There's a very small city in the north-east of Italy (practically on the coast of the Adriatic sea) that has a big history. Really big. Ravenna was the last capital of the Roman Empire from the year 402 until 476. Rome wasn't a very safe place in that century, and Ravenna probably offered a better maritime escape than Rome did from the fuzzie-wuzzie barbarians, so the Romans used it wisely as their last hang out – because there is a time to fight, and there's a time to beat it - as fast as you can, Romans included. After that, the city became the capital of the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths but shortly after, the Eastern Romans of the Byzantine Empire conquered it and made it their epicenter. Well, this summer I made Ravenna the capital of my very own life; it is noted that this will not go down in the pages of history, but it's been perfect for me. I've been working on my stuff and, simultaneously, trying to especially enjoy as much as possible the beach, the sun, and the art - so in a way, I have conquered it - all over again, as you can see in this picture...
I am joking, of course. That's Piazza del Popolo, the main square. It's a cool place to hang out in the summer, full of tourists, nice restaurants and bars, and often a concert will be given in the center of the square. Here's a wider view, without the conqueror:
and here is a vew of the opposite side of the square, which we Italians call "piazza" (order "pizza", not piazza, remember):
I was mentioning the concerts, and in this pic you can see another piazza where they held a concert at least three or four times a week:
Sunsets and early evenings are particularly magical in Ravenna, because they tend to happen over a beautiful ancient building, as you can see here:
You may have heard of Lord Byron, this guy right here....
..he was a famous writer (as well as a hunter - of game and women), and he lived in Ravenna for two years, where he penned Cain, The Two Foscari, Sardanapalus, Marino Faliero plus pages of Don Juan, The Prophecy of Dante, and The Lament of Tasso. Since my arrival in Ravenna (two months ago) I have read each and every one of them.
Joking again. I am not sure when I last picked up one of his books, but i will again soon - maybe on a snowy day this next winter. Now, Ravenna has 13 Unesco world heritage sites (a lot for such a small place) and the city is very famous for its amazing mosaics, the churches abound with them, and here are some examples:
There's no easy transition from church mosaics to socializing - I guess both, in order to be a beautiful thing, need to have color and variety, and Ravenna offers plenty of it. Lots of it. Ravenna is the only italian art city which has nine different beach cities adjacent to it. The beach is only fifteen minutes away, and all along the coast you have very organized establishments, where during the day you can sun-lounge and sea-dwell, such as here:
and at night, since these places get transformed into open air clubs (with music and fun) you can meet people and hang out with your friends. Meeting people is easy, because the locals are really nice country folk, notoriously open and hospitable.
What i find remarkable about living in this area, in comparison to other places of Italy ( I have lived in five different regions) is how relaxed and peaceful the feeling of life is here. Perhaps it's because of the unhindered irradiation of eastern sunlight, day after day, whereby not a single second of sunlight misses to bathe and lighten up the city and the entire region. People here are notoriously known throughout Italy to have, in fact, a sunny disposition, to be "simpaticoni" - in other words people with a sympathetic, humorous inclination to life in general.
Here is me hanging out with two local "simpaticoni" friends
So if you want a weekend of summer fun and culture, come to Ravenna - bring your camera, your bikinis, bring smiles, and you'll have fun.