Ravenna, Ohio

Ravenna is a city in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It was formed from portions of Ravenna Township in the Connecticut Western Reserve. The population was 11,771 at the 2000 Census and 11,724 in 2010. It is the county seat of Portage County. It is named for the city of Ravenna, Italy.

Ravenna is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.68 square miles (14.71 km²), of which 5.63 square miles (14.58 km²) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km²) is water.

The following highways pass through Ravenna:

State Route 59

State Route 44

State Route 14

State Route 88

Ravenna is located south of Interstate 80/Ohio Turnpike exit 193, and north of Interstate 76 exit 38.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 11,724 people, 5,055 households, and 2,860 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,082.4 inhabitants per square mile (804.0/km²). There were 5,566 housing units at an average density of 988.6 per square mile (381.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.1% White, 5.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

Ravenna

Ravenna (Italian pronunciation: [raˈvɛnna], also [raˈvenna]; Romagnol: Ravêna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 402 until that empire collapsed in 476. It then served as the capital of the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths until it was re-conquered in 540 by the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. Afterwards, the city formed the centre of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna until the invasion of the Franks in 751, after which it became the seat of the Kingdom of the Lombards.

Although an inland city, Ravenna is connected to the Adriatic Sea by the Candiano Canal. It is the location of eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

History

The origin of the name Ravenna is unclear, although it is believed the name is Etruscan. Some have speculated that "ravenna" is related to "Rasenna" (later "Rasna"), the term that the Etruscans used for themselves, but there is no agreement on this point.

Ancient era

Ravenna (butterfly)

Ravenna is a genus of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

Province of Ravenna

The province of Ravenna (Italian: provincia di Ravenna) is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Ravenna. As of 2015, it has a population of 391,997 inhabitants over an area of 1,859.44 square kilometres (717.93 sq mi), giving it a population density of 210.81 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its provincial president is Claudio Casadio.

History

Ravenna was first inhabited by Italic tribes from northern regions, and was conquered in 191 BCE by the Roman Empire. A port was constructed near Classe, and the Adriatic fleet was based in Ravenna. In 402 CE, Ravenna became the capital of the Western Roman Empire, which endured until the collapse of the empire and the fall of Rome in 476. Following this, the Barbarian Kings Odoacer and then Theodoric controlled Ravenna until it was conquered by the Byzantine Empire in 540; the Byzantines announced it to be their Exarchate.

It continued to be under Byzantine rule until it was invaded by the Lombards in 751, and it was then annexed by King of the Franks Pippin the Younger. It was placed under papal rule by Pippin the Younger in 756 or 757. Ravenna was subsequently ruled by the Holy See until it was given independence in the 12th century. The papacy gained control again in 1278 and was led by papal vicars until it was invaded by Venice in 1441. The War of the League of Cambrai took place near Ravenna in 1512, in which the papal forces were defeated, but the French forces were almost entirely killed and were driven from Italy. It remained under the rule of the Holy See until it became part of the Kingdom of Italy.