If ever there was a poetic allure tempting the culturally enlightened to explore a destination, it is Emilia-Romagna’s Ravenna, a city that’s both undeserved of its regional underdog status but all the better for it as well. Ravenna richly rewards those who make it to this northern coastal Eden of early Christian art, a haven of historical consequence not far from where Italy’s longest river, the Po, bows to the Adriatic; and the final resting place of the country’s greatest poet, Dante Alighieri.

Spanning a lifetime of art and influence, Dante’s contribution to modern-day Italianess is incalculable, his standing as a father of language, poetry and culture within the Italian ethos undeniable. His poetry, written in Tuscan dialect at a time when most poetry was written in Latin, was instrumental in helping establish the modern-day Italian language spoken today.