Located on the Adriatic midway between Venice and Florence, Ravenna (pop. 136,000) is best known for the wonderful mosaic decoration of its churches and tombs — relics from its Byzantine past that have no equal in Western Europe.
Eight monuments built over a period of 1,500 years have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Basilica of San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia contain the finest early Byzantine mosaics outside Constantinople itself — extraordinary gold and blue compositions, 1,500 years old and still vivid. The Mausoleum of Theodoric, built from a single 230-ton limestone slab, is an engineering marvel of a different kind. The Baptistery of Neon and the smaller Arian Baptistry round out the mosaic circuit.
Beyond the mosaics, Dante's tomb marks where the exiled poet died in 1321, and the Basilica of San Francesco contains a flooded crypt where goldfish swim over ancient mosaic floors. The city itself is charming, with a lively evening atmosphere around Piazza del Popolo, good restaurants drawing on Emilia-Romagna's celebrated food culture, and easy access to Adriatic beaches.