Martin, the author of the cycle of novels on which the TV series is based, took inspiration from actual historical events and locations, including the city of Venice, the likely model for Braavos, whose bay is guarded by a giant statue called the Titan of Braavos resembling the famed Colossus of Rhodes. The eighth and final season of HBO’s hit television series Game of Thrones will premiere in April 2019, so fans around the world will be gearing up for one last dose of dynastic squabbling, political intrigue and looming supernatural doom on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. By Filip Stojanovski and Anna Schetnikova