In Ravenna, you can breathe beauty and spirituality.
Known worldwide for its eight Unesco Monuments – late-antique and Byzantine masterpieces that preserve unique mosaic cycles telling the story of the encounter between East and West – the religious heritage of Ravenna does not end with these eight wonders.
Within the urban fabric, there are other great churches, equally majestic, less known to the general public but deeply rooted in the city's history and devotion. These are places that safeguard sacred images, miraculous events and works of great artistic value, where the echo of great history and the remarkable figures who once lived in Ravenna still resonates.
This itinerary, flat and entirely walkable, starts from the railway station and crosses the historical centre, allowing you to discover a more intimate, authentic, and fascinating side of Ravenna.
Tip
Check the opening hours of the churches, as they may be closed during celebrations.
Not far from Ravenna's railway station, in viale Farini, stands the Basilica of San Giovanni Evangelista. Founded in the 5th century by the will of Galla Placidia, it is one of the city's most ancient churches.
Must-see
Curiosities
Continuing along via di Roma, past the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and Theodoric's Palace, you will come upon the bright facade of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Porto.
The 18th-century façade was designed by Camillo Morigia, who also designed Dante's Tomb.
The basilica hosts the Madonna Greca, which plays a central role in local tradition and is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. It is a bas-relief from the 11th century representing the Virgin in prayer, dressed in a long mantle and with her head covered by the maphorion. Said to have miraculously appeared from the sea on April 8th, 1100, borne by two angels, it allowed itself to be approached only by Pietro degli Onesti.
Curiosities
Pietro degli Onesti, associated with the discovery of the image, is mentioned by Dante Alighieri as Pietro Peccatore in Canto XXI of the Paradiso.
Walking toward the city centre, in the heart of the Zone of Silence, stands the Basilica of San Francesco, which hosted Dante Alighieri's funeral in 1321.
Must-see
The flooded crypt, where goldfish swim among the floor mosaics. A unique, charming and almost surreal view.
Next to the Neonian Baptistery is the city's Cathedral.
The original building was built around 402, when Ravenna became teh capital of the Western Roman Empire. Transformed in the 18th century according to a design by Buonamici, is a treasure chest of works of art.
The Chapel of Madonna del Sudore, a triumph of Baroque style, houses the small miraculous painting – of the 14th-century Rimini school – depicting the crowned Virgin holding a tender and playful Child Jesus.
Curiosities
The title "del Sudore" (lit. of the Sweat) was given in 1512, when during the Battle of Ravenna the Madonna was said to have sweated blood. The magnificent chapel was built by the people of Ravenna as a gesture of gratitude to the Virgin for saving the city from the plague in 1630.
In the heart of the historical centre is the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which shares with the Basilica of San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia a small square and the shade of a splendid centuries-old plane tree.
Built in the 6th century, and enriched by a bell tower dating back to the 9th-10th century, its Baroque interior was designed by Pietro Grossi.
The basilica is especially beloved by the people of Ravenna thanks to a small altar dedicated to Sancta Maria a tumoribus. Among sculptures and fluttering cherubs, a 16th-century fresco depicting the Masonna and child is revealed. Considered miraculous, it is a source of devotion for locals, who invoke it for help and protection – especially in cases of cancer – through a tradition rooted in centuries of practice.
