OCTOBER 2011

VACANCES A' RAVELLO

10012011 Ravello is a town of name-droppers. The bigger the names and the louder they're dropped the better. It's practically a civic duty. In the Viale Richard Wagner (clang!) aside from the street sign itself, there are two plaques. One commemorates a film that was shot here in 1953, John Huston (ding!), Humphrey Bogart (dong!), Gina Lollobrigida (plink!), Peter Lorre (plonk!), Truman Capote (tinkle!) and Robert Capa (crash!) woz all here. Joining in, on the opposite side of the street, another plaque confirms the Dutch optical illusion artist MC Escher (boing!) woz also here. Celebrity validates Ravello. Didn't you know? Bogey, Loren, Sinatra – they all came here | The Indipendent
10022011 A painting of volcanic catastrophe which was almost destroyed in a Thames flood more than 80 years ago is going on display. British artist John Martin's vast 1821 painting The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum nearly met its own end while stored at the Tate when the River Thames flooded in 1928. The gallery has also replaced a destroyed section of the painting, where Martin depicted the volcano erupting, with a new piece of canvas showing their own experts' impression of the same scene. The reconstruction has been made possible by pioneering eye-tracking technology. The apocalypse restored | Daily Mail
10032011 What Pompeii presents is thus the ruin of a reconstruction of a ruin, an intellectual nonsense. Up the coast at Herculaneum is a contrast. Under the generosity of the Packard Institute, its smaller scale, tightly packed streets are emerging from beneath its urban surroundings in a vivid evocation of a seaside Roman town. Seen from above, a carpet of 21st-century replica roofs are enabling houses, courtyards, baths and shops to take on their old form, not like the gaping, degenerating shells of Pompeii. The ghosts of ancient Rome walk the streets of Herculaneum more vividly than they do Pompeii. If we'll restore a painting of Pompeii, why won't we restore Pompeii itself? | The Guardian
10042011 Just one of the questions flying around as I took two teenage grandsons – both keen on classical history – around the ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis. It turns out they know lots more than I do, regaling me with intrigues of Nero and Poppea and the naughty behaviour of innumerable gods. It’s a wonderful moment for a grandparent when you start to learn from your grandchildren. I can even pretend it all started when I bought them Greek Myths and Legends when they were small. Yes, I know Pompeii is in Italy… but it all connects. Joan Bakewell prepares to solve the world's problems | Telegraph
10052011 I wandered through the large orchard and gardens of the villa, ending at a bluff with a spectacular view of Procida's concave coast as well as Capri and the Amalfi Peninsula 20 miles away. The garden's fruit trees, immature vegetable plants and vines undoubtedly supplied the restaurant in season, but it was too early for most to be ripe. After the tour of the villa, I started to explore, walking east along cliffs hundreds of feet above the sea. Soon, I was looking down on Corricella, a minute fishing port guarded by a fort on the citadel of Terra Murata high above. Procida, Where Il Postino Delivered Mail to Pablo Neruda | Travel Tastes
10062011 Elena de Angelis decided to turn heads on her big day by adding the world record accessory to her ceremonial outfit. Some 600 people were required to carry the white silk garment as it stretched down the road behind the bride, who was marrying Ferdinand Pucci. The extraordinary design certainly caught the imagination of the residents of Casal di Principe in Naples, as large crowds gathered to get a glimpse of it. Designed by Gianni Molaro Campania, the veil was made from 3.7 miles of material and measures two metres in width. It has now entered the Guiness Book of World Records. Bride breaks world record on big day by wearing 1.8-mile veil | Metro UK
10072011 If you are dreaming of having a Catholic wedding, Positano has two beautiful churches. The chapel located in the hills overlooking the sea, is one of the most perfect churches on the Amalfi Coast, is ideal for small intimate weddings. While the Duomo, located in the very heart of the town, can accommodate larger wedding parties.The local Priest allow Protestant wedding to be celebrated in both these churches upon request. Alternatively there are many beautiful terraces where you could celebrate your wedding ceremony. If you are looking for an outdoor Civil wedding, then the town hall of Positano offers the most perfect terrace for an outdoor coastal wedding! Positano: The Jewel of the Amalfi Coast | Viva la sposa!
10082011 Add'o Riccio. Located high up in Anacapri, above the Blue Grotto, it was a happy hangout in the 1960s for people like Jackie Kennedy and other cognoscenti. Enter Tonino Cacace, who wanted, he says, "to create a restaurant that would interpret the traditional Mediterranean ambience of the '50s and '60s." Hence, the use of wood painted what Cacace calls "Mykonos blue" for the tables and chairs, the rustic roof and the mosaic tiles so emblematic of Capri. The decor of the kitchen and the dessert room, both visible to diners, gives them the sensation of entering a Neapolitan house of the 19th century, "where one's grandparents might have lived." Best Waterfront Makeover: Capri's Il Riccio | Town & Country
10092011 ‎"ONE of my passions is pasta al pomodoro pasta with a simple sauce of tomatoes, garlic and a little fresh basil," says Tony Percuoco (Tartufo, Brisbane), who hails from Naples. Prefer white wine? Tony suggests matching your next pomodoro to a Lachryma Christi, a celebrated Neapolitan wine. Top drops: Pairing food and wine | Herald Sun
10102011 I had something called picotage. I also had a facial with mud which, I discovered, is called “fango” in Italian. Fango? Can there be a more inelegant word? It didn’t help that, later, when I had my body treatment, my mud lady kept saying “Fango! Fango!” (which I kept hearing as “fandango!”). Much to my amazement, the mud was not bubbling in a pool but arrived via a giant tap in the wall. I had come to the island of Ischia for the mud. volcanic and healing mud, which, crucially, can be found only at a luxury hotel spa called Regina Isabella. My Italian fandango | The Sunday Times
10112011 The ash, which destroyed so many lives, perfectly preserved the two towns for 1700 years. While we often think of the ancient Romans as inhabiting a flawless world of white marble, Pompeii reveals a real town with many features we would recognize today. Political slogans are daubed on walls; “Vote for Lucius Popidius Sabinus!” There is also fruitier graffiti on toilet walls. A mural shows a riot that occurred around the cities amphitheater. The city has been a gold mine for archeologists and is a major tourist site. Unlike the other cities here you can still see some of the inhabitants. Dotted throughout the ruins are the ghostly, and in many cases ghastly, plaster casts of the dead whose bodies left hollows in the ash. Top 10 Lost Cities | Listverse
10122011 Harris said Pompeii was forgotten for 16 centuries — “no identifiable trace” — until the mid-18th century when a farmer digging a well struck the ruin. The volcano’s intense heat proved to be a great preservative. Archaeologists found the remains of 1,100 people. Eighty-one carbonized loaves of bread were found in the ruins of a single baker’s oven. A plaster copy of a carbonized original is on display in the show. Pompeii exhibit in NYC shines light on buried city | DailyTimes
10132011 Wherever Gilbert had her gelato epiphany, "we are happy we were cited in the book and especially that she liked our gelato," Pasquale Alongi, one of the brothers, modestly said as lemons were squeezed for San Crispino's "limone" gelato in the "laboratory" on Via Acaia. "When we make lemon flavor, we use only good Amalfi lemons," said Pasquale. "If we don't find them, we do not make the lemon flavor." 'Eat Pray Love' inspires multitudes....to find the perfect gelato | NYDailyNews.com
10142011 The Mediterranean diet originated from the Seven Countries Study in the 1950s. Ancell Keys, a nutritionist in Salerno near Naples. They suggest strong links between the Mediterranean diet and Christianity. Finally, presenting the Romans as “frugal farmers”, and the invading Vikings as gigantic and savage is no more than a poor caricature. Gladiators were certainly not frugal people. And to say that “Bread is symbolic of agriculture and human civilisation” is rather insulting to cultures that do not use bread as their staple source of carbohydrate. The Mediterranean diet: a cultural journey | The Lancet
10152011 John Frusciante is back. Obviously we are refferring to the second stay on the Amalfi Coast of the Red Hot Chili Peppers's legendary guitarist. This time Frusciante choose the Hotel Convento in Amalfi where he spent four days of total relax with his partner. Personaggi | Il Vescovado
10162011 Arturo Ianniello was born in Salerno in 1982. He approaches the world of art since his teenage years, despite not having attended istitutions of art or art schools in his higher studies. After high school, he enrolled at the Academy of Art in Naples, near the chair of professor Ciriaco Campus, where he continues his personal journey already undertaken before his enrollment in the Academy. He usually lives and work in Teggiano where he has his studio, except for some periods of the year in which he lives in Naples. The visible and invisible | musetouch
10172011 Emiliano Perino was born in New York in 1973; his parents returned the family to Italy when he was nine years old. Luca Vele was born in Rotondi, a small southern Italian village about 52 kilometers inland from Naples, in 1975. They met in 1990 at art school in Benevento, an important ancient town with pre-Roman ruins, and their artistic research has developed in parallel and together ever since. They are an unusual artistic pairing in that they do not have individual roles or specializations; instead, they share and discuss every idea at each step of their very peculiar way of making art. Perino & Vele are sculptors, but they do not sculpt or model a material. Their work begins with making the material itself—papier-mâché, made from old newspapers of different colors that they have learned to mix in combinations that create inventive shades. Recycling Information | Sculpture
10182011 Three floors of exhibition of 20 paintings and prints by the international artist Jose Ortega, a member of pictorial realism but also an opponent of the government of Franco. This is Casa Ortega, the museum in the village of San Giovanni a Piro Bosco: Ortega was curious about the craft and technique of papier had "stolen" in order to achieve the medium on which to paint, he shaped with raised areas to give shape thickness and colors. Ortega really loved this place so as to remain after years of exile until his death in 1990. Casa Ortega | Cilento Travel
10192011 Michael had a very interesting life indeed his donkey named Chooch, and a black station wagon that he prided himself in owning — and even transported to Italy during a family vacation so he could travel abroad in the comforts of those from his home in America. And it is this black station wagon that many in the area so fondly recall, and connect with the man from Italy that would bake bread and deliver it, from door to door. Born in the town of Sassinoro, Province of Benevento, Italy in 1919, Michael was soon to give birth to an American dream of his own. In 1952 the purchase of an oven was the entryway into his new venture of baking breads. Michael soon had the oven set up in his four-car garage, had it lined with bricks, and was making bread and rolls for his own family. By 1959 he expanded this service, and opened the doors to Mastracchio’s Bakery. Living the American Dream | The Daily Review
10202011 When blind sculptor Felice Tagliaferri was forbidden to touch one of Italy's most famous statues, he decided revenge was best served not just cold but stone cold. Tagliaferri, 41, spent much of two years creating his Carrara marble interpretation of "Cristo Velato," or "Veiled Christ," a 1753 masterpiece that he has neither seen nor could touch. The recreation was of Giuseppe Sanmartino's, 1753 exquisitely detailed marble sculpture of the body of Christ lying wrapped in a fine shroud is one of the prime tourist attractions in Naples. The result is shockingly realistic. He eagerly runs a visitor's hands over the eerily lifelike marble kneecaps, feet and spiky thorns. His Christ is more athletic than the original, the veil smooth instead of textured to convey a sense of transparency to the blind. "It's forbidden not to touch my work," Tagliaferri said. Blind Sculptor’s Masterpiece On Tour In Italy | Art Knowledge News
10212011 Azienda Agricola Montevetrano Colli di Salerno IGT 2004, Campania. Clearly deserving of its status as one of the finest wine estates in the world, Silvia Imparato is passionate not only about producing a stellar wine but sharing it with wine lovers around the world. A rich, vigorous and complex blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Aglianico. Decant for twenty-four hours before indulging. Wines You’d Be Crazy Not To Try | Tidings
10222011 Amalfi Coast is an area of extreme viticulture, where vintners fashion some of the most unique wines anywhere in the world from remarkable hillside plots that are often buffeted by high winds. The work is difficult, but the results are always notable and often spectacular; it is in this zone where Marisa Cuomo and her winemaker/husband Andrea Ferraioli are producing some of the most singular wines in all of Italy. The most complete wine made at the estate is a Furore Bianco named Fior’duva, a blend of Fenile, Ginestra and Ripoli. Ferraioli ferments part of the must in barrique and then ages the wine in similar barrels; the result is a superb white of deep concentration. There are the usual tropical and citrus flavors as well as notes of lemon custard, giving this wine a uniqueness among Amalfi whites. This is a white that is impressive upon release, but displays greater complexities over five to seven years. Cantine Marisa Cuomo – Top 100 | learningitalianwines
10232011 Found in the area of Caserta some 30 miles from Naples, Pallagrello is named after the round shape of its fruits (palla is “ball” in Italian) and is one of the few grape varieties in the world that delivers both a red and white wine. In the 18th century, King Ferdinando IV planted the grape in his famous Vigna del Ventaglio (a fan-shaped vineyard in which each row was dedicated to a different grape variety). After this brief appreciation by the royal family, the grape fell from the limelight to near obscurity. About 60 years ago, the grape was rediscovered and appreciated for its extraordinary features. White Pallagrello can withstand oak aging and boasts a wide variety of aromas. Red Pallagrello offers structure and longevity and can age for decades in the cellar. The white wine makes a perfect match to creamy mozzarella di bufala and the red version pairs with slow cooked meats. Touring the Amalfi Coast | Wine Enthusiast
10242011 In 1880 with the construction of access routes to the nearby Castellammare di Stabia, Agerola has become one of the most attractive towns of the province of Naples, both in terms of tourism to the economy for its various activities in their area. Rediscovering some peculiarities of Agerola, rich green, clean air, is at relaxing, but also of authentic contact with nature that is increasingly popular and more respected. This place is the ideal spot to admire, from its balconies natural beauties of the Amalfi Coast. Beautiful balconies: Castle Lauritano, Punta San Lazzaro, Punta Belvedere Park Corona, Paipo! Agriturismo Costiera Amalfitana | Nonno Tobia
10252011 A pizza I made while tucked away at a hostel in Agerola San Lazzaro, an Italian village in the mountains overlooking the Amalfi Coast. I was pretty desperate for pizza and wasn’t sure the local pizzerias understood me and my “senza” dietary requests. I didn’t want to risk strutto (pork lard) being in the ingredients, so I looked up a vegan pizza recipe and gave it a go in the hostel kitchen. The middle with all the toppings was yummy and included garlic, basil, tomatoes, rosemary and oregano. Pizza Memmmmreeeees! | Vegan Around the World
10262011 Gore Vidal's extraordinary scrapbook features snapshots of life with Jagger, Warhol and the Newmans. - Capri, at Mona Bismarck’s villa, built upon the ruins of a villa that once belonged to the emperor Augustus. Gore Vidal's scrapbook: a not very social life | The Telegraph
10272011 Ileana Sonnabend: An Italian Portrait celebrates her acumen for art and her connections to Italy. Co-organized by Antonio Homem, her adopted son and director of the Sonnabend Gallery in New York, it features more than 60 pieces that relate to Sonnabend or Italy. Candida Höfer happens to cover both. A favorite artist of Sonnabend’s who has long been associated with her gallery, Höfer is represented by the 2009 image Biblioteca dei Girolamini Napoli I, shown. Sonnabend’s Italian Connection | Robb Report
10282011 A young breed of Campanian winemakers have rescued the region from mediocrity. Here are six of the best: San Salvatore Paestum Fiano 2009 ($19.99); Marisa Cuomo Costa d’Amalfi Fiorduva 2008 ($62.99); Marisa Cuomo Furore Blanco 2009 ($22.99); Luigi Maffini Kratos 2010 ($21.99); Villa Matilde Falanghina 2010 ($14.99); Campi Flegrei Piedrosso 2008 ($17.99). Campanian Wines Come of Age | Bloomberg Businessweek
10292011 The starting point is the archaeological area of Vesuvius, the guardian of a unique testimony to the ancient wine-growing: the 'eruption of Vesuvius in 79.
C. Indeed sealed over the city and its inhabitants also the natural environment along with traces of a unique culture which was so important in ancient history. replanting the vineyards and the exploitation of ancient Pompeii are now a model for scientists worldwide. The Campania Felix of the ancients was well known for its wines: the classical authors mention in particular Falerno, the Pompeian, the Coast o. Viticulture bell has persisted over the centuries – Santa Lancerio, for example, in 1536 lists fourteen high quality wines much loved by Paul III Farnese, which was "bottles" – and still today the region produces very fine wines. Travelling in a culture of wine | DaringToDo.com
10302011 Excelsior Vittoria, Sorrento Situated in the centre of Sorrento, the Excelsior is ideally located for the town, yet maintains a peaceful atmosphere. This is due to its location: perched on a 300ft cliff, it offers a show-stopping view of the Bay of Naples. The hotel has been owned by the same family since 1834 and comes with a rich history – there are pre-Roman tombs by the entrance and the ruins of a Roman pool in the grounds. Thanks to its luxurious sophistication, the Excelsior has counted Sophia Loren, Pavarotti and British royalty among its guests. Where to stay in the Bay of Naples | MoneyWeek
10312011 The property market is buoyant; prices more than doubled in the region as a whole between 1998 and 2003 and in some areas rose by more than 70 per cent. Property on the islands in the archipelago of Capri, Ischia and Procida is prohibitively expensive and little is available. On the Amalfi coast, prices start at Euro 2,000 per sq meters, while inland prices fall dramatically to as little as Euro 600 per sq meters In stark contrast to the immaculately painted villas and palazzi in the wealthier resort areas, there are numerous half-abandoned villages in the interior which offer exciting investment opportunities. The ever-growing popularity of the region continues to provide excellent opportunities for rental income. Why choose Campania? | RealPoint Property