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Palazzetto Veneziano (15th c.), Piazza del Popolo, Ravenna, Italy. Photo by Georges Jansoone on

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Ravenna, Italy

Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. This city was also the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 402 AD till the collapse of the empire in 476.

The origin of Ravenna is still not that clear as well as where the name originated from. It is believed that the oldest archaeological evidence was found in the 5th century BC which was before the arrival of the Romans.

After the collapse of the Roman empire, Ravenna served as the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom. This role was until it was re-conquered by the Byzantine Empire in 540.

Ravenna is an inland city but is connected to the Adriatic Sea by the Candiano Canal. The city is majorly known for its well-preserved late Roman and Byzantine architecture.

Eight buildings comprise the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna being one of the monuments. In the modern era, Ravenna has served several roles.

It is an administrative region, and industrial area, it also serves as an education centre and several tourists visit this city to view the monuments. Other than this, Ravenna is an area where several sporting activities take place.

Below are the top 10 Outstanding Facts about Ravenna, Italy:

1. Ravenna has Served as a Capital City during Various Regimes

Ravenna has been a strategic and important city in Italy. The origin nor exact date of the establishment are not known. However, this city has served as a great administrative centre since the early centuries.

It has been a capital city under various regimes. It was first the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 402 until the collapse of the empire in 476.

During the Ostrogothic Kingdom, Ravenna also served as a capital. It was a capital city until it was re-conquered by the Byzantine Empire in 540.

The city became the centre of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna until the Lombards executed the last exarch. Ravenna is currently the capital city of the Province of Ravenna located in Northern Italy.

2. The City has Significant Monuments

Ravenna, Province of Ravenna, Italy. Photo by Alkhimov Maxim on

Ravenna city was ruled by the Roman empire and Byzantine Empire. These empires were known for their great architectural designs.

Several monuments and early centuries architectural buildings are in Ravenna. Eight building comprising the UNESCO World Heritage Site 鈥淓arly Christian Monuments of Ravenna鈥� is among them.

Other monuments of Ravenna city include The basilica of Santa Maria in Porto and many others.

3. It is a Major Tourist Attraction with Stocked Museums

Ravenna welcomes thousands of tourists from across the world every year. The tourists are attracted to the beautiful architecture of the city and the monuments.

Ravenna is a historic city that holds a great history of the Roman empire. Two of the most visited sites in Ravenna are the National Museum and the Archiepiscopal Museum.

The National Museum which is also known as Museo Nazionale di Ravenna displays historical artefacts of the city. Some of the collections are archaeological, artistic and artisanal objects. This museum is located in the Benedictine monastery of San Vitale via San Vitale, Ravenna.

The Archiepiscopal Museum is located next to the Baptistery of Neon. This museum preserves the relics of Christians of Ravenna.

The relics include fragments of mosaic from the first cathedral church and Chapel of Sant鈥橝ndrea. This is also the most visited.

4. Annual Ravenna Festival is Hosted in the City

Ravenna, Province of Ravenna, Italy. Photo by karel291 on

Ravenna city is a fun place to be due to the beautiful activities which take place here. Among them is an annual Ravenna festival.

This festival is one of Italy鈥檚 prominent classical music gatherings. Several activities take place during the festival period including Opera performances.

The opera performances take place at Teatro Alighieri and concerts at the Palazzo Mauro de Andre. The ancient Basilica of San Vitale and Basilica of Sant鈥橝pollinare also holds concerts. Performers across the world usually attend with the prominent Chicago Symphony Orchestra music director Riccardo Muti also being a regular attendee.

5. Ravenna鈥檚 Industrialised Area was used to Film a Movie

Ravenna city is more developed and has beautiful scenes to be used for commercial and entertainment purposes. A section of the city was used to film a movie by a prominent actor.

Renowned actor Michelangelo Antonioni filmed his movie in the industrial area of Ravenna. His 1964 movie Red Desert was shot within the industrialised areas of the Pialassa valley.

6. There are Two Amusement Parks in Ravenna

Parco Safari Ravenna. Photo by Emanuela Meme Giudic on

Ravenna is also a special entertainment joint for children where they can have fun. There are two major amusement parks in Ravenna city.

These amusement parks are Mirabinadia and Safari Ravenna. Mirabilandia is a 210-acre theme park that is located in Savio, a frazione of Ravenna.

It has a total area of 850,000 Square metres making it the biggest park in Italy. Safari Ravenna is a safari park and zoo created in 2012 near Mirabilandia.

It occupies an area of about 340,000 Square metres. Visitors can see the animals while in the cars or trains.

7. The City has an Important Commercial and Tourist Port

The transport system in Ravenna city is among the best in the world. Ravenna has an important commercial and tourist port which have opened up to other areas.

The Ravenna railway station operates in Bologna, Ferrara, Lecce, Milan, Parma, Rimini and Verona. Ravenna Airport is the largest airport in the city.

There are other commercial airports including those of Forli, Rimini and Bologna. Ravenna also has Freeways which operate on various routes.

8. Ravenna has Twin Towns-Sister Cities

The city has relationships with other towns and cities to promote cultural and commercial ties. Some of the towns that Ravenna is twinned with our Chichester in England, Speyer in Germany and Chartres in France.

Ravenna was twinned with Chichester since 1996, with Speyer since 1989 and Charters since 1957. This helped these places develop well.

9. The City has a Traditional Football Club and Promotes Sports

Ravenna Football Club. Photo by JonaBR on

Several sporting activities do take place in the city of Ravenna. The city has its traditional football club known as Ravenna F.C.

Ravenna football club currently plays in the third tier of Italian football, Serie C. There is another club which is linked to a town near Ravenna city which plays in Serie D. Ravenna beaches hosted the 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in September 2011.

10. Several Notable People Resided and were from Ravenna

Ravenna city might not be among the world鈥檚 popular cities, but it is known for its rich history and culture. Several notable people around the world came from Ravenna city.

Some of these notable people include Valentinian the third who was a Roman Emperor, Matteo Plazzi an Italian sailor, Laura Pausini an Italian pop singer, Raul Gardini a famous businessman and many others.

Ravenna city is a nice place to create memories and enjoy vacations over. It might be a small Italian city but the dishes, culture and environment are worth experiencing.