Category Archives: Photography

Pantheon update

28 Sunday May 2023

Posted by in Architecture, Photography, Roma, Travel

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Roma is full of amazing buildings. The most amazing and best-preserved of all is the Pantheon.  Imagine Michelangelo entering the Pantheon 500 years ago, looking up and saying “this looks more like the work of angels than humans’-that is how amazing it is! The perfect mathematical proportions of the Pantheon have provided inspiration for architects for almost 2,000 years. Check out the post Il Pantheon for more details on the history and structure.Admission has always been free, and there has been talk of charging an entry fee for many years…in fact, it has been ‘announced’ several times.  Well….purtroppo, the time has come.  Starting July 1st 2023, there will be a €5 admission fee for entry for tourists/visitors.  Admission will still be free for residents of Roma, those under 18 years old and those attending Mass. Until then, admission remains free, with booking required at least 1 day in advance only on weekends and holidays.

The Pantheon is a classical masterpiece and a monument that requires expensive upkeep, so the need for a modest admission fee is understandable. Since the 7th century it also functions as the Church of Santa Maria ad Martyres.  In Roma entry into churches is free-so that is why there has been so much effort to not charge an admission fee.

Mass is at 5 pm Saturdays, 10:30 am Sundays and public holidays, and midnight on Christmas Eve.  Shoulders, midriff and knees need to be covered, although this is not as strictly enforced as the Vatican.

‘La Pioggia delle Rose al Pantheon’ (the rain of roses) is on my list of things to see in my lifetime. This takes place on Pentecost Sunday, 50 days after Easter.  At noon, right after Mass, Roma’s Vigili del Fuoco (fire fighters) climb to the top of the dome and drop thousands of rose petals through the oculus as choirs sing.  The rose petals symbolize the Holy Spirit coming down to earth.  Pentecost Sunday happens to be today! I saw a video of the event this morning, and even Michelangelo would be impressed! Tickets or advance booking are not available for this event.  Arriving by 7am for the 10:30 Mass is apparently necessary to get a spot inside! The ladder used by the vigili to get to the oculus is visible in the foto:

The dome and oculus, viewed from the roof of Grande Hotel de la Minerve

Visiting the Pantheon takes about 45 minutes. It is open daily 0900-1700 Sun 09-1800 with last entry at 18:30. The Pantheon is closed Jan 1, May 1, Aug 15 and Dec 25.  An audio guide with an App can be prebooked for ~€8.50, or a 45 minute guided tour for ~€20.

Details are not yet available on how to book admission, but they should be available soon on the website. Roma is a popular weekend destination for European and Italian travelers, so I imagine tickets will easier to book during the week.  There is really no ‘off season’ except for possibly the period from January 7 until the end of February.

The Pantheon is centrally located, in Piazza della Rotonda.  I walk slower than most people, but it is about a 20 minute walk to Piazza di Spagna, the closest Metro stop.  It is about a 20 minute walk to the Fontana di Trevi, 10 minutes to Piazza Navona and 40 minutes to Colosseo.

Read more about the Pantheon in Caffè con Caravaggio a Roma, Un Giorno a Roma  and Autunno in Italia.

Buon Viaggio, Cristina

Un altro giorno a Napoli

12 Friday May 2023

Posted by in Italia, Photography, Travel

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Last week, after 33 years, SSC Napoli won the Series A title and the 2022/23 Scudetto.  The last time they won was 1990, when Maradona played for the team.  This is a big deal!  The streets of Napoli are always vibrant and exciting, but I would have loved to see the celebrations.  The stalls of San Gregorio Armeno likely sold more Napoli team figurines than Presepio pieces this week!

In honour of the big win, I am writing about Napoli-the city. If you have already read my post Un giorno a Napoli, this one is a continuation…..another day in Napoli! In June, I took a spontaneous trip to Santorini, flying in and out of Capodichino, Napoli’s airport. On the way back, I stayed the night and took the bus back to Orsara di Puglia the following afternoon.

My primary objective was to finally see l’ultimo Caravaggio, the artist’s last painting, which up until 1990 was attributed to one of his followers.  Read about my adventure seeing the ‘wrong’ Caravaggio in the post.

Since it was close to the new location of the painting, I stayed on lively Via Toledo, near the award winning Toledo metro station and in between the port and Quartieri Spagnoli. Read about the new exhibition space and my visit in Gallerie d’Italia Napoli. There is still 1 Caravaggio painting left for me to see in Napoli on my next visit-at the Museo di Capodimonte!

The Chiostro di Santa Chiara is another place I missed on previous day trips. The church was built starting in 1310 and the chiostro or cloister is well known for the addition of Rococo style majolica tiles in 1742.
Santa Chiara is located on the 2km long street known as ‘Spaccanapoli’ meaning ‘cut across Napoli’ because it cuts the centro storico in half. It is one of the 3 Decumani, east/west streets in the grid layout of the Greco-Roman city of Neapolis.

Napoli has the largest Centro Storico in Europe and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. Think of it as an open air museum.  Via dei Tribunali was decorated with a lot of laundry for some reason!

Nunspotting on Via San Gregorio Armeno.  I did not buy any Presepio accessories or Napoli team figurines, but perhaps these sisters did?

I walked past the Duomo just in time to see a dramatic wedding kiss.  The bride was clearly satisfied!  The Duomo Santa Maria Assunta was built over the site of a temple to Neptune.  It was damaged in a 15th century earthquake and repeatedly renovated, resulting in a mishmash of styles and a Neogothic facade.

Walking down Via Toledo to the end, passing Piazza Plebescito, I ended up at the waterfront and a view of Vesuvio.  Hopefully I will be back here at the port in a few months to take the ferry to Procida.

Sfogliatelle were consumed, of course.  This crunchy layered pastry, filled with sweet ricotta, lemon and candied peel is amazing. Sfogliatelle in Napoli are delicious and inexpensive.  I had one served hot from the oven at Antico Forno Attanasio, Via Ferrovia 1-4 just a few blocks from Piazza Garibaldi.  At €1.30, why stop at just one?  I bought a whole bag to bring back to Orsara!  I also had one from Pintauro on Via Toledo 275, the oldest sfogliatelle place in Napoli.  It was heavenly!

More street food heaven… I had a cuopo friggitori Napoletano.  This is a paper cone filled with fritto misto-a mixture of fried stuff-fish, vegetables and pizze fritte. Yum!Graffiti is elevated to a fine art form in Napoli.  I wrote a post on Napoli street art, and saw some new stuff. ‘Consumerism Street’ was taken on Via Toledo.  The small print under the sardine can says ‘Alla fine siamo tutti uguali’/In the end we are all equal.

In a tradition of pay it forward, Napoli has ‘caffè sospeso‘. This is a ‘pending caffè’, paid for in advance as an anonymous gift.  Someone asking if there is a caffè sospeso available would receive it for free. This is actually an old tradition that has recently had a resurgence.

Still haven’t visited Napoli?  What are you waiting for?  To quote myself …’Napoli is underrated, misunderstood and does not get the love it deserves, except from fans of Elena Ferrante novels. News of corruption, the Camorra and ongoing garbage crises give it a bad rep. It it ironic that everyone-including many Italians- fears for their life and thinks it is just a crime pit, when Napoli is actually safer than most large North American cities. It is vibrant, wonderfully chaotic, full of life and passionate, friendly people. Napoli has an ‘edge’ to it and is anything but boring’.

According to an old saying ‘Vedi Napoli e mori’. I hope you enjoyed un altro giorno a Napoli!  When you go, have an extra sfogliatella for me! Buon viaggio, Cristina

Diamond Anniversary

29 Thursday Dec 2022

Posted by in Amici e Famiglia, Orsara di Puglia, Photography

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My parents Leonardo and Pasqualina celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary a few days ago.  60 years is the Nozze di Diamante or Diamond Anniversary, and it is a big deal since less than 1% of married couples reach this milestone. Last year at my cousin’s wedding, his new wife did not throw her bouquet to the unmarried ladies-she gave it to Mamma for being married the longest and providing inspiration!

They wanted to celebrate at home with just immediate family and all of our cugini. It was a lovely event and we all had fun.  There was a display of just a few of their December 27, 1962 vintage winter wedding photos.  I also posted them on FB and IG, where they received so much love that I am posting them here as well.  

It was, and still is the custom in Orsara di Puglia for all of the wedding guests and family to depart from the bride’s house and walk behind her to the church. This is called a processione.  Following the ceremony at San Nicola di Bari, the processione continues to the reception location or wherever the vehicles are located.  In 1962 there were not many cars in town.This photo in the Portone Giudice was taken from Palazzo Baronale. It is my favourite as the snow is more visible!This one is in Piazza Mazzini.  The 2 arches in the background is the Fontana Nuova, where the women used to wash clothes.

Since there was snow on the ground, they got a ride in an old Mini.  At their 50th anniversary in 2012, the wedding dress and veil were on display on a mannequin. We could not display it this time since we were at home and the Christmas tree took up all the extra space.

They still look almost the same! I hope you have enjoyed the photos as much as we do.  Viva gli sposi! Auguri Mamma e Papà!

Marostica~Partita a Scacchi

20 Monday Sep 2021

Posted by in Feste, Italia, Photography, Travel

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On one of my trips to Italia many years ago… before digital photography…I visited a friend in Castelfranco Veneto, near Treviso.  As soon as I got off the train, I found out that she was able to get us tickets to Marostica’s Partita a Scacchi in Costume a Personaggi Viventi -a live chess game in costume.   

While going through old photos last week, I came across these ones from the event. I decided to scan them so we could viaggiare in pultrona-armchair travel and reenact the spectacle!

In 1454, two young noblemen Rinaldo d’Angarano and Vieri da Vallonara, both wanted to marry Lionora, daughter of Taddeo Parisio, the Castellano (Lord) of Marostica.  They wanted to duel for her hand, which was the thing to do at that time, but her father objected.  He did not want to make an enemy of one of the families.  Instead, he proposed a chess game played with live pieces in the main piazza on a giant chess board.  This way everyone in Marostica could see the game.  The winner would marry Lionora and the runner up her younger sister Oldrada.   The original game was on September 12, 1454 and the event is recreated every other year on the second weekend of September on a 16 metre squared marble scacchiera (chess board)which forms Piazza degli Scacchi in lower Marostica.

Merchants, peasants, gypsies and street entertainers start off the festivities with music and dancing.  

There is even a colourful jousting match as armed foot soldiers, knights and drummers parade from Castello Basso.

Sbandieratori-flag throwers entertain the crowd. Both long-staff and short-staff sbandieratori perform.  These in the photo are from Firenze and at the time, they were the world champions in short staff.  

The main performers then enter the piazza from Castello Basso.  In  the photo below, you can see the raised podium in red velvet, where the actual chess game will be played by the two suitors.

The suitors and their families are the first to enter. The man in the red tights at the front is one of the suitors.

Next in line are the noble families.  Noble families representing Verona, Venezia and Firenze are usually played by family of the sindaco (mayor) of each city.

Some of the elaborate late Medieval costumes are on loan from La Scala in Milano.

Next comes Il Castellano, Lionora in the green and gold dress, her sister Oldrada in the pink and gold dress, and their nursemaid.

Finally, the chess pieces enter.  The black and white king and queen are the most striking pieces.

The game begins with the pawns taking their places on the board.

The game is played on a regular sized chess board on a podium outside the Castello.  When one of the suitors makes a move it is called out by a crier in Dialetto Veneto, then the live piece moves.

The original chess moves have long been forgotten.  Local chess enthusiasts use plays from a more recent match for the performance.

When the game is over, the entire cast parades across the board and they return to Castello Basso.

La Partita a Scacchi in Costume a Personaggi Viventi is held in Marostica every other year (even years) on the second weekend in September.  The next dates are September 9-11, 2022.  There are 4 performances, each with 3600 spectators.  Three performances are at 9pm and one is at 5pm.  Ticket prices vary from €23 to €92.  More information is available on this website.

Have any of you been to the Partita a Scacchi or to Marostica?  Let me know in the comments.

The photos were taken by me and by Nadia Bruschetta, although we aren’t certain who took which photos because they predate digital photography and we shared prints.  I hope you enjoyed this viaggio in pultrona!  Ciao, Cristina

 

Percorso della Memoria

28 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by in Italian life, Orsara di Puglia, Photography, Puglia

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Largo San Michele Orsara di Puglia

During my last trip to Orsara di Puglia in July 2019, I arrived just in time for a new event, the Fine Confine Festival held in conjunction with Montaguto.  Montaguto is the closest town, less than 7 km away, but it is ‘across the border’ because it is in Campania.  Fine Confine means ‘no more borders’.  Of course, there is no actual border between Puglia and Campania, it was meant to be an emotional reflection on borders and walls.  

The 3 day festa had a jam-packed creative program.  One of the featured events was an open air exhibit, Percorso della Memoria.  The exhibit featured black and white photos taken by local architect Nicola G Tramonte between 1972 – 2008, super mega enlarged and affixed to the textured stone exteriors of buildings in the Centro Storico.  The photos are from his 2016 book Consegna di un Mondo (Surrender of a World).  It weighs almost 2kg, so I left my copy in Orsara!  Percorso della memoria, literally ‘path of the memory’, is best translated as ‘a stroll down memory lane’.  

My favourite piece, both for image and location is of Z’Ndunett (Zia Antonietta), my friend’s bisnonna, with her nose in a book.  It is on the imposing portone of Palazzo Varo in Largo San Michele.  I wonder what she is reading-it looks like it could be a prayer book? It was rare for anyone of her generation to make it past grade 2, which make the photo even more interesting.

True amicizia.  These two vecchiette were likely the best of friends for almost a century. Vecchiette are little old ladies.  Isn’t that what LOL meant before texting?

Un centesimo for her thoughts?  If only we knew what she was thinking.

This image is on the outer side wall of the 17th Century Fontana Nuova, where my Mamma used to wash clothes.  These gnarled, wrinkled, sturdy hands have worked and tilled the soil.  Likely they hand washed a lot of laundry too!

The only colour photo in the exhibit, this one is on the portone of an abandoned building I have always been fond of.  I refer to it as la casa del cappero because there is a caper tree growing from the inside. The owner died long ago, and apparently a disinterested heiress in New York does not give it much thought.  The subject lived around the corner and she fits right in,  seeming to become part of the building.  I remember her from the 1980’s when she was scandalized by my sister’s short shorts.  She would mumble ‘puttanella, puttanella’ when 8 year old Lucia walked by!

My friend Antonietta’s dress blends nicely into the colour palette as she admires this photo.  I adore these chickens who look like they are doing ‘lo struscio‘ – a passeggiata up the main street of Orsara! There were actually 2 photos on this wall, as you can see in the next photo.  This beauty is one of my favourite doors in town.

The ragazzo in this portrait with his infectious gap-toothed laugh absolutely radiates the joy of childhood! The wire his hand is gripping is mirrored in the real wire of the clothesline and the cast shadow it leaves. Unlike the rest of the photos in the exhibit which are on crumbling exteriors, this one is on a clean, newly painted surface.  My nonno Luigi used to live around the corner to the right.

There is another photo across the narrow street, but I did not get a close image of it.  I love the afternoon cast shadows on the walls. I am  constantly on the lookout for cast shadows when I wander the streets of Orsara-you can see some of my discoveries in  Il Sole di Metà Pomeriggio.

This last photo by Nicola is actually from an earlier exhibit during Fucacost e Cocce Priatorje, the November 1st festa in 2017.  I had to include it here because it was affixed to the wall of a wall down and across the narrow street from my casa in Orsara.  The red palazzo belongs to the same owner as la casa del cappero.  They are painted the same colour.  You can see the street is decorated for the festa with zucche (pumpkins) and ginestra (Scotch broom).  In case anyone is wondering ….small cars do drive these  narrow streets!

I hope you have enjoyed this virtual tour.  Hopefully there will be another Fine Confine Festival soon, when travel is possible again.  To see more of Nicola’s photos, check out his instagram account @nicolagtramonte.  

Buon viaggio (speriamo), Cristina

Lecce

25 Friday Sep 2020

Posted by in Architecture, Italia, Photography, Travel

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Santa Croce facade black and whiteLecce reminds me of a Caravaggio painting-Baroque, dramatic and opulent, with attention to detail.  It is unfortunate he did not live long enough to visit the city!  Lecce, in the Salento area of Southern Puglia is over 2000 years old and rich in tradition and local customs.  Originally called Syvar, it was founded by the Mesapii(Mesapians) from Crete.  There is a long history of Greek settlement here, in fact there is still a group of 9 towns called ‘Grecia Salentino’ where ‘Griko’ dialetto is spoken.

Conquered by the Romans in the 3rd Century BC, it was renamed Lupiae.  Hadrian moved the city 3 Km northeast in the 2nd Century AD and called it Licea. Then came the Byzantines in 549, followed by Orthodox monks.  Lecce and the Salento were an independent country from 1043 until 1463 when Emperor Carlo V conquered Puglia, and they became part of the Kingdom of Napoli until Italian unification in 1861.  Lecce was an important commercial city, with a building and cultural boom. Baroque doorway Lecce

Lecce is best known for its dramatic Baroque architecture and ornamentation, which even has its own name-Barocco Leccese.  The style was around from the mid 1500’s to the early 1700’s, so even among buildings constructed at different times there is continuity of style.Sant'Irene Lecce Interior

The Baroque style features over the top details and intricate carvings that create a sense of movement.  Barocco Leccese is even more expressive and unique.  Windows, balconies and loggias are elaborately ornamented with twisting columns, scrolls and cornices.  They are carved with human figures, animals, wreaths, vines and gargoyles.  There is also a lot of marble, gilt and bronze involved.  Corbels supporting balconies are a common decorative element in Lecce.Duomo Lecce

‘Salento and the Barocco Leccese, including Lecce, Nardò, Gallipoli, Martina Franca, Ostuni, Francavilla, Galatina and Galatone’ are on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list since 2006. This is the step before becoming a World Heritage Site.Vespa Lecce Puglia

Lecce’s buildings are made of Pietra Leccese, a local, honey coloured porous limestone.  It is soft and workable for sculpture, and was hardened and weatherproofed by soaking in a liquid solution made with whole milk.  Pietra Leccese is still one of the area’s main exports, mined in open quarries.Vicolo, Lecce

What to see in Lecce:

The Centro Storico of Lecce, with its narrow stone streets, 22 churches and unique architecture is a historically preserved walking museum.  It is mostly pedestrian only and very walkable.  Corso Vittorio Emanuele e Sant'Irene LecceAfter dark the streets are lined with outdoor seating for vino and aperitivo, and everyone is out for passeggiata.Lecce di notte

Lecce’s defensive walls are gone, but 3 gates remain: Porta Rudiae, Porta San Biagio and Porta Napoli, which marked the starting point of the road to Napoli.Piazza Duomo Lecce

The 2 main piazze are Piazza Duomo and Piazza Sant’Oronzo, which are connected by Corso Vittorio Emanuele.  Piazza Duomo is a large open space, but you can almost walk by and miss it!  There is only one entrance, and it is closed off on 3 sides.  The Duomo is unique as it has 2 facades.  This was done so that visitors to the piazza did not have to face a big blank side wall as they entered.  Campanile Piazza Duomo LecceThe Campanile is the tallest in Italia at 68 m.  Piazza Duomo also contains the Palazzo Vescovile and Seminario, which is used mainly for exhibitions.

Piazza Sant’Oronzo, named for the first Christian bishop and the patron saint of Lecce, was the site of the mercato.  The 2nd Century AD Roman anfiteatro was discovered in 1901 during construction of a new Banca d’Italia. Anfiteatro LecceThe 20,000 seat arena was originally built outside of the walls of Lecce and was still in use in the 12thCentury. More than half of it has not been excavated!

Looking down over the anfiteatro is Il Sedile, a 1590 Gothic structure which was the seat of the town hall.  It is now the Tourist information office.Anfiteatro and Il Sedile, Lecce, Puglia

The Colonna di S Oronzo, is a column topped with a bronze statue of Sant’Oronzo.  It was originally built in 110 AD-one of a pair of Turkish marble columns marking the end of the Via Appia from Roma to Brindisi.  This one toppled and broke in 1528 and its twin is still standing in Brindisi. In 1659, the broken remains were given to Lecce to thank Sant’Oronzo for saving Brindisi from the 1656 plague.  The Brindisini have wanted it back ever since!

Not far from the piazza is Museo Faggiano- a unique museum, especially for archeology nerds like me!  Plumbing issues result in DIY renovations that uncover layers of history…..Blog post coming!Santa Croce lecce under renovation. Black and white

Santa Croce’s façade is the masterpiece of Barocco Leccese.  It took 200 years to build.  The exterior was recently cleaned and renovated.  The interior has a gilded coffered ceiling and 14 chapels with carved, twisting columns.Santa Croce interior Lecce

Sant’Irene is dedicated to the ancient protector of the city 1591-1639.  The interior is simple, but has twin Baroque side altars.  My amazing balcony at Palazzo Belli B&B looked out onto the side entrance.Sant'Irene Lecce

Santa Chiara built in 1687 has an unusual façade and an extravagant interior with a wooden ceiling. There are loads of other beautiful churches to see in Lecce, but i have only mentioned the main ones. Santa Chiara Lecce

Sometimes the scenery looks like an old movie set!  Walk down Via Palmieri, lined with grand palazzi, ending at Porta Napoli.  Via Palmieri Lecce Puglia

Things I did not have time to see include the Castello Carlo V and its carta pesta (papier maché) museum, the Teatro Romano and the Museo Provinciale.

Lecce is a great place to shop.  Specialties include colourful Pugliese ceramics, carta pesta, olive oil and vino.  Lecce observes the pausa pranzo which means shops are closed from 2-5pm.Lecce ceramic souvenirs

Make sure to try pasticciotto.  My favourite is the kind with crema and amarena. Yum! Colazione LecceSit outside to have Caffè Leccese –espresso on ice with almond milk and of course local vino, especially my favourite-Negroamaro.  Here is my cena with Negroamaro rosé.  Burratina, taralli e Negroamaro Rose,

Since the centro storico is car free, dealing with a car in Lecce can be a pain.  During high season, it is easier to get around by bus or local train.  During low season, a car will make it easier to visit places that are not on the main train line. Lecce is between 2 seas, the Adriatic is 11km away and the Ionian 23 km away.

Lecce (pop. 96,000) is on the Adriatico train route that starts in Bologna.  The Stazione is a flat walk, 1 km south of the Centro Storico.  Last year, I took the train from Foggia (3 hours) staying 3 days in Lecce and 1 in Nardò. It was late July/early August, and not crowded at all. I booked my train and accomodation 3 days in advance. Try to avoid making Lecce a daytrip, as you will miss the beautiful evenings and fun nightlife. I am looking forward to going back as soon as possible!Via Palmieri Lecce black and white

Buon viaggio, Cristina

Lucca

15 Monday Jun 2020

Posted by in Italia, Photography, Travel

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Lucca Torre GuinigiLucca is one of my favourite smaller cities in Italia.  While writing my last post, I realized that I have not yet dedicated a whole post to Lucca!   Founded by the Etruscans as Luk, meaning marsh, Lucca became a Roman colony in 180 BC.  In the 12th-13th centuries, the silk trade and banking were responsible for economic development and population increase.  Lucca was an independent republic for 500 years, until Italian unification. Today the population is 88,000 and Lucca has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006.Porta Santa Maria Lucca

Lucca does not have 1 or 2 monumental sites-the city itself is the attraction!  Lucca is best known for the well preserved, intact Renaissance walls encircling it.  The complex defense network is still mostly intact, 12 m high and 30 m wide, with 6 porte – entrance gates and 10 ramparts.  The only thing missing is the moat, which was filled in the 1800’s.Lucca medieval walls

On top of the walls is Via delle Mura Urbane, a wide 4.2 km tree lined pathway that is popular for walking, cycling and running.  When entering Lucca, the 16th C walls from can be seen from below. Bike rentals are available near most of the entry gates.Lucca

Lucca has a real ‘lived in’ feel to it.  Walking through one of the gate tunnels is like stepping back in time.  Lucca is flat, with a random street layout.  Most of the centro storico is pedestrian only and full of biciclette to photograph.  Lucca bicicletta rossaThe streets are narrow and flanked by tall, narrow buildings.  The many towers and other landmarks are often not visible from below, so it is easy and fun to get lost among the historic architecture and cobblestone streets.Lucca

The main street, Via Fillungo has beautiful storefronts and buildings.  It connects Piazza Anfiteatro and Piazza San Michele.  Piazza Anfiteatro’s oval shape is the ‘ghost’ of the 10,000 seat Roman amphitheater that once stood there.  Entrance to the piazza is through brick tunnels.The stones were looted to build other structures, but the tall buildings in shades of yellow and cream with green shutters were built following the shape of the former amphitheater.Piazza AnfiteatroPiazza Anfiteatro Lucca

As in San Gimignano, defense towers were a status symbol for Lucca’s wealthy families in the 1300’s. Lucca’s skyline has several towers, the most famous being the 45 m Romanesque Gothic red brick Torre Guinigi.  Built in 1384 by the Guinigi family of silk merchants, the tower is 45 m tall with 7 Holm Oak trees growing on top, symbolizing rebirth.  Torre Guinigi, LuccaThe rooftop was originally used for dining, with the kitchen on the floor below.  Imagine carrying dishes the 232 steps to the top!  Admission is €5 single/ €8 family. A 2 day combination ticket can also be purchased that includes Torre delle Ore and Orto BotanicoView from the top of Torre Guinigi Lucca

At 50m Torre delle Ore is the tallest tower in Lucca.  It started as a personal defensive tower, and when defense was no longer needed, it was turned into a clock in 1390.  The present clock mechanism is from the 1700’s.  It even has its own resident ghost legend-in 1623, a Lucchese woman who had sold her soul to the devil ran up to the top to try to stop time, but she didn’t make it.  Climb the top to see rooftop Lucca and the best views of Torre Guinigi. In the photo below you can see Torre delle Ore and the campanile of San Martino.View from Torre Guinigi

Lucca has over 70 churches.  The Gothic/Pisan Romanesque church of San Martino was started in 1070.  It has a mismatched 14th C campanile-the top is white like the church, but the lower half is red quartz stone.  The church façade has 3 levels of open arches and each of the 37 columns are different.  There was a contest for the design of the columns and each artist submitted one.  Instead of awarding a winner, all of the columns were used without paying the artists.  Che furbi!  San Martino is home to the famous relic, a cedar crucifix known as  il Volto Santo di Lucca (the holy face) and works of art by Jacopo della Quercia, Ghirlandaio and Tintoretto.

Like much of Lucca, the church of San Michele in Foro was built on a much earlier structure.  Piazza San Michele was formerly the Roman Forum.  The façade has 4 rows of ornate arches and columns, similar to San Martino.  I do not think artists contributed these columns for free! San Michele has works by Tuscan superstars Luca della Robbia and Filippino Lippi.San Michele in Foro, Lucca

The oldest church in Lucca, 6th C San Frediano has a beautiful golden  mosaic façade.  Lucca San Frediano

Lucca is the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini, and the house where he was born is now Museo Puccini.  Admission is €7. If you are in Lucca in the evening, it is common to hear music coming from churches, piazze and the opera house Teatro del Giglio.Lucca San Giusto

Lucca is beautiful to visit any time of the year……except for the first week of November!  Unless you are attending, avoid visiting during Lucca Comics and Games.  Lucca is NW of Firenze, closer to Pisa.  The train station is right across the street from Porta San Pietro, one of the entry gates, making Lucca an easy day trip -90min from Firenze and 30 min from Pisa.  Lucca really deserves a few days of its own though, and also makes a great base to see the rest of Toscana.Lucca, bicicletta

The photos in this post were taken on 4 separate visits over a 15 year period, which explains the dramatic weather fluctuations!

Lucca is also mentioned in the posts Viaggio con Isabella and Autunno in Italia

Photos of San Martino and San Frediano from wikimedia commons.

Buon viaggio, Cristina

Viaggio con Isabella

20 Wednesday May 2020

Posted by in Amici e Famiglia, Firenze, Italia, Photography, Travel

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Duomo Selfie FirenzeOne year ago I was just returning from Italia with my nipotina Isabella. Since we are not able to travel in real life, viaggiamo in pultrona, let’s armchair travel and revisit our trip.

A bit of backstory…when Isabella was about 8 years old, she saw a photo of me on the Ponte Vecchio and asked ‘Zia, where is this?’.  I replied ‘Firenze’ and she asked if we could go there together one day.  I was thrilled at the opportunity to share my love of Firenze with her, so of course I said ‘Si! We can go when you graduate’.  We were delayed a few years due to scheduling issues, but last year in between Isabella finishing her university classes and starting a summer job, we managed to squeeze in a 2 week trip!Ponte Vecchio Firenze

We flew to Firenze, where we rented a studio apartment in the Oltrarno for a week.  It was in a renovated stone tower a short walk from the Ponte Vecchio and down a narrow alley from Piazza della Passera.Peppe Zullo, Mercato Centrale

Chef Peppe Zullo, our amico from Orsara, was in town our first day.  We met him at the Mercato Centrale where he and his son Michele had recently taken over a restaurant upstairs called Tosca.

Galleria degli UffiziWe had prebooked only 1 museum-the Uffizi of course, for the Saturday so that Gaetano, our cugino in med school could join us.  New Caravaggio rooms have opened since my last visit!  Galleria degli UffiziI noticed many portraits of Anna Maria Luisa de Medici on display.  We have her to thank for all of this! Isabella loved the Uffizi, not just for the artwork, also the building itself, so Gaetano suggested she visit Palazzo Pitti another day.Palazzo Pitti Firenze interior

I am ‘vertically challenged’, which may be why I like to climb to the top of things, especially if there is a view involved. We climbed almost everything in Firenze, starting with a walk to Piazzale Michelangelo via Porta San Niccolò for views of the city, then continuing up to San Miniato al Monte. We climbed the dizzying narrow stairs to the top of Brunelleschi’s Duomo to see the views and the Torre Giotto.  Duomo FirenzeAnother day we climbed the Torre Giotto and saw the Duomo!  These climbs were vital to working off gelato! For more photos taken from above see Viste di Firenze.

We also enjoyed the view, modern art and caffè from la terrazza degli Uffizi.  This is the title of one of my monotypes, so I had to throw that in there!  The Aperol Spritz from the roof bar of La Rinascente in Piazza della Repubblica was the best I have had.  With her new headband and puffy sleeves, Isabella looked like a Renaissance principessa enjoying a spritz!Isabella Aperol Spritz Duomo Firenze

We were on constant lookout for street art by Blub-even Gaetano when he was with us.  The results of our Blub hunt are in the post L’arte sa Nuotare.Blub street art Firenze

Isabella loves caffè.  She started ordering caffè lungo because both times she ordered un americano, they repeated ‘American coffee’ and tried to serve her drip coffee!   Mannaggia!   What has the world come to!Caffe a Firenze We had caffè at a different place every morning, including Caffè degli Artigiani in Piazza della Passera, Bar d’ Angolo in Porta Romana, one of my old favourites I Dolci di Patrizio Cosi, and one place way too close to Ponte Vecchio. They were all wonderful!  Isabella kept track of the cost of a cornetto and 2 caffè lunghi…..as expected, she found the price decreased and the quality increased the farther out we went!  Valuable life lessons!

San GimignanoWe joined 5 others on a lovely daytrip from San Gimignano to Siena with Piero of Bike Florence and Tuscany.  The weather was ominous, either sprinkling or threatening to rain all day.  Bicicletta ToscanaMonteriggioni was a stop for wine tasting and we cycled parts of the Via Francigena. In Siena we had a few hours to explore the city and have Panforte.Monteriggioni Siena

The weather was not very warm for May.  I think this is the first time I have ever packed a small umbrella, but glad I did!  We had to dress in layers, or ‘a la cipolla’ as they say in italiano.  Some evenings in Firenze, it seemed like we were wearing ALL of the clothes in our valigia! Despite this, we walked everywhere.

Here is our map –YES- a map-of where we walked.  Maps of the city centre are great for getting oriented.  It is much easier than trying to look at a GPS on a tiny phone screen.  We did not have time to take the bus to Fiesole or get to L’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David or attend Mass at Santa Croce.  Isabella will definitely need to get back to Firenze.  While shopping, she did receive many compliments every day on her Italiano, even bartering down the price of a cute leather jacket!Biciclette, LuccaLucca was our next stop, 1.5 hours away by train.  Lucca is one of my favourite places in Italia!  We stayed at a small B&B near Torre Guinigi.  The owners found out we lived in Vancouver and told us about their nipote in Vancouver who is Isabella’s age.  I started to say that Vancouver was a big city…… when Isabella said ‘Uh….Zia….I actually do know him….  Che mondo piccolo!  After that, every time they saw Isabella, with no subtlety at all, they went on about what a nice boy he was!Riding the medieval walls Lucca

Lucca is known for its intact medieval walls.  We rented biciclette to ride the path on top of the walls.  The forecast was for good weather.  We had done 4 laps of the tree lined 4 km route, when unexpectedly a torrential downpour started.  It rained so hard we could barely see.Lucca medieval walls

We tried to get off the path, but visibility was so bad we could not tell which gate and ‘onramp’ we had taken to get up to the wall.  This was important because we had to return the bikes where we rented them.  Isabella wore her new jacket, and rather than get it ruined in the rain, she had folded it up inside out in a plastic bag in the cestino -the basket- leaving her in short sleeves.  Brrrr!

Piazza Anfiteatro LuccaBy the time we got to Piazza Anfiteatro to warm up and wait for the rain to stop, we looked like wet rats.  The restaurants are outdoor, so they had large heaters, and even blankets.  Piazza Anfiteatro Lucca A friend was coming from Viareggio for aperitivo later, but she had to cancel due to the weather.  Even in the rain, Lucca is spectacular. It is also a great place to shop!  I never spend enough time in Lucca.Monterosso a mare, Sentiero Azzurro

Our next stop was La Spezia via Pisa and on to Vernazza, our home base in the Cinque Terre.  I wrote about our time there in 2 posts- Le Cinque Terre and Exploring le Cinque Terre. The second post is specifically about our adventures.  The weather was beautiful, which is good, as there are no indoor activities there!  Hiking all day with a 19 year old is hard work, so luckily there was wine tasting in the evening!Milano Naviglio GrandeThe morning we left Vernazza was raining almost as much as on the walls of Lucca!  Isabella had been to Roma several times, but not to Milano, so we booked to fly home from there.  We met our cugina Federica, who we stayed with, and went to the Navigli area to have dinner with more cugini. Our visit was too short.  We spent the next day walking and window shopping around the Cento Storico and had a few ‘streetside reunions’ and phone calls with more cugini and a friend.  I have been to Milano many times but have yet to see L’Ultima Cenacola, Da Vinci’s Last Supper.  Even 2 weeks in advance, I was not able to book admission.  Another reason to return!Milano Duomo nella pioggiaWe hope you have enjoyed this piccolo viaggio virtuale with us!  Hopefully we can travel again soon.  Ciao, Cristina & IsabellaPiazza della Repubblica selfie

Cinquecento Love

04 Monday May 2020

Posted by in Italia, Italian life, Photography

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Fiat Cinquecento wedding carCinquecento Love:  My lifelong obsession with the FIAT 500 is my article/photo essay in a special print edition of Accenti Magazine.  With the COVID Pandemic, we do not know when the issue will be printed.  The article is now available online at the link posted below.

Accenti, The Canadian Magazine with an Italian Accent was launched in November 2002. Thirty-one issues were published in print. Since January 2015, Accenti is published online-only. Accenti also publishes a newsletter, which is emailed to subscribers.Fiat Cinquecento Roma

Cinquecento Love:  My lifelong obsession with the FIAT 500

‘Nothing says Italian style like a Fiat 500 (pronounced cheen·kweh·CHEN·toh). My love affair with the 500 began when I was 16. I really wanted one, but it would not fit into my suitcase. So I had to go home without one. I don’t know if I will ever own a super cute, chubby 500, but I have spent years photographing them all over Italy. Every time I see one, I just want to give it a hug!’ …….read the rest of the article at Accenti online.  You can also order a print copy of the magazine-orders outside of Canada just need to pay for shipping.

Fiat 600 Troia Puglia

I hope you all share my Cinquecento love!  Ciao, CristinaRobin's egg blue Fiat Cinquecento

Corzetti

17 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by in Mangiamo!, Photography, Recipes

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Corzetti (cor∙ZET∙ti) are a traditional pasta of Liguria, also called croxetti (cro∙shet∙ti) or crosetti in Ligurian.  Corzetti are an embossed pasta shaped to look like gold coins.  The name comes from ‘crux’, latin for cross. They  have been around for a very long time. We know this because the Republic of Genoa had a medieval coin with a Genovese cross and there is a 1362 literary reference to pasta with crossetti served at a banquet.Stampo per corzetti

Corzetti are made with un stampo per corzetti- a corzetti stamp.  This is a 2 part device made of unfinished wood-usually pear wood.   The textured finish of the wood is functional-it transfers to the pasta and helps hold sauce, as does the embossed design. The bottom of the lower half is used to cut the circles. The top of the lower piece and the upper piece with the handle for pressing each have a carved design.Corzetti pasta con grano

Corzetti are like edible woodcut prints!  The perfect pasta for a printmaker.  This must be why I like making them so much!
If you read the posts Le Cinque Terre and Exploring le Cinque Terre, you may remember my determined quest to find a corzetti stamp.  In Corniglia, I found dried corzetti for sale, but no stamp.  I did not notice any restaurants serving them either, but I also did not look very hard.  I finally found a stamp by accident in a tiny shop in Vernazza, the town where we were staying. They were in a basket at the back, where no one could see them!

The design on my stamp is a stem of wheat, with a swirl on the other side.  It cost 11 Euro and was carved by a local fisherman.  I saw a similar one online for $72 US.  You can also custom order stamps but they can be very expensive.  It is much more fun to buy something like this where it is produced.

Noble Ligurian families had their family coat of arms engraved on the stamps.  Designs also include crosses, wheat, gigli (fleur de Lis) or the emblem of il pastaio, the pastamaker.

Circles are cut on a freshly rolled sfoglia or pasta sheet-not too thick, but thick enough to hold the embossing.  Each corzetto is pressed between the 2 parts of the stamp, embossing a design on each side.  If the pasta is rolled out too thin, the designs will transfer to the other side.Stampo per corzetti Corzetti stamp

Corzetti dough is traditionally made with eggs and white wine.  It is usually made with flour and semola rimacinata di grano duro (called semolina in North America) or chestnut flour.  Traditionally, corzetti are served with pesto or olive oil, herbs and pine nuts.  They can also be served with an herb and scallop or mushroom walnut sauce.  I have made corzetti several times now, and here is the dough combination I found works the best:

To make Corzetti:

200g (1.5 cups) 00 or All-Purpose flour

200g (1.5 cups) semola rimacinata (Semolina)

3 medium sized eggs plus 2 yolks-add an extra egg if they are small

60ml dry white wine (1/4 cup)

5ml (1 tsp) Extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt

Make a well with the flours on a wooden board.  Place the eggs, wine and EVOO in the center and beat with a fork, then slowly start to mix in the flour.  This dough needs to be soft and elastic to hold the embossing and you may not need all of the flour. Keep some to the side in case it is not needed. Once the mixture is less liquid, start to mix by hand.  Knead for 10 minutes.  Roll into a ball, cover and let rest for 30 min.

Use half the dough at a time, and keep the other half from drying out by covering with an upturned bowl.  Roll the dough out by hand 3mm thick.  You can use a pasta machine, but hand rolling will result in a better embossing.  Lightly flour the corzetti stamp.  Cut circles as close together as possible.  Pasta rolled out multiple times will not be consistent thickness and will dry out, and not take the embossing as well. Stand up while pressing down firmly on the top of the stamp with the palm of the hand to get the best quality embossing. This makes 60-65 corzetti.
Corzetti pasta con pesto Genovese

I like to serve corzetti with a traditional Pesto Genovese. This mushroom walnut sauce is also yummy.Corzetti con funghi e noce

Corzetti con Funghi e Noce / Corzetti with Mushrooms and Walnuts

200g porcini mushrooms or mixed mushrooms in season

1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk

2 cloves garlic

Prezzemolo (Italian parsley)

200 g (~3/4 cup) walnuts shelled

30g (2 tablespoons) pine nuts

Dry white wine

EVOO, salt

Finely chop everything except the pine nuts.

Make a soffritto-Fry the onion in olive oil, add carrot and celery, half of the garlic and the pine nuts

In another pan, fry the mushrooms (these can be finely chopped or just separate the tops and bottoms) then add the soffritto. Add wine and cook for 30 min.

Before serving, add salt, the rest of the garlic, and prezzemolo

Cook corzetti in boiling salted water for 3-4 min.  Add mushroom sauce and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Want to try making corzetti, but don’t have a stamp?  Cut circles out with a 5cm (2 inch) diameter drinking glass.  Use a cookie press for the design, or find something that can be lightly pressed to make a design in the dough-a wax seal, a ring, the crosshatch design on your meat tenderizer…..  get creative!Corzetti pasta con grano

It is hard to believe I was in Liguria 11 months ago.  Since we can not travel there-or anywhere at this time, I hope this helps you viaggiare in pultrona… armchair travel to the coast of Liguria and the Cinque Terre.  Buon viaggio and stay safe, Cristina