Cities in Emilia-Romagna

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Interesting Things to See in Ravenna

Ravenna is a city and commune in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The city is inland, but is connected to the Adriatic Sea by a canal. Ravenna once served as the seat of the Roman Empire and later the Ostrogothic kingdom. It is presently the capital of the province of Ravenna.

Eight early Christian monuments of Ravenna are inscribed on the World Heritage List. These are:

• Neonian Baptistery
• Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
• Arian Baptistry
• Archiepiscopal Chapel
• Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
• Mausoleum of Theodoric
• Basilica of San Vitale
• Basilica of Sant' Apollinare in Classe

Other tourist attractions include:

• the ancient church of the Spirito Santo, which has maintained the original lines from the 5th century. It was originally an Arian temple. The façade has a noteworthy 16th century portico with 5 arcades. The church of St. John the Evangelist is also from the 5th century, erected by Galla Placidia after a seastorm. It was restored after the World War II bombings.
• the St. Francis basilica, rebuilt in the 10th-11th centuries over a precedent edifice dedicated to the Apostles and later to St. Peter. Behind the humble brick façade, it has a nave and two aisles. Fragments of mosaics from the primitive church are visible on the floor, which is usually covered by water after heavy rains (together with the crypt). Here the funeral ceremony of Dante Alighieri was held in 1321. The poet is buried in a tomb annexed to the church.
• the Baroque church of Santa Maria Maggiore (525-532, rebuilt in 1671). It houses a picture by Luca Longhi. Also of Baroque style is the church of San Giovanni Battista 1683, with a Middle Ages belfry.
• the basilica of Santa Maria in Porto (16th century), with a rich façade from the 18th century. It has a nave and two aisles, with a high cupola. It houses the image of famous Greek Madonna, which was allegedly brought to Ravenna from Constantinople. The nearby Communal Gallery has various works from Romagnoli painters.
• the Rocca Brancaleone ("Brancaleone Castle"), built by the Venetians in 1457. Once part of the city walls, it is now a public park. It is divided into two parts: the true Castle and the Citadel, the latter having an extent of 14,000 m2.
• the so-called Palace of Theoderic, in fact the entrance to the former church of San Salvatore. it includes mosaics from the true Palace of the Ostrogoth king.
• the church of Santa Eufemia (18th century), gives access to the so-called Stone Carpets Domus (6th-7th century): this houses splendid mosaics from a Byzantine palace.
• the National Museum.

Modified: 2006-12-04 12:54:22+01
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravenna