Ravennari is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Eight of the early Christian buildings are included in the World Heritage list. J.J. and I purchased Value Tickets for €9.50 per person which allowed us admissions to 5 of the main attractions including Basilica di San Vitale, Mausoleum di Galla Placidia, Battistero Neoniano, Basilicadus Apollinaire Nuovo and Museo Archiviscovile.
Ravenna is known as a city of mosaics. It has magnificent mosaics adorning many of its ancient buildings. Some of these works date from the 5th and 6th centuries to the Byzantine periods.
The city of Ravenna has a population of 160,000, but Central Ravenna feels small. Ravenna is pedestrian friendly. Special bike lanes are marked with white tiles. We see more bikers than cars and yes, cars stop for pedestrians in Ravenna.
Nadia, an energetic and helpful lady working at the tourist office, also suggested that we stop by a couple of "free" attractions including the Tomb of Dante.
When we mentioned how different Ravenna is to Napoli, Nadia shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well, we are really different countries. Different customs, different people!" At one time, Italy consisted of many small counties. There are many regional differences.
Aloha -- Cathi
