceful setting
7 Caffè Tazza d'Oro,
Piazza del Popolo, 11, ☎ +39 0544 873973. Mon-Sun 7:00-01:00. Wide
choice of products, with possibility to dine.
8 I Fanti, Via Manfredo
Fanti, 9/A, ☎ +39 0544 35135. Mon-Sun 6pm-1am.
9 The Scoundrels, Via
Paolo Costa, 1, ☎ +39 0544 219707.
10 Millelire Restaurant - Salone
dei Mosaici, Via IX February, 1, ☎ +39 3669366252. Aperitifs, dinners
and live music.
11 Figo Burger Pizza & More, Via Ponte Marino, 17, ☎
+39 0544 31217. Pizzas and hamburgers
12 Osteria Passatelli, Via
Ponte Marino, 19, ☎ +39 0544 215206. Cold cuts, cheeses and wraps.
Modest prices
1 B&B Hotel Ravenna, Viale Della Lirica, 141, ☎ +39
0544 270290, ravenna@hotelbb.com.
Average prices
2 Albergo
Cappello, Via IV Novembre, 41, ☎ +39 0544 219813,
info@albergocappello.it. The hotel is located in a building of
Renaissance origin.
3 Hotel Centrale Byron, Via IV Novembre, 14. The
hotel is located in the historic center of the city.
4 Casa Masoli
B&B, Via Girolamo Rossi, 22, ☎ +39 0544 217682, info@casamasoli.it.
5
Villa noctis, Via Giuseppe Pasolini, 57 (A short distance from the
historic centre.). Cozy rooms on a very quiet internal courtyard.
possibility to park the car by paying an extra 10€ with access to the
ZTL.
The city center is located 8 km from the Adriatic
Sea, to which it is connected by the Candiano canal. Urban offshoots
extend to the sea through the Port of Ravenna.
Ravenna's
beaches are called "lidos" and are administratively classified as
hamlets. The nine Ravenna beaches are defined, on the basis of their
position with respect to the port canal, in "Lidi Nord" or "Lidi
Sud".
Northern Lidos: Casal Borsetti, Marina Romea and Porto
Corsini.
South Lidos: Marina di Ravenna, Punta Marina Terme,
Lido Adriano, Lido di Dante, Lido di Classe and Lido di Savio.
The landscape in the hamlets located on the coast presents
characteristic elements. In the northern shores there are large
bodies of water such as the WWF oasis of Punte Alberete inserted in
the spectacular Pineta di San Vitale. To the south, the predominant
element is the Pinewood of Classe mentioned by Boccaccio in the
Decameron and by Dante in the Divine Comedy.
The southern
beaches are also those with the most marked tourist imprint with a
notable offer of hotels, restaurants and entertainment. The last
Lido of Ravenna, Lido di Savio, borders with Milano Marittima, a
famous seaside resort.
The climate of Ravenna is typical of the Po valley, influenced by the Adriatic Sea, only 8 km from the town, and is of a temperate sub-continental type, with moderately cold winters (average seasonal temperatures are around 5 ° C) and sultry summers, with temperatures averaging around 23 ° C. Both in summer and in winter the air has a consistent degree of humidity, with rates of 75.3% and 86% respectively. The absolute minimum temperature was −14.0 ° C, recorded in 1956. The days of frost are on average 35 per year.
In 1877 the city was visited by the Irishman Oscar Wilde, who the
following year dedicated a poem entitled Ravenna to it. In 1903 the
Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, who reluctantly moved from his native
Vienna, went twice to Ravenna, where he admired the splendor of the
Byzantine mosaics. The Ravenna mosaic gold inspired him in the
decoration of the dining room of Palazzo Stoclet, the residence of the
industrialist Adolphe Stoclet, collector and patron of the arts.
Since 2007, Ravenna has announced its intention to apply for the title
of "European Capital of Culture 2019", for which the official
announcement was published on November 20, 2012, with a deadline of
September 20, 2013. Ravenna was then selected by the Jury international
for the final phase, together with 5 other cities, out of the 21
initially registered. The winner was Matera.
Ravenna was
officially recognized as European City of Sport 2016 (this prestigious
qualification was awarded by Aces Europe, the Federation for the
Associations of the European Capitals and Cities of Sport, a European
body which aims to promote the universal Olympic values municipal level
and which each year selects the most deserving cities)
There are
also some local cultural associations active in the city, such as
Ravenna Poesia.
The main city libraries are:
Classe library
newspaper library
Central library of the Ravenna Campus - Palazzo Corradini
Contemporary History Library "Alfredo Oriani"
Archiepiscopal Seminary
Library
Library of the Dantesque Center of the Conventual Friars
The University of Bologna has been present since 1963, when Giuseppe
Bovini founded the Institute of Ravenna and Byzantine Antiquities at the
Casa Traversari site. It was the first of the University operating in
Ravenna and in Romagna (XII Institute of the Faculty of Letters and
Philosophy). In 1986, the University of Bologna opened a decentralized
secretariat in Ravenna: it was the first in the history of the
University of Bologna[61]. In 1988 the teaching activity began with the
activation of the Direct School for special purposes for Archivists
while in 1989 the first year of the Degree Course in Environmental
Sciences was activated in the great hall of Casa Matha. In 2017, Ravenna
was one of the five campuses comprising the multicampus organization of
the University of Bologna. In the academic year 2017-2018 there are 16
Degree Courses.
Higher education institutions:
Academy of fine
arts: the Ravenna branch is the only one in Italy which, in the context
of higher artistic education, offers a three-year course in visual arts
- mosaic (first level academic diploma) dedicated to numerous visual
arts together with mosaic, and a two-year specialist mosaic course
(second level academic diploma);
Higher Institute of Musical Studies
"Giuseppe Verdi".
Dante Alighieri classical high school
G. Ginanni Commercial
Technical Institute
Alfredo Oriani scientific high school
Nullo
Baldini State Industrial Technical Institute
Nervi-Severini state art
school
"Morigia-Perdisa" surveyors and agricultural technical
institute
State professional institute "Olivetti-Callegari"
Archiepiscopal Museum of Ravenna (reopened in 2010 after eight years
of work)
National Museum of Ravenna
Art Museum of the city of
Ravenna (MAR)
Municipal art gallery of Ravenna
Modern Mosaics
Collection
Museum of the Risorgimento of Ravenna
Dantesque Museum
of the Municipality of Ravenna
Dantesque center of the Friars Minor
Conventual
Marine mechanical musical instruments museum
The whole
mosaic adventure (TAMO)
Classis Ravenna - Museum of the City and the
Territory