Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna (Italian: Provincia di Ravenna) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Although an inland city, Ravenna is connected to the Adriatic Sea by the Candiano Canal. The Province of Ravenna has an area of 1,858 km², and a total population of about 400,000. The population of the capital city is about 150,000. It is the location of 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The city is a treasure chest of art, history and culture, a city with ancient origins and a glorious past. From the beginning of the 5th century, the city has been the capital of the declining Western Roman Empire (402-403), of Theodoric’s reign (493-526) and of the Byzantine Empire (553-751).

Ravenna offers events of international prestige, like those organised by Ravenna Festival, considered some of the best European cultural events. The city’s two theatres, Dante Alighieri and Rasi, put on a full programme of shows all year round, ranging from music and ballet to drama and contemporary theatre.

A great variety of landscapes surround Ravenna, ranging from farmlands with fruit groves, marshes and canals flanked by typical fishing nets to centuries-old pinewoods looking over sandy, well-equipped beaches. Nine unique seaside resorts rise along its 30-km long coastline. Its beaches offer a wide range of facilities and leisure activities, such as games, sports and fitness, walks and rides, amusement parks (e.g. Mirabilandia), as well as sunshine, relax and culinary delights. Visitors can thus create their personalized holiday.

Ravenna has an important commercial and tourist port. Ravenna railway station has direct Trenitalia service to Bologna, Ferrara, Lecce, Milan, Parma, Rimini, Venice and Verona. Ravenna Airport is located in Ravenna. The nearest commercial airports are those of Forlì, Rimini and Bologna.