We got up very early (5:30A) so we could get cleaned up and eat before trying to make a train just before 10A to Ravenna – otherwise it’s after noon.

A room in the Ferrara hotel – it’s quite modern

We checked out (too bad – this was one of the best hotels we’ve stayed in) and made the 9:22A train! It stopped everywhere…

We made it to Ravenna and the hotel, Hotel Bisanzio. The room wasn’t ready when we arrived so we left our bags and went looking for lunch. We stopped at the local tourist information shop since it was on the way.

A bicycle rental stand – bicycles are used all over the place

We ate quick sandwiches at a little place called Cupido – simple, quick and tasty sandwiches made with Italian flatbread.

Pizzaria Cupido card (back)

Pizzaria Cupido card (front)

We started our tour with the Museo Nazionale di Ravenna; this is part of a complex with the Basilica Di San Vitale and Mausoleo Di Galla Placida. The only part of the museum we visited were the frescoes from Santa Chiara – they are quite lovely – we did walk around two cloisters which had some sculptures.

Ticket for Museo Nazionale di Ravenna

Yes that’s me taking a break on some marble

This was a weird looking sculpture hanging in one of the cloisters

One of the funerary sculptures

One of the funerary sculptures

The sign for the museum

We then went to the Basilica, which is amazing – the mosaics were amazing.

One of a pair of newer frescoes inside the basilica

Part of the ceiling mosaics

The fabulous mosaic over the altar – it’s brilliant gold!

One of the side mosaics

One of the side mosaics

One of the more interesting floor mosaics

The rear facade

A very early buttress design holds up the walls

One of the towers

A niche inside the basilica – note the black ‘ball’

The main ceiling

Lastly we visited the Mausoleo, which is a small cross-shaped brick building – the mosaics were wonderful. There are three very old tombs inside, one dating back to around 500AD.

The windows are thin marble and quite lovely in the sunlight

One of the arch mosaics

Detail of one of the side arch mosaics

One of the arch mosaics

One of the arch mosaics

A detail of the dome mosaic

One of the arch mosaics

Aviva with one of the old tombs

The facade

We walked over to Piazza Duomo and sat in the park for an hour (I almost fell asleep a couple times) waiting for things to open after siesta.

Aviva found this on a motorcycle gas tank

Found this on a doorway walking around

To kill time we crossed over to Naturalmente Burger and had Coke Zero with fresh strawberries, which were fabulous!

The Duomo finally opened – it was nice, not one of the more amazing duomos I’ve experienced in Italy.

The crucifix

A chapel

The old tower

A view to the altar

Looking up at the coppola

A niche

One detail from the ceiling

A detail from the ceiling over the altar

The interior of the dome

The facade

However, next door is the Battistero Neoniano – as usual, the baptistry was really over-decorated and so amazing. I took so many photos in an attempt to map the mosaics.

You can see how the tiles are assembled

A closeup of one of the mosaics

Another detail of one of the mosaics

One of the windows

One of the saints in a ‘corner’ of the battistero

One of the saints in a ‘corner’ of the battistero

One of the saints in a ‘corner’ of the battistero

One of the saints in a ‘corner’ of the battistero

The facade

The center of the ceiling

A combined (panorama) image of the whole ceiling

You can buy one ticket to see a number of the important sights in Ravenna.

The back of the Ravenna ticket

The front of the Ravenna ticket

I took us the wrong way and we ended up at Tamo, which is a museum on mosaics – how they developed and were made. Aviva wasn’t thrilled but I was enthralled.

A reproduction of a floor mosaic

A reproduction of a typical mosaic workshop

Reproduction of a Roman mosaic

Reproduction of a Medieval mosaic

A fresco fragment on the upper wall

Back of the ticket for Tamo

Front of the ticket for Tamo

Tamo pamphlet p. 4

Tamo pamphlet p. 3

Tamo pamphlet p. 2

Tamo pamphlet p. 1

We then walked over to our original destination, Basilica Di San Francesco. The interesting bit about this church is the crypt, which has mosaic floors and they are underwater.

Building next to the church

Looks like a tomb cover put against the wall

The lower floor that’s under water

The facade

Around the corner is the Tomba di Dante Alighieri, which was one of our key targets for today. Dante ended up in Ravenna after he was thrown out of Florence; Dante is a celebrated character in Ravenna. The tomb can be hard to find – it’s typically approached from the garden behind it, which has a bell tower, a mound of ivy with a sign and a garden with tombs and decorative gates.

A gate outside the tomb

A gate outside the tomb

The interior of the dome in the tomb

An interior decoration that looks like a pitcher

A detail of another interior decoration

Another interior decoration

A detail of the door to the tomb

The sign on the mound behind the tomb

A sign on the wall behind the tomb

The bell tower behind the tomb

The sign on the inside of the wall of the tomb

The facade

A view of the tomb

We got back to the hotel and got our room.It’s an old place that’s been redone inside – our room is quite large by Italian terms, with a nice bathroom and a closed-in shower, plus a sitting area separate from the bedroom.

We had dinner at Ristorante la Gardela – it was good if a little slow.

Card for Ristorante la Gardela

A couple of gelatos later and we were in our room ready to crash.

Location:Via Salara,Ravenna,Italy