by Bianca from Ravenna asks Santa about the history of Santa, learns about Ravenna’s Adriatic coast, and hears about its UNESCO-listed Byzantine mosaics
Dear Santa, my name is Bianca and I am nine years old. I live in Ravenna, Italy, where my nonna says our old churches have tiny colored tiles covering the walls, forming pictures that have not faded in over a thousand years.
Dear Bianca, I have admired those remarkable mosaics myself many times, and your nonna’s description is entirely accurate.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, is there a history of Santa? My teacher wants our whole class to research it, and I wanted a proper head start.
My story began with a real, generous bishop named Saint Nicholas many centuries ago, Bianca, and over time, different cultures blended his story with their own winter traditions, gradually becoming the Santa many children know today. It is a history built slowly, layer by layer, much like your own city’s beautiful mosaics.
My second question is about our coast. My teacher says Ravenna sits near the Adriatic Sea. Is that true?
It is, Bianca. Ravenna sits near the Adriatic coast, its history deeply tied to the sea and to the Byzantine Empire that once ruled there. Flying near that historic coastline each Christmas Eve is a genuinely beautiful part of my Italian route.
My third question is about the mosaics. My teacher says they are recognized as an important historic treasure by the whole world. Is that true?
It is true, Bianca. Ravenna’s Byzantine mosaics are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, celebrated for their extraordinary detail and vivid color, remarkably preserved after so many centuries. Flying over those ancient churches each Christmas Eve fills me with genuine, quiet awe.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Bianca Ferrara
Ravenna, Italy
P.S. Do you have any mosaics at the North Pole?
A small one, Bianca, made carefully by the elves.
