The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-08-03
They HIT RAVENNA
ENEMY AlRMEN DROP ExPLo-
sivEs ON HISTORIC CITY.
Old Italian Town Is Treasure Trove
for Lovers Of Art-Holds Fine
Examples Of Byzantine
Architecture.

Forty miles east Of Bologna, 20
miles south Of Venice, and 100 miles
southwest of the Austrian naval base |
Of Pola, says the National Geographic /,
society, lies the ancient Italian city OF
Ravenna, recently bombarded by Aus
trian aircraft. Ravenna, with the pos
sible exception Of Rome, possesses
more magnificent examples of eccle-
siastical architecture of the Byzantine
period than any other city In the world.
In art, in literature and in historic sig.
nificance Ravenna is treasure-trove
for student and traveller. Its begin
ming is attributed to the Thessalians,
but there is more tradition than fact
in the accounts of the region over
which II held sway until II came under
the Jurisdiction Of Rome nearly two
hundred years before the Christian
era. II was here that julius Caesar
was accustomed to come for his con-
ferences with friends and political ad-
visers from Rome during his ten years
campaign in Gaul.
The Importance of the port, which
days, but which ia now six miles from
the Adriatic, dates from the time when
Augustus Caesar designated It as the
naval base CT the upper sea-" its har-
Dor being able to accommodate $50
ships at time. At that period the
marshy plain which now surrounds
the town at the confluence Of the Men.
tone and Romeo rivers, was little more
than vast silt bed. The houses were
built on piles, and at high tide the sea
formed numerous lagoons, the salt wa
ter 80 effectively removing the danger
of malaria that the city soon acquired
reputation as health resort, to
which the gladiators Of Rome were
sent for training.
Ravenna's golden age came not with
the Augustan era, however, but while
the great Roman empires doom was
being sealed. Honorius and his re-
markable sister, Gala Placidia, becom.
ing alarmed at the steady advance of
the barbarian forces from the north,
transferred their court from the Eter.
nal city to the Adriatic port, which re-
NAMED the seat of government for
Italy, not only during the few remain.
ing years Of the Western empire, but
throughout the ascendancy Of the
Greek enperors. Here the Byzantine
viceroys, or exarchs. for tie peninsula
made their headquarters until the ad
vent Of the Lombards in the eighth
century.
Many OF the most fascinating cpl
scdes OF history are associated with
the name of Ravenna, such, for ex
ample, as the tragic story of Odcacer
who wrested the realm Of Italy from
Orestes, in ats. and then waged bittei
war against Theodore the Ostrogoth
for many years, finally being shut VI
in Ravenna, where he withstood G
siege Of three years. At length Odoa
Ger capitulated with the understanding
that he and Theodore should divid,
the kingdom equally between them
To celebrate the compact a magnifi
cent banquet was spread in a fapou.
laurel grove, and here while the twi
rulers toasted the Ostrogoth with hi
OWN ndHu blew MS IOydl rival.
During the famous battle Of Raven
ma, in 1912, the picturesque CASTOR d.
Folk completely routed the Spaniard
under Cardona, but threw away hi
own life in the excitement of victory
II was In this battle that a Captain
Fabian, cmulating the exploit Ct tn,
legendary Swiss hero. Winkelried, see
ing that his men could not break
through the wall Of Spanish spears
raised his long pike high ever hi
head and brought 1t down crosswis
with crushing force upon the oppos
ing arms, thus sacrificing his own life
but making snail gap in the enc
mys line, through which his own mel
rushed.
Two names which shine in the gar
land Of Ravenna's renown are those o
Italy's greatest poet and one CT tn
four great epic writer's Of civilization
Dante and Lord Byron. 1t was In Ra
VIENNA that the founder OF the Laoderl
Italian language died in 1921. and her
his body is treasured In an urn, be
meath a sQuare-Gomed tomb. Byron
during his Italian sojourn, lived in thi
city for two years. being attracted no
merely by the famous Pineto (pin
woods), five miles to the south, tu
by the charms of the Countess Guic
cioli. Nor should II be forg tten tina
in the adjacent marshes Anita tn
heroic wife Of the Italian liberatoi
a l..