Discover Classe - Private Guided Tour of the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe and the Classis Museum

A journey into the heart of ancient Classe, the former Roman port of Ravenna and a key site for understanding the city’s history during the Roman and Early Christian periods.
 

This private guided tour explores Classe, today a quiet district of Ravenna, but in antiquity one of the most important military and commercial harbours of the Roman Empire in the Adriatic Sea. Its strategic role made Ravenna a major political, economic and religious centre between the 5th and 8th centuries.
 

The itinerary begins at the Classis Museum, housed in a former sugar factory that has been carefully transformed into a modern exhibition space. The museum presents the history of Ravenna from its origins through the Roman and Late Antique periods, with archaeological finds, reconstructions and multimedia displays that illustrate the city’s development and its close connection with the port of Classe. Today, the Classis Museum is considered one of Italy’s most important museums dedicated to Roman and Late Antique history.
 

The visit continues at the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, a masterpiece of Early Christian art and one of Ravenna’s eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Renowned for its extraordinary mosaics, the basilica features symbolic religious scenes enriched with detailed representations of landscapes, plants and animals, offering valuable insights into the natural environment of the period. The building is an outstanding example of Early Christian and Byzantine architecture in Italy.
 

A private guided tour designed for travellers who wish to gain a deeper understanding of Ravenna’s ancient past, accompanied by a licensed guide and enjoyed at a relaxed pace.