MARCH 2014

KEEPING TRADITION ALIVE

03012014 Enzo Coccia explored all aspects of pizza making and focused on the region's spectacular local ingredients, and his dough - which is made with minimal yeast, well aerated thanks to energetic kneading, and subjected to a lengthy rising at room temperature - results in a crust that is flavorful, perfectly chewy, and highly digestible. The Best Pies From Naples, The Birthplace Of Pizza | Epicurious

03022014 From Modena to Naples, from snow to sun. Unpredictable encounters at Crudorè Restaurant, via Caracciolo. Glimpses of life in the area 30 | Photogeisha

03032014 In a handmade suit, every stitch can be calculated to give the wearer comfort, flexibility and freedom of movement. And in Neapolitan tailoring – not a monolithic standard, but a style typically associated with Naples – clothing is expected to be relaxed, because in this coastal Mediterranean setting, gentlemen came to favor soft tailoring and lightness. Art + Craft: Inside Kiton, The Pride of Naples | 

03042014 His work - crafting Neapolitan-style suits in Tokyo and elsewhere in Asia - is so highly regarded by Japan's fashion elite that he's able to charge as much or more than the top Neapolitan tailors who regularly visit Tokyo (more than $4,500 for just a sports jacket). "My dream all along," he tells me, "was to go to Naples and learn from the people who invented this style." Bespoke Italian Tailoring From Japan | Wall Street Journal

03052014 The Excelsior is an old-fashioned Italian hotel, as are most of the top hotels in this city. There’s a bit of Proustian nostalgia in the formal public spaces—they’re awaiting an audience that is gone forever. The rooms are high-ceilinged, but otherwise way down the luxury ladder. The clientele is mostly corporate. But the hotel is right on the Lungomare, the boulevard along the Bay of Naples, an instance of Conrad Hilton’s first commandment, “location, location, and location.” Naples: The Hotel Terrace with the Best View of Vesuvius | Forbes

03062014 A few paces from the Neapolitan waterfront an welcoming family atmosphere, haunt of vip’s anf gourmets. The top of “made in Naples” for fresh and traditional tastes. Dora, eating with the sea in your veins | Charme Napoli

03072014 In my hometown (Naples), the people are extraordinarily theatrical. Orson Welles himself, on seeing Neapolitan actor Eduardo De Filippo said that he was the greatest actor in the world. Tony Servillo is also from Naples, like I am. He is an actor I can ask anything of, because he is capable of doing absolutely everything. And the Winner Is: 'The Great Beauty' for Best Foreign Language Film | Indiewire

03082014 J.K. Place Capri is one of surprisingly few hotels on the island of Capri to be able to boast a true sea-edge location. The hotel is just steps away from the port of Marina Grande and Capri’s largest beach. JK Place Capri, Italy | TravelModus

03092014 Julia Roberts wore Pomellato Capri Ring in 18K Rose Gold and chrysoprase to the premiere of <August: Osage County>.  Julia Roberts in Pomellato Capri Ring | mylifestylenews

03102014 Casa Malaparte played a significant role in Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film Contempt (Le Mepris) when a tumultuous relationship between Brigette Bardot and Michel Piccoli comes to a head on the terrace overlooking the craggy rocks below. The tapering stairs built into the design of the house are used to dramatic effect as is the swirling white painted concrete wall that resembles a sail atop this striking architectural masterpiece. Bardot famously sunbathes topless in the film and wanders aimlessly in another scene as she contemplates her torn feelings between her husband and Jack Palance. Casa Malaparte | The Gilded Owl

03112014 We got a little lost - but what’s lost when you’ve got no where to go? We found a hilltop winery, an abandon church, and some homes we’d have no problem retiring in. Procida is probably the most tranquil place I’ve visited in Italy (or anywhere?), I get a sense of calm just looking back on the pictures. My conclusion? If you’ve got the change – go! Procida | coriamendt

03122014 Local vino bianco before lunch at Ristorante La Conchiglia, Procida. Viaggio in Italia | Inspiraculum

03132014 The opportunity to see some of the nicest mediaeval villages of the area, where the traditional way of life is still evident in homemade pasta. The town of Laurino, an ancient Cilentan village, is situated at the heart of the National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano, in a panoramic location on the high valley of the Calore River. An ancient Cilentan village: Laurino | Undiscovered Campania 

03142014 When we walked in, we found a tray of scrumptious Italian pastries (yes, I know, that's redundant). As we sat out on our terrace overlooking the view of the famous Faraglioni rocks and the impossibly blue Tyrrhenian Sea, a gecko native to the island joined us for a bite, and we took it as a harbinger of an amazing few days ahead. Love Letter: Hotel Punta Tragara, Capri | Fathom - Way to Go

03152014 While in the gardens, be sure to find the Capri Sundial. The sundial was inspired by the Horologium, built by Augustus in 10 BC in Ancient Rome. The position of the sun on the sun dial measure the passing of time determined by the ancient rules. A Day at the Augustus Gardens and Carthusian Monastery of Capri | Jdomb's Travels

03162014 Which Italian beauty has starred in dozens of cinema blockbusters in a film career spanning more than 70 years? The answer? The quaint Mediterranean island of Procida, in the Bay of Naples. Beautiful and quiet Bay of Naples is like a slice of movie magic | Birmingham Post

03172014 Procida is one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast to Naples in Southern Italy. The Island is located between Cape Miseno and the Island of Ischia. Completely off the mass-tourist radar, take a chance to visit also in September, this blend of lemon groves, weathered fishermen and pastel-hued houses is memorably picturesque. Best 5 small islands off the Italian Coast | Swide

03182014 The stunning frescoes of the Villa of the Mysteries include one room with a painted frieze widely considered to depict an initiation rite into the cult of Dionysus, the god of wine. Beneath the surface of Pompeii's most famous house | Archaeology Magazine

03192014 Mastroberardino is the only winery that has been planting experimental vineyards using ancient traditions in several locations within Pompeii. The resulting grapes have been used in several of their bottlings. But it is not the same wine that the ancient Romans drank, which was nasty and had to be flavored with honey and other additions to make it drinkable. Thankfully, Masrtoberardino remains committed to using contemporary winemaking techniques. Mastroberardino Masters the Ancient Wines of Pompeii | Italian Talks

03202014 Success of the grape harvest in the Pompeii excavations with some quintals of crop which will produce the "Villa of the Mysteries" fine wine: hundreds of site visitors were able to attend, last October, the traditional cutting of grapes in the "experimental" vineyards which this year for the first time also produce Aglianico quality grapes, much loved by the inhabitants of Pompeii. The grape harvest 2013 in the ruins of Pompeii | Made In Pompei

03212014 The next morning, a driver came to collect us for a horseback ride up Mount Vesuvius. “Ojo!” and “Hallo!” and “Keeeck!” (“Kick,” I think) — we clopped up the cobbled streets toward the looming green shoulders of Mount Vesuvius, as our guide waved and greeted neighbors lavishly. That’s Amore: Naples and Pompeii | Mountain Solitaire

03222014 The first ancient ruin you come across is the enormous amphitheater, which is the oldest surviving Roman amphitheater, a century younger than the Colosseum in Rome, and the first known to be built of stone as they were previously built from wood. Pompeii | xkerryw 

03232014 In 2008, a further advance was made through multi-spectral imaging. The new technology takes 16 different images of each fragment at different light levels and then creates a composite image. With this technique Dirk Obbink [a lecturer in Papyrology at Oxford University] is seeking not only to clarify the older infrared images but also to look again fragments that previously defied all attempts to read them. Unlocking the scrolls of Herculaneum | BBC News Magazine

03242014 There are records of what Pompeii was like -- it had the second-largest coliseum, it was the top gladiator venue after Rome. It was a golden city, Las Vegas-meets-Beverly Hills-by-the-sea. Pompeii inspires plenty of filmmakers | Newsday

03252014 We stopped in Torre del Greco. Famous in its day for the production of cameo jewelry, this town whose name literally means “Tower of the Greek” houses but a few establishments that still practice this ancient craft. Linda told us that until recently, cameos were handed down from mothers to daughters to granddaughters, and so on. Like so many traditions of old, this one is, alas, dying out. Good climbing, and good cheer, on Vesuvius | Books to the Ceiling

03262014 Fig tree in the Garden of Minerva, Salerno. Vietri sul Mare & the Bay of Salerno | Live Cheap & Make Art

03272014 This is a color story. ...which is basically how I experienced the Amalfi Coast. It's a land of blues and greens, providing the perfect backdrop for the citrus groves that dot its hillsides. Triple lemon baba cake and the Amalfi Coast | Desserts for Breakfast

03282014 Off the small port of Sorrento there is the rock of Vervece. An islet of rare beauty and part of the Marine Protected Area of Punta Campanella in the area "A", that enjoys maximum protection. His backdrops descend over 50 meters, populated by many marine species: Groupers, Scorpion Fish, octopus, whole herds of white bream, red sea fans, red Castagnole, Thrushes, Damsels and Serranidae. Flowering bushes of white hydroids swaying in the surf, stand all the way around the many Parazoanthus axinellae yellow-orange. Ability to see urchins very similar to tropical ones. Rock of Vervece | Enjoy the Coast 

03292014 Over the past decades, and still today, restaurant Umberto offers the classics of Naples gastronomy, which include a range of dishes – spaghetti with clams, eggplant parmigiana, salted codfish and, of course, pizzas – simple, but rich in flavour. The atmosphere is homely and cosy, and together with the traditional menu, makes Umberto one of the most authentic restaurants in town. Insider Guide to Napoli’s 10 Stunning Cultural Restaurants | The Culture Trip

03302014 The Wimbledon champion heads the four-man lineup announced Tuesday for the April 4-6 matches on clay in Naples. The sixth-ranked Murray says Italy has "some very good clay court players with a passionate crowd behind them." Murray leads British team for Davis Cup vs. Italy | The Southern Illinoisan

03312014 With its rich history, thriving contemporary-art scene and slightly dangerous reputation, Naples has emerged as a hot city for sophisticates in search of a thrill. The New Naples | W magazine