RAVENNA, ra-verenn. The capital of the Province of Ravenna, in the Compartimento of Emilia, Italy, situated on a marshy, un healthful plain between the Lamone and the Fiumi Uniti, six miles from the Adriatic, and about 40 miles east by south of Bologna (Slap: Italy, G 3). Ravenna, connected with the sea by a canal, is surrounded by old bastions and low walls where may still be seen the iron rings to which the cables of ships were formerly fastened when the city was a seaport. It lies in a com pact form. On the outskirts are extensive parks and pleasure grounds. In the centre of the town is the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, with two high columns erected in 1483 by the Venetians and bearing the statues of Saints Vitalis and Apol linaris. The streets are wide and the squares are adorned with interesting statues, but the houses present a gloomy appearance, and the place, in its stillness, has a rather depressing ef fect on the visitor. With its basilicas Ravenna is highly important in the history of Chris tian art from about 400 to 800, the Byzantine and the early Roman forms of architecture being here abundantly illustrated and suggestively united in the ancient churches. The basilicas here differ in many respects from those of Rome. Their interiors manifest also Ravenna's prominence in mosaic painting. The Cathedral of Sant' Orso was rebuilt in 1734, and is of no great interest. Its ivory throne of Saint Maximian, its "Elijah" by Guido Reni. and the ornamentation of animals and foliage are, however, valued. The fine oc tagonal Baptistery adjoining, supposed to be part of a Roman bath, was largely reconstructed after 1865. The interior is embellished with statues, and with the oldest (fifth century) of the rare mosaics of Ravenna, one of which here represents the Baptism of Christ. The interest ing Church of San Vitale, situated where the saint was martyred, was consecrated in 547. It is octagonal. Its choir is embellished with rich mosaics. Charlemagne patterned the cathedral at Aix-la-Chapelle after this church. In the vicinity is the noteworthy mausoleum of Galla Placidia, now the San Nazario e Celso, begun in the middle of the fifth century by that Em press. Its mosaics also are fine. Many of the earliest buildings in Ravenna are due to Galla Placidia and her brother Honorius. These struc tures form in fact the unique period of its re ligious architecture. The interesting Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo, containing elaborate mo saics, was built by Theodoric as an Arian church. Adjacent to the Church of San Francesco is the tomb of Dante. It was reconstructed in 1780. His remains, which were kept hidden until 1865, are now inclosed in a marble urn. Another note worthy church is the large Sant' Apollinare in Classe Fuori, dating from 535, and restored in 1779.
In the northeast portion of Ravenna stands the old city castle, the Rocca di Brancaleone. of Venetian origin, and partly demolished in 1735. Still farther northeast is the mausoleum of Theodoric the Great, called the Rotonda. decag
onal in shape, with a flat roof. A part of the palace of Theodoric, architecturally as well as historieally of great interest, is still to be seen, together with a porphyry basin which is desig nated as the King's coffin. The archiepiseopal palace, decorated with excellent mosaics, was re stored in the sixteenth century. The Academy of Fine Arts, founded in 1827, has nothing of great note. The Byzantine Museum contains sculptures, fragments of architecture, etc. The former Monastery of Classe, dating from 1515, holds the municipal collections. The communal library, dating from 1707, has about 75.000 vol umes and 800 manuscripts, including several very precious ones. Ravenna is intimately as sociated with the lives of Dante and Lord Byron. They made famous the ancient pine forest which extends many miles along the coast to the south east. Directly south of the city rises the column of Gaston de Foix, who on April II, 15E', de feated the Spanish and Papal forces here and fell in the moment of victory. The principal indus tries are the cultivation of the vine, the spinning and weaving of silk, and the manufacture of wine, glass, leather, bricks, and musical instru ments. A large fair is held in Slay. The com merce is in cereals. wine, fruits, rice. and fish.
The population of Ravenna (commune) was, in 1881, 60,573; in 1901, 89,957.
Hisroxy. Ravenna is one of the oldest towns in Italy. In Augustan times the Roman Adriatic fleet was stationed here and there was consider able commerce. In 404 the Emperor Honorius made this, then a city on the sea, his abiding place because it was well defended. Some years later it became an archiepiscopal see. Ravenna attained its distinctive prominence after the fall of the Roman Empire. It was seized by King Odoacer, and passed (493) into possession of the Ostrogoth Theodoric and became a magnificent seat of royal power. It was taken by Belisarius in 540 (539?). and was a place of official im portance under the Greek emperors until 752 (sec RAVENNA, EXARCHATE OF) ; it was next ruled by the Lombards. It soon fell into the hands of Pepin the Short. who turned it over to the Papal sway. Late in the thirteenth century it fell under the sway of the Polenta family. In 1441 it became subject to Venice, under whose rc-gime it prospered greatly. In 1509 it was taken by Pope Julius IL, and it remained a Papal posses sion until 1797: After being under French con trol for 17 years it was restored to Papal do minion by the Congress of Vienna. and became a part of the Italian kingdom in 1860.
Consult: Quast, Die altehristlichen Bautverke von Ravenna (Berlin, 1842) ; Cardoni, Ravenna antica (Faenza, 1879) ; Diehl, Raven»e: etudes d'avcheologie byzantine (Paris, 1885) ; Oregoro yins, "Von Ravenna his Mentana," in Wander jahre in !Mien, vol. iv. (5th ed.. Leipzig, 1892) ; Goetz, Ravenna (ib., 1901).