Why this ride
249 km from Ravenna to Ravenna, about 4 h 49 of riding. On the way it passes Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro, Gessi Bolognesi and back through Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Archiepiscopal Chapel and Gessi Bolognesi
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 249 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 49
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Archiepiscopal Chapel
Ravenna was the capital of the western Roman empire in the fifth century, then of the Ostrogothic kingdom under Theodoric and later of Byzantine Italy, and each of these rulers left a layer of mosaics that glitter in the dark. The Archiepiscopal Chapel, dedicated to Sant'Andrea, was built around the year 500 by Theodoric, who was an Arian Christian, and its vault and walls are covered in gold and white mosaics of birds, flowers, and a Christ dressed as a Roman soldier, trampling a lion and a serpent. It is a tiny space, barely big enough for a small group, but the effect is astonishing.
Read the complete Archiepiscopal Chapel write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Archiepiscopal Chapel is where the day begins. Next is Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro, 52 km on.
2. Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro
Driving through the hills of Romagna, south of Faenza, you notice a long, pale ridge cutting across the valleys like a wall. This is the Vena del Gesso Romagnola, a band of gypsum rock about twenty-five kilometres long, and Monte Mauro is its highest point, rising above the villages of Riolo Terme, Brisighella and Fognano. The ridge is now a regional park and part of the UNESCO site for the evaporitic karst of the northern Apennines.
Read the complete Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro comes up about 64 km into the recorded legs. Next is Gessi Bolognesi.
3. Gessi Bolognesi
Ride south out of Bologna and within ten minutes the city's suburbs give way to something surprising: a range of low hills made of gypsum, a soft, crystalline rock that dissolves in water and forms caves, sinkholes and strange, shiny outcrops. These are the Gessi Bolognesi, a protected regional park between the Savena and Idice valleys, and in 2023 they became part of the UNESCO site for the evaporitic karst and caves of the northern Apennines.
Read the complete Gessi Bolognesi write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 127 km into the recorded legs you reach Gessi Bolognesi. Next is back through Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro, 52 km on.
4. back through Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro, late in the day. Next is Archiepiscopal Chapel.
5. Archiepiscopal Chapel
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Archiepiscopal Chapel write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Archiepiscopal Chapel. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Archiepiscopal Chapel to Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro
Archiepiscopal Chapel → Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro is 64 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro to Gessi Bolognesi
Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro → Gessi Bolognesi is 63 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Gessi Bolognesi to back through Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro
Gessi Bolognesi → back through Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro is 58 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro to Archiepiscopal Chapel
back through Vena del Gesso Romagnola - M.te Mauro → Archiepiscopal Chapel is 64 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.