Remains that go back 3000 years have been found in our underground. The ancient writer Strabone, who lived more than 2000 years ago, wrote the following words about Ravenna: «It has been said that Ravenna was founded by the Tessali, who as they could not endure the Tirreni's arrogance, spontaneously welcomed the Umbri, who are still living in the city, while they went back to their homeland.». The place was very unwelcoming at the time: the town was built on piles and surrounded entirely by marshland. Ravenna has been reclaimed in the course of many centuries. The city was inhabited first by Etruscans and then by Romans who gave Ravenna prestige and grace, first with Giulio Cesare and then with the Emperor Ottaviano Augusto who built the Porto di Classe, which later became a trade and military port. The city, not far from the Classe port took the shape of a "Castrum Romano"" (military camp) and the Emperor Augusto first, followed later on by the Emperors Claudio and Traiano built a grand wall to defend the city whose remains are still visible today. Ravenna has always suffered from subsidence problems and the Roman remains lay in a perfect state of preservation 6-7 metres below street level.