Ravenna
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| Ravenna
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 Marinas of Ravenna from SE |
The historic city of Ravenna lies on the Adriatic coast of Italy, 30 miles NW of the port of Rimini and 80 miles S of the entry to the lagoon of Venice. Originally constructed on a group of islands in a lagoon, like Venice, Ravenna has a rich and distinguished history, having been the seat of government of the Western Roman Empire from 402AD until the final fall of Rome in 476 AD. Later rulers such as the Ostrogoths and Byzantines chose Ravenna as their capital and from the mid-eighth century century AD the city was the centre of Lombard power in Italy. The city subsequently changed hands between Venice and the Papal States until the invasion of Napoleonic troops in 1796. It remained in papal hands until Italian unification in 1861. Today the city is an important commercial and tourist centre and its old centre contains numerous World Heritage-listed early Christian buildings as well as several wonderful mosaics. It also hosts the tomb of the poet Dante, who died here in 1321 in exile from his native Florence. The harbour of Ravenna consists of a man-made port, Porto Corsini, which contains two marinas on its southern side, Marina di Ravenna and Marina di Marinara. Depths in the entrance are substantially greater than many along this coast and thus Ravenna is a good port of refuge in a strong bora.
Charts
- British Admiralty
- 220
- 1467
- Italian
- 924
- 37
- 218
- 219
Weather
During the summer months the prevailing winds in the Adriatic are light to moderate coastal seabreezes. In spring and autumn, northerly winds are more frequent and can quickly rise to near gale force, especially in the northern Adriatic, where the much-feared “bora” is caused by high pressure over the mountains to the NE coupled with low pressure over southern Italy. Fortunately, the fiercest “bora” is normally to be expected in the winter months. Thunderstorms are occasionally experienced in spring and especially autumn and can be accompanied by violent winds of gale force and above. Luckily they are rarely long-lasting. In the southern Adriatic, the “scirocco”, a S/SE wind blowing up from North Africa which can last for several days, is more common. Unlike the “bora”, which can arrive without warning, a “scirocco” tends to build in strength over 24-48 hours, sometimes reaching gale force (especially in winter).
Sources for weather information:
- There is a continuous (computerised voice) weather forecast on VHF 68 - first in Italian and then followed with an English translation
- The same forecast is given in Italian and English on VHF coastal stations following a notification on channel 16
- Navtex weather forecasts covering the Adriatic are broadcast from stations at Roma, Trieste, Kerkyra (Greece) and Split (Croatia)
Passages
See Adriatic.
Islands
None.
Communication
Also see World Cruiser's Nets.
The harbour of Ravenna is protected by two long converging breakwaters extending more than a mile out to sea in a roughly triangular formation, with the entrance at the apex. The entrance is usually busy with commercial traffic. Yachts are not allowed to proceed inland up the channel or to berth in the commercial harbour and once through the entrance should therefore head straight for the entrance to the two marinas in an inner basin at the SW corner of the harbour about a mile WSW of the entrance.
Entrance
Ravenna is a port of entry to Italy.
Please submit details about facilities for checking in - location of immigration & customs, etc.
Berthing
Visiting yachts should seek a berth in one of the two marinas, Marina di Ravenna on the N side of the basin, which is run by two yacht clubs, the Ravenna Yacht Club and the Circulo Velico Ravennate, or Marina di Marinara on the S side. The entrance to the basin is immediately S of the port hand training wall leading inland and is accessed from due N, turning hard to starboard for Marina di Ravenna or continuing straight on for Marina di Marinara. Marina di Ravenna offers berths for up to 658 yachts up to 16 metres at its two yacht clubs; Marina di Marinara has over 1000 berths for yachts up to 40 metres.
Marinas & Yacht Clubs
Anchorages
No anchoring is permitted in the harbour.
Yacht Repairs and Services
Marine Stores
Some good chandleries near the marinas
Repairs/Yards
See entries for Marina di Ravenna and Marina di Marinara for details.
Refrigeration, electrical & electronics repairs
- Elettronautica s.n.c. di Papa Maurizio e C.
- Phone: +39 0544.538834
- Fax: +39 0544.538834
- Mobile: +39 335.6042128 (Maurizio/father) / +39 349.1985570 (Matteo/son)
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: http://elettronautica.ra.it
- Address: via Marinara, 89 - 48100 Marina di Ravenna (RA), Italy
Fuel, Water, & Electricity
Fuel station in the Darsena Pescherecci (fishermen’s harbour) on port side of the canal leading inland, 600 metres past the end of the training wall. Water and electricity at all marina berths.
Things to do Ashore
Tourism
No visit to Ravenna would be complete without a visit to the World Heritage-listed churches and monuments bequeathed by the last rulers of the western Roman empire and the early rulers of the Byzantine empire. The Basilica of San Vitale contains 6th century mosaics of Old Testament themes and of the Byzantine emperor Justinian that rival any in Istanbul (modern Byzantium) itself. Other magnificent mosaics can be seen in the Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, a 6th century construction profusely decorated with images of Christian martyrs. Further attractions worth a visit are the tomb of Dante, an impressive tribute to Italy’s greatest mediaeval poet, and that of Galla Placidia, daughter of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, which contains the oldest mosaics to be found in Ravenna. The Museo Nazionale contains a collection of artifacts and objets d’art from Roman and Byzantine up to modern times.
 Piazza del Populo, Ravenna |
 Mosaic interior of Basilica di San Vitale |
 Mausoleum of Galla Placidia |
 Martyrs procession, Basilica of Apollinare Nuovo |
Grocery & Supply Stores
- Large Coop supermarket close to the marinas
- Numerous provisions shops in the port area
Eateries
- Several restaurants and bars near the marinas
- Numerous bars and restaurants in the city
Internet/WiFi
See marina entries.
Laundry
Motorbike & Car Rentals
Several rental outlets in the city.
Garbage Disposal
Bins at both marinas.
Transportation
- Number 70 bus goes from traghetto (ferry terminal) into Ravenna
- Railway station in the city with connections to most destinations
- Airport at Bologna (75 km) with local and international flights.
Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forums
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
Links
- Ravenna at the Wikipedia
References & Publications
See Italy.
Comments
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.
Verified by
Date of member's last visit to Ravenna and this page's details validated:
- May 2015 --Athene of Lymington
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Names: Lighthouse, Athene of Lymington |
