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A pan-flat stage across the lowland around Ferrara, Polesine and Mantua, on straight and mostly wide roads. As the stage passes through several urban areas, roundabouts, traffic islands and street furniture will be found along the route.
Final kilometres
The final kilometres are raced on wide, straight and well-paved city roads, with a few roundabouts along the route. The home straight is on tarmac road.
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final kilometres
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tourist info
Host city:
Ravenna
Overview
To run better waters… Perhaps this is the state of mind with which Dante accepted the invitation of Guido da Polenta, regent of the city, to move to Ravenna. Here, in fact, for the first time, the exiled poet was able to reunite his family and complete the Commedia, a work that was to change the history of literature forever, not only in Italy, but worldwide. Dante died in Ravenna on the night between 13 and 14 September 1321 on his return from a diplomatic mission to Venice, surrounded by the affection of a group of friends. including the notables and intellectuals of the time. For 700 years, Ravenna has been home to the mortal remains of the poet who is certainly the best known in the world and of whom, paradoxically, we have no material evidence; not a single line written in his own hand, no possessions, not even a certain date of birth, except for what he himself wanted to hide between the pages of his work. This is why Dante’s Tomb is the only and definitive tangible trace of a mortal story comprising unreachable lights and unresolvable shadows.
Speciality food
During the years in which Dante lived, the first recipe books appeared and cooking took enormous steps forward. In literature, food and its preparation began to be more present and perhaps even Dante Alighieri decided, for this reason, to include food and wine references from that period in the Divine Comedy, interweaving them with the punishments inflicted on souls in Hell or considering food as a metaphor and nourishment for the divine mysteries in Paradise. Of course, we cannot speculate on what kind of food Dante found in Ravenna, but the legend regarding the episode of the egg, which Dante considered the best food in the world, leads us to think that he would have appreciated the simplicity of Piadina (Italian flat bread), used in the kitchen instead of bread and considered one of the pillars of the gastronomic culture of Romagna. In Ravenna, it is thicker and is stuffed in many different ways: with cured meats, cheeses (especially Squacquerone di Romagna DOP), with fish such as the saraghina (oily fish cooked on the grill, breaded and flavoured with parsley and garlic), but also with vegetables, creams, sweets and jams. Romagna cuisine is dominated by fresh pasta, which is used to prepare excellent first courses, especially in full-bodied broths. There are passatelli with a mixture of egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and nutmeg, as well as cappelletti, strictly handmade with a chopping board and rolling pin and filled with cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano. There are also tagliatelle, usually accompanied by a meat sauce, and strozzapreti, which are humbler, but no less tasty, made with water, flour and salt. Amongst the typical desserts, the most well-known and world-famous is the zuppa inglese (a dessert made with custard, Alchermes and Ladyfingers), but the simpler Romagna doughnut is also very popular. Those who want to know more can rely on the work of Pellegrino Artusi from Romagna: 790 recipes of peasant origin contained in a single book, entitled “Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well” (1891).
Drinks
Wine, vineyard, grape harvesting: there are several quotations of these words in the Divine Comedy and we find them with different meanings. Specifically, in Purgatory, canto XV, Dante, after a series of ecstatic visions of meekness, appears to Virgil as one who walks “veiling thine eyes and with thy legs entangled, in the guise of one whom wine or sleep subdues”. The Supreme Poet, who had estates with vineyards, olive groves and trees, which were later confiscated after his exile, had knowledge of wine-making practices, but we do not know which wine he appreciated and which drink Guido da Polenta might have offered him, in addition to his welcome. A welcome that, in Romagna, certainly includes, not only good food, but also excellent wine. After all, there is a saying that those who arrive know they are in Romagna if they are offered wine instead of water to drink. In Romagna, the wine par excellence is Sangiovese DOC. Produced in the Novello, Superiore and Riserva types, its shape fully reflects the strength and warmth of the people of Romagna, as well as the tenderness of their feelings. Obtained from 85% Sangiovese grapes and, up to a maximum of 15%, from other black grapes, with an alcohol content of 12% vol., Sangiovese di Romagna goes well with red meat, game and fresh Romagna pasta dishes, such as cappelletti or tagliatelle with meat sauce, as well as with mature cheeses. Since 1962, the Consorzio Vini di Romagna has brought together wine cellars, wineries and wine producers with the aim of protecting production in the area. Today, the Consortium has 7 cooperative wineries, 103 wine producers, 6 bottlers and no less than 5,200 vineyards registered in the DOC and DOCG registers and is a leader in the growth of Romagna’s wine industry, also in terms of excellence. Amongst the increasingly popular tourist experiences, also amongst foreign tourists, there are wine tours, unique opportunities to get to know the territory more closely and appreciate its wine, thanks to guided tastings in the cellars that produce Sangiovese di Romagna.
Main sights
The centre of Dante’s Ravenna is Dante’s Tomb, which is located precisely in the heart of the so-called “Zone of Silence” and is a place of pilgrimage, respect and tribute to the Supreme Poet. The current tomb was completed in 1782 according to a design by the architect Camillo Morigia. The interior of the tomb, which was covered with marble on the occasion of the Centenary of 1921, preserves the sepulchral ark that contains Dante’s bones. At the centre of the small room hangs a lamp fuelled with oil from the Tuscan hills which, every year, on the second Sunday in September, the City of Florence solemnly brings as a sign of devotion. Adjacent to the Tomb are the Ancient Franciscan Cloisters, the site of the library of the Dante Centre and the Dante Museum, founded in 1921 and reorganised for this centenary as a place of experience and knowledge of Dante’s life and work. Next to the Tomb is the Quadrarco di Braccioforte where, next to ancient sarcophagus, the remains of the walled door are located, where, in 1865, the box with the mortal remains was found, hidden by the Franciscan friars to avoid their transfer to Florence, as well as a mound covered with ivy that recalls the place where they were sheltered during the Second World War. The bond between the citizens of Ravenna and Dante is so deep that, during the course of history, many stratagems were put in place to preserve and protect his remains in his final resting place. This precious junction of history and memory is closed by the basilica of San Francesco which, although dating back to the mid-fifth century, during the Middle Ages, became the favourite church of the Da Polenta court, lords of the city who hosted Dante and likely the most frequented by the poet himself, whose funeral was held here in 1321. The basilica overlooks the square of the same name, which is closed to traffic and is a popular venue for cultural events and performances. Dante was certainly not indifferent to the beauty of the ancient Byzantine mosaics, many of which have been perfectly preserved and, for this reason, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Basilica of San Vitale, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Arian Baptistery and the Baptistry of Neon, the Basilicas of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and Sant’Apollinare in Classe, the Archbishop’s Chapel tell the story of a territory and a city elected as capital three times, through the sublime art of mosaics, capable of creating history with light and colour: firstly of the Western Roman Empire, then of Theodoric King of the Goths, whose imposing Mausoleum can be admired, completing the eight monuments protected by UNESCO and, lastly, of the Byzantine Empire in Europe. This complex monumental heritage reflects the most important political and religious events of the end of the Ancient World and recounts that dense network of artistic personalities, exchanges and cultural relations that laid the foundations of contemporary Europe.
Verona
Overview
Origin: regarding the name of the city there are more than one theory. The most reliable is that the name Verona comes from the union of three ancient words, which mean: The city of the Veneto Region on the river.
The relations between Rome and Verona began around the third century BC, when centuries of great splendor began during which Verona, Roman city, was rebuilt within the loop of the river Adige. Its important ford was replaced by two bridges, Ponte Pietra and Ponte Postumio. During the Roman age Verona was a political and commercial venue of great importance, whose magnificent traces are still visible nowadays. An interesting, even if less known, aspect of the city are the ancient city walls, many parts of which are still preserved in excellent conditions. In 1136 AD Verona became fully a Municipality.
The city is well known also because it was land and crossroads of great poets and artists. Among the most famous: Shakespeare, who set the tragedy of the two lovers Romeo and Juliet within the Scaliger walls; Dante Alighieri, who lived many years of his life in exile in the Scaliger city as a guest of the Cangrande family and Paolo Caliari, called the Veronese, great painter of the Renaissance period.
Speciality food
Verona has a rich food culture, heritage of its thousand-year old local agriculture and plenty of DOP raw materials.
The most typical main dishes of the city are: pasta e fasoi, bigoli con le sarde, gnocchi and nodini di Valeggio.
The rice, grown in the lowlands of Verona, is the basic ingredient of many dishes: risotto al radicchio and Amarone wine, riso al tastasal or with peas.
Among the typical second courses it is worth mentioning: pastisada de caval and bollito with pearà (a typical sauce of Verona used to accompany meat).
Regarding the desserts, in addition to the famous pandoro, there are others which are typcal of the local cuisine: Nadalin, crostoli and the fritole of Carnival.
Rich is also the production of cheese and sausages. The Monte Veronese is certainly the most important, but there are many other type of cheese produced in the malghe della Lessinia (mountain huts), as well as typical cold cuts, like the soppressa all’aglio.
Last but not least the production of oil, from Garda lake to Valpolicella: both productions are certified DOP.
Drinks
Verona, rich of hills adorned with vineyards spreading from east to west, boasts a remarkable production of famous wines, which are exported all over the world.
Five are the DOCG labels: Amorone, Bardolino Superiore, Recioto della Valpolicella, Recioto Soave and Soave Superiore.
Among the 14 DOC wines it is worth mentioning: Bardolino, Bianco di Custoza, Valpolicella Ripasso, Soave and Lugana.
Main sights
Verona, UNESCO World Heritage city, boasts a thousand-year old city centre of great artistic and cultural interest. Its very heart is Piazza Bra, in the middle of which the Arena stands out: the Amphitheatre is famous all over the world being home to the Opera Festival, concerts and international events.
Walking along the typical streets, among which Via Mazzini, the main shopping street, Piazza delle Erbe can be reached: it is the ancient Roman Forum where most of the economic, political and social activities used to take place. Nowadays it is still venue of the city market and also of evening drinks and nightlife.
The square is dominated by the Torre dei Lamberti, 84 metres high: from its top a breathtaking view of the city can be enjoyed. Also from here the two main Roman streets started: the Cardo and the Decumanus Maximus, the last corresponding, as for Verona, to the Via Postumia itself; they are nowadays still visible. A few steps from here there are Juliet’s House, with its famous balcony, and the more hidden Romeo’s House. The other iconic attractions of Verona are: piazza dei Signori, Arche Scaligere, Castelvecchio, Roman Theatre and the Cathedral. A city centre of great artistic and cultural interest, lapped by the water of the river Adige.
