The most famous image of Ravenna is one of freeze-frame tranquility: a white, wooden structure, like that of a picture frame, encapsulates a sandy beach reaching outwards into infinity.

Given the usual liveliness of these shores, the picture, captured by Luigi Ghirri, can feel a bit off-putting–and is even more haunting in the context of the devastating flood that hit Emilia Romagna earlier this summer, and put Ravenna, the entire region, and its famous beaches at a standstill.