JUNE 2011

SEVEN TITIAN PORTRAITS

06012011 The Museo di Capodimonte is filled with masterpieces. An enormous room hung with Farnese family portraits soon greets visitors. It is somehow shocking to come upon so many pictures of such high artistry, which reveal so much about the variety and vagaries of human character. Among the seven Farnese portraits by Titian on view (seven Titian portraits in one room!), the most haunting may be that of a white-bearded. Beguiling beauty | The Economist
06022011 An experienced thief, played by Totò, is attempting to teach the art of safe-breaking to some young acolytes. “This was the first Totò film to reach the United States ,” Terrence Malick tells us. “I am a big fan of Totò – his face irradiates a special love, gladness, and happiness, just like Roberto Benigni. Benigni is the true heir of artists like Totò and Charlie Chaplin.” Terrence Malick Interview - Rome Film Festival | LAvideofilmmaker
06032011 A tiger paces furiously around its cage: the video installation Untitled (2010) which opened Giulia Piscitelli’s exhibition suggests a self-portrait of the artist as an alienated animal. Shot in the Naples Zoo, a place Piscitelli regularly visits, the video returns to themes from her earlier work: the Italian artist has pictured herself wearing a tiger mask in Tigre in Italsider (Tiger in Italsider) and Tigre in Gaiola (Tiger in Gaiola, both 2002). Giulia Piscitelli | Frieze
06042011 The study at the University of Naples, Italy, compared the effect of donkey milk compared to cow's milk in diet and health. In experiments, they found that the cow's milk and donkey milk provided the same amount of energy but that the latter caused more weight gain as it raised metabolism. The study, which was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, concluded that its "consumption should be encouraged". Asses' milk helps you lose weight, research finds | The Telegraph
06052011 L'Operetta's pride and joy are its Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN). These pizzas are chewier and more succulent, having been baked in an extremely hot 485°C wood-fire oven for no more than 90 seconds. This allows the mozzarella cheese to melt but not become stringy. This quick burst in the oven also renders the tomato sauce - made with San Marzano tomatoes - still slightly raw and with a sharp tang. Some may not like this acidity, but I sure did. Italian food and Japanese sensibilities mingle in great harmony at L'Operetta | TODAYonline
06062011 I have become a diehard fan of the tasty and slightly piquant Campanian oil made from the racioppella, ortice and ortolana varieties, but no matter where your taste buds lie, the pressing process itself is a rite of passage that needs to be seen to better appreciate this quintessential element of Italian cuisine. Yesterday I followed my friend and olive-grower Pasquale to a small press outside S. Agata dei Goti to witness the process first-hand. Pressing Matters. | Savour the Sannio
06072011 Last week a friend and I cruised the short distance (about 45 min from Support Site) to visit the display room at the house of the "Angri mosaic table guy" as he's know around here. Angri, by the way, is not their demeanor but instead the town near Vesuvius where they live - and our destination. We later realized the showroom abuts their house; we entered through their eat-in kitchen which, as expected, had gorgeous mosaic-accented floors. Work and home are blurred when it's a family business like this. The "Angri" Guy | Living in the Boot
06082011 The Alinaris show this happening. Dolce Far Niente, taken in Naples, shows grimy street urchins lazing in a heap on the pavement under a harsh sun. They are slit-eyed and lazily menacing, like cats. Six years later, girls in aprons sit at a conveyor belt in a tobacco factory. Street scenes heaving with automobiles and watermelon vendors, crockery and rags, begin to replace the classic statuary. Purposeful activity is taking over. When millions of machines roared | New Statesman
06092011 This ancient grape is Italian – you pronounce it falangeena, with a hard “g” – it is delicious and it has the potential to become your default cheapie warm-weather setting, the bottle of white you will want in your fridge to drink all summer long. Falanghina is light enough for lunch, fresh enough to drink in the garden and tangy enough to sip with food. It tastes good with tomato-heavy Neapolitan dishes. Falanghina, wine review | The Telegraph
06102011 Exclusive! Kinky sex at Caesar's swimming pool! (31 AD) Lazy, no-show emperor Tiberius found in naked sex-romp with underage boys at his lewd and lacivious luxury getaway in Capri! "I like to swim underneath them and grab their junk," perverted Caesar tells an unnamed "member" of his legion. "He'll never survive this," said one Senator. "It's better for him to resign right now." Exclusive Bulletins From the Archives of TMZ! | Huffington Post
06112011 In the shadow of the ancient Greek ruins of Paestum is a buffalo ranch. The popular draw at Tenuta Vannulo is the lusciously creamy mozzarella di bufala. Vannulo is the southern-most stop along the mozzarella trail, and one of the finest producers in the DOP-designated mozzarella di bufala industry. A hedge-lined lane leads to the tidy but sprawling farm, which became certified organic in 1996. Lazy water buffaloes lounge in the fertile flatlands, content to wallow in the mud and make eyes at visitors in exchange for their prized milk. Divine Mozzarella | Italy Panorama
06122011 The Greek settlement of Paestum holds some of the best-preserved temples from Magna Graecia, the Greek colony that occupied much of southern Italy. Paestum was constructed for Poseidon, god of the sea, in the 6th century B.C. Adorned in a sea foam dress for my birthday, I am appropriately clad for my date with Poseidon today. The site itself contains three impressive temples and even an ancient public swimming pool. If only it were full so I could escape the blistering heat radiating off of my red head. A Brush With Time Travel | positiveworldtravel.com
06132011 "There are drugs and orgies." The second series is called Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena. The drama follows the bloody history of the House of Batiatus in the city of Capua before the arrival of iconic slave leader Spartacus. New series of Spartacus ramps up the romps | The Sun
06142011 One of my favorite dishes from Campania is saute di vongole (sauteed clams). It is served as an antipasto and it's out of this world. They make it very simply, the clams are just steamed in wine, olive oil and garlic then served with bread on the side to soak up the delicious juice. I remember sitting in the outdoor area of a particular Aversa restaurant on several occasions enjoying the vongole before my pasta came. Bella Napoli, How I Miss You! | Thyme For Food
06152011 Positano is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. And yes, it's expensive kids, you're paying for that view! The bougainvillea-lined streets are serene and perfect for post-dinner walks. Also, what I love: You don't see many tourists sporting fanny packs and Teva sandals, thank you very much. People DRESS UP at night. The women don their best dresses, great jewelry, sandals or heels (yes, heels!) and men wear "Summer blazers" and even (gasp) tucked-in pressed dress shirts (who knew!). Caprese Salads, Bruschetta and Limoncello in Positano...and almost DROWNING in Capri!! | Nick Verreos
06162011 Giuliana DePandi married Bill Rancic… their wedding was held on September 1, 2007 at the Church of Santa Sofia in Capri, Italy. Me DePandi walked down the aisle in a strapless two-piece Monique Lhiullier gown carrying a bouquet of white flowers. Celebrity Bride | Simon Rademan Fashion Design Studio
06172011 Most romantic moment? Sitting in an open air bar in Positano at midnight during a local festival. The beach had been transformed into a fairground for the children, there was a live band playing, all the locals were out in their best clothes! Then the most wonderful display of fireworks were let off in the middle of the sea, lighting the night sky… Real-Life Honeymoon | Wedding Ideas
06182011 Home Base #1: The Amalfi Coast, Italy. You Can't Leave Without... hiking the "Path of the Gods," a 2,800-year-old set of trails that overlooks the vertical village of Positano. The views as you wind your way down to the Tyrrhenian Sea will take your breath away. 5 Global Escapes Perfect for a Month-Long Sabbatical | InvestingAnswers.com
06192011 Leaving Positano to Capri. Have you seen water like this? Leaving Positano to Capri. Have you seen water like this? | TravelBlog
06202011 Russell Crowe seemed happy and carefree while jet skiing with billionaire buddy James Packer in Positano, Italy on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011. All this before controversy broke out as a result of a comment made by the Gladiator star regarding circumcision via Twitter. Russell Crowe jet skis in Italy | Accidental Sexiness
06212011 A winning bet: one and a half centuries after Ferdinand II of Bourbon’s initial project, the city of Naples now boasts the Bourbon Tunnel, just 150 meters from the central Piazza del Plebiscito. The project, called Borbonica Sotterranea and promoted by the cultural association of the same name, entailed building new tourism facilities promoting a historic section of the Naples underground. The Bourbon Tunnel, 530 meters through Naples’ history | CulturaItalia
06222011 The nine tons of historical excrement is among waste that has been found in the sewer system of the town of Herculaneum, which was buried by an eruption in AD79. Tons of excrement has been sifted through. The research has revealed a wealth of information about the types of food eaten by ordinary, lower-class, Romans, showing they feasted on sea urchins and dormice as well as fish, figs, olives and eggs. Romans' rich diet revealed after archaeologists sift through tons of 2,000-year-old excrement | Daily Mail
06232011 We also spent a day walking Spaccanapoli...the term given to some streets and thoroghfares, which combined, are said to draw a line right through the center of the city. Along this walk we enjoyed the vastness of large piazzas (Piazza Dante), the intimacy of small piazzas (Piazza Bellini), the smells of baking bread and pizza, the many shops selling intricate nativity scenes and the tastes of warm from the oven chocolate-dripping cornettos, sugared graffas and foamy cappucinos. Bellisimo!! Nana and Papa arrived, and Evan couldn't be more thrilled! | Cookie's Dolce Vita
06242011 The romantic in me is attracted to the idea that Paestum Rose by Eau d’Italie is inspired by the roses that grew in such profusion around the temples of Paestum, a city south of modern Naples, that Virgil referred to them as “the rose-gardens of twice-bearing Paestum.” These were the same roses that were sacred to Aphrodite on the island of Samos and that were showered upon guests during Nero’s decadent feasts. Perfume Review: Paestum Rose by Eau d'Italie | Bois de Jasmin
06252011 Paestum Rose is a contemporary scent that leans toward the origins of Italian perfume making. Betrand Duchaufour is the composer who gives his brilliant touch and aromatic attitude of Italy’s most memorable time in perfumery. Top Notes: davana, black and pink pepper, coriander grains. Middle Notes: Turkish rose, incense, osmanthus. Base Notes: myrrh, opoponax, papyrus, wenghe’. Eau de Italie Perfumes | Fragrance Belles-Lettres
06262011 The sculpted lions pictured above are just two of a numerous pride that inhabits Sessa's cathedral. Most of its members appear as vigilant guardians, or spring to attack man or beast, or subdue their prey by trampling it beneath their feet. The choice of the lion as a central motif was perhaps an obvious one: the animal is a symbol of Sessa Aurunca, whose patron saint, Leo IX, himself bears its name. Medieval Bestiary: Lion | Karenuccia
06272011 I’m not sure why, but there’s something about this photo that makes me think of Christmas. It could have been taken in Santa Fe, but in fact it was snapped on a sultry day late one September as we strolled around Calitri (province of Avellino in Campania). We saw chiles hanging off various proches, but this doorway made us stop and smile. A Calitri Memory | Panini Girl
06282011 There is even an International Sansevieria Society, with members from some 37 countries. While their name is distinctly Old World (from Count Pietro Antonio Sanseverino, an 18th-century patron of horticulture in Naples), sansevierias are not only thoroughly modern, they’re space age, having been named one of the best plants for cleansing indoor air of toxins in a NASA study — you might even see them tucked into a corner on a space station some day. Trouble-Free Gardening with Sansevierias | Garden Design
06292011 We haven't heard Matt Smith complain about all the men ogling his girlfriend Daisy Lowe's recent striptease in Esquire, but it looks like the model isn't quite so immune from the green eyed monster.... According to reports, the 21-year-old is paranoid her Time Lord boyfriend will sleep with groupies! They reunited for a trip to Capri this week, but the jealousy problem might be still lurking. Daisy paranoid about Matt groupies | Company
06302011 For years and years while heading down the coast by boat towards Capri I have always noticed this little church balanced on top of a triangular mountain peak way up high on the Sorrento peninsular. Today I climbed up to see the view from the church, it was well worth the climb! To get there you need to drive to a small town called Termini and then it's best to ask directions. Be prepared for lots of steps! Wednesday, January 12 | Figs & Lemons