Ravenna is a little town (only 135.000 inhabitants) in Northern Italy (I must say it's my hometown) by the Adriatic sea and it's famous all over the world for its mosaics (it's been capital of Western Roman Empire) and in any period of the year is possible to see comitives of tourists from every part of the world that beyond to the pleasure of visiting several basilicas (first of all San Vitale, but also 2 Sant'Apollinare ones, "New" in Via Roma and the other,maybe the most beautiful, in Classe 8 kms from Ravenna), the mausoleum of Teodorico and Galla Placidia does not scorn also one beautiful visit to the shops of the center.
Unfortunately you can't enter in the center of Ravenna by car, you must park outside (and maybe the parkings are not enough) and then use a rentable bike or by feet to visit it.
The center of Ravenna is an example of as ancient (San Vitale and Galla Placidia are approximately 1500 years old) and modern (the shops) can coexist to little distance one from the other. Absolutely to see.
San Vitale is the reproduction of another basilica in Istanbul, octagonal shape, and the most beautiful mosaics are the one with emperor Giustiniano (and his court) and the empress Teodora and her maids.
A few steps from San Vitale and Galla Placidia there is the main street for the shops: Via Cavour.
Perhaps Via Cavour can be defined the street of the clothes shops! There are at least a ten that sell this article kind; perhaps the most beautiful and supplied are Nick & Sons, Tagiuri(very good but very expensive) and Vianello (advised for men dresses above all) .
Near Galla Placidia and San Vitale in the zone Via Cavour - Via Argentario there are a lot of shops selling reproductions of our mosaics, created by the students of our advanced school for the mosaic and often they are masterpieces but they have rather high prices (1 small can cost even 200 pounds) and they are the souvenirs preferred by Japanese and the Germans.
Via Cavour is also the street of the jewelry shops, in particular Gambi and Serafini that are the most "ancient" in Ravenna and also the most attended. If you want to visit a beautiful gift store go to Caletti but pay attention to the prices, it's very expensive but you will be able to find almost anything.
If you want to do "a regenerating " stop I can suggest "Le loverie di Giorgioni" (Giorgioni's candies) where you can find hundreds or maybe thousands various types of assorted candies, chocolates and so on or to drink an optimal chocolate in cup (the best I have never drunk) or a very good coffee in a very particular atmosphere go to "Verderame".
Walking on towards Piazza del Popolo is possible to find another street with a lot of shops, Via Salara above all for its gift stores.
Now we arrive in Piazza del Popolo and you can see 2 beautiful columns in venetian style of Sant'Apollinare and San Vitale and our town hall in venetian style,too and if you are a collector I can suggest a coins and stamps shop.
Near Piazza del Popolo we perhaps find my favourite street: Via Cairoli (very narrow and the transit is forbidden even to the bicycles), above all for the optics and shoe shops and the seat of the Ravenna Festival (an old cinema) where during the year you can visit expositions.
Other streets to remember Via Diaz that connects Piazza del Popolo to Viale Farini (to see San Giovanni Evangelista church) and the railway Station with his Battistero degli Ariani (wonderful!).
In the Middle Ages Ravenna was conquered by Venice and they constructed a wonderful rock well conserved and with a park inside and now you can visit it free and in July a good Jazz Festival took place here.
Ravenna is 12 kms from the seaside, our sea is not as good as the Sardinia but in these last years it's quite good.
The most important towns by the seaside are Marina di Ravenna, Punta Marina and Milano Marittima, full of hotels, pubs, discos, restaurants for every kind of tourist and budget!
Every 20 minutes from the bus station (in front of the railway station) buses leave for the seaside and the fee is very cheap (only 80 p) and our local hostel is near our stations and you can sleep paying "only" 10-12 pounds.
Ravenna is little and in 2-3 days you can visit it all but from Ravenna by car or by train you can go to Bologna, Florence, Venice, other very important towns for a complete and interesting holiday in the Northern Italy!
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