“Italy — A Civilization Written on Stone” Jamala Nakhchivani

Italy — A Civilization Written on Stone

Italy was not merely a country on the map for me—it was an emotion: streets that breathe history, places where art awakens in stone, color, and melody. From the moment I set foot there, I understood that time in Italy does not run straight; it twists, returns, halts, and, in many cases, leaves its mark. Discovering Italy felt like turning the pages of an ancient manuscript—each city, monument, and museum was an unforgettable paragraph.

Rome — Where My Journey Began.As I walked through the Roman Forum, I seemed to follow in the footsteps of ancient senators and emperors. Standing before the Colosseum, I felt the stones speaking in silence. To see in person what I had read about in books and seen in documentaries was not just a visit—it was a profound internal stir. Under the Pantheon’s dome, I stood face to face with the technological and aesthetic marvels of the ancient world. To witness how, 2,000 years ago, light was masterfully guided inside a temple—that was human genius challenging time.

Florence — The Heart of the Renaissance.In Florence, I met another facet of Italy—the Renaissance. Inside the Uffizi Gallery, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Michelangelo’s David, Brunelleschi’s dome… These masterpieces spoke not just to the eyes, but to the soul. Walking its streets, I realized: this city doesn’t just display art—it lives it. Every church, square, and bust carries profound value and depth.

Venice — A Fairytale on Water.Venice, however, is a completely different story. Gliding through streets on water in a gondola, standing under the Rialto Bridge, blending with the pigeons in St. Mark’s Square—each moment felt like a contract with time. As evening fell, the golden light glimmering on the canals sounded like the city where Vivaldi was born.

Italy is not made only of great cities. I also wandered through the Tuscan hills, the quiet streets of Siena, and gazed at Pisa’s leaning tower. Every region had its own breath, its own rhythm. In the south, I visited Naples and Pompeii… Pompeii’s silence, emerging from the ashes, was a staggering stillness—a vivid lesson showing how natural disasters imprint themselves on time.

Italy speaks through architecture. Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance, Neoclassical—they blend so seamlessly here, transforming cities into storybooks. Churches are not only places of worship but monuments where time becomes art. Every day, entering a church meant stepping into another era.

The culinary traditions are another language of Italy. Roman pizza, Neapolitan Margherita, Florentine steaks, Tuscan wines—they each reflect the history, climate, and people of their region. It wasn’t just eating—it was tasting tradition.

For me, Italy is not merely the heart of Europe—it is its soul. Every stone, every street, every melody here both makes you think and feel deeply. Leaving Italy, I felt I left a part of myself behind. Perhaps that is why Italy not only astonishes but transforms you.

And I know one day—I will return, to reunite once more with its history, art, and my own reflections.

Author: Jamala Nakhchivani, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of  Fortuna Magazine