Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its collapse in 476, after which it served as the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom and then the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna. Initially settled by the Umbri people, Ravenna came under Roman Republic control in 89 BC. Octavian built the military harbor of Classis at Ravenna, and the city remained an important seaport on the Adriatic until the early Middle Ages.

n the 17th and 18th centuries, Ravenna was part of the Papal States up until 1796, when it was annexed into the French puppet state of the Cisalpine Republic / Italian Republic, and then made part of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy in 1802. It was returned to the Papal States in 1814. Occupied by Piedmontese troops in 1859, Ravenna and the surrounding Romagna area became part of the new unified Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

Below is a selection of photos taken during a visit to Ravenna on may 9 2026. Click on a small photo for a larger view, then select the next one with the cursor keys or the arrows on either side of the photo.