Classis Museum Opens in Former Sugar Factory in Ravenna

The Classis Museum, housed in a restored sugar factory in Classe, Ravenna, opened to the public. The building, abandoned since 1982, underwent extensive restoration starting in the early 2000s. Director Sergio Fioravanti of Fondazione RavennAntica explains that the museum focuses on Classe's history from its origins to the Ottoman era, avoiding a forced narrative up to the present. The museum is part of a larger archaeological park that includes the Ancient Port (open since 2015), Sant'Apollinare in Classe, and future expansions with the San Severo church and monastery. Architect Andrea Mandara designed a didactic, adaptable layout using glass, natural iron, and transparent paints. The museum features a timeline with historical figures, artifacts, videos, and reconstructions. Future plans include thematic areas on Ravenna's relationship with the sea and ecclesiastical architecture, as well as spaces for temporary exhibitions, workshops, and start-ups. A restoration lab has been active since 2008 in collaboration with the university. The museum emphasizes high-tech multimedia to avoid obsolescence but centers on archaeological artifacts selected by a scientific commission chaired by Andrea Carandini. Challenges remain, such as improving public transport between the Ancient Port, the museum, and Ravenna, with a mini-train under consideration. The project aims to convert Ravenna's short-stay tourism into longer visits.