Ravenna Playbook: Your Unrivalled Experience in the City of Mosaics

Between the fifth and seventh centuries, Ravenna was a capital city three times over, starting with the Western Roman Empire, and the gold mosaics from that age still attract visitors from all over the world.

In 2026, the city found a new way into the headlines. Ronaldinho, the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner, signed for Ravenna FC at the age of 46 and also became a shareholder in the club. He is due to make his debut in the Romagna derby against Forlì at the Stadio Bruno Benelli on November 15.

The man behind the deal is club president Ignazio Cipriani, from the family that founded Harry’s Bar in Venice. He took over the club at the end of 2023.

Ravenna were promoted from Serie D in 2025 and finished third in their first Serie C season.

Beyond football, eight of Ravenna’s early Christian monuments have been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1996. A combined ticket covers four of them, including the Basilica di San Vitale and the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia.

Dante died in Ravenna in 1321, and visiting his tomb in the Zona del Silenzio is free. So is the nearby Battistero degli Ariani, whose dome mosaic is said to have inspired him while he was writing the Divine Comedy.

Here is all you need to know.

Where To Stay

Ravenna is small and flat, and almost everything worth seeing is inside the old centre. Much of it is closed to traffic, so if you stay there you can walk everywhere.

Hotel Centrale Byron is a three-star hotel on Via IV Novembre, just off Piazza del Popolo in the pedestrian zone. It is named after Lord Byron, who lived in Ravenna between 1819 and 1821.

Hotel Diana, also three stars, is on Via Girolamo Rossi. It is a short walk from the Basilica di San Vitale and the covered market. For a bit more comfort, Hotel Bisanzio on Via Salara boasts four stars and is a few steps from the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia.

If you prefer a B&B, Ai Giardini di San Vitale on Via Don Giovanni Minzoni is a family-run house with a garden. Breakfast is served outside when the weather is good, and the centre is about 10 minutes away on foot.

Where To Eat

This is Romagna, so start with a piadina. The flatbread is folded around whatever you like, and the local classic is prosciutto crudo with squacquerone, a soft, fresh cheese.

La Piadina del Melarancio on Via IV Novembre is a minute from Piazza del Popolo and open every day. L’Ingrediente Segreto on Via Corrado Ricci has been making piadine since 1972. It is closed on Sundays, so for a Sunday kick-off, L’Angolo della Piadina on Via Trieste is a family-run kiosk near the Darsena that stays open until 8.30pm.

Il Chiosco di Patrizia e Deborah on Via Sant’Alberto, north of the centre, is run by two sisters and has benches in the small park behind it.

For a proper meal, Ca’ de Vèn, also on Via Corrado Ricci, is a historic wine house a few steps from Dante’s tomb. Order the cappelletti or the strozzapreti with ragù.

The Mercato Coperto on Piazza Andrea Costa is the city’s covered market. It has food stalls and a restaurant, and it is open every day from morning until midnight.

Near the stadium, the Circolo Endas Mameli on Via Ravegnana is a traditional Romagna social club serving home-made pasta. It is closed on Sundays.

Where To Drink

Caffè Ravenna on Via Mario Montanari is right across the road from the Benelli and opens at 6am. On Sundays it closes at midday, so get there early. For a Sunday kick-off, Bar Caffetteria Incontro on Via Ravegnana is about a five-minute walk from the ground and stays open until 9pm every day.

After the game, head to the Darsena, the old city dock near the station. Darsenale, in a converted warehouse on the water, is the taproom of the local Bizantina brewery. It serves pizza with its own beer.

Don’t Forget

Tickets are sold through TicketOne and the Ravenna FC website. For the Forlì derby, general sale tickets sold out within minutes. Big games now sell out fast, so buy early.

Lots of bars and restaurants close on Sundays or Mondays, so check opening times before matchday.

Did You Know?

Football came to Ravenna in a suitcase. Angelo Fabbri brought a leather ball back from Switzerland and founded Unione Sportiva Ravennate in April 1913. The club’s first match was a friendly against Forlì.

The badge shows two lions on either side of a pine tree, taken from the city’s coat of arms. The yellow and red are the city’s colours too, and the team is known as the leoni bizantini, the Byzantine lions.

Ravenna have played seven seasons in Serie B. Their best finish was eighth in 1996-97 under Walter Novellino.

Ronaldinho was first presented as a Ravenna player in summer 2026 at Cipriani’s restaurant in Miami. The new white shirt with the R10 logo was revealed the same night. It went on sale for €129 and sold out within 48 hours. Club vice-president Ariedo Braida already knows Ronaldinho well. He was AC Milan’s sporting director when the Brazilian joined Milan in 2008.

Getting There

The nearest major airport is Bologna, and regional trains run from Bologna Centrale to Ravenna.

Ravenna station is on the edge of the old centre, about 10 minutes on foot from Piazza del Popolo. For directions to the Benelli and where to park, see our Ravenna stadium guide.

Need Another Football Fix?

Romagna is full of football. Forlì play at the Stadio Tullo Morgagni, and Cesena are in Serie B at the Orogel Stadium-Dino Manuzzi. For Serie A, Bologna and their Stadio Renato Dall’Ara is a train ride away.