Autunno in Italia

30 Thursday Nov 2017

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Firenze, Italia, Orsara di Puglia, Photography, Roma, Travel tips

Tags

Autumn in Italy, Casa Berti, Catalyst Art Retreat, Falò e Teste del Purgatorio, Firenze, Gugliano, Italy travel tips, Lucca, Orsara di Puglia, Piazzale Michelangelo, Roma, Tutti i Santi Festa

Returning from my short trip to Italia, as usual I was back to work the next morning. This did not help with the cambiamento di fuso orario. I have so many posts to write, but now they will have to wait until after Christmas. Until then, here is a quick summary with some highlights from my viaggietto. It was a bit of a blur….at 17 days, I think this was my shortest ever trip to Italia!

I had not been to Italia in autunno before. The fall weather was mostly clear and sunny, with a few days of serious rain. I envisioned myself having every piazza practically to myself….was I ever mistaken! My first few days were in Roma the last weekend of October. The Pantheon was packed with more people than I have ever seen in July. I could barely make it through the crowd to throw my coin in the Fontana di Trevi! I found out that some European countries have their school midterm break around this time. In Italia November 1st, All Saints’ Day, is a holiday and many Italians take ‘il ponte al primo novembre’, an extra-long weekend. Even so, the guard at the Pantheon said ‘Qui non c’è bassa stagione’-there is no low season here. My 2 partial weekends in Firenze were similar. Smaller places, especially the seaside are quiet at this time of year, but the cities always have a lot of visitors, especially on the weekend. Despite my utter shock at the hoardes of tour groups I was not expecting, Roma was glorious as usual. One day I want to spend a whole month in Roma.

Franco joined me for the first 9 days-this was only confirmed a week before leaving! He had not been to Roma in a very long time, so we decided to visit the Colosseo and Foro Romano. I took way too many photos of this was obsessed with the way the sunlight struck this green door on the Tempio di Romolo in the Foro Romano. The rest of the day involved a lot of walking and was centered around a visit to Poggi to buy Fabriano Rosaspina paper for my art retreat, and meeting a friend in Monti. We ended up doing everything on my Un Giorno a Roma itinerary and a few extras.

Monti

Spending just 4 days in Orsara di Puglia was a mad dash. This was not enough time to visit family and friends, so I greeted a lot of them in the street. I heard the same phrase from anyone who was not expecting me ‘Ma sei fuori stagione!’. I guess I was out of season, but technically so were they! It was hard to recognize people bundled up in their puffy piumini. November 1 is a holiday, and in Orsara also the festa Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje. In Italiano this would be Falò e Teste del Purgatorio (bonfires and heads from purgatory). Sometimes we simply call it ‘Tutti Santi’. I wrote about the festa in this post, and now that I have been there myself, I will add photos. There were zucche and bonfires everywhere. My balcony was decorated with zucche. I took so many photos I am still going through them, but here are a few.

Il fuoco e le zucche di Antonella e Domenico

The festa was absolutely amazing and also a moving, sprirtual experience-for me and 20,000 others. The weather was clear and crisp, but it was very cold at night. My little casa has no heat, so I borrowed an electric space heater. Brrrrr.

I encountered a lot of olives on this trip. It seemed every road near Orsara was full of parked cars and people with crates and olive nets. I was not used to seeing the trees full of ripe olives! I enjoyed spending a day at my Nonno’s olive grove. One evening we walked past the frantoio, the olive mill, which is always closed the rest of the year. The divine smell of pressed olives lured me in. I photo-documented the entire olive oil extraction process for a future post. Then it was arrivederci Orsara until July. Unfortunately, I missed my family’s olive harvest by one day, but I was able to pick olives in Gugliano.

Next was Firenze for 2 half days. I had not been for several years and it felt good to be back. A spectacular view was the reward for a long morning walk along and across the Arno to Piazzale Michelangelo. A torrential downpour started just as we arrived so the return trip was very wet. I had to blow dry myself, then got back out in the rain to catch the train to Lucca. We arrived in Lucca just as thousands of attendees were leaving the Lucca Comics and Games Convention. For security reasons, the front of the stazione was closed off. My ride was waiting out front, so by the time we got there, I looked like I had been through the spin cycle. The imposing medieval walls of Lucca were barely visible through the rain and the mist. Next came the bumpy half hour ride to Casa Berti near Gugliano for the Catalyst Art Retreat.

Casa Berti

Luckily a fire was waiting. Franco was in charge of roasting castagne, then he caught the last train back to Firenze to fly home in the am. The retreat was wonderful and the location stunning. My fellow artists were an inspiration.

My corner of the studio at Casa Berti, looking out over olive trees

Artist Mary Cinque working on a woodcut in the studio

The retreat ended with an exhibit at Villa Coloreda near Pietrasanta

I also found time to visit Lucca, pick olives and cacchi, make limoncello cake with freshly pressed olive oil and finally try Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Lots of material for future posts.

#cooldudesroma

So much for a ‘quick’ summary! I’ll end with a few notes about travelling to Italia in autunno:

-It may be ‘low season’ for airfares, but unless your destination is a small town or a seaside area, do not expect to be alone! This is especially true on weekends. In the cities, midweek hotel prices are lower, but they go up on weekends.

-Dancing around an almost empty Piazza Navona is possible……before 8am!

-The days are shorter. It gets dark at 16:30 to be exact. Take this into account when making plans for the day.

-The weather can be variable. Even if the days are sunny, nights are cold. Dress ‘a la cipolla’, in layers like an onion, and be prepared for rain too!

Il Ponte Vecchio 12 Novembre

Buon Viaggio, Cristina

Buon Compleanno Roma!

21 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Roma

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Ancient Roma, April 21 753 BC, La Lupa Capitolina, Natale di Roma, Roma, Romolo & Remo

Roma’s turns 2770 years old today! Auguri Roma. The day of Roma’s foundation is called ‘Natale di Roma’. You may be thinking… Christmas of Roma? Huh? Christmas is called Natale in Italiano, but the word natale, with a lower case ‘n’, actually means birth-so today is the celebration of the birth of Roma. The exact date, April 21, 753 BC, was determined by Marcus Terentius Varro, a 1st Century BC Roman scholar.

According to legend, on this date Roma was founded by orphaned twins Romolo and Remo (Romulus and Remus in Latin). Their dramatic story shares plotlines with those of Hamlet, Moses and Cain and Abel! They were children of Mercury, God of War, and Rea Silvia, the daughter of Numitore, ex King of Alba Longa, which was 19 km southeast of Roma. Rea Silvia’s family were descendants of Aeneas, the Greek Trojan war refugee. Aeneas’ son Ascanio was the founder and first king of Alba Longa. Numitore’s brother Amulio ousted him. To insure Numitor would have no heirs, Amulio killed his son, and forced Rea Silvia to become a Vestal Virgin. When the gemelli were born in 771 BC, Amulio ordered them to be drowned in the Tevere.

The servants who were to drown the babies set them afloat in a basket on the river instead. They washed up near the Palatino (Palatine Hill) and were found and nurtured by a lupa (she-wolf) who had lost her newborn cubs. *Interesting note- at the time, the word ‘lupa‘ could also mean prostitute! Romolo and Remo were found by a shepherd, Faustilo. He and his wife Larentia took them in and raised them.

Romolo and Remo grew up to be leaders of a group of shepherd warriors. When they found out that they were the true heirs to Alba Longa, they attacked, killed Amulio and restored their Nonno Numitore as king. Fresh from their revenge and still full of adrenaline, Romolo and Remo decided they would build a city of their own near where they were found by the lupa. Romolo wanted to build on the Palatine Hill (where the Forum is) and Remo wanted to build on the Aventine. They disagreed and fought, with Romolo accidentally killing his brother in the process. And so began the long, bloody, politically charged history of Ancient Roma. Romolo built the city on the Palatino and named her Roma after himself.

Gruppo Storico Romano organizes many festivities in Roma today, including a live reenactment of Il Natale di Roma at Circo Massimo.

Ciao e buon 2770mo compleanno Roma, Cristina

Hairstyling in Ancient Roma

31 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Art history, Italia, Roma

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

Ancient Roman hairdressing, Hadrianic Turban, Hercules Knot, Nodus, Orbis Comarum, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Roma

On a recent visit to Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, I walked the corridors lined with ancient Roman busts and was struck by the variety and realism of sculpted hairstyles. Many of them are so detailed, the hair looks like it is moving. Roman women originally wore their hair in simple styles with a circular band around the head, a bun at the nape of the neck or on top of the head. In Imperial Roma (1^st -3^rd C AD), hairstyles were always changing. Archeologists are actually able to identify and date coins and busts based on the hairstyle, which was often worn by the empress of the time.

During the reign of Emperor Augustus elaborate updos for married women became fashionable, and really got big and complex in the Flavian and Trajanic eras. Clothing styles for women were simple, and unlike men, whose status could be reflected in their clothes, there was no special dress code to distinguish status. Women could only display their status, wealth and age via their hairstyles and jewellery. A natural hairstyle was considered barbarian, and implied a lack of both wealth and taste. For Roman noblewomen, complex, unnatural hairstyles requiring hours of daily attention showed wealth and culture to the max. It was the job of slave hairdressers called ornatrice and their assistants to put hair up and take it down. Scenes of hairdressing and mirror-gazing were popular subjects in portraiture and reliefs, such as the 50 BC fresco from the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii.

Reticula (hairnet) of finely woven gold, found on Via Tiburtina, Palazzo Massimo. In behind is the poet Sappho wearing a hairnet, from a Pompeiian fresco.

Ornatrice curled hair in ringlets by wrapping it around a tapered bronze rod called a Calamistrum, which was heated in hot ashes or open flame. Hair was twisted, braided, curled, teased, wrapped and tied with cords or ribbons to bind around the head. Carefully arranged styles, braids and buns were stitched up with blunt bone needle and wool thread, held with wire, painted bone, ivory or jeweled hairpins and combs, and hairnets called reticulae of finely woven gold wire. Beeswax pomade was the only styling product available-the closest thing to hairspray they had!

My similated ‘Ornatrice Toolbox’ containing blunt needle and wool thread. hair piece and hair bodkin, leaf spring scissors, camel bone comb, beeswax and a ‘calamistrum’ which is actually my ring mandrel, but it is the right shape!

Fanciulla Dormiente, Palazzo Massimo

Romans dyed their hair with everything from herbs to yucky potions. Hair was lightened with lemons, chamomile, henna, saffron, turmeric, baking soda, ammonia, and even pigeon poop. Hair was reddened with henna from Egypt or animal fat mixed with wood ashes. According to Pliny the Elder, hair could be dyed black by applying leeches that had been rotting in red wine and vinegar for 40 days. Yuck! Hair was also darkened with lead oxide, copper filings, or burned walnut shells and leeks. A paste of herbs and crushed earthworms was applied at night to prevent gray. Che schifo!

Women kept their hair as long as it grew, so styles were done with very long hair. Over time, all of this pulling, pinning, colouring, and frequent curling at high temperature led to hair thinning and damage. The only ‘hair products’ available were olive oil, honey and eggs. As they got older, women often had to use hairpieces, extensions and wool pads to make their hair look thicker or longer. These were braided into existing hair, pinned, or sewn in with wool thread, twine or wire and a blunt bone needle. In extreme cases, a capellamentum or full wig could be worn. Busts were sometimes even made with detachable marble hairpieces so the style could be updated without the expense of commissioning a new bust.

Lucilla wearing a palla, Palazzo Massimo

Most adult Roman women wore a palla when they left the house. This was a long cloth wrapped around the body and draped over the back of the head as a veil. A woman wearing her hair uncovered and loose in the street could be mistaken for a prostitute!

Bust of Livia, Palazzo Massimo

The ancient Nodus hairstyle was worn by Livia Drusilla, wife of Augustus and also his sister Octavia. The hair was parted in 3 sections. The side hair was tied into a bun at the back and the middle section looped back on itself like a pompadour and then braided to join the bun.

Plotina Pompeia, wife of Trajan, Palazzo Massimo. Her nodus is a high cascading ponytail.

Fanciulla Romana, young woman with Hercules knot, Palazzo Massimo

Roman women even tied their hair in knots. Above is a Hercules Knot, also called a reef knot or square knot. Left over right, right over left! Roman brides often wore a belt with a Hercules knot, which is where the phrase ‘to tie the knot’ comes from, but the hairstyle was not associated with marriage. Vibia Sabina also wore this style.

Agrippina Minor, Palazzo Massimo

This partial bust of Agrippina Minor (15-59 AD), mother of Nero, found in Ostia has tightly curled short front hair with a diadem (tiara). We have to imagine the rest of the hairstyle, with a bun and ringlets in the back, coming over her shoulders.

Poppaea Sabina, Palazzo Massimo

Poppea Sabina (31-65 AD) the wife of Nero had a talented, hardworking ornatrice! Her bust features two rows of interesting looped tight curls under the diadem and ringlets down the back. Look at those fine little curlicues around her face. They were probably held in place with beeswax pomade.

The Hadrianic Turban or tower hairstyle was like a turban of parallel braids that were sewn together on top of the head. This style was often worn by Vibia Sabina (88-137 AD) wife of Emperor Hadrian and can also be seen on the Egyptian Mummy portrait at the end of this post.

Vibia Sabina, wife of Hadrian, Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum. Photo, Wikimedia commons

This back view of one of Vibia Sabina’s hairstyles is an absolute masterpiece- un capolavoro. This sculptor wins the best stone hairdressing prize. You can feel the weight of that massive coil of knotted braids on her head. The details are amazing, like the tendrils on the back of the neck, and that little curl beside the ear.

Faustina Maggiore, Musei Capitolini. Photo Wikimedia Commons

The hairstyle of Faustina Maggiore (the Elder) is another work of art. It is like a French roll made with braids, then rolled into a coiled bun at the top of her head like a Jackie-O pillbox hat.

During the Flavian and Trajanic eras (late 1^st, early 2^nd C AD) the ‘orbis comarum’ or circle of hair with really big, tall front hair was in fashion. A shorter fringe of tall tight curls or ringlets was piled high in the front, and braids wound into a big wreath bun in back. The big front hair was often curled, teased, and then sewn in place and supported by wires and padded with a wool pad or hairpiece.

The Fonseca Bust in the Musei Capitolini is a portrait of an unknown Flavian woman with the Orbis Comarum. The front ringlets are sculpted using a hand drill. Can you imagine making a mistake drilling one of those fine deep holes! The back view of the bust looks like a straw hat on the head. That big front hair looks mega-teased. It is amazing this was possible without hairspray! The side view is my favourite. I love how you can see the origin of all the braids.

Fonseca bust, side and back view (the back view is of a plaster cast ) Photos Wikimedia Commons

Flavian Woman, Museo Nazionale Venezia. Photo Wikimedia Commons.

On this bust of an unknown Flavian era woman (75-100 AD), the small tight ringlets are sculpted with a hand drill. They almost look like fusilli! The big front hair looks like it is being propped up by the ropes of braids, wound high on her head.

Giulia Domna, Glyptothek, Munich. Photo Wikimedia Commons

Giulia Domna (170-218 AD) the Syrian wife of Emperor Septimus Severus had a very distinctive hairstyle-and a nose similar to Lorenzo di Medici. Great sculpted eyebrows too! Her hair was twisted loosely in strands and draped around her face, then brought up the back of her head and sewn into a long, flat bun, which you can see in the side view. I guess she didn’t have to move around much!

Female portrait, Centrale Montemartini

This lovely late 2nd C, early 3rd C AD partial Roman woman’s head was discovered in 1933, while Mussolini was constructing Via dei Fori Imperiali. Her front hair is twisted in small strands almost like Rastafarian corn rows to frame the face, and the back is twisted in a large, loose bun. She now sits in Centrale Montemartini in front of a caldaia -a giant boiler.

Exquisite mummy portrait in encaustic wax on wood panel, Hawara, Middle Egypt, 120 AD. Photo National Museum of Scotland

I hope you enjoyed this tour of Ancient Roman hair. To see some of these styles recreated by a modern hairdresser, visit the youTube channel of Janet Stephens. Ciao, Cristina

Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Roma

16 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Art, Culture, Italia, Roma, Travel

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Augustan Villa of the Farnesina, Musei Nazionale Romano, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Roma, Villa Livia

One of the best museums in Roma is nascosto in piena vista. Hidden in plain sight near Stazione Termini, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme contains one of the most important collections of classical art. It is right across the street from Stazione Termini, visible from the bus loop on the way to Piazza dei Cinquecento. The first time I visited Palazzo Massimo was in 2006 when my friend who lives in Roma recommended it. There were only about 10 other people in the building!

When I was in Roma this summer, it was too hot to be out in the afternoon, so I decided to visit the museum. This turned out to be a great idea, since the top floor with the mosaics and detached frescos is downright cold! Brrrr! It was so refreshing! There were more than 10 people in the museum this time, but I still felt like I almost had the place to myself.

Built by Principe Massimiliano Massimo for the Jesuit Collegio Romano, the Palazzo became the first Liceo (high school) in Roma in 1871. Except for a brief period as a WWII military hospital,l the Liceo was open until 1960. In the 1980’s, in a state of neglect, it was purchased for the Museo Nazionale Romano. Renovations were completed in 1998. Palazzo Massimo is now 4 stories of classical amazingness. 700 years (200 BC to 500 AD) of Ancient Roman history, myths, artistic culture and everyday life are on display in the form of sculpture, fresco, mosaic, jewellery and coins.

Central Courtyard, Palazzo Massimo

What is extra cool about the artifacts in Palazzo Massimo is how they got to be there. Previous to the museum opening, most of this priceless stuff was in storage in the Roma city works yard! In a city as old as Roma, anywhere you break dirt, something will be found. During construction of the Metro, new roads, or any municipal work involving digging, artifacts were found, tagged and stored. Every piece in the museum has a sign with a written description in Italian and English. In between the two is stated (in Italiano only) precisely where and when it was found, and in some cases by whom. For example ‘Roma, Piazza Venezia, Construction of National Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II’, or ‘Subiaco, recovered by the Guardia di Finanza (revenue or tax police, involved in recovery of stolen artifacts)’. Reading these signs is exciting because you may have walked over that very spot the day before! Ok, maybe you won’t be as excited as me, but I am a total archeology geek so I find this fascinating!

The ground floor of Palazzo Massimo displays Greek originals discovered in Roma, such as The Dying Niobid, and the magnificent Pugile in riposo, the 2^nd Century BC bronze Boxer at Rest, wearing leather hand wraps. He is so realistic with his broken nose, cuts and deformed ears, you can feel the emotion in his face.

‘Pugile a Riposo’ Found in 1885 on the Quirinale Hill, where the Baths of Constantine once were.

This floor also has a Roman calendar, portraiture from the Republican and Imperial ages, and sarcophagi, such as the sarcophagus of Portonacci with battle scenes carved in relief.

The first floor (2^nd floor to North Americans) has masterpieces of statuary, including the Maiden of Antium, Il Discobolo, a Crouching Aphrodite after Diodalses found at Villa Adriana in Tivoli in 1920, and the Sleeping Hermaphrodite. There are also all the surviving bronze sculptures, fittings and a head of Medusa that decorated Caligula’s floating palaces, the Nemi ships. These vessels were recovered in the 1920’s by draining Lago di Nemi, only to be destroyed by enemy fire in 1944.

Il Discobolo and a Crouching Aphrodite from Villa Adriana in Tivoli. Both are Roman reproductions of Greek originals

The top floor takes us on an intimate tour of the domestic decor inside Roman homes. An amazing discovery was made right across the street in 1947, during the renovations to Termini and construction of Metro line B. It was a complex from 130-140 AD built in a grid system of private homes, public baths, warehouses, and apartments with shops at street level. There was pavement and a functioning drainage system. It was all destroyed to make way for quick construction of the new buildings! Aaaahhh! Luckily the site was well-documented so that the 270 m² of wall frescos and pavement mosaics that were preserved could be reassembled. Part of it is displayed here where 3 rooms of a Domus (Roman house) have been reconstructed to their original size. Ironically, these rooms face a window looking out at where they used to be.

The 1948 photo from Palazzo Massimo of the site across the street. You can see that the mosaic is the same one that is now in the museum

The Augustan Villa of the Farnesina was discovered in Trastevere in 1879 during work along the river. The site has since been destroyed, but the vibrantly coloured frescoes were detached and stored for 120 years before being installed in Palazzo Massimo, in accurately reconstructed rooms of their original dimensions. There is a portico, dining room and 2 Vermillion coloured cubicola (bedrooms) with mythological and erotic paintings, and several hallways. The rooms are reassembled how they were, so it is like walking through a Roman villa. Decorating the walls of upper class houses with paintings of mythological or literary subjects was supposed to stimulate cultured conversation. In this villa, there are many references to the Egyptian world in the decorations, celebrating the conquest of Egypt. The owner is thought to have been General Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, son-in-law of Augustus, who defeated Marc Anthony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.

The final treasure is the 1^st Century BC frescoes from Villa Livia, discovered on Via Flaminia in 1863. The villa belonged to Livia Drusilla, wife of Emperor Augustus. The paintings of a lush green garden with birds, pomegranate and lemon trees, roses, irises and other plants decorated a vaulted room that was half underground. The large room is recreated here. It was probably a cool triclinium, a living and dining room for the summer. The basement has the history of the Roman Empire in coins. It has been converted into a vault for the Medagliere, the coin cabinet and jewellery.

Palazzo Massimo is one of 4 musei that make up the Museo Nazionale Romano. Tickets are €7 for adults, valid for 3 days for all 4 sites. The other sites are: Terme di Diocleziano, Palazzo Altemps and Crypta Balbi. Open Tues to Sunday 0900-1945. If you love antiquities, don’t miss it! Ciao, Cristina

L’Elefantino di Bernini

20 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Art history, Italia, Roma

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Bernini, L'Elefantino di Bernini, Piazza della Minerva, Pulcino della Minerva, Roma, Roma photography

berninielefantino Last week, one of my favourite monuments in Roma was vandalized. Gianlorenzo Bernini’s Elefantino had one of his zanne (tusks) broken off by unidentified vandals. I think I called them ‘stronzi maleducati’ in my instagram post. I was being polite. A Spanish couple found the broken piece and reported it to the authorities. The ‘stone surgeons’ have reattached the zanna (ZAHN·nah) and reinforced it with wooden splints. A nice €2000 bit of plastic surgery. The process is shown in this video. Along with everyone in Roma, I’m so glad my favourite little pachyderm is on the mend that I had to write a post about him.

In 1665, the Dominican friars of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva found a 5.5 m Egyptian Obelisk while working in their garden. It is one of 13 in Roma. For some reason, Pope Alexander VII decided to install it in the Piazza outside the church, Piazza della Minerva. To design a base to support the obelisk, he had architects put in their proposals for the commission. One of the Dominican friars, Domenico Paglia put in a horrendous proposal which involved mounting the obelisk on 6 small hills, with a dog at each corner. The 6 hills are part of the Pope’s family coat of arms, and dogs the symbol of the Dominicans, referring to their fidelity. The word Dominican comes from ‘Dominis canis’ meaning dogs of the Lord.

Luckily, the Pope chose Bernini’s proposal to mount the obelisk on the back of an elephant, a symbol of strength. Bernini was inspired by a woodcut in a 1499 book by Francesco Colonna. Padre Paglia was very unhappy that his design was not chosen. He convinced the Pope that Bernini’s design was flawed and would not be supportive unless a cube was sculpted under the elephant’s belly to support the obelisk.

Bernini did not like this suggestion. He wanted his elephant to stand on its four legs, but he had no choice in the matter. He tried to hide the extra marble by adding an ornate, floor length gualdrappa or saddle blanket on the elephant’s back. This had the effect of making him look pudgy and stout like a baby elephant rather than strong and fierce. When the statue was installed in 1667, Romans referred to it as ‘Il Porcino della Minerva’ or ‘Minerva’s piglet’ because it had the dimensions of a maialetto more than an elephant. This eventually morphed into ‘Pulcino’ or ‘Purcino’ which means chick in italiano and in dialetto Romano. Most monuments in Roma have a nickname.

Bernini did get revenge on Padre Paglia. There is a reason Elefantino’s head is turned away from the church with a cute mischievous grin. Bernini had the statue placed with its rear facing the Dominican monastery. His muscles seem tensed and his tail is shifted to the left, exposing his bum as if he is about to drop a load! Bernini was also protesting the way Galileo was treated here, where he was interrogated by the Inquisition in 1633. I don’t know if the second point is true or just Leggenda Metropolitana dell’ 700 – 17th Century urban legend!

View from the roof of Grande Hotel de la Minerve across the street. The black open door is the Dominican Headquarters.

Piazza della Minerva is right behind the Pantheon. L’Elefantino was also included in my post ‘Un giorno a Roma’. Ciao, Cristina

Spaghetti all’Amatriciana

30 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Mangiamo!, Recipes, Roma

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

Amatrice, Croce Rossa Italiana, Cucina Romana, Earthquake relief Central Italy, Inspiration, Italian food, Pasta all'Amatriciana, Terremoto 2016, Traditional recipes

My last post was about the terremoto in Italia and I listed ways you can help with earthquake relief. One of these ways was to order Pasta all’Amatriciana at one of the many restaurants participating to raise money for the Croce Rossa Italiana. I realized that not everyone will have a restaurant in their area participating, so I am posting a recipe, just in case anyone wants to host their own small fundraiser. August 27-28 would have been the Spaghetti all’Amatriciana festa in Amatrice.

Pasta all’Amatriciana-also known as Pasta alla Matriciana in dialetto Romano, is made with guanciale (cured pork cheek), Pecorino Romano, and pomodoro (tomato). Peperoncino is often added. Pasta all’Amatriciana originated from Pasta alla Gricia, made with guanciale and pecorino. It is basically Pasta Carbonara without the eggs. Shepherds near Amatrice carried the simple ingredients with them into the fields. The pomodoro had not been brought to Europe yet. In Amatrice, they started making the sauce with pomodoro once it had been introduced. When Amatriciani moved from the outlaying areas to Roma, the sauce became popular, and is now considered a staple of Cucina Romana. In Roma, Amatriciana is made with bucatini, which are spaghetti with a hole down the middle, or rigatoni, but in Amatrice, it is only made with spaghetti!

Spaghetti all’Amatriciana

100g guanciale (pancetta can be used if guanciale not available)

350g passata di pomodoro, or pelati (peeled tomatoes)-about 1 500ml canning jar

15g (1 tsp) extra virgin olive oil

White wine (optional)

Peperoncino-fresh chili pepper to taste

75g Pecorino Romano, grated

320g spaghetti or bucatini (80g per person)

Cut guanciale into strips or cubes. In a frying pan, cook guanciale in the olive oil. When the white part becomes transparent, add a half glass of white wine. This is optional, but i’ll bet those shepherds always had vino handy! Let it evaporate, then add tomatoes and pepper. While this is simmering, cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted water. Cook for 1 minute less than the time it says on the box! Drain well then add to the pan and toss in the sauce. Serve with a generous amount of Pecorino Romano. Serves 4. Buon Appetito!

The Original Cinquecento

21 Sunday Aug 2016

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italian language, Roma

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Cinquecento, Fiat 500, Fiat Cinquecento

My love affair with the Fiat Cinquecento (cheen·kweh·CHEN·toh) began when I was 16. I really wanted one, but it would not fit into my valigia, so I had to settle for something else. I don’t know if I will ever own a super cute Cinquecento, but I have spent years photographing them all over Italia. A few weeks ago in Roma, I took this photo of an adorable Cinquecento just around the corner from the Pantheon.

After posting the photo on Instagram, I learned that this is the original Cinquecento model, the 1957 Cinquecento Nuova! It has a smaller engine, the cloth roof folds back all the way rather than half-way, and it has ‘porte di suicidio’ or ‘suicide doors’. These are doors hinged at the rear rather than the front. They are named so because before the use of seat belts, there was increased risk of falling out of the car if the doors accidentally opened. Not only that, but the airflow of the moving car keeps the doors open, rather than closing them, as would happen with a front-hinged door. This does make it easier to push someone out of the moving vehicle, which is probably why all the 1930’s gangster movies have cars with rear-hinged doors!

The Cinquecento was the first real ‘city’ car, a small, light-weight, fuel-efficient car. Cinquecento means 500 in italiano. The car was given this name because the engine was 500 cc and it weighed 500 kg (1100 lbs). Today most cars weigh 3 times that amount! The owner of this Cinquecento was a very old man with a cane. He could well be the original owner. I hope he buckles up his cintura!

Roma: Passeggiata all’Aventino

19 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Roma

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Aventine Hill, Bocca della Verita, Buco della Serratura, Giardino degli Aranci, Piazza Cavalieri di Malta, Roman walks, Santa Sabina

As usual I was awake far too early on my first morning in Roma. I set out on a mission to take some photos and a passeggiata before the Roman heat set in. The city of Roma was built on 7 hills. L’Aventino-the Aventine Hill, is the furthest south. In the legend of the founding of Roma, l’Aventino was picked by Remo as the spot to build a new city, but his twin Romolo disagreed. Remo was killed in the dispute, and Romolo built Roma on the Palatino-Palatine Hill. L’Aventino was originally outside the city, and it was populated by refugees from areas Roma had conquered. Then wealthy Ancient Romans started to build homes there and today it is still an elegant residential part of Roma. It is also the perfect place for a long, quiet passeggiata with beautiful views of Roma- without the crowds.

I started off by taking the Metro blue line to Circo Massimo, then heading up Viale Aventino, which was originally the ancient road between the 2 high spots of the hill. I passed beautiful homes and quiet streets as I walked uphill. My first stop on Via di Santa Sabina was the walled Giardino degli Aranci. The orange grove was originally planted in the 13^th Century by the Dominican monks of Santa Sabina, who brought the seeds from Spain . The Giardino has a platform at the end with beautiful panoramic views of Roma and the cupola of San Pietro. A Roman friend once told me that when he was young, he and his friends used to have ‘arance’ fights in the Giardino with the oranges that fell on the ground!

In the piazza in front of Santa Sabina, near the door to Giardino degli Aranci is a wall fountain built in 1593. La Fontana del Mascherone floods an ancient Roman bathtub-a smaller version of the 2 giant ones in Piazza Farnese. Santa Sabina all’Aventino, built right at the top of the hill in 422 AD is one of the oldest Roman basilicas.

A short walk away, through a tree-lined residential neighborhood, is Piazza Cavalieri di Malta. This morning I had the whole piazza to myself! It is usually very crowded and full of taxis and people waiting in line in front of a heavy green door. The door belongs to La Villa del Priorato di Malta. I Cavalieri di Malta are a military order of knights founded in the 11^th Century to look after the wounded in the Holy Land during the Crusades. In 1798, Napoleon kicked them out of Malta and they moved their headquarters to Roma. The villa and the church inside, Santa Maria del Priorato, are not usually accessible to the public. The people standing in line are waiting to look through the keyhole, known as ‘il buco della serratura’. I won’t spoil the surprise, so my photo is blurry on purpose. You will have to see for yourself—unless you have seen La Grande Bellezza and the surprise has been spoiled!

The walk back downhill was nice and I was able to admire the scenery and views as I walked back down Via Santa Sabina, then past Santa Maria in Cosmedin. This is the home of the famous ‘Bocca della Verità’ featured in the movie Roman Holiday. There is usually a line of people waiting to stick their hand in its mouth!As I walked past il Teatro di Marcello, I was surprised to notice that there are private residences on the top floor. Can you imagine living in Teatro Marcello! I have heard about first time visitors to Roma thinking that Teatro Marcello is the Colosseo and being very confused!

By the time I reached Il Vittoriano, it was getting hot. Time for a granita di caffè! Arrivederci da Roma, Cristina

To read more about walking in Roma click on Un Giorno a Roma and Il Pantheon.

Il Pantheon

08 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Architecture, Art history, Italia, Photography, Roma

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Ancient Roma, Pantheon, Piazza della Rotonda

500 years ago, Michelangelo entered the Pantheon and stated that it looked more like the work of angels than humans. The Pantheon is an architectural masterpiece and the most well-preserved building from Ancient Rome. This is probably because it has been in continuous use since it was built. The original use of the Pantheon is not known. Many think it was a temple to all the gods, since ‘Pan-theos’ is Greek for ‘all gods’, although Ancient Roman temples were dedicated to single gods. ‘Pan-theos’ might also refer to the heavens, the territory of the gods. According to legend the site is where Romulus, the founder of Roma ascended to the heavens. Marcus Agrippa, Augustus’ commander in chief built the original Pantheon on his own land, so it may have been a private building. This building burned down in 80 AD and then was struck by lightning and burned again in 110 AD! The Pantheon standing today was completed around 126 AD by Emperor Hadrian. He kept the original inscription under the pediment ‘M.Agrippa.L.F.Costertium.Fecit’ (Made by Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius in his third time as Consul) which caused confusion about the construction date. The Pantheon was given to the Pope in 609, and it has been the Church of Santa Maria dei Martiri ever since, but it is usually still called the Pantheon.

From the outside, the Pantheon looks like a Greek temple. It is actually a round building (rotunda) with a portico of eight 12m (39 ft) high granite Corinthian columns up front and 8 more in behind. These columns are each a single 60 ton piece of stone quarried in Egypt. Imagine the journey these huge stones made to get here….they were dragged through the desert, barged down the Nile to Alexandria, shipped across the Mediterranean to the port of Ostia, barged down the Tevere to Roma and then hauled overland to the site of the Pantheon!

Enter into the Pantheon and it is immediately clear what Michelangelo meant. Overhead is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world-still after almost 2,000 years! The Romans invented concrete, using a mixture of volcanic ash and soil from Pozzuoli, lime and rocks, but they did not have rebar, so this is amazing! The 8 m wide hole in the roof is the oculus and the shaft of light coming in from the sun moves slowly throughout the day like a sun-dial. When looking up, the dome feels like it could rotate. The oculus and front door are the Pantheon’s only sources of natural light. Concrete walls 6m (20 ft) thick support the dome, which is 6m thick at its base but narrows to 1.2m (3.9 ft) around the oculus. Lighter materials, such as tufa, pumice and even broken terra cotta pots were used towards the top to further lighten the load. The oculus also lightens the load at the very top, acting as a compression ring where the roof would be its weakest. Rainwater coming in through the oculus is drained off through holes and a drainage system under the slanted marble floor.

Is it a mask for Carnevale? No, these are drainage holes in the floor right below the oculus!

The height of the oculus is 43.3m (150 Roman feet) and the diameter of the building is also 43.3m. A perfect 43.3m sphere would fit inside the building. For another visual, if the dome was flipped upside down, it would fit perfectly inside the rotunda.

The perfect mathematical proportions of the Pantheon invoke harmony and symbolize the earth and the heavens. The Pantheon has provided inspiration to architects including Brunelleschi and Michelangelo for almost 2,000 years. Public buildings throughout the world are modelled on the Pantheon’s ‘portico and dome’ design.

In the 17 the Century, the Barberini Pope Urbano VII removed the bronze ceiling from the portico and melted it down to make cannons for Castel Sant’Angelo. The outrage prompted the saying ‘Quello che non hanno fatto i barberi hanno fatto i Barberini’ (What the barbarians didn’t do, the Barberini did), implying that the Pantheon had survived numerous barbarian invasions, only to be looted by the Barberini family. In addition to functioning as a Classical Masterpiece and a Church, many notable Italiani are buried in the Pantheon. Some of these include Vittorio Emanuele II, Umberto II and his wife Margherita di Savoia, Rafaelle Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael) and his fiancée Maria Bibbiena.

Il Pantheon from Il Vittoriano

‘La Pioggia delle Rose al Pantheon’ (the rain of roses) is on my list of things to see. 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. Even Michelangelo would be impressed!

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

Il Pantheon from Piazza de la Minerva

Il Pantheon is also featured in my post ‘Un Giorno a Roma’.

The Miracle Players, Roma

15 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Culture, Italia, Roma, Travel tips

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Foro Romano, Italian history, Italy travel tips, Roma, Roma english speaking theater, Roman Forum, The Miracle Players

If Monty Python meets the history of the Roman Empire sounds appealing, you will love the Miracle Players. They are an English speaking theater group in Roma made up of expats from around the world. They perform hysterically historical original comic works at the Foro Romano (Roman Forum) each summer.

Miracle Players performances feature volunteer swordfighters and high tech special effects!

I have been to 3 of their performances; ‘Caesar-More than just a Salad’, ‘The Life of Michelangelo’, and ‘The Seven Kings of Rome’. This year they are performing the rhyming ‘Rome in a Nutshell’.

If you will be in Roma on a Friday between June 26 and July 31, check out the performance at 7:30pm sharp. It is free and no reservation required. Get there early to sit on the stairs of the church facing the action-Chiesa dei Santi Luca e Martina. Bring something to sit on if your culetto doesn’t like hard stairs or pavement.

The production crew takes a break

The performance is across from the Carcere Mamertino (Mamertine Prison) at the Roman Forum. This is below the Campidoglio and behind Il Vittoriano. The location is easy to get to. Take the Metro B blue line to Colosseo and walk down Via dei Fori Imperiali. There is a map on The Miracle Players website. The stage backdrop is the Roman Forum itself-how can you top that!

Un po' di pepe

~ …… (oon∙poh∙dee∙PEH∙peh) Cristina writes about interesting stuff /Cristina scrive di cose interessanti

Category Archives: Roma

Autunno in Italia

Buon Compleanno Roma!

Hairstyling in Ancient Roma

Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Roma

L’Elefantino di Bernini

Spaghetti all’Amatriciana

The Original Cinquecento

Roma: Passeggiata all’Aventino

Il Pantheon

The Miracle Players, Roma

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