Ravenna: Worldwide Capital of Mosaics

Ravenna is celebrated worldwide for its mosaics, its basilicas (S. Vitale and S. Apollinare) and its mausoleums (such as Galla Placidia) and this is why UNESCO has put 8 ancient Ravenna buildings on the "World Heritage" list.

The city was the major political and cultural centre of the West in the epoch of the decline of the Roman world and was capital of the Empire and seat of the imperial fleet in the port of Classe, whose remains today represent an archaeological site of great interest. It was also the centre of the Roman-Barbaric kingdom of the Ostrogothic king Theodoric and later still, capital of the Byzantine Exarchate for almost two centuries. Ravenna's mosaics and basilicas represent incomparable traces of that period.

Ravenna also offers evocative testimony of more recent ages: such as the Giotto school frescoes of S. Chiara, the Baroque of the apse in S. Apollinare Nuovo, Dante Alighieri's last refuge and the buildings where Lord Byron pursued love before leaving for his last romantic exploit.

Ravenna is Roman, Gothic, Byzantine, but also medieval, Venetian. It is also a contemporary, civilised and welcoming city, rich in cultural and internationally prestigious events. Many internationally acclaimed theatrical, ballet, opera and concert events take place in the city, the most important of which is the concert event "Ravenna Festival", which has become an international musical appointment since the 90s, offering in June and July high level events of symphony, opera, chamber and ethnic music.

But the city of Ravenna is not only rich in history and art. The reasons why it is one of the most visited Italian cities, with more than 6 million tourists a year, consist in the different opportunities offered by the Emilia-Romagna coast, with its 36 km of beaches and numerous theme parks located less than 1 hour from the passenger port. The Mirabilandia Park (which is only 12 km from the Passenger Terminal) offers countless shows and wonderful attractions and, thanks to its 1.6 million tickets sold, represents the second theme park in Italy in number of visitors. In the Emilia-Romagna coast in addition to having fun doing sport (golf, tennis, horse-riding, cycling, beach volley, swimming, wind-surfing, sailing, jet-skiing, water-skiing), dance parties and "happy hours" are organised on the beach, while countless venues offer a wide choice for dance-lovers.