City (pop., 2001 prelim.: 138,204), northeastern Italy.
It is located inland from the Adriatic Sea, with which it is connected by a canal. It was the capital of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and of the Ostrogothic kingdom and Byzantine Italy in the 6th8th centuries. Ravenna's art and architecture reflect a fusion of Roman forms with Byzantine mosaics and other decoration; sites include the 6th-century basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and the octagonal church of San Vitale. It became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 and today is an agricultural and industrial city, with industries that include petroleum and natural-gas refining.