MADEINITALYMALL

Tower of Pisa - A short Investigation

Wed, 23 May 2012 09:56:25 -0700

Like many, I have always been fascinated by the famous leaning tower in Pisa. I wanted to understand more about the tower and the city from which it derives its name in preparation for a future visit. So, I did some quick research and found that the history of the construction of the tower is very involved and quite fascinating. I tend to like facts and figures, so my apologies in advance if this article appears crammed with data.

(Photo courtesy of ItalyGuides)

But, before we move onto the tower, I thought it was worth mentioning that the tower is a freestanding bell tower that forms part of the Cathedral of Pisa. The cathedral itself is lovely and seems well worth exploring further.

(Photo courtesy of ItalyGuides)

Here is a link to a short article about the cathedral and a 360 degree tour from that vantage point:

http://www.italyguides.it/us/pisa/cathedral_square.htm

Now, on to the tower:

According to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Pisa), the height of the tower is 55.86 m (183.27 ft) from the ground on the low side and 56.70 m(186.02 ft) on the high side. Its weight is estimated at 14,500 metric tons. Prior to the restoration work performed between 1990 and 2008, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees, but the tower now leans at about 3.99 degrees.

The top of the Leaning Tower can be reached by mounting the 294 steps, which rise in the form of a spiral on the inner side of the tower walls. It seems that there is an incredible draw to climb to the top of this apparently gravity-defying structure.

Here is a link to the 360 degree tour, so you can vicariously see what it is like to be in front of the tower:

http://www.italyguides.it/us/pisa/leaning_tower.htm

However,to appreciate the feeling of being at the top of the tower, of course you will have to go to Pisa.

In fact, the tower doesn’t really break any laws of gravity, despite the visual appearance. Once you understand the structural aspects of the tower, you can see how it has remained standing and is expected to continue to stand for many years in the future (estimate of at least 300 years after recent structural changes).

There is a great schematic illustration of the tower on the wikipedia site in Italian (see section Scheda):
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torre_pendente_di_Pisa

Construction of the tower occurred in three stages across 177 years. Work on the ground floor of the white marble campanile began in August, 1173. Note: according to the calendar in use at the time in Pisa, the year was 1174, since at the time they measured years that began in March. The tower began to sink after construction had progressed to the second floor in 1178. This was due to the very shallow three-meter(9 foot) initial foundation, which was set in unstable subsoil, an initial design flaw that has since become the hallmark of the tower.

Construction was subsequently halted for almost a century, in part because the Republic of Pisa was otherwise distracted, engaged in battles with neighboring republics. This allowed time for the underlying soil to settle, which may very well explain why the tower didn’t fall in the first place, given the weak foundation.

In 1275 the construction resumed under Giovanni di Simone. Since the structure had settled, the engineers built upper floors with one side taller than the other to compensate. Because of this, the tower is actually slightly curved. Construction was disrupted again in 1284 when the Pisans were defeated by the Genoans in the Battle of Meloria.

Finally,the seventh floor was completed in 1319. It was built by Tommaso di Andrea Pisano (son of Andrea Pisano), who succeeded in blending the Gothic elements of the bell-chamber with the Romanesque style of the tower. There are seven bells, one for each note of the musical major scale.

In 1987 the tower was declared as part of the Piazza del Duomo UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the neighboring cathedral, baptistery and cemetery.

During the period of 1990 to 2001 there were studies done to determine how to fortify the structure and steps were taken to reduce the angle of the lean. In 2008, further structural changes were made to the top of the tower and resulted in the current height and angle of lean. Due to these modifications, the tower will continue to stand as a monument to the ingenuity of all of the people involved with the construction of the tower.

Besides the tower itself and the Piazza del Duomo area, it appears there are lots of wonderful sights in the town of Pisa. I think that topic warrants a separate article, which I plan to write soon.

Ci sentiamo presto,

Lina

Round trip of the tomato - from America to Italy and back

Mon, 21 May 2012 17:02:14 -0700

In my previous article about tomatoes (http://blog.madeinitalymall.com/post/18259071363/are-tomatoes-italian), we learned that the tomato is indigenous to South America and that it spread throughout the Americas before being taken to Europe by the explorers. In an interesting twist, years later the tomato then returned to America in the form of tomato paste that was shipped from Italy to the United States.

I want to thank David Gentilcore for his help in preparing this article and for graciously allowing me to leverage the wonderful material in his book about the history of the tomato in Italy.

The tomato first appeared on the scene in Italy in the 1500’s. Specifically, the earliest traces of the use of tomatoes in cooking come from 1786 in the “Galant Cook”, compiled by the great Neapolitan chef Vincenzo Corrado, who listed the tomato as an edible vegetable in that book.

The first known publication that contained a recipe for tomato sauce was written by Ippolito Cavalcanti, Duke of Buonvicino, in his book “Theoretical Kitchen Practice”, where he proposed the idea of dressing pasta with tomato sauce.

The next significant contribution from Italy was their contribution to the art of the preservation of the tomato. For example, the Roda brothers experimented with the best method to preserve the flavor of the tomato. They favored a simple tomato paste that was made by cooking and straining the tomatoes, then bottling them immediately before further drying. Their research made way to further development of methods of preservation of tomatoes for use in sauces. This form of conservation continues today as passata , being passed through a strainer.

The tomato continued to spread in popularity in Italy during the 19th Century. The French Antiquarian Francois Lenormant , when he was traveling in Catanzaro, Calabria commented about the large volume of tomatoes for sale at the market in that town. He commented how the local people wove the making of the conserva di pomi d’or (tomato paste) into their social fabric. Soon thereafter Sicilian families starting carrying their knowledge of astrattu, or tomato paste, across the Atlantic as they migrated to America.

The techniques of preservation of tomatoes continued to spread throughout Italy, not just in the South. In the town of Albenga in Liguria the production of tomatoes for export outside of that region continued to grow. By 1878 there were eight hundred to a thousand 132-lb barrels of tomato paste per year being exported from that region of Liguria to the United States.

The earlier techniques of preservation by drying or condensing tomatoes were eventually replaced by the canning of tomatoes and the popularity of all types of preserved tomato products have continued to expand worldwide until the present day.

There are three references that I have used in researching this article

http://www.gustoblog.it/post/3407/breve-storia-del-pomodoro

http://www.gustoblog.it/post/3588/grandi-figure-della-gastronomia-ippolito-cabalcanti-e-gli-spaghetti-al-pomodoro

Gentilcore, David. Pomodoro!: A history of the Tomato in Italy (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History). New York, Columbia University Press, 2010.

Ci sentiamo presto,

Lina

Slow Food Day in Italy - May 26th

Fri, 18 May 2012 10:02:03 -0700

Riccardo Astolfi ‘s recent article provides us an excellent introduction to what to expect on the occasion of the second annual Slow Food Day in Italy. This celebration in Italy is part of a series of events that occur all year around the world as part of the Slow Food Movement , which we are featuring here on our blog. For example, we recently collaborated with the Slow Food International press team to re-publish their wonderful announcement about Carlo Petrini, the Slow Food President, speaking at a meeting of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York on May 14th.

http://blog.madeinitalymall.com/post/22845178790/slow-food-president-carlo-petrini-to-speak-on-may-14-at

Here is the link to the article about Slow Food Day in Italy on Riccardo’s site, for those that read Italian:

http://pastamadre.blogspot.mx/2012/05/festeggiamo-lo-slow-food-day.html?utm_source=BP_recent

Here is the translation:

On May 26th there will be a celebration of Slow Food Day in more than more than 300 squares in Italy. Here is a link with more information:

http://www.slowfood.it/slowfoodday/

(click on Tutte Le Piazze to find out where the events will be held throughout Italy)

It will be an excellent opportunity to meet, celebrate, and talk about local food, clean and fair food practices, and localized agriculture but also about global climate change and the green economy

Our Comunità del Cibo (food communities), as you know, form part of the Terra Madre network, and therefore we are more than just volunteers, but have been invited to participate in various local initiatives. (both here in Bologna as well as in other regions; we will keep you updated!)

In Bologna we will celebrate Slow Food Day in the historical center of the city, palazzo del Comune (City Hall), between Piazza Maggiore and the inner courtyard and the characteristic Cortile del Pozzo (Courtyard of the Well).

We are currently defining what we will present, and further details will naturally be published soon on this site.

Important: If you want to participate in this initiative and lend a hand, it would be great if you could donate a bit of dough or bring your own food for tasting. Please leave your contact email in the comments below, and we will certainly contact you soon and we can all come together on this great day of celebration!

Ci sentiamo presto,

Lina

Trastevere district in Rome

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:01:00 -0700

Since Trastevere was such an integral part of my experience while I was working in Rome, I wanted to know more about that district. It might seem strange that I have spent so much time there and yet I don’t have that many specific recollections. Honestly, that is because my Italian colleagues and I usually just roamed the district, choosing our destinations on the spur of the moment. I wish that I would have taken better notes. Fortunately, the ItalyGuides site has some interesting material about Trastevere that they have been very generous in providing us so that we can share it with our readers.

(Photos courtesy of ItalyGuides)

These two photos are of the Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola.

As I mentioned in my previous article, the Piazza Santa Maria is in the heart of the Trastevere and is enclosed in Sixteenth Century style buildings. The octagonal water cistern in the center of the Piazza was transformed into a fountain by Carlo Fontana. Here is the link to a 360 view that starts at Santa Maria:

http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/rome/trastevere/santa-maria-in-trastevere/santa-maria-in-trastevere.htm

The Fontana dell’Acqua Paola graces the Janiculum hill atop the Trastevere district. It is known by Romans as “er Fontanone” (the “Big Fountain”).

Here is the link to the ItalyGuides page about Trastevere that contains more details:

http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/rome/trastevere/trastevere.htm

To this day, the “Trasteverini”, the inhabitants of Trastevere, are considered ”authentic Romans”, known for their dialectic use of Italian and down to earth “live and let live” approach to life, having lived for centuries in an environment rich in cultural integration.

Here are some historical highlights:

Until the time of the Emperor Augustus, the area was actually located immediately outside the city and specialized in trade. It was very densely populated and represented one of the more cosmopolitan districts in Rome, a melting pot of cultures, cuisines, and customs. It was inhabited by a combination of Romans, Greeks, and Jews who lived nearby.

The official evolution of Trastevere was comparatively slow. Although it was a crucial part of Rome, it wasn’t until 1200 that it became the thirteenth officially recognized district of Rome. The streets and alleys remained unpaved until 1400, when Pope Sixtus IV had bricks laid. However the bricks proved unsuitable to wagon wheels, and were later replaced by the “Sampietrini” (cobblestones), which remain to this day, and are part of the charm of the district.

Trastevere’s water comes from an ancient aqueduct, first built by the Romans during the reign of the Emperor Trajan. Pope Paul V reconstructed the aqueduct in the 1600’s and it was then renamed Aqua Paola in honor of the Pope. The aqueduct leads to one of the largest and most dramatic fountains in Rome, known as the Fontanone (the large fountain).

I hope you might get a chance to experience this district for yourself on your next trip to Rome.

Ci sentiamo presto,

Lina

All reviews about Italy are wrong

Sat, 12 May 2012 10:01:58 -0700

I look at the product reviews every time I shop either in the shops or on the internet. Unfortunately they are really not very reliable, although I select the “real” ones (at least I hope so). I like to hear what people have to say (some of them are very entertaining). We know that there are plenty of firms specialized in producing this kind of “fabricated stories” on the internet. This fact was also confirmed by several well-known american newspapers awhile ago. Companies that have been always been ”lying” to their customers with fabricated marketing stories, they continue to pursue this approach with social media and internet reviews as well.

While traveling in Italy, I paid great attention to what was written in the reviews about lodging and restaurants. Surely some of them are absolutely false, especially the ones that highlight only what people like to hear. I also found a variety of “spontaneous” reviews on Tripadvisor (which I like to check quite often) which I really did not agree with, according to my own personal experience. Actually, they seemed to state exactly the opposite of what I would have written about it. I concluded that any review on any social media may not be reliable for four major reasons, depending on the writer:

1) they may be “paid” from the involved beneficiary business

2) they have a different judgment approach from the reader

3) they have neglected the “local customs” factor (different country=different habits)

4) the time between the reviews is extended, so results may vary

Try to imagine the review of an Italian espresso that might be done an Asian, who might be more versed in teas than in coffee. Without going too far, I would expect a different judgment by different types of tourists when visiting Italy for the first time. Unfortunately, when we read the review we know nothing about the writer.

Since we do not know anything about the writer, then we have good reason to state that, for our specific use and need here on the blog, all reviews about Italy are wrong!

It may be seem more reliable if a review is coming from a friend that we know pretty well.

My point about that review is that even though they are our friends, we “barely” believe the suggestions from them unless she/he is very reliable for that specific topic, and thus we all end-up making very complicated evaluations of the reviews that are available, hoping to make a choice.

In my opinion we are able to make a good judgment only when we are very well informed about what we are looking for. Before traveling in a country like Italy, which might disappoint the traveler for some different and unexpected local “habits and customs”, it may be good to learn about that specific place before making any choice and judgment. This approach will surely help anyone while selecting the hotel or the restaurant.

At MADEINITALYMALL we are striving to make this “dream” true: making available clear information about everything the traveler needs to know rather than a lot of nonsensical information or, even worse, stricly personal biases. It will take awhile, but with the help of our readers-supporters we’ll make this “dream” true. We look forward to your requesst, suggestions, or ideas that would boost our efforts. We’ll publish only factual information that is not influenced by personal opinion, so everyone can interpret that according to their own judgment. If it has worked for some of our readers that have visited Italy, then I guess it should work for all of our readers.

Enjoy your day with a little break of Italian Dolce Vita.

Matteo

Slow Food President Carlo Petrini to speak on May 14 at UN Headquarters, NY

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:24:00 -0700

On the Made in Italy Mall blog, we are subscribed to a number of newsletters that provide updates on all events around the world surrounding the Slow Food Movement. We recently received two announcements related to this topic. We will publish an article soon about Slow Food Day in Italy on May 26th. We thought it was worth re-publishing this article which we received from the Slow Food International newsletter in its entirety here on the blog.

Here is the announcement:

Slow Food President Carlo Petrini will speak at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) on May 14 on the right to food and food sovereignty. His invitation to join the New York meeting at UN headquarters, as a valued “friend and supporter of Indigenous Peoples”, marks the first time in the ten year history of the Forum, that an external guest has been invited to take the floor.

Petrini will be joined in the discussion dedicated to the rights of indigenous peoples to food and food sovereignty by UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier De Schutter, and representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization and indigenous and governmental groups. Previously the Forum was only open to indigenous, governmental or UN representatives.

«The economic, environmental and financial crises and the health and obesity problems afflicting modern society, are calling us to return to our roots and sustainable food systems that support the earth’s vitality», says Petrini. «Indigenous peoples are the stewards of these practices and traditions that have evolved over the centuries. They have never abandoned mother earth and it is to them that we must turn to in order to build new paradigms for our future».

Slow Food has been working with indigenous communities for many years through its Foundation for Biodiversity projects and Terra Madre network, which brings together farmers, fishers, breeders, artisans, students, cooks and experts from all around the world. In 2011 Slow Food organized the first Indigenous Terra Madre meeting in Jokkmokk, Sweden. A second edition is planned for India in 2014.

Carlo Petrini will be speaking at UNPFII by invite from the Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty, of which Slow Food is one of the partners. The Partnership, founded in 2010 and lead by Mr. Phrang Roy, is a network of indigenous communities and organisations committed to defining their own food and agricultural practices that sustain agrobiodiversity, assisted by scientists and policy researchers who value participatory agricultural research approaches.

Slow Food is a global grassroots organization that envisions a world in which all people can access and enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it and good for the planet. It counts 100,000 members world wide, hundreds of convivia (local chapters) and Terra Madre communities in over 150 countries.

Ci sentiamo presto
Lina

Legend lives on in Italy

Wed, 09 May 2012 09:59:00 -0700

The classical tale of the brave Knight saving the damsel in distress from the evil dragon lives on in some frescoes which survive today in Italy. In fact, the legend of St. George, the holy knight who rescued the princess from the terrible dragon, has given birth to a rich subject for iconography that was widespread within the figurative arts during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

(Courtesy of EVUS, by permission of Antonella Bazzoli)

My Italian friend Antonella Bazzoli was so intrigued with this notion, that she wrote an article on the topic to commemorate April 23rd, which has historically been the date of the celebration of the festival of St. George. It is also the date of the UNESCO International Book Fair. As she explains in the article, on the occasion of this fair every woman who receives the gift of the symbolic flower, in turn reciprocates by giving a book to a courteous knight, a gesture that makes reference to the legend.

Here are the links to both the Italian and the English versions of her article:

http://www.evus.it/it/index.php/news/ritratto/giorgio-il-cavaliere-che-uccise-il-drago/

http://www.evus.it/en/index.php/news/portrait/the-legend-of-st-george/

Antonella is very intrigued by symbols and their meaning. Her personal philosophy is expressed eloquently in this article she recently published: “Evus wants to be a virtual flight on the wings of knowledge, an original journey between myth and tradition, iconography, literature, architecture, art and more.”

Here is the full article on that philosophy:

http://www.evus.it/en/index.php/news/editorial/trees-growing-on-their-roots/

She applied this approach in investigating the symbolism involved in the frescoes. Her conclusion is that the subject of St. George slaying the dragon has not strictly grown with the spread of Christianity, but rather seems to have been assimilated into much older myths and archetypes, such as the myth of the Egyptian god Horus who, on horseback, was represented in the act of slaying Seth, represented in the fresco in the form of a crocodile. The legend of St George is also linked to myths and legends of Greek origin like the one in which Theseus is seen slaying the Minotaur, or in the case of Hercules, who defeated the monster Hydra.

If you have occasion to see either of these frescoes, or perhaps see other examples that are similar, you might now have more insight into the historical significance they represent.

Ci sentiamo presto,

Lina

Simple Insalata Caprese - vegetarian appetizer

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:01:56 -0700

We have been presenting some pasta dishes, side dishes and desserts that fit a vegetarian diet. I thought it would be nice to add a really tasty and easy to prepare antipasto (appetizer) to the list. I had often ordered this salad at restaurants because it is not only naturally vegetarian, but also fairly low-calorie. So, I decided to try making it at home and discovered it is pretty simple to produce.

The key to this simple appetizer is to use very fresh ingredients. A simple presentation is also quite elegant. There is no “wrong” way to present this salad, but the most common presentations are 1) lay the cheese and tomato slices sideways or to 2) lay the cheese on top the tomato slices and then top them with the basil.

Here are the ingredients to make the appetizer to serve 4 people

1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

(If you use a lower grade of oil, the salad will taste too oily)

3 to 4 medium, very ripe tomatoes

1 medium container of fresh mozzarella - size varies, you want a 14 to 16 oz. container

(The size of the fresh mozzarellas will vary, but invariably you will see the cheese is packaged in liquid)

(Most stores carry it, but it may not be in the cheese section. Sometimes it is in the deli area.)

1 bunch of fresh basil, italian style not asian style

Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional: 6 to 8 black olives as garnish

Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. This is not one of the traditional ingredients, but has become common in the American style of presentation.

Start preparation about 15 minutes before serving for best results. Slice the tomatoes lengthwise in about ¼” pieces and lay them on the serving plate. Slice the mozzarella cheese also in about ¼” pieces and lay them on top of the tomato slices . Then, pick through the basil bunch and find the biggest, nicest looking leaves. Lay them on top of the cheese. Then, leave the plate to the side until you are ready to serve. At the moment you want to present the plate, drizzle the olive oil (and balsamic vinegar if you choose to add it) over the plate, being sure to cover evenly all of the tomatoes and cheese. Garnish with the olives, if you want. If your guests are like mine, they will love this salad, especially on a summer day.

Buon appetito!

Lina

Italian recipe as lifestyle

Mon, 07 May 2012 06:01:11 -0700

Many people raise the question as to why I publish Italian recipes, since my knowledge about Italy is quite a bit broader and I could write about any number of other interesting topics. Moreover, as CEO of a shopping mall, they expect me to care more about business or “other stuff” considered to be much more valuable.

From their perspective, they’re very right. It seems they may have thought that it’s easy talking about food, especially if we consider that our blog spans topics on everything Made in Italy, including food. It is also true that many readers (and friends) are asking for recipes for easy to prepare dishes. Just a little note: you won’t believe this, but they prefer to read my recipe on the blog rather than listen it directly from me. I guess it’s because of the influence that published information has on the readers. We are talking about simple dishes that are pretty easy to prepare.

There is problem inherent in writing for a blog that wants to offer information about a variety of Italian topics: each of our readers is “hungry” about specific topics different from the other people’s interests. But all of them seem to care about food! We all eat, surely different types of food, and we all care about learning more about what we eat.

There is a proverb in Italy that says “tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you what you are”, which has been lately transformed in a second proverb “tell me how you eat and I’ll tell you how you are”. They are both right. During times of “scarcity”, when the economy was pretty hard for everyone, if people were seen eating beef-steak every day, then they were considered as belonging to a more comfortable economic class. The second proverb (the transformed one) is true for the current time of relative abundance, in spite of a somewhat uneasy economic situation. People eating nervously at fast food surely feel the pressure of the “rushing and competitive” lifestyle. Instead people taking care about what they eat, are surely people that enjoy life and don’t want it to worsen. These people are typically happy; they enjoy what they have, and look for new and interesting things. These are our readers. In my opinion, these people catch my inner message of caring about beautiful life through our food recipes. They do not need to cook to know it, they just need to see that we all want to understand how to eat better.

My point is that we all express our lifestyle through very simple things. I do not care what people eat, but about their passion for what they eat as well as for discovering new flavors and tastes. The simple “things” are easier and faster to catch on with everyone. If you like my simple things (like my food recipes) then you may decide to “invest” more of your precious time reading more of my articles. And according to the fantastic growing number of loyal readers (we do not advertise this blog in any way), this thought is “statistically proven to be right”. By the way, you can immediately start to appreciate and pursue the “Dolce Vita” after you have tried just one of my delicious recipes ;)

Enjoy your day with a little break of Italian dolce vita!

Matteo

Lost, and found again, in Italy

Sat, 05 May 2012 09:06:00 -0700

A friend of mine was travelling on the night train to Venice and had a mishap that fortunately was resolved successfully, thanks in part to the kindness of an Italian couple from Milan and the clear-headed thinking of my friend and his travel partner. This story has always restored my faith in humanity. It illustrates genuine Italian hospitality, but also contains some important object lessons that might help others if they find themselves in a similar situation in the future.

My friend had been traveling on an Italian train overnight and found himself in a train station in a small town a few hours to the North of Milan early in the morning. Despite instructions to avoid trips to the restroom in a train station, it was first thing in the morning and my friend decided the opportunity was just too good to pass up. So he went, still dressed in his nightclothes, to the next car. He left his identification, valuables, luggage, etc. with his travel partner for safekeeping. After a few minutes he emerged from the restroom only to find the remainder of the train bound for Venicehad just left, abandoning him in the small town. He had no passport, no train ticket, no money, was not groomed, and was essentially stranded in that town. He talked to the local station manager and got help to reunite with the next train to Milan, via a nearby small town. Meanwhile, my friend’s travel partner woke upto the realization that my friend had vanished and that she was all alone. A kind Italian couple from Milan that had been traveling in the same car with them approached her, realizing she was upset and frightened. They were very calm and reassuring and explained to her in broken English their version of what they imagined had happened to her friend. They explained the idea that the trains had probably separated with the aid of a pencil drawing of a train on a small piece of paper, which they ripped dramatically in half to illustrate the separation. The Italian couple invited her to stay temporarily with them in Milan until her situation was resolved, which was a wonderful gesture and really helped keep her calm. An attempt was apparently made to contact the travel partner to suggest a rendezvous at the town where my friend was connecting up with the train to Milan, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. My friend arrived in that small station tofind that his travel partner had not gotten off the train. He surmised she must have continued on to Milan, so he stayed on the train. They did not have cell phones, nor had they discussed a definitive game plan for what to do if they were separated. Fortunately, clear heads won the day. His travel partner had continued on to the Milan train station. With the help of the Italian couple, she had gotten herself and all of their joint belongings off the train. She was waiting for my friend to arrive on the next Venice-bound train at the station in Milan when they were reunited. My friend and his travel partner continued on together successfully to Venice to see the beautiful sights of the town.

It seems worth mentioning a couple of points, based on this story:

1) It really isn’t a good idea to change cars on the train when you are at a station for any reason

2) You should probably keep your valuables and identification on your person at all times on the train

3) It is wise to have a very specific “safe meeting” point with your travel companions setup ahead of time. Something as simple as “see you at the hotel if we are separated” will do nicely. Even with the proliferation of cellphones, it is still a good idea to do this.

Vi auguro Buon Viaggio. Safe travels!

Lina

Shoes: strong tradition of Italian artisans

Wed, 02 May 2012 23:12:29 -0700

Whenever I travel in Italy throughout the artisans’ shops, I really notice the strong historical legacy of these people by looking at their workshops.

The attached picture is of a shoe repair shop in the South of Italy that gave me the spark to write this article. I’ve never seen something similar to this workshop in my travels around the world. I’m not talking about a mess, but about their apparent “messy organization”. I have the same feeling when I watch contemporary-modern painters: they don’t make a mess, but rather it’s “art” (at least that’s what they say about it!); it seems an artistic organization of their work to me. Of course we cannot understand it if we aren’t there working in the workshop every day. Most of us are used to working in an environment where we share the work with others, therefore everything has its own “precise” (and clean) place. But artisans and artists typically work well on their own, often in isolation. They do not necessarily need/want to share the same place with others. They adapt their work area to their own needs…and they are “creating” rather than “working”. At this shoe repair shop in the attached picture they repair any kind of shoes you can imagine, especially the ones everyone else seems to think are irreparable. They use the best materials and custom creates replacement parts for shoes that are not available on the normal market. Of course, I can understand your questioning this judging simply by the picture! But, I assure you that great work has been done in this workshop since my family in Italy have been their clients for a long time.

At this shop, you’ll also get your shoes properly polished (he does not ask if you are interested in that, he simply does it), and you’ll also learn how to buy your next pair of shoes. Further, he will tell you the best shoes for your feet according to the shapes he finds in your used ones. This artisan will also tell you what’s wrong with your shoes, why they break and why they break so often, and (ready for this?) suggestions about how you should walk, tailored to the shoe’s owner!!! This whole service costs just a few Euros!

This story is for real: many years ago, this shoe repairman told my mom that I must have be complaining about pain in my shoulder since I was walking fast while carrying too heavy a weight on the left side of my body. At that time, I was living about 600 miles away from this artisan’s town. I had never met this guy and he did not know anything about my life. My doctor barely understood the cause of my pain in my shoulder (he had been asking for further X-rays). My point about this story is that I was impressed by the behavior of this artisan, taking care to explain to his client what he learned from his rich experience as an independent artisan. He was fearless and very confident. Artisans and artists generally don’t provide their work of art or produc purely for the purpose of making money, they give life, value, and expression to things.

I hope that this story helps to provide some understanding if the art, the passion, and the remuneration of an artisan. Of course, I could have posted a different picture, but this one highlights better the contrast between mass production and artisans. No production chain, not a lot of money, but details and a clearly demonstrated love for what they make.

I would like to highlight one point about Italian shoes. I buy only Italian shoes (not sport shoes) if at all possible not made by the big manufacturers. This may explain why I have never had any problems with my feet in spite of heavy walking and traveling (of course not always just carrying heavy bags on one side of my body;). I do not buy shoes made outside of Italy, and especially not from China. In my opinion it seems that people walk with discomfort there, based on my observations when I have traveled there. But they do produce shoes for a very big market! It seems strange to me. What do they know about shoes if they don’t seem to walk comfortably in them? I wonder how women can wear such “hard leather” shoes, with very standard soles and often with bad heel structure on their delicate and beautiful feet. You do not need to always buy the most expensive brands, like Prada. Italy is full of many artisans that have been making wonderful shoes for generations at 1/4 the price of the big-name designers. I’m really working hard to carry some of these shoes on our shopping mall soon.

My conclusion is that artisans and artists look at the life in a good way: every day, they make something to be proud of. We don’t need to rush around, holding smartphones with the right hand while holding heavy bags with the left one to feel proud of ourselves. Neither do we need a lot of money to be proud of ourselves. We need to “make” fewer things, but much better quality, just like artists do.

Enjoy your day with a little break of Italian dolce vita!

Matteo

International Worker's Day

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:01:56 -0700

International Workers’ Day (also known as May Day) is a celebration of the international labor movement and left-wing movements. It commonly involves organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labor unions throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries. It is also celebrated unofficially in many other countries. While it is not a national holiday in the US, there are frequently marches and events in solidarity with the rest of the international labor movement.

For more details on the history of the the holiday, here is a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers’_Day

In Italy, as in most parts of the world that celebrate that day, it has expanded scope from a political emphasis to become a wonderful break for everyone concerned. Since May Day is on a Tuesday this year, doubtless many people will take advantage of a long weekend to travel, have a picnic, or just relax!

The Festa del Lavoro in Italy has evolved along with the history of the international labor movement.

According to Wikipedia, some of the historical highlights of that day in Italy are the following:

(If you read Italian, here is the link: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festa_del_lavoro )

The news of the assassination of the anarchist leaders in Chicago in 1888 had just been announced when workers from Livorno held an uprising against U.S. ships in the Livorno harbor, and then they later targeted the police headquarters, where it was believed that people had taken refuge in the U.S. Consulate.

The festival was suppressed during the Fascist period at which time it was preferred to celebrate a festival of Italian labor on April 21 to coincide with the birthday of Rome (sometimes referred to as “Christmas in Rome” ) - but the traditional May 1st date was restored shortly after the end of the war, in 1945.

In 1947 the celebration was marred at Portella della Ginestra when the followers of Salvatore Giuliano fired on a procession of about two thousand workers in a group, killing eleven and wounding fifty.

Since 1990, the Italian trade unions CGIL, CISL and UIL have organized an annual concert in Rome to commemorate May 1. Each year the concert is attended by hundreds of thousands of people.

Enjoy May Day with a taste of Italian dolce vita!
Lina

Exclusive Italian architects

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:02:22 -0700

I just read in an Italian newspaper (ilsole24ore - Ecco perché la corazza dei grattacieli più high tech del mondo è fatta in Italia….) that the Italian architect Renzo Piano has designed The Shard in London, the tallest skyscraper in Europe, reaching up 308 meters (1010 feet), which is ready on time for the 2012 Olympic games. The building has been made by the Italian Permasteelisa (recently purchased by Japanese holdings). According to the news, Permasteelisa has accomplished a very artistic, yet complex architecture throughout the world: the United States, Paris, and Milan, where they have constructed a tower in the CMR Project Porta Nuova. In New York Permasteelisa is making part of the tower number 3, at the height of 325 meters, that will likely be completed by July 2014. The same Italian company is well known in New York where, by November this year, they will complete another skyscraper in the Manhattan jewelry district, the International Gem Tower. The Italian company is in charge of the building surface (the facade) since it is made with a complex intersection of low emission glass, metal frame, and stainless steel panels to reproduce the shape of diamonds and associated reflected lighting effects that require very particular engineering skill.

Of course I’m very proud of these Italian architects, but what really impresses me is the international appreciation of Italian design, style, and engineering, which, for some unknown reason, even in the face of globalization, still turns out to be exclusive throughout the world!

Enjoy your day with a little break of Italian dolce vita!

Matteo

Bad experiences in Italy - Chapter I

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:04:31 -0700

Awhile ago I had a conversation with a nice American gentleman who was robbed while traveling in Italy with his wife on a first class train in the North of Italy. Thieves took a few thousand dollars, his passport, and other personal documents when he “left” his belongings at his seat to go eating at the dining car. Although this bad experience happened few years ago, he’s still pretty angry with Italians about it. I thought it would be nice to share some of my ideas on how to travel in Italy to help prevent this problem.

While working in Milan at a multinational corporation, I had visits from many foreign colleagues staying in town for few days. Unfortunately, I heard bad stories like this quite often. Of course the focus is on this negative experience, but they miss the opportunity to honor the noble Italian traditions and culture of the many honest people in Italy. Make no mistake; there are no excuses, and I have no intention of defending thieves here.

After more than 20 years of life “on my own”, traveling from the South to the North in Italy, I was never once robbed. By the way, I grew up in one of the most notorious areas of Italian criminality, which is called Camorra, and I even have perceived some criminal activity around me there. But I’ve never been affected directly. Moreover nowadays, Italy has become a land of hope for everyone that escapes from nearby emerging countries, staying for a while in Italy on their way to through Europe (typically they move on to the Northern European countries). I guess that if some of them fall on tough economic times they must resort to stealing, sometimes even for their first time, in order to pursue their dream. In fact you’ll see in evidence many foreigners that “survive” in Italy selling wares on the street of the major Italian cities.

Hence, since thieves (and criminals) are everywhere in the world I guess that is better to exercise some precautions to reduce their opportunity to violate the law at our own expense.

How to avoid this painful contact? Here are my rules that I follow and some other suggestions:

First basic rule:

In my opinion, thieves are spies, browsing in the crowd, looking for the money (and the “big fish”). If you behave like you are in the Big Brother reality show, then you will have less chance to be noticed. For instance, some people look very funny to me when they move all of their valuables to the trunk of their car (or even worse a rented car) in a public parking lot before going shopping. Do they really believe that thieves do not realize they are doing that? The thieves are parked somewhere in the parking lot, waiting in a car for a “fish” like that! Remember that they are spies. The best way would be to move your valuables to your car trunk in a location that is in a more secure place, far from the place where you’re planning to leave your car parked with your valuables inside.

Second Basic rule:

Do not challenge thieves. When I give this suggestion as rule number one, some people react very badly to me and state:”they will have to pass through me to touch my stuff”. But, actually, the thieves will do that! And if they are really good, they will steal from you without you even noticing them.

Third Basic Rule:

Thieves look like good people. My friend who is a policeman in Italy highlighted to me that the best thieves look like great people. It’s pretty smart to raise the bar of awareness when you meet people who seem extremely nice, or especially that try to know more about you and/or your plans while in Italy. Of course there are nice people everywhere, and they may fall in love with you at first sight like happened to me when I met my wife. But I find that the good people in Italy are more discreet, and do not want to know sensitive details about you. They understand if you are not comfortable sharing this kind of information the first time! If I would be a tourist, I would not give my real last name to anyone at first sight who I met while traveling, especially if they ask it. Keep in mind that with tools like Facebook they will know everything about you in few minutes! If they really like you, they will give you their email, so you can check them on out, not the other way around!

Fourth basic rule

Do not trust people asking for strange help at the train or gas station, or elsewhere in public (unless you know them). If you find someone in trouble in Italy, contact an Italian service agency for them; do not replace it. Italy provides all social services for free. Call 113 (equivalent to the 911 in the States) and ask their suggestions: they will help you very well. I love Italian 113, they are really good!

Fifth basic rule:

Do not trust “dealers” selling fake Rolex (or similar stuff) at lower price!!! I would also suggest you pay a lot of attention while shopping at small stores. In fact, especially in the tourist areas, many shops sell cheap “Made in Italy” stuff that is actually not made in Italy at all! By the way, in Italy they can make products with inferior materials, also. Actually, most of the time, the shop owner is also not Italian in those areas. Pay attention to shops crowded with only tourists and seek out the shops crowded with local people shopping there. Do not hesitate to ask the locals if they have already shopped at that store: you may also get some additional tips ;)

Sixth basic rule:

Avoid isolated areas if you’re a tourist. Especially in big towns, it may be dangerous browsing in alleys with a loud, flowered shirt, camera, shorts, and tourist’s smile in parts of town that you do not know at all!

Seventh basic rule:

DRESS CODE: dress like everybody else. Go to any Italian shop and buy local clothes. You do not need to buy Prada stuff! Maybe just a T-shirt and jeans would do just fine. This dress code will make you less noticeable to thieves. And the T-shirt will be a nice souvenir from Italy! Try to wear fancy clothes only for big occasions or a romantic dinner!!!! You do not want the thieves to notice you while shopping for apples at the Italian market, wearing a cherry-diamond ring on your finger.

Eighth basic rule

Keep in mind that your purse (or wallet) is the first target of any thief. Handle it with care. Do not leave it laying around. Do not fill it with money. Leave valuables in your safety deposit box (and a copy of your passport). Crowded places are full of thieves, who love underground areas and train stations as well as markets and waiting areas. By the way, iPhone and smartphone are very desired by thieves nowadays, too. So, pay attention to your phone behavior. While you buy a ticket or make a call in a crowded place, the thief may be around you!

Ninth basic rule

Do not behave like you’re at home, because you are not! You are a tourist for the entire time you are traveling. Tourists certainly have the right to enjoy the best of the country they visit, but they also have the duty to respect the host country rules, regulations, and customs.

In your life you shouldn’t miss visiting Italy, a beautiful country that will leave you with the most beautiful experiences of your life. Go fearlessly with these basic nine rules in mind. I have used these for years with great results on my travels in Italy and around the rest of the world, for that matter. And if they still “steal” from us, it will not be because we weren’t careful, and therefore we will not regret that we did not pay attention and acted as “sleepy” tourists.

Enjoy your day with a little break of Italian dolce vita!

Matteo

Kefir bread with chestnut honey

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:04:38 -0700

I was perusing the latest set of recipes on Riccardo Astolfi’s site and found this unusual and intriguing bread. I love kefir, but I had never really given much thought to the idea that both bread and kefir involve leavening. This bread, that is born of experimentation, illustrates the full range of possibilities that exist to make bread.

(Photo courtesy Riccardo Astolfi)

For those of you that read Italian, here is the link to his article:

http://pastamadre.blogspot.mx/2012/04/pane-di-kefir-al-miele-di-castagno.html

Here is the translation of Riccardo’s article:

Once you are familiar in general with the principles of sourdough leavening, taking the next step to investigate other types of fermentation is very easy.

Among our community, in fact, it is very easy to find people who make home-made yogurt, kefir, vinegar … and jam, sauerkraut, beer … in a delirium of self sufficiency that makes us more independent, but above all more aware of what we buy and what we eat.

Then, this same independence gives birth to new possibilities, new knowledge, new adventures.

Like, for example, the baking of bread with “real” brewer’s yeast or with backferment, the leavening for bread developed by Steiner and Hugo Erbe more than a century ago.

This time, though, it’s kefir, or rather the enzymes to make kefir, that we will experiment with.

At home, we always kept kefir grains in the freezer that we used to create our own kefir for breakfast. But then, after awhile (several years now) that breakfast has just included tea (for me in the morning strictly black, preferably Indian, whole leaf and organic) and pastries, so the grains have been relegated to deep storage at -18 ° C (40 ° F), awaiting better times.

It just so happens that recently I ended up bringing a package of grains to make kefir home with me, the type of grains that are usually sold in health food stores. The ingredients of the package are nothing more than lactobacilli of different species, grown and selected to be added to fermented milk, in this case, and then freeze-dried and ready to be rehydrated. Then I thought to myself … why don’t we try to make ourselves some bread with them? After all, some of these lactobacilli are also present in our sourdough, so a little fermentation might …

(Photo courtesy Riccardo Astolfi)

In a pure improvisation, I emptied the full the contents of a package of grains into a cup with 250 ml ( 8 oz ) of warm water and a tablespoon of honey. I mixed them together and waited until the first tiny bubbles formed (ten minutes). That was enough to convince me that this would work for bread!

Important: The lactobacilli definitely need more time to really work and cause fermentation, similar to if you were to prepare kefir. So, for our bread we also need to wait at least 24 hours to allow this process to complete.

(Photo courtesy Riccardo Astolfi )

Kefir bread with chestnut honey

Ingredients:

500 grams ( 1 pound ) of wheat flour

250 ml ( 8 oz) of warm water with a packet of kefir grains dissolved into the water and a tablespoon of chestnut honey

(Chestnut honey is available in Italian specialty stores. If you don’t find it, you can substitute honey)

and a pinch of sea salt.

Mix all ingredients together, working and kneading until you have achieved a smooth and homogeneous texture. Place the dough in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, pierced with a toothpick so that it “breathes” and leave it for a whole day. During those 24 hours, refresh the dough and then form a loaf, then let it rest for at least another hour or so before baking.

Do not worry if your dough isn’t as nice and fluffy as your usual sourdough; that is normal.

Bake at 180 ° C (350 ° F) for about 30-40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and enjoy this bread, sweet and aromatic, with honey and marmalade for breakfast or accompanying cheese (maybe goat’s milk cheese with lactic fermentation, maybe like a beautiful Robiola Roccaverano)

Buon appetito!
Lina

AEGAXGYN8YVM

Definition of Wine (Chapter II)

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:27:00 -0700

I am guessing that I might have introduced some confusion in Chapter I.

In my experience, the only way to clear up the confusion is to identify where the problem lies. The main problem is that the wine business is a bit ”messy” and confusing!

THEY want it that way. Who does? The marketing kingpins of the wine industry do. They know, scientifically, that in a confusing situation people will have to hold onto a few reliable sources: magazines and sommeliers!

The game is setup that way. I may be wrong about this. If any of you can prove that you understood absolutely everything about wine by reading wine magazines and listening to a Sommelier, then please let me know!

Where to start then? With the definition of the wine!

According to many dictionaries I read while seeking out the definition of the word “wine”, the primary definition comes up as: “An alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice”.

That is far too generic. Does it explain how wine is made? Does it talk about the unique winemaking process? Does it indicate that wine should be made without chemical or synthetic additives? It doesn’t. It’s up to us to choose what we want in a wine. If it’s wine that we like, then we will need to be more specific.

This is my ideal definition of WINE:

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, which would be made from the “best grapes” (possibly organic or with limited chemicals) that have been selected from any “variety” that is good for making wine, according to a process that doesn’t use synthetic chemicals (discover the impressive length of that list by searching for this: “wine flavoring substances and adjuvants” and I suggest you select the very reliable .gov website sources), but just the organic compounds necessary and produced at the fermentation stage. In WINE, it would not be possible to add more than a small quantity of ppm (part per million) of Sulfates (today some wines are reaching up to several hundreds of ppm!!!). Any other acids, or any other kind of additional chemical to correct color, aroma, or taste would be forbidden.

This process would take as long as it needs to in order to produce a great taste and it would not be pushed faster to make more money.

Only wine makers who are passionate about good wine would survive in this industry. The best wine would be the one made with all great natural ingredients, ability (and luck) of the wine maker, honoring only the rule of its noble tradition.

The wine would age in the bottle. We would also allow the use of barrels, so it would be possible for the wine to acquire the “natural” taste of “wood” during the aging of the wine, which nature made a little light and lacking in sugars. The bottle would be made of glass, 100% recyclable, and the cork would be made of CORK, better if recyclable! Neither rubber nor screw corks would be allowed. The transportation would require refrigerated containers, since the wine is “perishable” with the heat! The storage of the wine in cellars would be controlled for temperature and humidity, so the wine could age and express itself better over time. Every wine label would also provide information about “how to use it” and “how to pair it” (as in the attached picture), since too many people do not know that before tasting the wine! I would also add a note to discourage “tasting” above half glass of wine. By the way, the label would also say that wine has a “natural yield”, therefore the taste may vary by bottle, with some being better than others.

Every other beverage that looks like WINE would be named WINELIKE, so that consumers would know that the process has been modified according to “new and advanced technologies” and limited chemicals use by some regulations to avoid dangerous health side effects.

It’s inconceivable to me that in this era of “real time” information we still need sommeliers and magazines to help us decide what is best for us. Do we need help deciding our ideal partner, our favorite cake, or our favorite flowers? Can someone really reduce those types of things to statistics? Maybe a flower score? Would we accept that a Tulip gets a score of 90, while we actually prefer Roses? Would you go buy a ring for your loved one with a “RINGSPECTATOR” in your hand?

Now that we have made clear my ideal definition of wine, we can move on to Chapter III and learn the basics of wine and enjoy a little break of Italian Dolce vita.

Enjoy your day with a little break of Italian dolce vita!

Matteo

Italian Wines? Seriously! (Chapter 1)

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 18:05:00 -0700

I started truly appreciating wine thanks to a good friend of mine who introduced me to it some time ago. That was when I learned that only a friend can really introduce you to wine.

(Photo courtesy of Azienda Agricola Fontanavecchia)

While I am passionate about Italian wines and wine making, I have a conflict about expressing myself here on the blog on these topics: I find it difficult expressing my sentiments about a product that is also an alcoholic beverage, and therefore may cause health problems.

I grew up in Italy where the tradition and passion for wine making are so strong that it masks the health problems associated with the consumption of alcohol beverages. Since the time of the Romans, two thousand years ago, when they drank wine instead of the water to avoid being poisoned or infected, it seems that Italians today still pursue the great tradition of making wine with passion. It may seem strange, but in a life time of living in Italy I never once saw an Italian drunk. I guess they must exist, but certainly they are not as evident as what I have encountered in my travels around the world (including the USA), especially near night clubs. But this is another story (and article!).

I started this article with the intent of boosting confidence in Italian wine traditions in a few words. But wine appreciation requires passion, and therefore we will need to travel together on a “virtual tour” throughout Italian wineries to truly discover this passion. I assure you that I will do my best to be transparent and honest in this discovery in the name of my genuine passion for wine making.

Let’s start with a few facts!

According to latest available Italian census (dated year 2000), Italy counts about 791,400 wine makers - about 1.3% of the entire Italian population - and ranks among the three biggest suppliers of the wine worldwide (together with France). I want to highlight that the many Italians producing wine as a business in other countries is not included in this figure.

The United States of America counts 7,626 wine makers of which 3,364 are in the State of California (latest update from Wine Institute dated year 2011, for the year 2010), about 0.009% of the California population. And California is number 1 supplier in the USA, which is the largest wine market in the world!

Hence, while in the USA 1 in 10,000 Californians is a “registered” wine maker (or corporation making wine), in Italy 1 in 77 Italians is a wine maker (or a wine corporation) !!! Almost one per large family!

My point, and I have one major point to make, is that just looking at these statistics there is something important to highlight about wine makers that started me….thinking! In the California figure, a small population percentage are able to produce a large quantity (regardless of their organization size), approaching the wine making as a “business” with an eye towards increased production capability. Comparing this figure with the Italian one, with a very high population percentage producing wine, that highlights a huge difference of market competition and available variety, which are crucial market requirements to assure very high selection and quality level.

Moreover,

Wine is a complex product made of grapes, developed through a very long and delicate process. To make a bottle of wine about 2 Kilograms of grapes and a ton of passion are required. To grow each Kilogram of grapes, it is estimated to require between 200 and 400 liters (approximately 40 to 80 gallons) of water. The fundamental ingredients of a good wine are:

• Geo-Position

• Soil

• Climatic Environment

• Grapevine

• Quality and age of the Grapevine

• Position of the Grapevine

• Process of Making Wine

• Luck!

Excellent wine makers sometimes cannot explain their extraordinary good (or bad) results when using traditional process without the help of chemistry, since there are factors beyond their control like the luck of nature (like a bad storm, winds, ice, etc.). It’s hard to believe that corporations would jeopardize their wine production yield (low yield = low profit) simply for the passion of making wine with the traditional process.

I do not have anything against the wine makers in California, but I used this scenario because it helps to understand the differences between producing wine as a business versus wine as a passion.

Actually, surely there are small wine makers in California working hard, pursuing their passion for great wine as well as there are corporations in Italy making wine as a business. But we will zoom in on this point in a future “chapter”.

Since our aim is to develop a passion for wine, I guess we should reflect on the points within this article, considering that we are addressing what it takes to make a truly enjoyable, fine wine and not simply an alcoholic beverage. Since it is possible to produce a bottle of wine for $2.00 (just the bottle+cork+packaging+transportation costs at least $1.00), that implies some deep reflection on its content: it might be an alcoholic beverage, but surely it would not be included in the pursuit of developing a passion for fine wines.

If you are serious about developing a passion for fine wine, I have some exclusive information for you about Italian wines and wine making.

Enjoy your day with a little break of Italian dolce vita!
Salute,
Matteo

Villa Borghese - an oasis within Rome

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:27:00 -0700

With all of the many historical sites, wonderful restaurants, and other distractions of Rome, it is easy to overlook the wonderful gem of the gardens at the Villa Borghese.

(Photo courtesy of ItalyGuides)

I know it is easy to overlook because it has happened to me. Even though I have visited the gardens before, I did not make it there on my last visit to Rome. I was reminded just how remiss I have been in not visiting that wonderful place when I read Jennifer’s article about the picnics for Pasquetta (http://blog.madeinitalymall.com/post/20768085464/easter-monday-is-picnic-day). All of a sudden I remembered the last time I had been there and how truly serene it was, yet so close to the bustling heart of the city.

In this article I thought I would give just a little history and some highlights of the gardens.

If you want more details, you can read further on this link:

http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/rome/villa-borghese-gardens/villa-borghese.htm

ItalyGuides have been kind enough to furnish us some wonderful material for this article.

(Photo courtesy of ItalyGuides)

Because the Borghese family opened this essentially private park to the public every Sunday and on public holidays, Villa Borghese has always been dear to Romans. The Park was originally a private vineyard, redesigned and enlarged in 1605 to grandiose proportions for pope Paul V’s nephew, the Cardinal Scipione Borghese. The art museum in the park was originally designed not only to house the Cardinal’s art collection, but to provide a “villa of delights”. Today, the Galleria Borghesehouses the largest private collection of art in the world, while there have been various acquisitions and losses for the Museum over the years: notably the sale of 500 works of art to Napoleon by Camillo Borghese, found today in the Fondo Borghesein the Louvre, in Paris. Two of the more significant acquisitions were Raphael’s “Deposizione Baglioni”, illegally transported from Perugia in 1600 and donated to Scipione, and Correggio’s Danae, purchased in 1827.

(Photo courtesy of ItalyGuides)

Besides the museum, there are “secret gardens” which are shrouded by trees, lovely adornments like the Temple of Diana, a Bio Park, a lake, and an aviary. So, there are plenty of outdoor spaces to suit any taste. But, as Jennifer pointed out, one of the best things to do at the gardens is simply to relax…dolce far niente

I just love these 360 views on the ItalyGuides site. They give you the feeling like you are right there!

http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/rome/villa-borghese-gardens/galleria-borghese/galleria-borghese.htm

http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/rome/villa-borghese-gardens/pincian-hill.htm

Ci sentiamo presto,

Lina

Visiting the Uffizi in style

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:22:00 -0700

Have you ever been caught in a long line while traveling and had no idea how long you would have to wait?

…and then wished you had a way to avoid the long line?

It turns out that I found a way to save myself from the experience of a long wait at the Uffizi museum in Florence by doing a little research ahead of time.

Having traveled in Europe a fair amount over the last few years, I had noticed that the crowds had seemed to be growing at the museums, even off-season. So, I decided to search online to see if there might be a way to avoid the lines. Luckily I found just the ticket! (pardon the pun).

When we arrived at the museum, we went straight to the entrance reserved for advance tickets, presented the voucher I had received and were integrated in with other groups that were arriving. The total time was about 15 to 20 minutes before we were actually inside the museum. We couldn’t help but feel sorry for the long line of people standing in the hot, mid-day sun without any guarantee of getting into the museum the same day. Judging by our informal estimate of how long the wait would be as we passed along the line, we estimated it would have been between 2 and 4 hours to get to the ticket window without our advance purchase!

I suggest you buy tickets in advance for both the Uffizi Gallery and also the l’Accademia museum, where Michelangelo’s David is housed, before you travel to Italy. On my last trip a few years ago, it was reasonably easy to find the official museum site to buy tickets. It turns out that task is now a major chore! It took more than 15 minutes of online research to find and confirm the link: http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/musei/?m=uffizi

(This is the site in Italian. Just click on the flag for English)

In case you are not able to order tickets prior to your trip for some reason, you can still order online or by phone once you are in Italy. The advantage of waiting until you arrive in Italy might be that you can postpone your decision of which date/time you want to go to the museum until you are there in person.

I certainly hope you get a chance to enjoy this great museum.

Ci sentiamo presto,
Lina

International furniture show in Milan

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:01:31 -0700

Where is the largest international furniture design show held every year?

The answer is not too surprising. It is in Milan, Italy.

This year the Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2012 will be held at the Milan Fairgrounds in Rho. The show has its origins in 1961 as the Salone del Mobile Italiano as a forum for Italian design, but in 1967 the scope expanded to become an international show as it remains today.

A few years ago my husband and I had the great fortune to attend the Milan furniture show. My husband was working for a lamp design firm in California and we went along with other designers on the team. The collection of beautiful lighting designs was overwhelming. But, amazingly, lighting represented just one section of the show, and there was a lot more to see. We took full advantage of our time there to see the array of designs, ranging from classical to avant garde. After the show we took accommodations in the Lago di Como area. It was a great way to cap off our experience of the Milan area.

While this event has traditionally been a trade show and continues to be focused on the trade, the exposition will now be open to the general public on Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22 this year! If you are in the Milan area, it will be well worth your while to see the amazing array of furniture.

Here are some links that provide additional information:

Show details:

http://www.cosmit.it/en/home.php?s=0,2,67,74

Press release:

http://www.cosmit.it/en/home.php?s=0,2,67,72,317,1167

Ci sentiamo presto,

Lina