The former Barcelona and AC Milan forward, whose last competitive appearance came for Fluminense back in 2015, is not expected to play regular minutes for the Romagna club, but the stated ambition is for him to score at least once, a feat that would set a new record for the oldest goalscorer in Italian professional football.
Whether that materialises remains to be seen, given the physical demands of even Serie C football on a player of his age.
Announcing the move, Ronaldinho said he was drawn in by the people behind the project rather than any football ambition.
"I said yes to Ravenna for all the friends here who put together a beautiful project," he said. "I hope things go well, I'm very happy to be here, I'm expecting lots of good things. I hope to leave a lot of myself here, also to repay you for showing up today. I thank you from the heart for being here."
Club president Ignazio Cipriani framed the signing as both a footballing and commercial coup, tying any on-pitch impact to the club's off-field ambitions.
"He dreams of the goal and so do we," Cipriani said. "Maybe his goal helps us knock down the stadium, so we can build a new one straight away. The dream is to return to Serie A with him as a partner, he has already brought joy and happiness to all our supporters."
The signing has inevitably drawn scrutiny given Ronaldinho's age and the eleven years since his last professional appearance. Even by 2012, some in Italian football considered him below the level required for the country's top flight, and the deal looks, above all, like a marketing exercise, one that may cost the club little financially while carrying some risk to its footballing credibility.
Whether it proves a shrewd bet or a costly distraction, Ravenna's gamble on one of the game's most iconic names is already generating attention well beyond Serie C.