During the second weekend of July, I had the chance to visit Plovdiv with my internship mates. Thanks to the good weather (ok, it was very hot!), we saw one of the most famous and ancient cities in Bulgaria.
Plovdiv has an important cultural background from the Ottoman to the Roman Empire, as a matter of fact in the main square of the city, you can admire the Mosque, as well as the Roman Stadium. But that’s not all. In Plovdiv, the ancient ruins mix with the modern buildings and you can smell the energy and the history itself. We spent two days there, we walked a lot and we visited the churches and the old town. We enjoyed the colorful streets enhanced by wonderful graffiti and we were astonished by the landscape and the breath-taking view from the top of the ruins.
As Italian, I can’t stop thinking about all the common things with some Italian cities, because of the Roman heritage of course, that is still clearly present in this town. Starting from its position, Plovdiv was built on seven hills, like its Italian twin: Rome. Even the name of this city was different. After the Romans conquered the region, they chose Trimontium as the capital of the Roman Thracia and the city became one of the most important crucial points of the Balkan. The Roman Amphitheatre is probably the most important of the remaining ruins but there are also the Forum, the Odeon, the Aqueduct and some mosaics and other ruins throughout the city.
Together we discovered this town and we enjoyed the night in the city center where there is a touristic and lively atmosphere.
Plovdiv was also European Capital of Culture for 2019, together with Matera, a very old city in the South of Italy.
As you can see what seems so different and far away from your country and your culture, it’s actually so close and has a strong historic connection that goes beyond time.
Maria-Veronica Fiume, intern@ICDET
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