Rome, Bologna and Ravenna -- a trip report
Mar 2nd, 2007, 08:02 AM
#21
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Ravenna
In the morning we took the 9:08 train to Ravenna. The trains leave pretty much every hour -- but some require meeting a connecting bus. These are readily apparent from the information on the ticket machines, or you can ask at the information office. The ride takes about an hour and fifteen minutes, and is mostly through dispiriting suburbs. Arriving in Ravenna you can pick up a map of town in the train station.
It’s an ordinary little town today, although, to paraphrase Bob Dylan, “At one time it could’ve been/ The capitol of the world . . .” We were there, as I suppose most visitors are, to see the great mosaics of late antiquity. At present, these can be seen at six locations. The Cappella di St Andrea is closed for renovations and will remain so, I was told, for at least a year.
Of the six locations only one lies out of town -- St. Appollinare in Classe. This is easily reached by bus, and we decided to see it first. You can buy your tickets at a machine, or walk diagonally to the right across the parking area in front of the station to the ticket office and buy them there. You want either the 4 or the 44 bus. They leave about every twenty minutes. !!!BUT!!! both lines are loops, and the train station/depot where you are is the mid-point of the loop. If you board the bus at the stop in the parking lot, you will spend about twenty growingly anxious minutes wondering where the Basilica is. (Don’t ask me how I know this.) However, if you cross the street in front of the station and take a bus heading to the right (as you stand facing the station) you will shortly see the basilica. When you do request the stop. The bus will let you off behind the church. Or you can stay on while it completes its circuit, around the church and stops slightly beyond it on the way back to Ravenna. Walking distance is about the same. We decided to visit it first to get all this out of the way, and because it closes for an hour or two at 12:30.
I am not going to describe the famous mosaics, other than to note that all are rewarding, and that the vivid greens and golds will astonish you. Pay separate admission at St. Appollinare in Classe, then buy a pass (7.50 &euro
at the first site you visit which will admit you to the other four. No ticket is required for the Arian Baptistry. San Vitale houses the grandest examples, the Mausoleum of Galla Placida the most intimate. One other piece of advice -- bring a small pair of binoculars. The detail is astounding, but will be largely lost to you without them. Mine were appropriated by a group of school children in St Appollinare Nuovo (“Nuovo” here refers to the 6th Century. Don’t confuse this with St Appollinare in Classe) and passed hand to hand until the alpha schoolgirl decided they had seen enough, and returned them to the poor foreigner standing bemusedly nearby.
The town is fairly small. We walked between all the churches after returning from Classe. Haven’t got a recommendation for lunch -- we just stopped at a likely looking cafe, which was fine. We took the 3:30 train back to Bologna, and so spent about five very full hours in Ravenna. Another note -- there is not much information on staying in Ravenna, even here, and someone once suggested that it was not a popular place to overnight. I thought most of the city was attractive and there seemed to be no lack of hotels. If your schedule demands it, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend the night there. One last tip, when you say “Ravenna” don’t hurry. The proper pronunciation is apparently more like “Ravennnn-nuh”
Bologna -- More Walking
We spent the evening exploring a little bit more of the city. Stumbled onto the market, where, just before dinnertime, people were snapping up gleaming orate and gamberi and who knows what else. The vegetables in February were as colorful as we see here in midsummer. We continued on the via Santo Stefano. One of Bologna’s most elegant streets, it also boasts an eccentric building -- the palace Salina-Amorini -- festooned with sculpted terra cotta heads of all variety -- including on turbaned and mustachioed man who looks like Professor Marvel in <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>.
I said earlier that Bologna was lacking in “must see” sights, but this is not exactly true,at least for me. The Church of San Stefano is a collection of chapels and cloisters that I thought fascinating. There is a shrine honoring a martyr (I think -- kind of dark and hard to read the signs, which are in Italian) bearing carvings of the symbols of the four evangelists. If you are not familiar with these now, you will be by the time you finish at Ravenna.
I wish I could end this part of the report with an account of an outstanding meal, but alas, it was only a pretty good one. We had neglected to find just the right spot, and picked one at random. The first two courses were great -- mixed cold cuts, followed by tortelloni in a sauce of diced zucchini and ham. But my main dish, veal Bolognese, was disappointingly gluey. Not a complete mistake -- I cleaned my plate -- but not the previous night’s triumph either. Can’t recall the name of the place, but you don’t need it anyway.
OK, next installment, back to Rome a couple more restaurants.
In the morning we took the 9:08 train to Ravenna. The trains leave pretty much every hour -- but some require meeting a connecting bus. These are readily apparent from the information on the ticket machines, or you can ask at the information office. The ride takes about an hour and fifteen minutes, and is mostly through dispiriting suburbs. Arriving in Ravenna you can pick up a map of town in the train station.
It’s an ordinary little town today, although, to paraphrase Bob Dylan, “At one time it could’ve been/ The capitol of the world . . .” We were there, as I suppose most visitors are, to see the great mosaics of late antiquity. At present, these can be seen at six locations. The Cappella di St Andrea is closed for renovations and will remain so, I was told, for at least a year.
Of the six locations only one lies out of town -- St. Appollinare in Classe. This is easily reached by bus, and we decided to see it first. You can buy your tickets at a machine, or walk diagonally to the right across the parking area in front of the station to the ticket office and buy them there. You want either the 4 or the 44 bus. They leave about every twenty minutes. !!!BUT!!! both lines are loops, and the train station/depot where you are is the mid-point of the loop. If you board the bus at the stop in the parking lot, you will spend about twenty growingly anxious minutes wondering where the Basilica is. (Don’t ask me how I know this.) However, if you cross the street in front of the station and take a bus heading to the right (as you stand facing the station) you will shortly see the basilica. When you do request the stop. The bus will let you off behind the church. Or you can stay on while it completes its circuit, around the church and stops slightly beyond it on the way back to Ravenna. Walking distance is about the same. We decided to visit it first to get all this out of the way, and because it closes for an hour or two at 12:30.
I am not going to describe the famous mosaics, other than to note that all are rewarding, and that the vivid greens and golds will astonish you. Pay separate admission at St. Appollinare in Classe, then buy a pass (7.50 &euro
at the first site you visit which will admit you to the other four. No ticket is required for the Arian Baptistry. San Vitale houses the grandest examples, the Mausoleum of Galla Placida the most intimate. One other piece of advice -- bring a small pair of binoculars. The detail is astounding, but will be largely lost to you without them. Mine were appropriated by a group of school children in St Appollinare Nuovo (“Nuovo” here refers to the 6th Century. Don’t confuse this with St Appollinare in Classe) and passed hand to hand until the alpha schoolgirl decided they had seen enough, and returned them to the poor foreigner standing bemusedly nearby. The town is fairly small. We walked between all the churches after returning from Classe. Haven’t got a recommendation for lunch -- we just stopped at a likely looking cafe, which was fine. We took the 3:30 train back to Bologna, and so spent about five very full hours in Ravenna. Another note -- there is not much information on staying in Ravenna, even here, and someone once suggested that it was not a popular place to overnight. I thought most of the city was attractive and there seemed to be no lack of hotels. If your schedule demands it, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend the night there. One last tip, when you say “Ravenna” don’t hurry. The proper pronunciation is apparently more like “Ravennnn-nuh”
Bologna -- More Walking
We spent the evening exploring a little bit more of the city. Stumbled onto the market, where, just before dinnertime, people were snapping up gleaming orate and gamberi and who knows what else. The vegetables in February were as colorful as we see here in midsummer. We continued on the via Santo Stefano. One of Bologna’s most elegant streets, it also boasts an eccentric building -- the palace Salina-Amorini -- festooned with sculpted terra cotta heads of all variety -- including on turbaned and mustachioed man who looks like Professor Marvel in <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>.
I said earlier that Bologna was lacking in “must see” sights, but this is not exactly true,at least for me. The Church of San Stefano is a collection of chapels and cloisters that I thought fascinating. There is a shrine honoring a martyr (I think -- kind of dark and hard to read the signs, which are in Italian) bearing carvings of the symbols of the four evangelists. If you are not familiar with these now, you will be by the time you finish at Ravenna.
I wish I could end this part of the report with an account of an outstanding meal, but alas, it was only a pretty good one. We had neglected to find just the right spot, and picked one at random. The first two courses were great -- mixed cold cuts, followed by tortelloni in a sauce of diced zucchini and ham. But my main dish, veal Bolognese, was disappointingly gluey. Not a complete mistake -- I cleaned my plate -- but not the previous night’s triumph either. Can’t recall the name of the place, but you don’t need it anyway.
OK, next installment, back to Rome a couple more restaurants.
Mar 2nd, 2007, 08:54 AM
#23
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Missypie --
Rats, I was hoping no one was going to ask me that. No -- we missed it. Deep in mosaic mania, I forgot it was there.
I remembered your son's interest in Dante from one of your earlier postings. I think it's just amazing that a young kid would respond that intensely. You may have a scholar on your hands!
I hope this report encourages you to take him to Ravenna. (Though I'm usually disappointed in visits to the graves of favorite authors.) It seems to me they live on in their works, and I always think of Ben Jonson's admonition to those seeking to know Shakespeare from his portrait:
" . . . Reader looke
Not on his picture, but his booke."
Which I hope may help keep him patient in the meanwhile.
P.
Rats, I was hoping no one was going to ask me that. No -- we missed it. Deep in mosaic mania, I forgot it was there.
I remembered your son's interest in Dante from one of your earlier postings. I think it's just amazing that a young kid would respond that intensely. You may have a scholar on your hands!
I hope this report encourages you to take him to Ravenna. (Though I'm usually disappointed in visits to the graves of favorite authors.) It seems to me they live on in their works, and I always think of Ben Jonson's admonition to those seeking to know Shakespeare from his portrait:
" . . . Reader looke
Not on his picture, but his booke."
Which I hope may help keep him patient in the meanwhile.
P.
Mar 2nd, 2007, 10:42 AM
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"I'm usually disappointed in visits to the graves of favorite authors." Perhaps...but after reading your report, Ravenna seems like a pretty cool pilgrimage destination, whether or not the actual tomb is a let-down.
Mar 2nd, 2007, 11:29 AM
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Thanks for the report on Ravenna. It's pretty well off the beaten path, but well worth the trip if you are reasonably close. My memories of it are very dim now (30 years ago), and I am overdue for a refresher. I went there because I was an Art History major at the time , and I had done a major term paper on the place.
Rick
Rick
Mar 3rd, 2007, 11:17 AM
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Pausanias, I'm enjoying your report. I especially appreciate the train and bus information for Ravenna. It would actually be good if you COULD remember the name of the restaurant in Bologna that wasn't so great, so I know what to avoid!
I look forward to the rest.
I look forward to the rest.
Mar 5th, 2007, 07:18 AM
#27
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Susan --
If I could give it to you I would, but I didn't keep the receipt.
Haven't been able to post all weekend using my Safari browser. Switched to Explorer to to put up the final installment:
Rome Again
On the way back we sat next two a pair of very lively and chatty Mexican girls on a two month backpacking trip through Europe. Of Spain, France and Italy they preferred Italy, primarily because of the Italians, who made them feel welcome and were always willing to talk.
We spent a good couple of afternoon hours at Castel Sant’Angelo, then walked up along the Tiber to the recently reopened Ara Pacis. I been to it in its previous incarnation, primarily to view the likeness of Augustus’ wayward daughter, Julia. In those day the cost was about half a dollar, and that was a fair charge for visiting this beautiful but small monument. The spectacular new museum charges €6.50. We passed. Your call. The overgrown masonry directly behind the altar is the Tomb of Augustus. A Roman street artist has set up little museum of absurd and witty exhibits on the top of the railings surrounding the tomb. If you pay him a Euro or so he’ll issue a ticket signed by the artist. Much better value.
That evening we walked the Via Dei Coronari on the way to our restaurant, in search of the angel wings we’d spotted the night before leaving for Bologna. Couldn’t find the store again, but many of the windows were shuttered. It might have been one of them . . .
We ate at Antica Taverna, Via Monte Giordano 12. Here they greet you with a glass of prosecco and a basket of good bread (good bread is not found everywhere in Rome) . If you have to wait for a table, they’ll serve the prosecco to you in the street. I had the spaghetti cacio e pepe. The version here was much stronger on the pepper -- I think I liked it better. Main course was rabbit with cabbage. The “cabbage” was a blend of broccoli and cauliflower. Since I like these vegetables a good deal more than I like what we call cabbage, I was not disappointed. The rabbit was braised, tender and savory.
We headed back to the hotel along a slightly different route, to check out a small portion the V d Coronari we missed on the way over. No angel wings there either.
Last Day
We hadn’t done everything we’d planned, and now had only a few hours left. Our son wanted to see the Vatican Museums -- he’d been twelve last time he went, and visit the Catacombs of St Calisto, which we’d unwisely told him were the most interesting of the three near the Appia Antica.
A few days before we left for Italy, my wife brought home a copy of the NY Times Travel Section for the next week, which featured a story on the Vatican Museum’s plan to require reservations in the near future, to try to cope with the enormous increase in visitors -- the numbers doubled between 2000 and 2005. The issue had been delivered in error to a friend, who gave it to us. This was clearly a case of supernatural powers attempting to warn us off, but we ignored them.
Briefly put, the Vatican Museums were a horror. I’ve never seen any museum so overcrowded. It was nearly impossible to stop and look closely at some item. When you wanted to move on, a tour group would be blocking the exit. The only enjoyable moments came when we drifted into some back eddy -- a room of Roman frescos and mosaics in one case -- which didn’t seem to attract the crowds. The Sistine Chapel was the worst, as you might imagine. We promised our son that if he did well in college, we’d book a private, after-hours tour for his graduation present. We’ll give the reservation system a chance in the meantime, but if conditions don’t improve, I don’t think we’ll return. It’s that bad.
We retreated to Vita and Dina’s little Hosteria for another lunch. It was sheer luxury to sit quietly after the jostling in the museum. I had the linguine allo scoglio -- mussels, clams, shrimp and squid in a light tomato sauce. They do it nicely.
We took the nearby metro to St Giovanni, where we switched to the 218 bus. There’s a stop just across from the catacomb’s entrance. This is almost a kilometer from the parking entrance at the intersection with the Appia Antica, so hold on, and either ask the driver when to get off, or wait until you see a little building looking like an ancient temple in a field on your left and ring the bell.
The guides at St Callisto -- they may be priests -- give you a little introductory talk before you enter, explaining what you are going to see, which I thought was very useful. You visit tombs of the early popes, and the effigy over the former grave of the incorruptible St Cecilia. At one point he delivered a little talk about how religion had improved the world since Roman times. I took this as an example of supreme optimism, considering the horrors of the last century and the splendid start we’re off to on this one. He also recommended the Scavi tour.
Leaving, we walked out the opposite direction of our entry, and caught the 118 bus on the Appia Antica back to the city. We got off at the Circus Maximus and let our son make a final decision -- Palatine and Colosseum or Trastevere? He chose the latter on the basis of having visited the other two last time. Fair enough. We’d had a walk through the Forum on returning from Ostia. The Palatine is second in my affections, but I imagine we’ll be back soon enough that it won’t make much difference.
We visited Santa Maria in Trastevere and then St Cecilia. The saint’s body had been moved from St Callisto to the site of the basilica in the 820. In 1599 sculpted the effigy. In both cases the tomb was opened and the body examined and declared incorruptible. Perhaps it is so.
We had a little time left. We crossed the Tiber on the Ponte Cestio, cut through the Ghetto and eventually reached the Via Dei Coronari for one last go. All the shops were open. We couldn’t find the wings.
For our last dinner in Rome we chose La Zucca Gialla, Via del Governo Vecchio 86-87, largely because of the delicious pumpkin ravioli at Cesari in Bologna. This time I had the pumpkin ravioli, followed by grilled lamb. My wife had roast pork in pumpkin sauce. Our son had a veal dish. It was a cutlet in a sauce of orange, honey and pumpkin strewn with pomegranate seeds. I warned him he had a month in hell for every seed eaten, but he ignored me, and declared it among the finest dish he’d ever had. I had a bite. It was very good, but in more the Asian than Italian style.
We had missed just enough to ensure a speedy return -- lost angel wings, the Palatine hill and the Tomb of the Scipios. I did a little research and it appears arrangements can be made to visit the latter. And then of course, there are the missed attractions in Ravenna -- the tomb of Dante! -- and the Cappella St Andrea, and the many restaurants of Bologna.
But that was it for now. The next morning we were whisked away.
If I could give it to you I would, but I didn't keep the receipt.
Haven't been able to post all weekend using my Safari browser. Switched to Explorer to to put up the final installment:
Rome Again
On the way back we sat next two a pair of very lively and chatty Mexican girls on a two month backpacking trip through Europe. Of Spain, France and Italy they preferred Italy, primarily because of the Italians, who made them feel welcome and were always willing to talk.
We spent a good couple of afternoon hours at Castel Sant’Angelo, then walked up along the Tiber to the recently reopened Ara Pacis. I been to it in its previous incarnation, primarily to view the likeness of Augustus’ wayward daughter, Julia. In those day the cost was about half a dollar, and that was a fair charge for visiting this beautiful but small monument. The spectacular new museum charges €6.50. We passed. Your call. The overgrown masonry directly behind the altar is the Tomb of Augustus. A Roman street artist has set up little museum of absurd and witty exhibits on the top of the railings surrounding the tomb. If you pay him a Euro or so he’ll issue a ticket signed by the artist. Much better value.
That evening we walked the Via Dei Coronari on the way to our restaurant, in search of the angel wings we’d spotted the night before leaving for Bologna. Couldn’t find the store again, but many of the windows were shuttered. It might have been one of them . . .
We ate at Antica Taverna, Via Monte Giordano 12. Here they greet you with a glass of prosecco and a basket of good bread (good bread is not found everywhere in Rome) . If you have to wait for a table, they’ll serve the prosecco to you in the street. I had the spaghetti cacio e pepe. The version here was much stronger on the pepper -- I think I liked it better. Main course was rabbit with cabbage. The “cabbage” was a blend of broccoli and cauliflower. Since I like these vegetables a good deal more than I like what we call cabbage, I was not disappointed. The rabbit was braised, tender and savory.
We headed back to the hotel along a slightly different route, to check out a small portion the V d Coronari we missed on the way over. No angel wings there either.
Last Day
We hadn’t done everything we’d planned, and now had only a few hours left. Our son wanted to see the Vatican Museums -- he’d been twelve last time he went, and visit the Catacombs of St Calisto, which we’d unwisely told him were the most interesting of the three near the Appia Antica.
A few days before we left for Italy, my wife brought home a copy of the NY Times Travel Section for the next week, which featured a story on the Vatican Museum’s plan to require reservations in the near future, to try to cope with the enormous increase in visitors -- the numbers doubled between 2000 and 2005. The issue had been delivered in error to a friend, who gave it to us. This was clearly a case of supernatural powers attempting to warn us off, but we ignored them.
Briefly put, the Vatican Museums were a horror. I’ve never seen any museum so overcrowded. It was nearly impossible to stop and look closely at some item. When you wanted to move on, a tour group would be blocking the exit. The only enjoyable moments came when we drifted into some back eddy -- a room of Roman frescos and mosaics in one case -- which didn’t seem to attract the crowds. The Sistine Chapel was the worst, as you might imagine. We promised our son that if he did well in college, we’d book a private, after-hours tour for his graduation present. We’ll give the reservation system a chance in the meantime, but if conditions don’t improve, I don’t think we’ll return. It’s that bad.
We retreated to Vita and Dina’s little Hosteria for another lunch. It was sheer luxury to sit quietly after the jostling in the museum. I had the linguine allo scoglio -- mussels, clams, shrimp and squid in a light tomato sauce. They do it nicely.
We took the nearby metro to St Giovanni, where we switched to the 218 bus. There’s a stop just across from the catacomb’s entrance. This is almost a kilometer from the parking entrance at the intersection with the Appia Antica, so hold on, and either ask the driver when to get off, or wait until you see a little building looking like an ancient temple in a field on your left and ring the bell.
The guides at St Callisto -- they may be priests -- give you a little introductory talk before you enter, explaining what you are going to see, which I thought was very useful. You visit tombs of the early popes, and the effigy over the former grave of the incorruptible St Cecilia. At one point he delivered a little talk about how religion had improved the world since Roman times. I took this as an example of supreme optimism, considering the horrors of the last century and the splendid start we’re off to on this one. He also recommended the Scavi tour.
Leaving, we walked out the opposite direction of our entry, and caught the 118 bus on the Appia Antica back to the city. We got off at the Circus Maximus and let our son make a final decision -- Palatine and Colosseum or Trastevere? He chose the latter on the basis of having visited the other two last time. Fair enough. We’d had a walk through the Forum on returning from Ostia. The Palatine is second in my affections, but I imagine we’ll be back soon enough that it won’t make much difference.
We visited Santa Maria in Trastevere and then St Cecilia. The saint’s body had been moved from St Callisto to the site of the basilica in the 820. In 1599 sculpted the effigy. In both cases the tomb was opened and the body examined and declared incorruptible. Perhaps it is so.
We had a little time left. We crossed the Tiber on the Ponte Cestio, cut through the Ghetto and eventually reached the Via Dei Coronari for one last go. All the shops were open. We couldn’t find the wings.
For our last dinner in Rome we chose La Zucca Gialla, Via del Governo Vecchio 86-87, largely because of the delicious pumpkin ravioli at Cesari in Bologna. This time I had the pumpkin ravioli, followed by grilled lamb. My wife had roast pork in pumpkin sauce. Our son had a veal dish. It was a cutlet in a sauce of orange, honey and pumpkin strewn with pomegranate seeds. I warned him he had a month in hell for every seed eaten, but he ignored me, and declared it among the finest dish he’d ever had. I had a bite. It was very good, but in more the Asian than Italian style.
We had missed just enough to ensure a speedy return -- lost angel wings, the Palatine hill and the Tomb of the Scipios. I did a little research and it appears arrangements can be made to visit the latter. And then of course, there are the missed attractions in Ravenna -- the tomb of Dante! -- and the Cappella St Andrea, and the many restaurants of Bologna.
But that was it for now. The next morning we were whisked away.
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