Ravenna and Ferrara: Byzantine mosaics and the city of the Este family

Basilica di San Vitale 45 min

Begun in 526 and consecrated in 547, this is the masterpiece of Byzantine art in the West. The plan is octagonal, with a high, luminous dome. In the presbytery are Ravenna's two most famous panels: the Emperor Justinian with his court and, opposite, the Empress Theodora with her ladies, dressed in purple and jewels. Above, in the vault, the Mystic Lamb supported by four angels; on the sides the stories of Abraham, Abel and Melchizedek. The colours, the gold and the green, have remained intact for almost 1,500 years.

Combined ticket 'Ravenna Mosaici' (also valid for Galla Placidia, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Battistero Neoniano and Museo Arcivescovile).

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia 15 min

In the same enclosure as San Vitale, this is the oldest monument on the tour (first half of the 5th century). Outside it's a small brick building in the shape of a cross; inside it's completely covered in mosaics. The dome is a night-blue sky full of golden stars with a cross at the centre; in the lunettes the Good Shepherd among his sheep and St Lawrence with his gridiron. You enter in small groups and for just a few minutes: it's the moment you'll remember most.

In spring (roughly March to mid-June) entry must be booked with a time slot: book before you set off.

Battistero Neoniano (degli Ortodossi) 20 min

Next to the Cathedral, this is Ravenna's oldest building with its original decoration (5th century, commissioned by Bishop Neon). In the dome the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan, with the river god, and around it the procession of the twelve apostles against a blue background. A few steps away the Museo Arcivescovile with the Chapel of Sant'Andrea and Bishop Maximian's ivory throne, if you have time.

Included in the combined ticket.

Piazza del Popolo 10 min

The city's drawing room, designed by the Venetians in the 15th century: the two columns with the patron saints Apollinaris and Vitalis, the Palazzo Comunale and the Palazzo Merlato. A good spot for a coffee or a few minutes' break.

Dante's Tomb and the Zone of Silence 15 min

Dante Alighieri, exiled from Florence, died in Ravenna in 1321 and is buried here. The neoclassical temple dates from 1780 (architect Camillo Morigia). Inside burns a votive lamp fuelled with oil from the Tuscan hills that Florence donates every year in September as a gesture of reconciliation. Next to it the Quadrarco di Braccioforte, where the poet's bones were hidden during the Second World War.

Free entry.

Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo 30 min

Built by Theodoric, King of the Goths, at the beginning of the 6th century as his palace church. Along the nave run two mosaic processions: on the left 22 virgins departing from the port of Classe bearing crowns to the Madonna and Child, preceded by the Magi with their Phrygian caps; on the right 26 martyrs leaving Theodoric's palace towards Christ enthroned. Above, the oldest scenes from the life of Christ in Christian art.

Included in the combined ticket.

Castello Estense 70 min

Built in 1385 by Niccolò II d'Este after a popular revolt, as a fortress to defend against the city itself: four towers, a water-filled moat and drawbridges. It later became the dukes' residence, with kitchens, frescoed apartments and the terrible prisons where Ugo and Parisina were held, the story of love and betrayal sung by poets. From the Torre dei Leoni you can see the whole city.

Separate ticket.

Cathedral of San Giorgio 15 min

Consecrated in 1135, it has a white and pink marble façade, Romanesque below and Gothic above, with the portal supported by lions. Along the side runs the Loggia dei Merciai, with shops under the arches since the Middle Ages. After the 2012 earthquake it has been undergoing lengthy restoration: the interior may be closed.

Check whether the interior is open to visitors.

Via delle Volte 15 min

One of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe, almost two kilometres long and crossed by arches and elevated passageways that connected the merchants' houses to the warehouses on the river. Cobblestones, silence and light filtering through the vaults.

Corso Ercole I d'Este and Palazzo dei Diamanti 25 min

The corso is the axis of Biagio Rossetti's 'Addizione Erculea', the Renaissance quarter that made Ferrara the first modern city. At the crossroads of the Quattro Angoli stands Palazzo dei Diamanti, its façade covered with thousands of marble blocks cut in diamond points that change colour with the light. Today it hosts major exhibitions.

The exterior is always visible; exhibitions inside are ticketed.