Ravenna, in northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region is often dwarfed by Venice, Florence, and Bologna, all within easy reach of the city. But skipping the former capital of the Byzantine Empire would be a huge mistake.
The city is filled with some of the most important and jaw-dropping artwork of Medieval times in the form of large-scale mosaics decorating churches, palaces, and homes.
And, the food is amazing, too. The local pasta, called Cappelletti is served in a way different from the rest of the rest of the region. There’s also a local bread that that’s stuffed with meat, cheese, and veggies (and sometimes Nutella!) A cookie named for a martyred saint and a festival celebrating a bivalve only adds to Ravenna’s deliciousness.
Caterine, aka Catherine of Alexandria, was a saint of Greek origin who was born in 287 CE in Egypt. Emperor Maxentius had her imprisoned and tortured for preaching her Christian beliefs. While in prison, the story goes, over 200 people visited Caterine, including Maxentius’ wife. Every one of them converted to Christianity and were martyred, killed by the order of the emperor. Eventually, Caterine herself was killed, beheaded on the order of Maxentius.
Although never officially canonized by the church, Caterine is traditionally regarded as a saint and her feast day is celebrated on November 25th. On this day, Caterine cookies are baked in the shape of roosters, hens, and girls. The rooster-shaped cookies are given to little boys and the hens to girls.
As a side note, Saint Caterine usually isn’t widely celebrated in Italy, her feast day is more important amongst Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians. However, because of Ravenna’s status in the Byzantine Empire 1,500 years ago, some Orthodox traditions remain.
Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides on Destination Eat Drink, including several in Italy. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.
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