How do I access the Rasponi Crypt and Hanging Gardens in Ravenna?

Access to the crypt and gardens is from the monumental portico on the south side of Piazza San Francesco, just a few steps away from Dante's Tomb. After exploring the crypt, you can climb the stairs to reach the belvedere overlooking the piazza and the hanging garden with its beautiful fountain.

What is the historical significance of the mosaic floor in the Rasponi Crypt?

The mosaic floor is the crypt's most significant feature, consisting of fragments from the 6th-century Church of San Severo in Classe. It features ornamental motifs and spontaneously positioned animals including hens, ducks, geese, ram's heads, and snakes, enhanced by enamels that create striking chromatic richness.

What can I see inside the Rasponi Crypt?

The crypt consists of three rooms: an entrance at the base of a neo-gothic turret, a room housing a beautiful stone ball inscribed with 'SIC VITA PENDET AB ALTO,' and a presbytery designed for a small altar for religious services. The entire space showcases the oldest preserved part of Palazzo Rasponi, dating back to the end of the 18th century.

What are the features of the Hanging Gardens at Palazzo della Provincia?

The hanging gardens feature a beautiful fountain and a neo-Gothic tower in the center, with a dramatic hanging section that overlooks Piazza San Francesco. The terrace above the vault was built in 1839 and originally served to connect Palazzo Rasponi to its stables and warehouses.

Was the Rasponi Crypt originally used as a burial chamber?

No, the Rasponi Crypt was actually a small aristocratic chapel that was never intended for burials of the Rasponi family. It has been recently returned to public use by RavennAntica as one of the city's most beautiful and evocative cultural spaces.

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Rasponi Crypt and Hanging Gardens

Name: Rasponi Crypt and Hanging Gardens
Rating: 4.1

Piazza S. Francesco, 48121 Ravenna RA, Italia• ★★★★☆• 234 views

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Ravenna

About Rasponi Crypt and Hanging Gardens

A few steps away from Dante's Tomb, RavennAntica returns to public use one of the most beautiful and evocative corners of our city: the Rasponi Crypt and the Hanging Gardens of the Palazzo della Provincia. Access to the crypt and the garden with its beautiful fountain is from the monumental portico on the south side of Piazza San Francesco. The crypt - actually a small aristocratic chapel never intended for the deceased of the Rasponi family - is the oldest preserved part of the architectural complex of Palazzo Rasponi, probably dating back to the end of the 18th century. The crypt is made up of three rooms: the entrance is at the base of a neo-gothic turret; in one room there is a beautiful stone ball with the inscription SIC VITA PENDET AB ALTO; the presbytery is destined to house a small altar for religious services. The most significant part of the crypt is the mosaic floor, consisting of an assemblage of various fragments arranged in a random manner. The floor comes from Classe, probably from the church of San Severo (6th century) and features ornamental motifs and figures of animals - hens, ducks, geese, ram's heads and snakes - caught in spontaneous attitudes and enlivened by the use of enamels that enhance the chromatic richness. The garden, enriched by a beautiful fountain, has a neo-Gothic tower in the centre and a hanging part. Leaving the crypt, climb the stairs to the belvedere overlooking Piazza San Francesco. This is a hanging garden from which it is possible to go to the adjoining terrace above the vault, built in 1839, which served to connect Palazzo Rasponi to the stables and warehouses.