Ravenna is like the one-hit-wonder of the Italian past—a town which glowed brightly in its day and whose flame was extinguished quickly. But it still glimmers like an ember with its glorious array of Byzantine mosaic art and totemic relics of the Western Roman Empire. Eulogies by no lesser romantics than Byron and Dante have added clout to this town’s modern draw, and Ravenna tour guides are also quick to highlight the city’s UNESCO heritage tag, awarded for the mind-boggling array of historical and cultural wealth that exists between the Basilica di San Vitale and the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe. However, this largely untrodden centre on the extreme western edge of Emilia-Romagna isn’t just about casing out the interim between Ancient Rome and the Renaissance. No sir, it’s also about music festivals in summer, drinking frothy cappuccinos on hidden cobblestone piazzas, devouring Parma ham cold cuts, practicing Italian with locals over a potent shot of grappa, and treading in the footsteps of poetic greats aplenty!