Classhotel Ravenna, Ravenna ****
Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna  Classhotel Ravenna lies on Viale Della Lirica, two kilometres out of the centre of historic Ravenna. This modern Ravenna hotel, with air conditioned rooms, each with minibar, pay TV, bathroom, phone, work desk and hairdryer, offers all the contemporary comforts. Yet historic Ravenna is within easy reach. View hotel Double rooms from €64
Hotel Sant'Andrea, Ravenna ***
Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna  The Hotel Sant'Andrea is a charming little hotel right in the city centre of Ravenna. It's set just off the pedestrian area, and only 150 metres from the Basilica di San Vitale, world famous for its collection of mosaics. Most of the other main sights are within walking distance. View hotel Double rooms from €50
Hotel Bisanzio, Ravenna ****
Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna  Hotel Bisanzio, Ravenna - this four-star Ravenna hotel is right in the heart of town, on Via Salara. Its neighbours are the most elegant downtown stores and a selection of good trattorias and restaurants. Traffic is restricted round here, making this the perfect base for enjoying Ravenna. View hotel Double rooms from €82
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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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