The city of Piazza Armerina, almost dead in the centre of Sicily, is chiefly famous for the Villa Romana del Casale, with its extraordinary collection of Roman mosaics, the largest and finest still in existence. The Villa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, needless to say, any visit to Piazza HAS to take in the complex. There is much else to see besides though. The huge Cathedral was built during the 17th and 18th centuries over an existing church (of which the bell tower is a survivor), along with older Gothic-Catalan windows. The Duomo also has a museum of relics which might occupy an hour or so of your time. Other notable town buildings include the Palazzo Trigona, the Churches of Fundro (1613), San Giovanni Evangelista (14th century),St Martin of Tours (1163) and Santa Maria del Gesù (16th century), which is currently abandoned. There is the Baroque Church of St Roch, with its carved portal of tufa and the 12th century Hermitage of St Andrew. See too the Aragonese Castle (1392-96) and the Priory Church of Sant’Andrea (11th century). The city’s main celebration is the Palio dei Normanni, a costumed re-enacting of the entrance of Count Roger I to the city. An interesting idiosyncracy is the local dialect, which differs markedly from neighbouring towns. William II of Sicily repopulated the town with settlers from Lombardy during the latter 12th century, most of them from Monferrato and Piacenza. The northern Italian dialect still persists in this ‘Lombardic’ comune.
Towns in Italy
September 12, 2007
The second largest of the seven islands that make up the Aeolian group (Lipari is the largest), Salina is, nonetheless, no giant. A mere 27 square kilometres in size, the island is formed of six extinct volcanoes, with the vast bulk of the the island comprising the two largest peaks of Monte dei Porri and its big sister Fossa delle Felci. Around the two cones lies a fertile land (all that rich volcanic matter) on which are grown capers and the grapes for white Malvasia wine. Visitors should pack their walking shoes as this is superb hiking country, with great views down over the volcanoes and onto the ocean. There are good trails, one linking the main town of Santa Marina di Salina with the peak of Monta Fossa delle Felci (962 metres asl), the Madonna del Terzito sanctuary and on to the port at Rinella.
The modern name of the island comes from the salting works that were the main employer on the island until quite recently. This ’salina’ (salt lagoon) is at Lingua on the east coast. Dominated by the lighthouse, the salt flats are an important habitat for birds migrating to and from AFrica.
The other main towns are Malfa and Leni, with smaller settlements (all coastal of course) being Lingua, Capo Faro, Pollara, Valdichiesa and Leni though the island has a scant population of 2300 people. The little port of Rinella is the arrival point for most visitors, with ferries and hydrofoils being met by buses on the quayside. The island is, like so much of the Italian Mediterranean, much invaded. Inhabited since the Bronze Age, the island population fled or was killed during the 1544 war of Spain on France, when Barbarossa laid waste to Naples. The island was repopulated by immigrants from Spain, Sicily and Italy over the years. After the two World Wars, the island’s depopulated once more, as many thousands left for the dreams of an easier life in Australia and America, though the descendants of many are now returning to the island, which is slowly repopulating.
Large parts of Salina have been a nature reserve since 1981. The thick vegetation is a habitat for hawks, falcons and barn owls. Vegetation includes the vineyards and caper bushes of course, peaches, plums, apricots, almonds, and orange and lemon groves. The weather is very singular. Reliably sunny and calm during the day, the island has dramatic night storms. Check out the traditional buildings during your time on the island: painted in pink, ochre, turquoise and white, they have flat roofs to catch the sparse rain. Cuisine herer is fish of course, salcicciate (hand made sausage flavoured with wild fennel seeds). There is the Festa di San Giuseppe, with pasta and chickpea dishes, and a number of other festivals or ’sagre’.
Excellent website about Salina [http://www.estateolie.it/salina.htm] and the other Aeolian Islands, though it is in Italian.
July 12, 2007
A lovely town Cortona. Some basics first - it’s in the region of Tuscany (Toscana) in central Italy, and within Arezzo province (all Italian regions are subdivided into provinces). It has a population of some 22,000, of which a small but significant number are settling expats from Britain, Germany and the US. Its patron saint is St Margaret of Cortona and it’s very old. How old is lost in anquity and myth, like so many Italian towns. It’s definitely Etruscan at some point, but as the Etruscan civilisation (roots with Etruria and the word ‘Tuscany’) has been pretty much totally absorbed and lost, swept away by the monolith that was Roman civilisation, it’s hard to pin down … there are no written Etruscan histories, for example.
To add to the confusion, the histories of the town, already rather obscured by the swirling mists of myth and legend, were rewritten at the behest of Cosimo I de Medici in the late Middle Ages. The Medicis, rulers of the region at this point, wanted to big up their power, portraying their modern Tuscany as analogous with ancient Etruria - this was the process Mussolini was later to use, equating his Italian Fascist Republic of the early mid twentieth century with Ancient Rome. There’s some good stuff on the ancient Cortona foundation legend at Wikipedia, should you wish for more. Miss Jean Brodie may have fallen for it, but it’s a distraction for the serious historian. So what do we know? Precious little and we can discount the idea that Cortona gave birth to both Rome AND Troy (thanks Cosimo).
Cortona was ruled by the Medicis and thus Florence during the Renaissance. Its architecture today is mainly medieval. Steep narrow streets high (600asl) on the Tuscan hills, gazing down upon the valley of Valdichiana. Look from central Piazza Garibaldi onto Lake Trasimeno. Here myth doesn’t serve us wrong - it was on this plane that Hannibal ambushed the Romans, in 217BC’s Battle of Lake Trasimeno. Once in the town check out the fragments of Etruscan city wall incorporated in the current medieval wall. Learn more on the history at the Palazzo Pretorio with its Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca. We have the Arezzo Museum, two panels by Fra Angelico in the Diocesan Museum, plus works by Crespi.
May 21, 2007
The 13 towns that comprise the ‘Castelli Romani’ (it translates as ‘castles of Rome’) have a special place in Italian history, being the holiday retreats for Romans escaping the summer heat. Rome being Rome that means several millennia of holidaying out. Today, the family may load up the 4×4 for their weekend, once it was the Emperor and court. To this day, the Pope has his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo on Lake Albano.
Located south-east of the Eternal City, the castelli are (in alphabetical order) Albano Laziale, Ariccia, Castel Gandolfo, Colonna, Frascati, Genzano di Roma, Grottaferrata, Lanuvio, Lariano, Marino, Monte Compatri, Monte Porzio Catone, Nemi, Rocca di Papa, Rocca Priora and Velletri. We’re going to take a closer look at the towns in question, but Grottaferrata is a big favourite. It’s very pretty, and has the Abbey of Santa Maria di Grottaferrata. You’ll find a more complete guide to Lazio and the Castelli Romani here.
April 6, 2007
Lugo was been most famous (if you can call it fame) in recent years as the frontline of fighting between German and Allied troops in the last days of World War 2. The bombardment that rained over the Serio River did enormous damage to the Emilia-Romagna town, which lies west of Ravenna. Miraculously, much survived, and this makes historic Lugo a fairly interesting stop between Ravenna and Bologna. The city of Ferrara lies to the north, we have the Adriatic coast and Ravenna just to the east - Emilia-Romagna region is the heart of northern Italy, sandwiched between Tuscany and Lombardy. An affluent region, it was, in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, carved up into a series of fiefdoms and city states centred on Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Ravenna, Ferrara, Rimini and the rest.
‘Lucus’ as it was originally known, was a possession of the Counts of Cunio in the 12th century before passing through the Da Polenta, Pepoil and Visconti families to the Dukes of Este, who eventually lost Lugo to the Papal States in 1597. The Battle of Lugo/of Zagonara Castle in 1424 saw Florence defeat Milan here. The castle no longer stands. Lugo voted to join the new Kingdom of Italy in 1859.
Main sights in the town include the Rocca Estense (Castle of the Estes), which is now the town hall - a massive and imposing building. There is the 18th century Collegiata church, and San Franceso di Paola, with a 15th century terracotta sculpture of The Dead Christ.
April 4, 2007
Cervia - the town built on salt
Follow the Adriatic Riviera south out of Ravenna and you find yourself in Cervia, (it’s about 25km north of Rimini). This is the stretch of coast where the Italians go on holiday. Other nearby towns include Cesenatico, Villamarina Di Cesenatico, Bellaria, Cesena, Ravenna, Viserbella Di Rimini, Viserba, Forlì and Marina Di Ravenna. We’re talking long sandy beaches, the warm blue Adriatic and plenty of sunshine.
Cervia does have some history behind it. Once called Ficocle it was probably a Greek town, but was destroyed by the Byzantines in 709AD for being allied with Ravenna. The town was re-established in the Salina, the salt pans of this stretch of Adriatic Coast, and during the Middle Ages began to grow rich on the precious salt extracted from the marshlands. The city acquired three fortified gates, a castle and seven churches (supposedly built by Barbarossa). Later part of the Papal States, and moved and rebuilt by Pope Innocent XII in 1697.
Interesting things to see in the town include the Cathedral (Santa Maria Assunta) erected in 1699-1702, the Palazzo Comunale, St Michael Tower and - but of course - the Museum of Salt. Other sights around Cervia include Atlantica Park, Mirabilandia, the Dante Museum, the Ravenna Mosaics and San Vitale.
Some handy local sites and places to Stay in Cervia
Cervia comune is in English too. Very useful information on sustainable tourism, the various wildlife parks and green spaces. Very good too on the history and the heritage areas from the old salt pan days (salt production continues to this day).
April 3, 2007
Ravenna … a brief history lesson
Had history taken a different course then we would never have heard of Ravenna. But the Emperor Honorius, getting understandably twitchy as the various Goths and Vandals got ever closer to his capital of Milan around the year 400AD, decided to make a strategic withdrawal to the coast. He chose obscure Ravenna on the Romagna coast (the city is now in Emilia-Romagna region) and surrounded by marshland, thus easy to defend. It was also close to Classis, then the largest Roman naval base on the Adriatic. Honorius got it right. The Goths swept south, burning Rome in 410, blissfully unaware that ‘Rome’ was in fact on holiday up the coast. Ravenna grew rich, until the Goths fetched up there too in 476.
However, their incursions into southern Europe had seen the hairy neo-Viking hordes (okay a bit of a cultural reduction but bear with us) going native. The Goths, who had been sweeping south over Europe for centuries (from their original home in Scandinavia) had now become Christians, and rather than sack Ravenna, they embellished it further. The city became famous for its wealth and fine buildings and, unsurprisingly, became a target for the newest bunch of empire builders - the Byzantines, inheritors of the Eastern Emprire. (The overstretched Roman Empire of course had long since split into a Western and an Eastern Empire). Byzantium is a byword today for opulence and decorative excess - think of the Baroque but a millennium early. The Byzantines actively pursued this, determined to make Ravenna a world showpiece: the city with the best palaces, churches and civic buildings; patron to the greatest artists and sculptors.
Ravenna was by now in a prosperous part of the Adriatic too, with Venice an increasing power, and trade grew the wealth of the town. As ever, wealth brought envy, and Ravenna was sacked in the 16th century, and then absorbed into the Papal States (back under the aegis of Rome then).
The observant among you will have noticed that the Romans moved to the coast … but Ravenna isn’t actually on the coast of Emilia-Romagna?! Two millennia ago it was a sea town, but the Adriatic gradually receded, till today the city is marooned 11km inland, a canal linking the modern town to the sea. A very grim canal trip it is too through the industrial outsprawl of a modern Italian city.
Ravenna - city of mosaics
A fascinating history … but what of the present? There’s family fun nearby at the Mirabilandia theme park, but the real reason for visiting Ravenna is the mosaics and the churches. Although badly bombed during World War II and enthusiastically redeveloped by Mussolini prior to that (and thus having quite a modern feel) Ravenna retains the gems of its glorious past. The heart of town is the Piazza del Popolo, built by Venetians in the 15th century, and with lots of cafes and bars. Check out the Tomba di Dante, last resting place of Italy’s greatest poet. There is a Dante Museum too - one for Dante completists only we feel. Behind the Duomo you’ll find the Museo Arcivescovile in the Bishop’s Palace, with some mosaics. Fascinating too is the Neonian Baptistery, a Roman bath house before it was pressed into devotional use. The Basilica of Sant’Appollinare Nuovo (one of Ravenna’s octet of important early churches) has some superb mosaics. The most impressive collection, though, is in the Baslica of San Vitale. More mosaic on show at the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, and then on to the Museo Nazionale, with Byzantine glass and some early icons.
The main sights of Ravenna
- Fifth century church of Spirito Santo, once an Arian temple. Restored after WW2 bombing.
- St Francis Basilica. Dante Alighieri’s funeral here in 1321.
- Baroque church of Santa Maria Maggiore
- Basilica of Santa Maria in Porto
- Rocca Brancaleone built by Venetians in 1457, originally part of city wall, now a public park.
- Palace of Theoderic (a misnomer as it’s in fact an old church), but with mosaics from Theoderic’s real palace.
- Church of Santa Eufemia: important because of superb mosaics within.
- National Museum.
- The jewels of Ravenna’s churches are the eight early Christian monuments on the World Heritage List: the Neonian Baptistery (AD430), Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (AD430), Arian Baptistry (AD500), Archiepiscopal Chapel (AD500), Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo (AD500), Mausoleum of Theodoric (AD520), Basilica of San Vitale (AD548), Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare in Classe (AD549).
- Towns near to Ravenna, and thus worth adding to your itinerary include Marina Di Ravenna, Marina Romea, Russi, Cervia, Lugo, Forlì, Faenza, Cesenatico and Mordano.
March 31, 2007
A request from a friend to recommend what to see in a weekend in Florence. This is impossible of course - you could spend a month in the Uffizi galleries alone and still leave frustrated that you didn’t exhaust the Tintorettos but … here goes.
The Uffizi is the biggie of course, one of the most famous museums/galleries on planet art it was started for Florentine ruler Cosimo I de Medici in 1560. The ‘U’ shaped structure was the admin centre offices (’uffizi’) for the Medicis. Succeeding generations added to the family art collection, which was eventually bequeathed in perpetuity to the good folk of Florence on condition the collection never left town. The 19th century saw the shifting of many of the statues to the Bargello and other pieces to the Museo Archeologico. That left just the 45 rooms-worth. No kidding, we have whole rooms given over to Tintoretto, a room for Rembrandt, one for Veronese, another for Leonardo, another for Flemish and German painting, another for the Siena school of the 14th century. Botticelli gets five rooms.
Next the Bargello, a former prison and barracks and now the home to Italy’s biggest collection of Renaissance and Gothic sculpture. We have Donatello’s David, Benvenuto Cellini’s bust of Cosimo I, lots from assorted Della Robbias and some very nice pieces by the ubiquitous Michelangelo, including Pitto Tondo and Bacchus.
Are you keeping up? That wasn’t the sculpture of David of course. That’s at the other Florentine heavyweight, the Accademia (Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze. Here stands Michelangelo’s David - removed from its position outside where it became at risk from pollution and vandalism. As well as what is probably the most famous statue going, there are some other nice pieces by Michelangelo, a good focus on major Florentine artists from the 15th and 16th centuries - the likes of Sandro Botticelli, Paolo UccelloAndrea del Sarto and Domenico Ghirlandaio.
Some places to stay in central Florence, handy for the Accademia, Uffizi and Bargello.
Everyone always thinks hotels for Florence but an apartment can actually make more sense (affordable, room, kitchen etc). If you do want a hotel then try Hotel Palazzo Ognissanti is in downtown Florence, on corner of Borgo Ognissanto and via Maso Finiguerra. Handy, comfortable and not too expensive.
March 30, 2007
Modena, Emilia-Romagna
One of the main staging posts on the Via Emilia, the ancient road that stretches out over this part of northern Italy, and Modena jealously asserts its distinctiveness from neighbouring Bologna. Read the history and you see why. These were (sometimes) independent fiefdoms vying for influence and power back in the Middle Ages (though they’re MUCH older than that of course) and the rivalry persists to this day.
A brief history of Modena
Originally an Iron Age settlement, then settled by the Ligurian tribes and the Etruscans and Gauls. Besieged during Hannibal’s invasion of Italy in 218BC. A military base for Marcus Aemilius Lepidus around 177BC. Rebuilt, it became an important crossing point on the Via Aemilia and thence to Verona. In Roman times called Mutina, and besieged by Pompey in 78BC, then by Marc Antony in 44BC. Escaped sacking by Attila the Hun (hidden by a fog apparently provided, miraculously, by St Germanius, patron saint and bishop of the town). Sadly Germanius let Modena down in the seventh century, when a flood inundated the town; relocated to Cittanova to the north (the village is still there) but rebuilt in ninth century by Bishop Ludovicus. Passed to Matilda of Tuscany, then a free comune from 12th century.
Modena was the seat of the Dukes of Este after the family lost Ferrara to the Pope in 1598. The Estes built most of the major buildings of the city centre.
Modern Modena
Modena now is most famous for the motor industry. This is the home of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserarati and Se Tomaso, as well as a host of lesser-known (to the layman if not to Jeremy Clarkson) suppliers of technical stuff to the manufacturers of big, red, fast Italian cars.
Modena dubs itself ‘the spiritual capital’ of Emilia, another poke in the face for bigger Bologna. It has a thriving industrial base, with ceramics and knitwear big employers along with the car business. Modena also produces Italy’s best balsamic vinegar - there is of course a Balsamico Festival, held each May. Other claims to fame? The Cathedral is reckoned the best Romanesque building in Italy, and has a superb West facade; it’s protected by UNESCO. This is in a very fine medieval centre, a tight concentric ring of streets, with most of the historic sights unsurprisingly. At the very heart is the main square, the Piazza Grande.
There are some terrific sights to satisfy your cultural hunger. More mundanely, like anywhere in Emilia-Romagna, Modena is a great place to eat. Pork is big, try the ciccioli (pork scratchings/rinds). Zampone are pig’s trotters filled with minced meat, cotechino is pork mince inside a bladder. Anyone mention haggis?
Famous Modenese include Luciano Pavarotti, who frequently brings his now declining voice to town to flog a few arias into submission. And small boys who love football stickers will be pleased to know that Modena is the home of Panini!
Main sights in Modena
- Palazzo Communale/Communal Palace
- Torre della Ghirlandina
- Cathedral of Modena
- Church of S. Giovanni (and a number of other fine medieval churches and early modern churches
- Palazzo Ducale
- Museums Palace/Palazzo dei Musei containing the following museums: Museo d’Arte Medievale e Moderna e Etnologia, Estense Gallery and Library, Museum of Medieval and Modern Art, Risorgimento Museum and others.
- The motor museums for Ducati and Ferrari.
Some handy links
- The Comune of Modena (local council)
- A good selection of Emilia-Romagna hotels.
- Holiday villas and apartments in and around Modena.
March 29, 2007
Not on the usual tourist trail, and you may not be expecting to find anything of interest in the area around Modena (think furniture superstores and factories, interspersed with neglected farmsteads); the sort of sub-rural sprawl the Italians sadly do so well. However, if you can make a diversion for Carpi (region: Emilia-Romagna, province Modena (MO)) then do. Piaaza dei Martiri (square of the martyrs) is the town square and the largest in Emilia-Romagna. There is the 16th century Castello del Pio, with a splendid jumble of turrets and towers - look within and you’ll find the Museo al Deportato. The occuping German forces during the Second World War held prisoners at a camp in Fossoli, 6km north of here, before deporting them to the concentration camps. The camp huts are still standing in a field should you wish to visit, though are in a state of some dilapidation. Moving, and well worth a diversion from the usual tourist trail.
The red-brick Portico Lungo dates from the 16th century, and boasts some good clothes shops. There is the Teatro Comunale and the renaissance cathedral, which boasts some Baroque flourishes. You’ll find an hourly train service back to Modena.
You’ll find a good selection of holiday accommodation in and around Modena here, with Emilia-Romagna hotels here.
