The guided tour of two days will lead you to the discovery of one of the most extraordinary cities of northern Italy: Ravenna, the capital of mosaics.

Although uncertain in its foundation, Ravenna was the capital three times (of Western Roman Empire), of the Kingdom of Ostrogoths and of Byzantine Exarchate), enriching with treasures of art and culture which, in 1996, earned it the inscription in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the “Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna”.

During our visit we will have the opportunity to visit these places of great historical and artistic value. The Basilica of San Vitale, an exemplary combination of Italian and Byzantine craftsmen, is decorated with splendid mosaics which, together with the light that filters from different angles thanks to the particular architectural structure of the building, create an environment rich in mystical charm. Under a vault of stars, in the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, built between 425 and 450 by the Empress daughter of Theodosius, we will be able to discover one of the first representations of the Good Shepherd (allegory of Christ).

Among the walls of the Baptistery of the Arians, an octagonal construction dating back to the 5th century, we will find the testimony of the cult of the Ostrogoth king Theodoric, of which we will also visit the massive Mausoleum, famous as the most beautiful work of Ostrogoth funerary art. The stone monolith above the mausoleum is surprising: almost 11 meters in diameter, 3 meters high and weighing about 230 tons.

We will visit the basilicas of Sant’Apollinare in Classe and Sant’Apollinare Nuovo dedicated to the first Bishop of Ravenna, of which both have kept the remains (transferred in the 9th century from Sant’Apollinare in Classe, which is located outside the walls, to Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, built by Theodoric as an Arian cult church and later converted to the Catholic church). Dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi in 1261 and place of the last farewell to the great poet Dante Alighieri on September 14th 1321, the Basilica of St. Francis amazes the visitor above all for his Crypt (dating from the 5th century and used to preserve the remains of the Bishop Neone) who, being below sea level, is invaded by water and fish …

Then we will visit one of the most beautiful abbeys in northern Italy, the Abbey of Pomposa, a monastic center immersed in the green that after the year 1000 saw its period of greatest flowering. The decorative plant, made by Bolognese craftsmen with oriental Persian and Syriac influences, is rich in Christian allegories. In the refectory of the monastery you can admire the most precious frescoes cycle of the Abbey, made by the Master of Tolentino and other works of Giotto school.

The trip to Ravenna, with overnight stay in a 4-star hotel and half-board treatment, will be the perfect opportunity to rediscover this beautiful city and its polychrome treasures.

What is included

• private motor coach transportation as per itinerary
• overnight stay (1 night) in 4 * Hotel with half board (dinner and breakfast) in a double room. Single room supplement: € 35
• tourist tax
• Lunch in a selected restaurant near Pomposa
• entrance fee to all sites as per itinerary (Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Basilica of San Vitale, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Arian Baptistery, Mausoleum of Theodoric, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, Pomposa Abbey)
• guided tour as scheduled (Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Basilica of San Vitale, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Basilica of San Francesco, Arian Baptistery, Mausoleum of Theodoric, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, Pomposa Abbey.
• headsets during the sightseeing tours

What is not included

• Transport to reach the meeting point
• Food and beverage  (if not indicated in the program)
• Tips (optional)
• Personal Extras

To be remembered

• Cancel up to 60 days for a full refund
• 50% refund between 59 and 30 days before the start of the tour
• No refund within 30 days before the start of the tour

The experiences on scheduled dates are in partnership with MILANOGUIDA.

For information and guided tours

Mail duomoviaggi@duomoviaggi.it

Via S.Antonio, 5 MILANO Italy

See general sales conditions here.