Everything you always wanted to know about Fianarantsoa, Madagascar.

I just lost a chess game at https://lichess.org. My opponent speaks Persian (I think) and he lives Fianarantsoa, Madagascar. I still have to study the computer analysis to find out how I got killed.

I never heard of Fianarantsoa, Madagascar so I looked it up. Wikipedia and Google Images are my friends.

Wikipedia - Fianarantsoa

Fianarantsoa is a city (commune urbaine) in south central Madagascar, and is the capital of Haute Matsiatra Region.

It was built in the early 19th century by the Merina as the administrative capital for the newly conquered Betsileo kingdoms.

Fianarantsoa means "Good education" in Malagasy. It is a cultural and intellectual center for the whole island. It is home to some of the oldest Protestant and Lutheran cathedrals on the island, the oldest theological seminary (also Lutheran), as well as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Fianarantsoa. The city of "good education" also boasts a university named after it and built in 1972. Fianarantsoa is considered to be the capital of wine in Madagascar, because of the presence of many wine industries in the city.

Fianarantsoa has been known for its political activism and was one of the "hot spots" during the political crisis in 2002. Students of the University of Fianarantsoa have a reputation for sympathizing with radical leftist groups. The mayor of Fianarantsoa comes from the MFM political party whose colors are based on the anarcho-syndicalist flag.

Fianarantsoa was placed by the World Monuments Fund on its 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites because many of the buildings in the old town are in dire need of repair. Fortunately, most of the repairs are relatively easy, and WMF hopes that the listing will attract attention to fund the necessary repairs to keep the old town looking beautiful.