[2] Ravenna was first inhabited by Italic tribes from northern regions, and was conquered in 191 BCE by the Roman Republic.

[3] 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.

The Metropolitan City of Florence in the region of Tuscany lies to the southwest, and the province of Forlì-Cesena to the south.

The provincial capital is the city of Ravenna, which is situated a few miles inland and is connected to the Adriatic Sea by the Candiano Canal.

[5] The province of Ravenna is served by the Bologna-Ancona, Russi-Faenza, Faenza-Florence, Faenza-Lavezzola, and Castel Bolognese-Ravenna railway lines.