This excursion visits some of Ravenna's UNESCO listed 5th and 6th century mosaic churches, then continues to nearby Faenza for free time at lunch and a visit to its International Museum of Ceramics.
After meeting your private guide at the pier, you drive directly to the historic city center of Ravenna, founded nearly 2,500 years ago and once capital of the Western Roman Empire, the Ostrogothic Kingdom, and Byzantine Italy in turn.
Your first stop is the Basilica of San Vitale, where two famous facing mosaic panels flank the apse: Byzantine Emperor Justinian I with Bishop Maximianus and his court on one side, Empress Theodora with her own retinue on the other. Neither emperor nor empress ever actually set foot in Ravenna, these are idealized imperial portraits rather than a record of a real visit, but they remain among the most celebrated works of Byzantine art anywhere in the world.
Nearby is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, a small brick chapel with a deep blue, gold starred dome mosaic overhead and a mosaic of Christ as the Good Shepherd above the entrance. Despite its name, historians now believe Galla Placidia, who died in Rome in 450, was never actually buried here, though she likely commissioned the building herself.
You will also see the Basilica of San Francesco, whose crypt has sunk below the water table over the centuries and now sits permanently flooded with clear groundwater. Look down through the small window beneath the altar to see a 5th century mosaic floor with goldfish swimming above it.
At the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, two long mosaic processions line the nave's side walls: 26 martyrs led by St. Martin approach Christ enthroned on one side, while 22 virgins led by the Three Magi approach the Madonna and Child on the other, a rare, continuous narrative scene from the 6th century that survives almost fully intact.
After visiting Ravenna, you drive to Faenza, where you have free time for lunch (meal not included). The Emilia region is famous for some of Italy's most important dishes, including ragu, tagliatelle, Bolognese, tortellini, and lasagna, which all originated in this region. Your guide will be happy to suggest some restaurants.
After lunch, your guide will introduce you to the city of Faenza, founded by the Romans around 187 BC along the Via Emilia, the consular road that ran from Rimini to Piacenza through the Emilia-Romagna region. Faenza owes its fame to the abundance of clay found nearby, which helped it develop into a ceramics center. As early as the 14th century it was famous throughout Europe for its tin glazed earthenware, so much so that the word "faience," used across Europe for glazed pottery, comes directly from the city's name.
The heart of Faenza is the scenic ensemble of two squares, Piazza della Liberta and Piazza del Popolo, which read more like a single square lined with two tiers of porticoes on both sides. The most beautiful buildings, both of medieval origin, are the Governor's Palace and the Town Hall, the former Manfredi Palace. Along the square stands the Cathedral, built in the Tuscan Renaissance style by the Florentine architect Giuliano da Maiano and completed in 1515.
The highlight of Faenza is the International Museum of Ceramics, founded in 1908 and housed in a former convent. It holds one of the largest ceramics collections in the world, with more than 60,000 pieces. The exhibits feature Greek, Etruscan, and Roman ceramics, Renaissance majolica, and pottery from Africa, the Far East, and Pre-Columbian America, alongside a section of modern ceramic art with pieces by Matisse, Chagall, and Picasso.
At the end of your tour, your driver will bring you back to the pier in Ravenna.
If you cannot find what you are looking for, our Ravenna tours and Ravenna Shore Excursions can also be customized to fit your needs. If you have a larger group, we can offer you a private Ravenna tour using a mid-size bus or full size coach. Please contact us with any questions or to receive a customized quote.
Review Location- Ravenna 
