I’m not a great fan of the fantasy genre — exception made for a recently discovered love for the Harry Potter saga: yes, I know. I come about 20 years late — but who doesn’t know about J.R.R. Tolkien? Add to the mix I did dabble in the world of Old English while doing my Medieval Studies MA, and the presence of the popular linguist and author in my life ended up being more conspicuous than my personal literary tastes may have hinted at.

But The Lord of the Ring saga? Not my cup of tea. At least until I found out something that tickled the interest of the historian in me: the potential link between the geography of Middle Earth and the Italian town of Ravenna. Now, before writing anything further, let’s say one or two words about Ravenna itself: you see, we Italians fill with pride and a tad of reverent respect when we hear its name because there — not in Florence, not in Rome: there — lie the mortal remains of our Poet, our Dante, the father of the Italian language.