8 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Ravenna - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Ravenna

Flooded Crypt of San Francesco

Filled with goldfish swimming in a shallow pool of sea water, this ancient crypt is more wishing well than burial site.

Dante's Tomb

Italian poet Dante Alighieri is entombed in this small mausoleum in Ravenna, and his hometown of Florence has never been too happy about it.

Basilica of San Vitale

This 6th-century church has the largest and best-preserved collection of Byzantine mosaics outside Constantinople.

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

An incredible mosaic-lined monument said to have held the remains of an ancient Roman empress.

Mausoleum of Theoderic

The roof of this ancient mausoleum is made from a single Istrian stone weighing a massive 230 tons.

Baptistery of Neon

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung reported a paranormal experience after visiting this mosaic-lined Roman baptistry.

Arian Baptistry

A medieval, mosaic-lined baptistry built by a heretical Christian sect.

Guidarello Guidarelli Funeral Monument

Legend has it that any woman who kissed this statue would soon be married.

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Rome Behind Locked Doors: Music, Magic, and Secret Crypts

Join us as we go beneath Rome’s streets and behind its locked doors to explore hidden and overlooked places, witnessing a capital city that most tourists rarely experience—strange, magical, and filled with intrigue.

Community Forums / Southern Europe / Italy

Top Discussions in the Italy Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Where is your favorite place to eat and see something unusual in Rome?	1 July 23, 2019	1632	July 23, 2019
Uffizi Gallery Trip	3 July 30, 2019	1023	July 30, 2019
Stumbling Stones of Rome	3 July 24, 2019	1530	July 24, 2019
Drive Through Lazio Countryside	7 May 1, 2020	850	May 1, 2020
Montebore	3 December 3, 2019	1405	December 3, 2019

New Post Visit the Forum

Explore Ravenna, Italy

Launch Map

Ravenna Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Ravenna Activity

dnadoublehelix wants to go to Flooded Crypt of San Francesco

Villem has been to Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

Villem has been to Basilica of San Vitale

Villem has been to Dante's Tomb

Villem has been to Baptistery of Neon

Stories About Ravenna

Aboard the ship <em>Gobustan</em>, which spent months abandoned in Ravenna, Italy.

When Ships Are Abandoned, Stuck Sailors Struggle to Get By—and Get Paid

“We are satisfied with little, but even that little is impossible today.”

by Federico Formica

November 17, 2020

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.