In the city of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northeastern Italy

 "I care not where my body may take me as long as my soul is embarked on a meaningful journey." -- Dante Alighieri

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(in the Emilia-Romagna region of northeastern Italy) The city of Ravenna, capital of the Province of Ravenna, was the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 402 until the empire collapsed in 476. It then served as the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom until it was again conquered in 540 by the Byzantine Empire. Afterwards, the city formed the center of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna until the last exarch was executed by the Lombards in 751.

+ Although it is an inland city, Ravenna is connected to the Adriatic Sea by the Candiano Canal. It is known for its well-preserved late Roman and Byzantine architecture, with eight buildings comprising the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna." The city is found on a low-lying plain near the confluence of the Ronco and Montone rivers, six miles (~10 km) inland from the sea. The Roman emperor Augustus built the port of Classis, about three miles (5 km) from the city, and by the 1st century BCE Ravenna had become the base for Rome’s naval fleet in the Adriatic.
+ Nothing remains of the ancient Roman structures in Ravenna or of its harbor at Classis. The fame of Ravenna rests instead on the quality and quantity of its 5th–8th-century Christian monuments. As the capital city of the Western Roman Empire for 250 years and a major port of entry for the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire, Ravenna reflects in its art and architecture a fusion of Roman architectural forms with Byzantine mosaics and other decorations.

+ For mosaic lovers, Ravenna is an earthly paradise. Spread out over several churches and baptistries around the city is one of the world's most dazzling collections of early Christian mosaic artwork, enshrined since 1996 on UNESCO's World Heritage list. During its prolonged golden age, while the rest of the Italian peninsula flailed in the wake of Barbarian invasions, Ravenna became a fertile art studio for skilled craftsmen, who covered the city's terracotta brick churches in beautiful mosaics.

+ While here, be sure to visit Dante's tomb, as well as the little pile of rubble where local residents hid his urn during World War II to prevent it from being damaged. Ravenna is also still popular for its 5th-to-8th century Christian monuments, including the mausoleums of Galla Placidia and King Theodoric and the Church of San Vitale (shown here), a masterpiece of Byzantine art. (The National Museum of Antiquities holds an important collection of classical and early Christian antiquities.)

+ To summarize, Ravenna is both the quiet and quaint trip for those looking for a more authentic Italian experience. Not only is it a great place to see remnants from the Middle Ages, but its vistors can also experience Italian music and art, like never before. (Indeed, Ravenna has been consideredone of the most romantic cities in all of Italy, for many years.)