Ravenna is a city unique in the world, of ancient origins and a glorious past, where art, culture and history have enjoyed an endless dialogue. From the 5th Century AD, it was the capital three times: during the final stages of the Western Roman Empire (402-403), under Theodoric and the Goths (493-596) and the Byzantines (553-751). The precious mosaics stored in the city's Paleochristian and Byzantine buildings are the proof of that unrivalled greatness. Ravenna was therefore the major political and cultural centre of the West in the centuries that saw the decline of Roman civilization but, from the Middle Ages until today, it became enriched by other important monuments, such as the Brancaleone Fortress, the Classense Library, the Municipal Tower, the monumental doors to access the city centre, Dante's tomb.

 

Dante and Ravenna:

Dante left Verona for good in 1317 and spent the final years of his life in Ravenna, a guest--along with his children Pietro, Jacopo and Antonia--of Guido da Polenta. During his stay in Ravenna, the poet devoted himself to finishing the Paradiso, also helped by the fact that the city's lord, who even gave him diplomatic missions and chancery duties, never expected continuous and effective service as secretariat. It was probably here that Dante created a sort of small coterie with some distinguished students, including Guido Novello himself. There are some explicit references to Ravenna or figures related to the city throughout the Divine Comedy. During his years in Ravenna, Dante was certainly in Verona in 1320 to present his Latin work to the public (Questio de aqua et de Terra) and in Venice in 1321 as speaker in an ambassadorial mission on behalf of Guido Novello da Polenta, concerning a dispute with the Venetians over the salt trade. On his way back from that trip, on the night between the 13th and 14th of September, he died of malaria, which he contracted by travelling through the swamps of Comacchio.

 

The story of his bones:

Dante's body was laid to rest in a sarcophagus placed under the outer portico of the Franciscan monastery, to the left of the façade of the Basilica of San Francesco. The Florentines were quick to reclaim the bones and in 1519, Pope Leo X, of the Medici family, granted the request. But when they opened the sarcophagus, it was empty. It was the Franciscans themselves who stole the bones, by drilling a hole in the sarcophagus and the wall of their monastery in which it was resting. The bones remained hidden in the monastery until 1810, when the Franciscans had to leave due to the Napoleonic laws. But before leaving the building, they hid the urn behind a walled door of the Braccioforte's Quadrarco. In 1885, the urn was found by chance, during some works made on occasion of the 600th anniversary of the poet's birth. After this discovery, the bones were placed in the tomb at the shrine designed in 1780 by the architect Camillo Morigia.

 

The monuments:

The mosaics: these are the most emblematic testament to Ravenna's glorious past. Dante had the opportunity to see these works, unique in the world, and draw inspiration from them for his Divine Comedy.  The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (386-452) is a Christian funerary monument in the shape of a Latin cross, built for the sister of the Byzantine Emperor Honorius.

The building is virtually intact, both its structure and the mosaics that embellish the ceiling and inner walls. The dome represents the sky, and is the most important part of the decoration, and in its centre is the Cross of the Resurrection, the symbol of eternal life. The Basilica of San Vitale is the seat of the cathedra of the Archbishop of Ravenna, and is considered one of the greatest works of late Roman art, famous for the mosaics commissioned by Archbishop Maximian (546/556 AD) with the figures of the Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora. The Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, built between 493 and the beginning of the 6th century, is the most important evidence of the meeting between Romanitas and Barbaritas, between Arian and Catholic worship. The mosaic is arranged in three sections: the upper part, the oldest, includes 26 scenes inspired by the New Testament. The middle section depicts 32 prophets, 16 on each side, a true masterpiece of iconography. The lower segment depicts a magnificent procession of Saints, both men and women. The Baptistry of Neon, whose floor is dominated by a marble pulpit, is famous thanks to the mosaics of the dome, commissioned by Bishop Neon. The "heavenly garden", the Kingdom of God overlooking the neophytes baptised here, is of great iconological value It's a garden-paradise, where plants, flowers and birds are arranged with refined artistic sensitivity. The Archdiocesan Museum built in 1734 is the first diocesan Museum in Italy. The exhibition itinerary alternates between historical places, archaeological finds and works of art. Particularly interesting and relevant, are the mosaics of the apse, in an ancient cathedral named after Bishop Ursus (396 AD), amongst which the image of the Virgin in prayer stands out for its elegant design. Lastly, a visit to the Museum has a thrilling surprise: the Chapel of the Archbishop of Sant'Andrea, built as a private oratory by Peter II, bishop of Ravenna (494-519), decorated with splendid mosaics dating from the beginning of the 5th Century. The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe is located about 5 km from the centre of Ravenna. The Basilica was built in the first half of the 6th century, financed by Julianus Argentarius for Ursicinus, bishop of Ravenna. Inside the basilica the walls are bare, except for the apse, covered in mosaics dating from various periods. In the lower part of the apse, there is a mosaic depicting a green valley with flowers, rocks, bushes, plants and trees. In the centre stands the stately figure of Saint Apolllinaris, the first bishop of Ravenna, with his arms raised in prayer.

The Tomb of Dante: This monument, built around 1780, is in the shape of a neoclassical shrine crowned by a small dome. Inside is Dante's tomb, above which a bas-relief depicts Dante looking thoughtful in front of a lectern. Currently, this tomb is a national monument, and it is surrounded by a buffer of silence and respect, called Dante's Zone.

The Quadrarco of Braccioforte: located to the side of Dante's tomb, it was originally an oratory. Its name seems to come from a legend of two people who invoked here, as a guarantor of their contract, the "strong arm" of the Saviour, who was depicted here. The urn containing Dante's bones was hidden here from 1810 until 1885, as the behest of the Franciscan friars.

Basilica of San Francesco: The church was built around the middle of the 5th century at the behest of the Bishop Neon who dedicated it to the Apostles. It has been altered over the centuries. It is known as "Dante's Church" because the poet came here to pray and meditate. It was here that his funeral was held by the Signoria of the Da Polenta and the people.

Da Polenta houses: The most distinguished of the Da Polenta residences (the so-called "Casa di Francesca", Francesca's home) is on Via Zagarelli alle Mura. The Da Polenta settled in the city between the 12th and the 13th century: the family had dominance over Ravenna beginning in 1275, when Guido Minore da Polenta, the father of Francesca da Rimini, the protagonist of Canto V of the Inferno, chased his political adversaries from the city. They ruled until 1441, when their rule was succeeded by the Republic of Venice. On today's Via Corrado Ricci, you can find the old Palazzo Rasponi-Bellenghi, which perhaps belonged to the Da Polenta and was built by Guido Novello before 1318. Cesare Raspioni purchased it and expanded it in the 16th century. The place where Palazzo Lovatelli-Brandolini is currently located, was the location of the Domus Magna of the Da Polenta, and two other adjoining houses preceded by a portico and connected by Via Zagarelli alle Mura. The owner was Lamberto da Polenta, who died in 1316.

The Dante Museum: Inaugurated in 1921 to mark the 600th anniversary of his death, this museum houses works related to the Poet and his writings. A special section displays documents, scale models, projects and materials from the creation of the sepulchre and the donations brought to the tomb over various Dante anniversaries, as well as the wooden box that contained Dante's bones between 1667 and 1865.

The Dante Centre of the Friars Minor Conventual: consisting of the Library and Museum, it originated as an idea of Father Severino Ragazzini on the eve of the 700th anniversary of the Great Poet's birth (1965). In addition to collecting, valuing and protecting the diverse bibliographic and documentary material related to Dante's works, the centre offers an original and important contribution to the varied approach to the poet. On the one hand, an in-depth study of the spiritual aspects, on the other the dissemination of his art through conventions, conferences, readings, educational activities, fairs, and exhibitions.

The Basilica of Santa Maria in Porto: Legend tells us that in this church, the angels, through the sea, came to place in Peter the Sinner's hands the marble image of the Greek Virgin Mary. The Praying Virgin is currently preserved in the basilica of Santa Maria in Porto, located on Via Roma.

Classense Library: this historical library is located inside the Camaldoli Abbey. Inside the halls and along the corridors, you can admire the works of many artists, from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The Aula Magna or Library is absolutely outstanding, built between the 17th and 18th century by the Abbot Pietro Canneti, adorned with statues, stuccoes and finely carved wooden shelves and decorated with frescoes and paintings by Francesco Mancini. The library houses a huge collection of volumes from a variety of types of documents: antique and modern printed works, manuscripts, etchings, maps, photographs, archive documents and multimedia materials. Overall, the Classense Library's collection of printed works is estimated at around 800,000 units.

Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra (Stone Carpets Domus): an extraordinary archaeological site, one of the most important discovered in recent decades. It is a complex of superimposed building structures that can be dated from the era of the Roman Republic (3rd-2nd century BC) through to the Byzantine period. After they were restored, beginning in 2002, the Stone Carpets were relocated to the site where they were discovered, an underground location created specifically, and which the public can access through the Church of Sant'Eufemia.

The Classe Pine Forest: "La pineta in sul lito di Chiassi" (Purgatorio, Canto XXVIII) is mentioned when Dante and Virgil enter the enchanting forest of the earthly Paradise, "La divina foresta spessa e viva". Located to the south of Ravenna, in the area between Classe and Cervia, it is considered a true natural heritage, rightly included among the protected areas of the Po Delta Park.