Classe

Classe is the "City of Ships" or the "Painted City," for its beautiful silver mosaics. The city is associated with the Nucci family, who were exiled there after Camillo Nucci killed Carlo di Chimici in the Church of Annunciation in Giglia.
Classe is the main setting for City of Ships. It is the Talian equivalent of the Italian city of Ravenna, though it is also based on the real Classe located in ItalyCity of Ships, Historical NoteClasse is a combination of present day Ravenna and the real Classe in Italy.. Like Ravenna, the city is a lagoon city and well-known for its famous mosaics, though mosaics in Ravenna are made of gold rather than silver. However, like the Italian Classe, it is situated on the coast with a harbour.
==Ruling==
Classe is an independent city-state and has an elected Duke. The di Chimici family previously attempted to negotiate an alliance with Classe, which included a marriage proposal between a member of the di Chimici family and one of Duke Germano Mariano's daughters, who refused the suit. The city-state has since steadfastedly maintained its independence.
Classe's current ruler is Filippo Nucci, who was elected just after the Battle of Classe (17 April 1580). He was elected after the death of the much beloved Duke Germano, who was duke for nearly 40 yearsCity of Ships. Because of the di Chimici family's animosity towards the Nucci, the marriage of Beatrice di Chimici and Filippo is unlikely to foster any positive relations between Classe and other di Chimici city-states and Classe will remain independent.
==Topography==
Classe is built on swamp-like land, so it has criss-crossing canals similar to Bellezza's topography. However, horses are permitted in the city. The city-state is located on the coast of Talia and has a large harbour.
==Industries==
As a coastal city, Classe benefits from a great deal of trade and has a harbour. Merchants will trade spices, silks, and pigments among their wares. Its main piazza is Piazza del Foro, which is used as a market for the trade goods, and the merchant-trader Flavia has one of the largest stalls in the market. However, the city also suffers from piracy, which is disruptive for local merchants expecting foreign shipments.
The city is known for its mosaic masters and trades in supplies required to produce mosaics, such as silver tiles. Classe's mosaics are famous even beyond Talia; one of the most famous is located in the church dedicated to the Nativity of the Lord. Many silver mosaics decorate the main cluster of temples and churches, as well as private and public dwellings.A Guide to Talia Some mosaics date back over one thousand five hundred yearsCity of Ships"And then what would happen to all the wonderful buildings in Classe, the churches and temples and private residences with their mosaics dating from one and a half thousand years ago to present-day work of Fausto?.
Due to its location, Classe has formed a strong navy and Classe Arsenale frequently ensures its fleet is well-equipped for battle. However, the city-state lacks a strong standing army because it has had little need for one in the past and the army is not as well-equipped as its naval counterpart, being forced to use older cannons and lacking sufficient ammunition during the Battle of Classe. As a result, a massive recruiting campaign began in anticipation of the Battle of Classe and the walls fortifying the city-state needed extensive repairs.
==Alliances/Enemies==
Because of their geographic promixity to one another and to the sea, along with their political independence from the di Chimici family, Bellezza and Classe are long-standing allies alongside Padavia. When the threat of the Gate People and their alliance with the di Chimici, Classe and Bellezza form a formal alliance to repel the invaders at sea with the combined might of their navies during the Battle of Classe.
While Classe has endured problems from the pirates in the local seas, an alliance between the di Chimici family and the Gate People from the east presents a considerable immediate threat from foreign power. Though Classe has encountered situations with the Gate People in the past, the Battle of Classe is the most notable large-scale confrontation. Classe, aided by Bellezza, successfully repels the Gate People at sea, after which the Talians expect trouble from the Gate People to decrease dramatically. After the Battle of Classe, Bellezza sends out an invitation to all the independent city-states to join them in the alliance against the di Chimici.
==Notable People==
===Stravaganti===
They have two Stravaganti in Classe, one from Talia and one from London.
*Flavia - Talian merchant-trader
*Isabella - Student at Barnsbury Comprehensive
===Other===
*Germano Mariano - the Duke of Classe
*Fausto Ventura - Mosaic master
*Filippo Nucci - the son of Matteo Nucci, Germano's successor as the Duke of Classe
*Andrea - local pirate captain, son of Flavia
==Notes and References==
* To see more on the real city of Ravenna, see here
* To see more on the Italian port of Classe, see here
Category:Talia
Category:Location