Ferrara or Ravenna? Three Days to Plan Between Venice and Rome!
Dec 3rd, 2003, 08:07 PM
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Ferrara or Ravenna? Three Days to Plan Between Venice and Rome!
I need advice on a January trip to Italy! We have three days to fill between Venice and Rome. First, I thought we'd spend a night in either Ferrara or Ravenna. I am intrigued by Ferrara's designation as a world heritage site but Ravenna's mosaics sound magnificent also. Or is there another recommendation? We love the small towns, ones that are picturesque and with historical interest. Any other thoughts or suggestions are welcome. After that, I'm stumped. I considered spending two nights in Assisi, with a day-trip to some of the other lovely villages nearby. But I'm worried Assisi is still recovering from the earthquake and the beauty of the city will be marred by the scaffolding. I've also considered staying in Spello, which is unmentioned in the Fodor's guidebook but looks lovely nonetheless. Does anyone have any advice? I would appreciate any suggestions! Thanks, Kate
Dec 4th, 2003, 06:30 AM
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If you like small towns, I'd spend the two nights in Umbria (Spoleto or Spello) and visit as well Bevagna, Montefalco, Assisi and very big town Perugia. It will be cold, however!!!! For hotels, I like the Gattapone and the Palazzo Dragoni in Spoleto and the Palazzo Bocci and La Bastiglia in Spello.
Dec 4th, 2003, 06:33 AM
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If you like small towns, I'd spend the two nights in Umbria (Spoleto or Spello) and visit as well Bevagna, Montefalco, Assisi and very big town Perugia. It will be cold, however!!!! For hotels, I like the Gattapone and the Palazzo Dragoni in Spoleto and the Palazzo Bocci and La Bastiglia in Spello. Or, you could visit Orvieto and Montepulciano further west.
Dec 4th, 2003, 06:44 AM
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I don't know why no one is with you on the Ferrara and Ravenna visits, but I think you could do both of them within the 3 days you have--just come down from Venice and go to Ferrara and then Ravenna. While I have never been to Ferrara, I have heard good things about it and plan to visit soon. Ravenna, though, is simply amazing with its mosaics. It's definitely a great base, with sort of a laid-back atmosphere hiding an amazing past: visit San Vitale and marvel at the building that was used as a guide for the design of Agia Sofia in Istanbul. Ravenna's a great city to visit, with an intriguing past and beautiful mosaics and churches to show for it.
If you are looking for a smaller city around those, consider Modena, which you could do in a day, easily.
If you are looking for a smaller city around those, consider Modena, which you could do in a day, easily.
Dec 4th, 2003, 06:45 AM
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Kate, I've never been to Ferrara so I can't advise you on it, but the Ravenna mosaics are definitely worth alook. However, Ravenna itself is not very interesting. I went for the mosaics (having studied Byzantine history) and got stuck because of a train strike. Anyway, pass through Ravenna for an afternoon, but don't bother alocating more time than that.
Dec 4th, 2003, 09:55 AM
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I've been to both Ferrara and Ravenna, and think they're both great, though different.
The mosaics at Ravenna are simply fantastic, and there are more than enough there to merit a day if you want to really look at them and not just skim the surface. If you go there, also go to Sant'Apollinare in Classe, just outside Ravenna, which has a beautiful campanile as well as mosaics. I must agree, however, that Ravenna itself, outside of the mosaics and other monuments, isn't particularly appealing.
On the other hand, I loved the atmosphere of Ferrara, though it doesn't have any overwhelming works of art comparable to the Ravenna mosaics. It does have a nice cathedral, a number of museums, including some really lovely small ones in palazzi (see the frescoes of the months in the Palazzo di Schifanoia), and largely intact city walls. If you're at all interested in how cities develop, Ferrara is fascinating, as it was planned and built in definite phases.
Having already seen both, if I could go back to only one, I'd pick Ferrara for its atmosphere. But the Ravenna mosaics are really unmissable. Bottom line: either place is great, depending upon what you want.
The mosaics at Ravenna are simply fantastic, and there are more than enough there to merit a day if you want to really look at them and not just skim the surface. If you go there, also go to Sant'Apollinare in Classe, just outside Ravenna, which has a beautiful campanile as well as mosaics. I must agree, however, that Ravenna itself, outside of the mosaics and other monuments, isn't particularly appealing.
On the other hand, I loved the atmosphere of Ferrara, though it doesn't have any overwhelming works of art comparable to the Ravenna mosaics. It does have a nice cathedral, a number of museums, including some really lovely small ones in palazzi (see the frescoes of the months in the Palazzo di Schifanoia), and largely intact city walls. If you're at all interested in how cities develop, Ferrara is fascinating, as it was planned and built in definite phases.
Having already seen both, if I could go back to only one, I'd pick Ferrara for its atmosphere. But the Ravenna mosaics are really unmissable. Bottom line: either place is great, depending upon what you want.
Dec 4th, 2003, 10:07 AM
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Both Ferrara and Ravenna are worth visiting for different reasons. You might like to stay in Ferrara for a while to get the feel of this very pleasant city, while you can make a very focused visit to Ravenna to see the mosaics.
Th mosaics in Ravenna are unlike anything I've seen elsewhere. Thye're beautiful and also unusual because of their fresh green color, their gentle pastoral scense and the soft, rather than forbidding facial expressions. You can take a day trip and get a ticket covering admissionto the churches, tomb and other sites with noteworthy mosaics (not all are close together). Ravenna itself is not especially interesting except for the mosaics.
Ferrara is a beautiful city, and despite its well preserved history, it has an airy, park-like, almost rustic feel. I did not have time to see too many of the "important" sites there, because I was there only once, on a day trip, with an Italian friend who lives in Bologna and says Ferrara is his favorite city. I got there just in time to see a great display of pageantry, as the contrada that had won the recent palio was being homored, and it felt like the whole city had come out to watch. Ferrara seems like it would be a pleasant place to live for a while.
Note that if you're looking for "small towns," neither Ravenna nor Ferrara is a small town. Both, I think, would be considered small cities. If you'd like to visit an interesting genuine "small town" in that general area, you might want to consider Dozza, which is in the province of Imola in the Emilia-Romagna region. (I'm pretty sure I posted about Dozza around two months ago.)
Th mosaics in Ravenna are unlike anything I've seen elsewhere. Thye're beautiful and also unusual because of their fresh green color, their gentle pastoral scense and the soft, rather than forbidding facial expressions. You can take a day trip and get a ticket covering admissionto the churches, tomb and other sites with noteworthy mosaics (not all are close together). Ravenna itself is not especially interesting except for the mosaics.
Ferrara is a beautiful city, and despite its well preserved history, it has an airy, park-like, almost rustic feel. I did not have time to see too many of the "important" sites there, because I was there only once, on a day trip, with an Italian friend who lives in Bologna and says Ferrara is his favorite city. I got there just in time to see a great display of pageantry, as the contrada that had won the recent palio was being homored, and it felt like the whole city had come out to watch. Ferrara seems like it would be a pleasant place to live for a while.
Note that if you're looking for "small towns," neither Ravenna nor Ferrara is a small town. Both, I think, would be considered small cities. If you'd like to visit an interesting genuine "small town" in that general area, you might want to consider Dozza, which is in the province of Imola in the Emilia-Romagna region. (I'm pretty sure I posted about Dozza around two months ago.)
Dec 4th, 2003, 11:09 AM
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I've been to Ferrara. Almost by accident. Couldn't find a room anywhere else. 90% of it is ghastly, but the old city center was very charming, and the castle is quite imposing. Overall, I was surprised and delighted.
That said, Verona was better. Much.
Haven't been to Ravenna. Sorry.
That said, Verona was better. Much.
Haven't been to Ravenna. Sorry.
Dec 4th, 2003, 11:31 AM
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Thanks for all the advice - despite the differences in opinion it does help! Keep it coming. The more I hear, the more I'm able to make up my mind. On a sidenote, is there a better train website than the official site:
http://www.trenitalia.it/home/en/index.htm ??
This is not the most user-friendly site for English speaking folk. I would like to determine the train schedules between the cities everyone is suggesting. So far, we do not plan to rent a car and instead want to rely on trains and buses for transport. So a good Italian train schedule site would be very helpful.
http://www.trenitalia.it/home/en/index.htm ??
This is not the most user-friendly site for English speaking folk. I would like to determine the train schedules between the cities everyone is suggesting. So far, we do not plan to rent a car and instead want to rely on trains and buses for transport. So a good Italian train schedule site would be very helpful.
Dec 4th, 2003, 11:52 AM
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Driving from Bari to Trieste we thought we should break up the trip with an overnight and picked Ferrara. Surprisingly we got in quite early in the afternoon, and had plenty of time to explore the old part of the city. It was nice and interesting, but I woudn't think of it as a major destination, or one that would warrant more than an overnight stay. Most of the other cities mentioned would all make more interesting stops especially if you haven't seen them. Assisi would be a great one, Spoleto is another. Verona is a really nice city. I suspect Orvieto isn't really far enough from Rome to break up the journey.
Dec 4th, 2003, 12:07 PM
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OK, I've heard a few votes for Verona. I have a question about the city. Is it quite industrialized outside of the city center? I've read the city center is lovely but that there is not much else to look at outside of the center.
Folks, sorry for my pickiness, but I've got a good reason! My fiance and I are getting married in Siena in January, and we are planning a two-week trip around the wedding. I've spent five weeks in Italy before, but he's never even been to Europe, so I really want to show him the beauty of Italy ... I want to avoid industrialization as much as possible. For his sake, we are hitting the "big" cities - Florence, Venice, and Rome - and obviously we'll be in Siena for the wedding, but I wanted to give him a flavor of the smaller towns and villages too, unmarked by urban development. As for the small towns, for my sake, I'm also trying to see places I've never been before. Orvieto and Montepulciano are two I've already seen (they are lovely!!). Hope this helps you all understand where I'm coming from.
Folks, sorry for my pickiness, but I've got a good reason! My fiance and I are getting married in Siena in January, and we are planning a two-week trip around the wedding. I've spent five weeks in Italy before, but he's never even been to Europe, so I really want to show him the beauty of Italy ... I want to avoid industrialization as much as possible. For his sake, we are hitting the "big" cities - Florence, Venice, and Rome - and obviously we'll be in Siena for the wedding, but I wanted to give him a flavor of the smaller towns and villages too, unmarked by urban development. As for the small towns, for my sake, I'm also trying to see places I've never been before. Orvieto and Montepulciano are two I've already seen (they are lovely!!). Hope this helps you all understand where I'm coming from.
