Ravenna is a city of art and culture, of mosaics, and ancient city which 1,500 years ago was capital three times: of the western Roman Empire, of Theodoric King of the Goths, of the Byzantine Empire in Europe. The magnificence of that period has left Ravenna with a great heritage of MONUMENTS, religious buildings decorated with mosaics which have been declared patrimony of humanity by UNESCO. The art of mosaics was not born in Ravenna but it did find its greatest level of expression here where Christian iconology was born, a mixture of symbolism and realism, of Roman and Byzantine influence. Here a Latin hexameter on the walls of the Archbishop's chapel reads: Aut lux hic nata est aut capta hic libera regnat… in other words "Or light born here or imprisoned here, reigns free". The beauty of the mosaics and harmony of the architecture are not the only features. In Ravenna you can stroll among bell-towers and monastic cloisters, the frescoes in Giotto style of Santa Chiara to the baroque apse of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo. Ravenna is roman, gothic, byzantine and also medieval, venetian and finally modern and contemporary, civilised and hospitable, full of events and shows of international prestige.