Albergo Capello, Ravenna, Italy

Flickr © RedGlow82

An hour southeast of Ferrara through flat green fields laced with canals, Ravenna is so pretty and peaceful as to be unassuming. However, this patrician city offers one of the most powerful lessons in Western art history to be found anywhere in Europe.

From A.D. 401 to A.D. 476, Ravenna was the last capital of the Roman Empire, and was subsequently a pawn in the power struggle between the dueling Eastern and Western cultures of the fading Roman realm. Indeed, the magnificent mosaics in the churches of San Vitale and Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and the mausoleum of Galla Placidia offer a striking visual record of the fall of Rome. Visitors can watch the grace and fluidity of Roman art give way to the static, idealized opulence of Byzantium right before their eyes.

British travel writer Freya Stark perfectly describes the allure of these remarkable mosaics that attract travelers from around the world: “We ended in Ravenna and felt the splendour of Rome dying among barbarians in a way that I never felt again until I reached the ruins of the Levant.” Beyond their historical significance, the mosaics, composed of millions of tiny square pieces of colored glass, enamel and stone set into plaster, are simply breathtaking. No one who’s seen the images of the Good Shepherd, stags drinking or infinite sky filled with stars at Galla Placidia will ever forget them. Ravenna is also the final resting place of Dante Alighieri, who died there in exile from his beloved Florence in 1321. His mausoleum is a relatively small Palladian structure in the center of town near the Garden of the Palazzo della Provincia and a museum dedicated to his work. Penitent Florence has a tomb for the great poet, but it’s unoccupied; feel free to stop by and pay your respects to the man who gave us Hell.

If you arrive in Ravenna by car, park in the lot just behind the church of San Vitale. The heart of Ravenna is pedestrian-only, from which it’s an easy 10-minute walk to the Albergo Cappello. Occupying a townhouse that dates to the Venetian rule of Ravenna from 1431-1509, it’s a charming seven-room hotel with a lively wine bar and some spectacular rooms. We particularly enjoyed Room 106, with its soaring coffered wooden ceiling and handpainted miniatures between the beams. Spacious and quiet, the room was simply but comfortably furnished with a wooden desk, antique nightstands by a double bed, and a separate shower and WC in wooden cabins reminiscent of those on a yacht. Service is warm and friendly, and the hotel also has an excellent restaurant serving dishes such as potato-stuffed ravioli in a veal ragu sauce and sliced steak with roasted potatoes.