Dozza, The Festival of Painted Walls

I recently went with friends to the small village of Dozza, about 30km east of Bologna. Every two years the village hosts a unique festival, inviting national and international artists to create permanent paintings on the walls of the houses. The Biennale will happen this year from Sept. 9 - 14, but one can go there any time to view the art works.

Entitled "The Angel of Dozza."

Doors and windows are often cleverly incorporated into the paintings.

The festival began in 1960, and there are still some paintings from that time period. Some of the older paintings have been refurbished in recent years to restore design and color.

We spent several hours perusing the art along the winding cobblestone streets of the village, which led uphill to a castle.

Rocca di Dozza dates back to the 15th century, when Caterina Sforza rebuilt areas of former Bolognese fortresses, dating back to 1250. We didn't take time to go in and visit the museum, which charges a 5 euro fee to enter. What was once the dungeon of the castle is now a Regional Enoteca, or wine cellar.

The Rocca di Dozza

A local ristorante is highlighted in this painting.

Perusing the art in Dozza.

The short drive from Bologna was well worth the journey to visit this unique village.

A gift and guests from Modena

Fountain of the Nymphs, Piazza Repubblica, Roma

This week I had visitors from Modena: Marco and Marvi came to spend a few days with me in Zagarolo. I met them in Rome at the Termini train station, and we headed down via Nazionale and over to the Scuderie del Quirinale to see an art exhibit by Lorenzo Lotto. (Across the piazza is Palazzo Quirinale, the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic, currently Giorgio Napolitano.)

Piazza del Quirinale

I was not familiar with the artist Lotto, originally from Venice, who was considered eccentric and independent from his cohorts, who included Bellini, Rafael and Bramante. Due to recent restorations of his work, the colors were vibrant, and I found the exhibit to be powerful and impressive. For more on Lotto, click this link:

Lorenzo_Lotto

After the exhibit, we took a taxi over to the Pantheon, asking the taxi driver for suggestions as to where we could eat a good Roman meal. Bypassing the outdoor cafes catering to tourists, we had a wonderful lunch on a side street near the Pantheon. Then we walked over to the Trevi fountain and Piazza Navona before making our way back to the train station.

Bougainvillea viewed in Piazza Navona

When we returned to Zagarolo, after giving a tour of the house and yard, I made my new specialty, gnudi for la cena (dinner). It turned out quite well! And for dessert, a special Cherry-Olive Oil Polenta cake that I'd made in honor of Marco's upcoming birthday.

I was pleased to have Marco and Marvi as my first guests in Zagarolo, and look forward to spending several days showing them around my new home in Lazio. And lucky me! Marvi brought with her a small bottle of homemade aceto balsamico (balsamic vinegar), made from the family's 30-year-old store of grape must. For those who don't know, Modena is famous for its balsamic vinegar, and the best variety, aged at least for 20 years, is expensive. Most versions of balsamic vinegar in the U.S. have little relation to the real stuff. 

The History of Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is today used in numerous recipes all over the world. The tangy sweet and sour flavor of balsamic vinegar gives a marvelous finish to gourmet delicacies. Having its origins in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, balsamic vinegar has found its way into the smallest of home-kitchens as well as the trendiest of restaurants. One finds the shelves of supermarkets stocked with various brands of balsamic vinegar each claiming their own superiority. An average customer is unaware of the fact that authentic balsamic vinegar is very difficult to come by. Most of the commercial varieties available in the markets are manipulated versions or imitations. It would therefore not be surprising if we say that most people have not even tasted authentic balsamic vinegar.

Thirty years ago true balsamic vinegar, (or in Italian) “aceto balsamico tradizionale,” was relatively unknown outside of villas of Italy. Till this time, its production was restricted to the wealthy families in the small towns of Modena and Reggio in the Emilia-Romagna region, just west of Bologna. They had been making the condiment for nearly a thousand years but catering only to the requirements within the family. They would stock supplies for several years and pass on to the next generation as heirlooms. It was also a prestigious gift given in small vessels to close friends or bequeathed to daughters as a portion of their wedding dowry.

Grazie a Marvi! Now if I can only get the bottle home to Kansas without breaking it!

Florence: Elegant and Creative

Artemesia Gentileschi

L'Inclinazione, 1615-1616, detail

One of the main attractions in Florence, of course, is the art. Creativity surrounds you in this city: it's inescapable. One of the things I most enjoyed about living in Florence last year was the endless variety of creative activities going on all over the city, all at the same time. This visit was no different, and I tried to use my time wisely to indulge my creative interests. First, I went to an art exhibit at Palazzi Strozzi, entitled Picasso, Miró, Dalí. Angry Young Men: the Birth of Modernity
Though not usually attracted to modern art, I found this exhibit to be extraordinary, as it was a collection of their early works, and explained how the three artists influenced each other during a crucial time in the evolution of modern art. For more information, here's a review:
art daily

Next, I went to visit Casa Buonarotti for the exhibit, THE SCHOOL OF THE WORLD: Drawings by Leonardo and Michelangelo in comparison. The museum is located in the Buonarotti home.

Michelangelo Buonarroti Battle of the Centaurs: 1490-1492

This is one of Michelangelo's first attempts at sculpture, completed during his adolescence. I first visited the museum in 2006 to see a painting done by Artemisia Gentileschi, located on the ceiling of one of the rooms. Here's the entire painting:

Allegory of Inclination

Other places I visited:
Basilica of Santa Maria Novella:Which houses works done by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Brunelleschi, Lippi, Ghiberti, and others. Though I've often walked by the church, I'd never visited it, and it was well worth the 3, 50 euro entrance fee.

Haruko and I in front of Santa Maria Novella, 2009

Santa Croce

Cenacolo di Santa Croce (Santa Croce's Last Supper)

On my last night in Florence, I came across another unexpected event: a free concert of Gregorian chant in the Santa Croce church. I was told to go several hours in advance, as there would be limited seating room for the concert. First, I had a simple meal of risotto with mushrooms and a glass of red wine at an outdoor cafe by the church. Then I waited on the steps of the church, as told, but it was unnecessary, as there was no line until shortly before the concert started at 9pm. The concert was performed by a lay chorus and was pleasant, but not outstanding. The best part of the evening was being able to sit in a room that is usually off limits, surrounded by a largely Florentine audience.

Roma : Art and Pincio

Pincio, a park in Rome

Yesterday I ventured into Rome again, eager to see an exhibition of the art of Tamara de Lempicka. I'd never heard of her name before, but I had seen some of her paintings, in the Art Deco style that she's famous for. In 2006, there had been an exhibit of her work in Milan while I was there, but I didn't go, and wanted to be sure to catch it this time. De Lempicka had an interesting life, and is known for her emancipated images of women, painted during the 1920's.

There were 90 paintings, 30 drawings, 50 photographs and 2 short films on view at the Vittoriano complex in Rome (Via Di San Pietro In Carcere) from 11th March to 10th July 2011.

Here's a link to a website that has images de Lempicka's paintings, along with a link to her biography:

http://www.tamara-de-lempicka.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamara_de_Lempicka

Another site that highlights her paintings:

https://www.artsy.net/artist/tamara-de-lempicka

To get to Rome, I drove to the train station, locked the car up in a nearby parking lot, and waited for the train. I bought a special pass, called a BIRG ticket, which should allow me 24 hours of use of trains, la metro (subway) and buses, at a cost of 6 euros. It seemed like a good deal at the time, as taking the train back and forth alone would cost 5, 40 euros.

I looked at the list of the upcoming train departures to check which binario (track) the train would be on. There was a crowd of people waiting at one track, so I joined them, oblivious to the fact that I had looked at the arrival screen instead of the departure screen. Once I was on the train and we had gone a short distance, I realized the train was going in the opposite direction of Rome. I asked someone about it, and sure enough, I was on the wrong train! It's the first time it's happened to me in six years of traveling in Italy. I got off at the next stop, and waited 30 minutes for the next train going to Rome. Okay, so I wasted an hour, no big deal. I arrived in Rome at 9:30 am and started walking toward il Complesso del Vittoriano, near Piazza Venezia and the huge white monument toVittorio Emanuele II, often called "the birthday cake" due to its imposing size and structure. The Complesso, or complex, is behind the monument, and houses several exhibitions.

this photo by Nina Aldin Thune

Two years ago I took an elevator to the top of the monument, where there is an incredible panoramic view of Rome.

The Colosseo is in the background, and the ruins of il Foro Romano are visible on the left.

I spent several hours in the exhibit, then walked across town to Pincio, a huge park near the Villa Borghese.

A scene in Pincio.

By this time, it was getting warm (80 degrees F, but it seemed more like 90) in Rome, and crowded. Walking around Pincio was the perfect antidote to the heat and the crowds. I intended to ride the subway back to the train station, but when I tried using my BIRG ticket, it didn't work in the turnstile. When I asked a subway attendant about it, he looked briefly at the ticket and said it should have been validated, then he went back to playing a game of cards. The ticket HAD been validated in Zagarolo, but I didn't feel like arguing with him. Instead, I decided to catch a bus. But I had to walk a long ways, back to Piazza Venezia, to find the right bus. I waded through the increasing crowds until I found the bus stop I needed.

By this time I was eager to get back to my oasis of tranquility in Zagarolo. I made it to the train with 15 minutes to spare, but then we sat on the tracks for another 20 minutes before finally leaving Termini. The house was peaceful and cool when I arrived home, and I was happy to be there. But I'll head back to Rome again next week...there's still a lot I want to see!

Roma: Sunshine and Van Gogh

My departure from Firenze was uncomplicated. I took a last stroll around centro storico about 9 am and left the apartment about 10. I caught the 23 bus at Piazza Salvemini, literally due passi (a few steps) from the apartment. Several people helped me lug my two bags onto the bus, and 15 minutes later, I arrived at the train station, Santa Maria Novella. Again, I was helped with my luggage by a sturdy young man, and settled in for the fast, 90- minute trip to Rome on the Eurostar.

Carlo met me at Termini, Rome's train station, and we drove to the EUR district where he and Lidia live. It was a warm and sunny day in Rome, and I was happy to be there. It felt like a good transition between my two worlds: Florence, Italy and Lawrence, Kansas, USA. After eating a quick lunch, Lidia and I headed out to an interesting museum called Centrale Montemarini, where we saw the exhibit Gli Dei e Le Macchine e (Gods and Machines).

Statue of a Muse, 2nd century B.C.

The exhibition is located in the former John Montemartini Thermal Power Station, which was converted into a museum in 1997 when hundreds of sculptures were moved there during the restructuring of large sections of the Capitoline museum complex. It was a striking contrast to see sculptures in this setting, but I enjoyed it.

Roman statues, modern machines

Lidia also took me to the Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura, (Saint Paul Outside the Walls), a magnificent and unusual church near their flat. Monks were singing vespers when we entered the church, and it added another dimension to the experience. You can get an idea of the place by visiting the following site, which has a virtual tour, complete with the sound of the monks in the background. This was by far my favorite of all the churches I visited this fall.

basiclica di sanpaolo virtual tour

The next day, both Carlo and Lidia had other engagements, so I was on my own to explore the city. I rode the metro with Lidia into town, then took a bus to Piazza Navona, one of my favorite spots in Rome. It was sunny and the piazza was filled with artists, street performers and several musicians, entertaining the tourists strolling by.

Piazza Navona

The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or "Fountain of the Four Rivers," by Bernini, stands at the center of the Piazza, and commands everyone's attention. I spent more than an hour walking around the Piazza, enjoying the sunny weather and the talented musicians, and I shared the experience by phone with my friend Luigi. It was delightful being in a sunny piazza listening to music on my last day in Italy.

Fountain of the Four Rivers

I strolled over to the Pantheon, another favorite spot, and then visited the Fontana Trevi (Trevi Fountain), always crowded with tourists.

Piazza della Rotonda, with the Pantheon in the background

Trevi Fountain

In the afternoon, I went to several art exhibits. The first was I Grandi Veneti (The Great Venetians), which included works by Bellini, Tiepolo, Titian, Tintoretto, Canaletto, Gaudi and Veronese and other famous Venetian artists.

However, the second exhibit was even better "Vincent Van Gogh: Campagna senza tempo e città moderna" (Vincent Van Gogh: Timeless Countryside and Modern City). 70 works of art were on view, including paintings, watercolors and sketches on paper by Van Gogh, as well as 30 works by artists who inspired him, including Millet, Pissarro, Cézanne, Gauguin and Seurat. This exhibit is by far the best one I have ever seen. In addition to the paintings, one can view letters that Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo, which often included sketches of his ideas. Books that inspired him were also on view, as well as newspaper articles that were written about Van Gogh during his lifetime. This was a truly amazing and powerful exhibit, and I'm so thankful I had the chance to see it.

While I was at the Van Gogh exhibit, the weather changed: storm clouds blew in and there was a good downpour while I was in the museum. But it blew over by the time I came out, and I strolled down via dei Fori Imperiali toward the Colosseo.

Foro Romano

Viewing these Roman ruins is impressive, even from a distance. I went on a tour of them with Carlo last year, so I was content to just pass by them this time on my way to the metro. It's always a thrill to see the Colosseo, an immense tribute to the Roman empire, providing an unusual contrast to modern city life. While cars whiz by, buses queue up for passengers across the street, and people rush in and out of the metro entrance, the Colosseo stands solidly serene in the midst of it all. Though I'm happy to visit Rome, and enjoy knowing my way around the Eternal City, it doesn't affect me as Florence does, and after a few days, I'm ready to leave.

A view of the Colosseo amidst the Marine Pines

Back at the Spighi flat, Lidia prepared dinner, and I packed my bags in preparation for my departure early the next morning. Little did I know what an adventure it would be getting to my flight! I'll explain in the next post...