The China Mail - Charles and Camilla visit tomb of Dante, Italy's greatest poet

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.

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 a 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.

On Thursday, the king will admire Ravenna's mosaics from the 5th and 6th centuries and meet artisans who keep the ancient art form alive, while Camilla will tour the Byron Museum.

Before leaving Italy, the couple will visit a market and meet local farmers whose crops have been severely affected by devastating floods which have hit the region in recent years.

Many of the farmers are members of the Slow Food movement, which promotes local, traditional ingredients rather than industrialised or fast food.

Charles has long been a champion of sustainable agriculture and has previously said Italy's Slow Food tradition are close to his heart.

K.Leung--ThChM