Villa S. Maria in Foris, Ravenna
Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna  The origins of the Villa Santa Maria in Foris go back to the 4th century AD and an ancient temple dedicated to ancient Roman hero, Hercules. Through the centuries, various important buildings have stood on this site, including a church and a noble villa, home to a line of noble families of Ravenna. View hotel Double rooms from €58
Hotel Palazzo Galletti Abbiosi, Ravenna
Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna  The Hotel Palazzo Galletti Abbiosi was once a palace for one of Ravenna's aristocratic families. The beautiful 18th century building has now been elegantly restructured and renovated - an artful combining of the old and modern to create a superb contemporary hotel. View hotel Double rooms from €47
Hotel Centrale Byron, Ravenna ***
Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna  This simple little family-run hotel in Ravenna has an excellent location just off the central Piazza del Popolo; it lies within easy walking distance of all the city's wonderful churches with their renowned mosaic decoration and the town's excellent covered market. View hotel Double rooms from €50
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Once the seat of the Holy Roman Empire, Ravenna has more than its share of cultural and historic treasures, with buildings from the Classical era and a particular wealth of Byzantine artwork. The court was relocated from Milan in 402AD by a panicking Emperor Honorius who wisely decided to flee the invading Goths. In those days Ravenna sat on Italy's Adriatic coast, though the waters have receded 11km since, with a canal now linking the city to the sea. The Goths eventually arrived and annexed this rich Roman city of course, building and embellishing it further, before being supplanted by Byzantine forces, who made Ravenna an outpost of the Eastern Roman Empire. The town fell to the Papal States, Vienna, the Cisalpine Republic and eventually ... Italy. Confused? The history of central and northern Italy can do that to you, but the results are there for us to enjoy in the shape of an extraordinary legacy of architecture and art. Box-ticking visitors have to see the eight early Christian jewels which comprise the Ravenna UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Neonian Baptistery and Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Arian Baptistry, the Archepiscopal Chapel, the Mausoleum of Theodoric, and the Basilicas of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, San Vitale and Sant' Apollinare in Classe. All date from the 5th and 6th centuries AD, with the mosaics at San Vitale being generally acknowledged as the greatest examples of Byzantine art still in existence. Important churches include Spirito Santo (5th century), Basilica of St Francis (10th-11th), the Baroque churches of Santa Maria Maggiore and San Giovanni Battista, and the 18th century facade of Santa Maria in Porto. To the left you'll find a selection of Ravenna hotels, just to whet your appetite. See also Ravenna hotels (full listings) and our Ravenna hotel map. |
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