The city that became the capital of Latvia in 1918, Riga, was founded in 1201, precisely on August 18. The founder, Bishop Albert of Livonia, then took the name Albert of Riga. The Baltic city is called the "Paris of the Baltic" due to the presence of Art Noveau architecture. For centuries Riga was subjected to foreign domination by the Germans, Russians and Swedes. Taking a leap forward of centuries and centuries, we remember that in 1940 it was annexed to the former Soviet Union and in 1991 it became the capital of one of the so-called "former Soviet socialist republics", which became independent from the USSR.
The historical centre of Riga, the "Old Riga" has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. Among the symbols of the city is the house of black heads, a building completely rebuilt in 1999 after its destruction during the Second World War. Also, there is the House of the Cat, so called because of the two cats on top of the building. The cathedral (or Duomo) of Riga, built in the 13th century, is an example of Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque architecture.
Some curiosities about the city of Riga: most of the Latvians are concentrated here, reaching over 600 thousand out of a total of more than 2 million. Moreover, in 1200 Riga was part of the Hanseatic League, an alliance with financial and commercial goals between the German cities of the North Sea at the time of the Middle Ages. Today the term "Hanseatic League" has been recalled in the debate on the European Union to define the countries of Northern Europe, so-called "Rigorists", which were inspired by this historical precedent. The latter, led by the Netherlands, have a vision aimed at defending commercial interests, insisting on the rigour of public accounts, as stressed by Greg Lewicki in his study "Hansa 2.0. A return to the golden age of commerce?".
Sources:
https://www.sapere.it/enciclopedia/Riga+%28citt%C3%A0%29.html
https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/la-nuova-lega-anseatica-voce-rigoristi-nord-ACiOEMI
Marta Annalisa Savino
Laureata magistrale in "Relazioni Internazionali", appassionata di scrittura, viaggi, lingue tra cui inglese, francese e spagnolo, politica internazionale e geopolitica. Il suo focus di interesse è sul Nord America e sui suoi rapporti con il resto del mondo. Autrice di "Framing the World.
Master's Degree in "International Relations", keen on writing, travelling, languages including english, french, spanish, international politics and geopolitics. Her focus of interest is North America and its relationship with the rest of the world. Author of "Framing the World".