Italy’s undiscovered cities: Ravenna
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Ravenna is my hometown, but also a small city rich in history and art. It is known as the “capital of mosaics“, but also for some amazing food and wine. Once upon a time it was the capital of the Roman Empire, but also a memorable place for the Ostrogoths, a germanic tribe. It has been through a lot and if you are able to focus on the details, you will see a trace of everything that has happened to it. Romagna is an incredible region, undiscovered like many others in Italy, and with so much to offer.
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One day or a longer stay?
Ravenna is a great one-day destination because it isn’t a very big city and most of the monuments are found in the city center. Of course if you also want to go to the beach or visit nearby cities, I would suggest staying for longer than one day. Even if you plan on going to Bologna, Florence or Venice and you don’t want to spend a lot of money on accomodation, staying in Ravenna will be cheaper and with trains you will be able to get pretty much anywhere.
On the website of Trenitalia you can get an idea of the prices: regional trains take longer but are cheaper, high-speed trains (“frecciarossa”) are a great option but if you don’t book them in advance they can have pretty high prices.
What you can’t miss out on
Ravenna has 8 UNESCO Heritage Sites:
Basilica di San Vitale, Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, Battistero Neoniano, Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Cappella Arcivescovile, Battistero degli Ariani, Mausoleo di Teodorico and Basilica di Sant’Apollinare in Classe.
I suggest you buy the 5-monuments ticket for 12,50 € – this will include the first five monuments of the 8 I listed. If you don’t want to spend that much time on art, you can also buy a ticket only for Basilica di San Vitale, Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and Cappella Arcivescovile, for a total of 10,50 €. Considering the price difference I advice on the first one, also because you can enter each monument once over a period of 7 days (you only have to book specific times for some of them).
These are the best places to admire the unique mosaics that the city is known for: Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, Basilica di San Vitale, Basilica Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Basilica di Sant’Apollinare in Classe
Ravenna also holds one of the few architectural testimonies of the Ostrogoths Kingdom: the Mausoleum of Theodoric. The Ostrogoths’ religion was Arianism, which is the reason why there aren’t only christian monuments in the city. The Baptistery is an example of this “mixture” of religions and it’s also a great representation of the phenomenon of “subsidence“, the sinking of buildings over time.
Dante is probably the most important poet of Italy’s history and despite his strong connection to Florence, where he was born and where he was a well-known politician, he lived in Ravenna for a long time and his Tomb is found in the city center. September is the month dedicated to him, so if you come by around that period try to attend one of the many events the city holds!
Other monuments you should check out: Battistero Neoniano, Museo Arcivescovile, Basilica Sa Francesco, … They are all very close to each other!
Here’s my suggested itinerary
STARTING POINT: Porta Adriana.
Along this first part of Via Cavour you will be surrounded by shops of famous clothing brands… but also some hidden spots… Caffè Corte Cavour for example.
At some point you will reach a triangular square, called Piazza Andrea Costa: here on the left there is the indoor market where you can shop for food or spend some time in the upstairs library. Head right onto Via IV Novembre!
Stop for a quick lunch with traditional food at “La Piadina del Melarancio“. Whether or not you stopped for a piadina, continue your walk until you reach the main square of the city: Piazza del Popolo. Take the small street out of the square, right behind the Two Pillars: Via Cairoli will soon change its name to Via Corrado Ricci, and lead you to Piazza San Francesco, with the homonymous Church mentioned earlier!
On the way there you will walk in front of this very unique restaurant: Ca De Ven. Visit the Church and admire Dante’s Tomb, then head down Via Dante Alighieri, before turning right onto Via Angelo Mariani. At the end of the street you will find a bigger road called Via di Roma: to the right you will see the tower of Basilica di Sant’Apolinnare Nuovo, go visit it or turn left and then right, heading towards the train station.
You will see a small parking lot to the left, head down that street to the Park of Rocca Brancaleone. Walk around the Rocca and take the bridge over the railway. On your left you will find the entrance to the Mausoleum of Theodoric and its immense park!
End the day with a walk along the city’s Darsena, the old port of Ravenna. The area is still developing, so there aren’t many restaurants yet, but Darsenale is definitely the best choice in town if you want to taste some brewed beer and great food!
Places to eat:
Restaurants
- Osteria Passatelli – located right downtown, this restaurant serves traditional dishes, sometimes with a twist
- Antica Trattoria al Gallo – an historical restaurant that will blow you away in no time!
- Osteria Tempo Perso – located right next to San Vitale Basilica, this traditional osteria offers some fancier options
- Lowenhaus – craving the pub atmosphere? This is the place for you. Hang out here and listen to live music.
- Berc – pizza is a Southern thing, so if you want to taste authentic Neapolitan pizza, this is the place to go!
- La Mucca Viola – sometimes you just need a burger, but why not go for something unique? Trust me on this one.
- Trattoria al Cerchio – another great option for some traditional recipes! Il Cerchio has proven to be one of the best.
Gelato and pastries
- Pasticceria Dante – if you are looking for a local experience, head here in the morning and order an espresso with a pastry!
- 3 sorelle – probably the most famous pastry shop in town! Check out any location for a great time.
- Papilla Gelateria – right downtown, this place gets packed with high school and university students.
- Voglia di Gelato – my personal favorite! Winter, summer, whatever the season, this is the some of the best gelato ever.
Lastly: one-day trips from Ravenna
- Teatro Socjale – did you know you can combine going to the theatre and tasting traditional food? Get a ticket and find out.
- Russi (Palazzo San Giacomo, Villa Romana di Russi) – check out this small town hidden gems before everyone else does.
- Comacchio – a little taste of Venice… And eel of course! Walk the steps of Comacchio’s fishermans or go for a bike ride.
- Abbazia di Pomposa – a bit of an isolated monument, but totally worth your time. Learn about ancient pilgrim routes 🙂
- Bologna – GUIDE AVAILABLE! – The home of the world’s oldest university: such a different culture and cuisine, so nearby!
- Brisighella – the hills around Ravenna are stunning. This is just one of the many towns where you can start hiking from.
- Saline di Cervia – salt cultivation is a very weird concept. Go learn more about it in Cervia, a very interesting coastal town.
- Marina di Ravenna – part of the “Riviera Romagnola”, Ravenna’s beaches are mainly known for beach volleyball games!
- Rimini – this roman city is just a short train ride away: great nightlife and concerts await you… As well as good food.
- Ferrara – with its castle and its Renaissance heritage, this city will take your breath away in just a day.