A lovely Sunday of culture

Hi friends, it’s been a while since I last wrote to you, but I wanted to share the photos I took yesterday. I don’t know if culture will save the world, but it certainly saved me—it was a wonderful day filled with discoveries in a place I had actually visited before. This time, however, I took a guided tour with others, and—as always—you end up discovering new things.

For the first part of the visit, we went to an archaeological site—the ancient Etruscan city of Spina—where excavations are still ongoing. This important city was brought to light during land reclamation projects around the 1920s; since then, digging has continued, yielding artifacts that are subsequently sent to museums. Thanks to an archaeologist, we learned about the various stages of the excavation and the importance of understanding the history behind this city.

Then we went to Comacchio—a sort of "Little Venice" in the Po Delta—where the Eel Festival was taking place. I had the chance to sample some delicacies, as this is a deeply cherished local event; the town center is decked out for the occasion, and you can taste the lagoon's undisputed star—crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—prepared using the traditional recipes of local fishermen.

After eating the eel—and I have to say it wasn't bad, especially served with polenta, as I had never tasted it before—we paid a special visit to the Ospedale degli Infermi. It is an imposing Neoclassical building that now houses the Museum of the Ancient Delta; walking through its halls feels like a journey back in time. You can see the entire cargo of the Roman ship from Valle Ponti—which sank in this area over 2,000 years ago—and view the onboard equipment, trade goods, and everyday objects up close; honestly, it all left me speechless.

If you would like some information on visiting this interesting museum: a full-price ticket costs 7 euros, while the price is 4 euros for youths aged 11 to 18 and for those over 65. It is open from September/October through the year—Monday to Sunday, including public holidays—making it a great way to discover the area and its history. Naturally, you can also pair your visit with the delicious local cuisine.

What struck me most about the museum was definitely these sandals—which are over 2,000 years old and were recovered from a shipwreck—that can truly be compared to our modern-day flip-flops; it always makes quite an impression on me to see artifacts like these. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in my next post.