San Francisco Frontiers - Charles and Camilla visit Dante's tomb, Byzantine mosaics

Thousands of people waving British flags cheered as the king and queen arrived in the historic centre of the northeastern city on the fourth day of a trip that also saw Charles address Italy's parliament.

The 76-year-old monarch, who was briefly admitted to hospital last month after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment, looked relaxed and cheerful as he shook hands with well-wishers, many of whom curtsied or bowed.

One group in the crowd was wearing little cardboard crowns, while another held aloft a cardboard cut-out of Charles.

The royals -- who celebrated 20 years of marriage at a state banquet in Rome on Wednesday -- attended a reading of the closing canto of Italian poet Dante Alighieri's most famous work "The Divine Comedy" before visiting his tomb.

Dante, considered the "father" of the Italian language, was born and raised in Florence but was exiled for his political beliefs and spent the rest of his life in Ravenna, where he died in 1321.

Charles, who has visited Italy 18 times officially, referenced the poet during his speech to parliament on Wednesday, part of which he delivered in Italian.

"I hope I'm not ruining Dante's language... so much so that I never get invited back to Italy!" he quipped.

- 'Great excitement' -

Rita Monari, a 68-year-old teacher from Ravenna, said she was pleased Charles "made an effort" to speak Italian "because when a person speaks your language, you feel closer to them".

"It's a great opportunity and a great moment for our city, because it's something unique. There's great excitement in town," she said.

Paola Bonifazzi, 50, said she had travelled from Milan to see them "because I love the royal family and I love King Charles".

Charles and Camilla had on Wednesday made a surprise visit to see Pope Francis, who is recuperating after being hospitalised for five weeks with pneumonia.

They had cancelled an official state visit to the Vatican due to his ill-health but were able to fit in a 20-minute private audience with the 88-year-old Catholic leader.

In Ravenna, the king admired mosaics from the 5th and 6th centuries in the Basilica di San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, both UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The Mausoleum has a tiled ceiling of golden stars on a blue night sky that has inspired artists throughout history, including Dante.

The king and queen also met with Italian partisans during a reception to mark the 80th anniversary of the province's liberation from Nazi occupation by Allied Forces.

Fabio Sbaraglia, Ravenna's acting mayor, said the city was "proud to celebrate in your presence the sacrifice of all the men and women" who fought for freedom.

- 'One of the first' -

The royals then visited a market, where the queen made fresh pasta with Chef Massimo Bottura, who has a Michelin-starred restaurant and is known for his efforts to combat food waste.

While Camilla did a little food tasting, Charles met local farmers whose crops have been severely affected by the devastating floods which have hit the region in recent years.

The king has long been a champion of sustainable agriculture and is friends with the movement's founder, Italian Carlo Petrini, who was due to meet him in Ravenna.

Petrini, who launched Slow Food in 1986 in protest at the opening of Italy's first McDonalds branch near Rome's Spanish Steps, said Charles was a trailblazer.

"No one was talking about the environment and ecology. King Charles was one of the first," he told AFP ahead of the visit.

E.Walker--SFF