I arrived in the evening at the Palazzo Galletti Abbiosi, an easy 8-10 minute walk from the train station. It is a lovely building with very high ceilings and its own chapel. Breakfast was very good and included DIY blood orange juice. In the morning, a pleasant walk through the historic center took me to my first stop, the Basilica of San Vitale with its beautiful Byzantine mosaics and marble columns and the adjacent Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and more wonderful mosaics. A short walk away was my next stop, the Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra, with 6th century mosaic floors. While I am pleased I visited, I would rank it least favorite on my Ravenna agenda. From there I stopped to admire the 16th century Porta Adriana and found my way to the Neonian Baptistry, yet another mosaic “wow,” and just around the corner from the Museo Arcivescovile, with many beautiful exhibits and, yes, another mosaic “wow.” After a kind gentleman pointed me in the right direction, I found my hotel again, and went to the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist (free, open until 6 pm and across the street). After a short rest, I went to dinner at Ca de Ven, and very tasty and a fun experience it was.
Day 2 began with a short bus ride to Classe to see another mosaic “wow,” San Apollinare. The next world heritage site on my list was the Basilica of San Apollinare Nuovo. The audio guide was very good, bring binoculars. My last stop was the Aryan Baptistry, and, need I say it, a mosaic “wow.”
I missed the San Nicolo Complex, which was closed to organize a new exhibition, and the Oratory of San Andrea, which was closed for restoration.
It’s a bit of a schlep to get to Ravenna, but definitely well worth it.