“…in the solitude
of the pine forest, and the silent shore
which bounds Ravenna’s immemorial wood,
rooted where once the Adrian wave flow’d o’er
to where the last Caesarean fortress stood,
evergreen forest…”Lord Byron
Ravenna Heritage of Humanity
HALF DAY TOUR
3 HOURS MAX – WITH A COMBINED TICKET THAT COSTS € 12,50* PER PERSON
(*This is an all-inclusive ticket for all the monuments of the itinerary)
This itinerary will take you to the discovery of the most famous and interesting monuments of the town: universally known for the splendour of its mosaics, our monuments make Ravenna a special place, unique in the world.
A fascinating journey through time where you can admire the best preserved Italian works of art dating back to the early Christian and Byzantine Era.
The BASILICA OF S. VITALE, the highest expression of early Christian art and architecture; the MAUSOLEUM OF GALLA PLACIDIA, a kind of “magic casket” which contains in its small perfect structure the V century mosaics, considered the most beautiful in the world; the CATHEDRAL BAPTISTERY, an octagonal prism built at the beginning of the V century when Ravenna became capital of the Western Roman Empire; the BASILICA OF SANT’APOLLINARE NUOVO, built by the King Theodoric for the Arian cult as a Palatine Chapel, which preserves the largest wall mosaics that have survived from ancient times.
You will stroll along the historical streets to get to the nice Venetian Piazza del Popolo, you will follow in the footsteps of Dante to discover areas where the poet lived after his exile from Florence.
San Vitale | © P. Forconi
FULL DAY TOUR
5 HOURS MAX
For an in-depth visit of Ravenna and a closer look at the glass manufacture and mosaic art, you can choose to stay a bit longer and complete the tour with the visit of the BASILICA* OF SANT’APOLLINARE IN CLASSE, known above all for the magnificent polychrome mosaics in the apse and the ancient marble sarcophagi placed along the naves.
*(The Basilica is a few kilometers from the city and can be reached by taxi or by bus).
Basilica of S. Apollinare in Classe: adults € 5,00; under 18 free access.
An English Lord in Ravenna
After spending some years in Venice, Lord Byron, the restless romantic English poet already well known all over Europe, in the spring of 1819 arrived in Ravenna which, at that time, was a small provincial town of only 20.000 people. Here he spent nearly three years of his life because he had begun a long affair with the young Countess Teresa Gamba Guiccioli, the poet’s “last attachment”. This itinery focuses on the relationship between Lord Byron and our city, a period that coincides with the last years of his life before leaving for Greece.
Where did Byron live in Ravenna? How did he spend his time? What did he write? How did he feel? Did he miss England?
This Byronic tour will try to answer these questions showing you the most significant places related to the poet’s stay in Ravenna along with the highlights of this ancient city, which preserves one of the world’s most dazzling collections of early Christian mosaic artwork, enshrined since 1996 on Unesco’s World Heritage list.
Read more: “Bad, mad and dangerous to know”
