Ravenna is a town of 156,475 inhabitants in the province of Ravenna, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is the capital of its province.
The municipality covers 652.89 km², with a density of 240 inhabitants per km².
The nearest airport is Forlì (FRL), about 27 km away as the crow flies. Read our guide to the airport.
Why visit
Byzantine mosaics. Discover Emilia-Romagna
Things to see in Ravenna
The city of mosaics
Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire, of the Ostrogoth king Theodoric and of Byzantine Italy. From those centuries it keeps the finest early Christian mosaics in the world: eight monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What to see
The basilica of San Vitale, with the imperial mosaics of Justinian and Theodora, and the small Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, with its starry blue vault, are the highlights. Then come Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, with its processions of saints and virgins, the Neonian and Arian baptisteries and the Mausoleum of Theodoric. A few kilometres out, Sant'Apollinare in Classe has a green apse of extraordinary beauty. Ravenna is also where Dante died: his tomb is in the centre.
Food
Piadina, cappelletti, passatelli, squacquerone cheese and the salt of Cervia.
Around Ravenna
The beaches of the Lidi Ravennati, Cervia and its salt pans, Milano Marittima, the Po Delta lagoons, Faenza, Brisighella and Comacchio. Bologna airport is just over an hour away.
Ravenna on the map
Nearby towns
Where to stay in and around Ravenna
Tours and activities nearby
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