JULY 2012

FORMER MONKS' CELL

                                                                                                                                                           

07012012 A cluster of buildings sit atop the cliffs of a small rocky island, connected to the much larger island of Ischia by a narrow causeway. It's a perfect natural defensive position – as was obvious to settlers from as early as 1400 BC. Nowadays visitors climb steps (or take the lift, deep in the bowels of the island) to wander around the ruins of the 15th century castle. Come the evening, most return to Ischia – but not all. For the lucky few, the Albergo Il Monastero hotel allows them to stay overnight in this extraordinary location. Hot spot: Castello Aragonese's Albergo Il Monastero | travelbite.co.uk
07022012 I have always found myself overcome by the irony of random displays. I especially love dolls and mannequins,  and the unintentional power these inanimate objects seem to have over me. For some reason, my beloved Naples forever feeds my gluttonous eyes and fascination with these  odd, sometimes unintentional exhibitions… Le bambole di Napoli (The Dolls of Naples): Part 2 | Slam The Local
07032012 On 25th April, Il Giorno della Liberazione (Liberation Day), the citizens of Naples were invited to celebrate the day and the new space by bringing kites to fly. My friends and I were astonished, never having seen a kite in Naples before; how many would there be? We had no need to worry; there were plenty of kites dancing in the cobalt sky and hundreds of families claiming the lungomare back from the cars. Meanwhile everyone has been invited to submit ideas for how best to enjoy and preserve one of the most spectacular coastal walks in the world. Sea Naples and Revive |  ItalianNotebook
07042012 The author designates himself “a traveling citizen,” adapting Walter Benjamin’s phrase, to distinguish himself from vast numbers of “tourists’’ visible and scurrying all around him in Italy. And, this makes way for his next striking observation concerning the spirit of the city. Naples, he tells us, was long a Greek colony, a City of Pagan devotions. From as far back at 1800 B.C, when the Mycenean traders establish themselves at Vivara, an island located between Ischia and Procida, and well into the fourth century B.C. when the Roman dominated, it remained in their hands. Taylor shows us how this spirit pervades it still. He observes that “…Naples was a civilization founded by Hellenes, and ‘Greekness’ has been, despite chances and changes, the living subterranean truth of the place.” It was named by them Parthenope, for the Siren who flung herself into the gulf and washed ashore after Odysseus rejected her. Hats Off to the City of Naples: An Underestimated Work of Art | California Literary Review
07052012 In this readable, entertaining information guide for tourists, Zaragoza takes readers from the heights of Mount Vesuvius to the ruins of Pompeii and beyond. Part atlas, part history lesson, part epicurean review, this comprehensive handbook to Naples is without peer. She knows that anyone who wishes to see “The Sanctuary of Mithras” in Capua needs to see a custodian off premises, where he or she will grab a key and beckon travelers to follow the route to the actual site. It’s tips like these that make this guide so special. Zaragoza starts off with a background history lesson before providing directions to the places she describes—some off-the-beaten-path destinations would be difficult if not impossible to find otherwise. The Espresso Break: Tours and Nooks of Naples, Italy and Beyond | Kirkus Reviews
07062012 Farnese Hercules (a.k.a. Weary Hercules) Roman marble copy after a bronze original, circa 320 BC. The Farnese Hercules is a copy of a lost masterpiece by the Greek sculptor Lysippos. Lysippos was a star of the Late Classical period of Greek art (so much so that Alexander the Great chose him to be his official portraitist) and this is the best-known copy of one of his most famous works. When the colossal statue was displayed at the Palazzo Farnese in Rome from 1545 to 1787, it was considered an essential stop for artists and travelers. So, the next time you're in Naples, go to the Archeological Museum and visit (or revisit) the Alexander Mosaic, the Farnese Hercules, the Farnese Bull and the Doryphoros ('spear bearer") inside. You tell me if you leave thinking about dust bunnies, or with the image of Hercules' fantastically muscled buttocks chiseled into your brain. The Steves Syndrome | The American
07072012 Ferdinando Scianna will disclose his enormous archive to help us build a road map through 25 works of art recounting a chronologically ordered story by images. His story will conclude with the pictures (15 shots) he took when he was staying in Capri; faces, portraits, home interiors and sea views. Irene Kung, a photography artist whose background is in painting, offer a vibrating representation of the mighty landscape and architecture of Capri. The formats are big. The colours are intense and saturated as to allow the power of nature and the power of the images flow in a dialogue. IV Edition of Capri Photography Festival | Fondazione Capri
07082012 There is a range of hotels and guest establishments where you can base yourself – ranging from five-star film celebrity pads to smaller, family-run hotels. It is at one of these, Hotel La Certosella, that I make my home for two nights. At La Certosella, there is a quiet, understated Italian elegance in the decoration of the large double room. With attractive ceramic tiles on the floor (a must in the heat of summer), effective air-conditioning and a top-notch bathroom, the hotel offers everything you could wish for. La Certosella is not like any mainland European chain hotel. It’s on a property which has been there for a century and a half and is more like a family villa, with a cool, well-cared-for garden and a pool deck offering a view of the western side of the island. Capri: Italy’s treasure island | Independent Online
07092012 Prepared by the European Centre for the Study of Normans (CESN), since its establishment, the Museum of Norman Civilization of Ariano Irpino plays - next to the fundamental conservative function – a broader mission and cultural nature. The museum, in fact, has established itself immediately as an effective means of active participation, promoting artistic and cultural development, and the spreading of knowledge. The entrance to the museum in the spring and summer, also allows for a scenic stroll within the city walls and towers of the castle, ending the tour with a stop on the high lookout. Museo della Civiltà Normanna | museincampania.it
07102012 From the South Italian city of Napoli, Carola was a much loved DJ on the Cocoon terrace over the last number of seasons in Ibiza and news of his move to a new, stand alone night, was greeted with surprise but quickly followed by anticipation of what is sure to be an underground Techno treat of pure quality. Fridays Techno Special : Marco Carola Presents Music On @Amnesia | Clubtickets
07102012 My street in Chiaia district of Naples has lots of character, especially now that August holidays are open and everything has reopened... the restoration and upholstery shops, the local cheese shop, wine shop and salumeria, churches at each end of the street, and many small monuments in between... will get out one afternoon and photograph the street... Spoiler alert: I'm thinking my next book will be about... | Blurb
07112012 In a quiet cathedral in Sorrento Italy, 5-year-old Harry Poitras drops to his knees in the pew, clasps his hands, and prays: “Please God, make there be something besides spaghetti and pizza on the menu.” European Travel: Taking the kids to Italy, just for fun | Toronto Star
07122012 One of the most sought after tourist destinations in the world is Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Nestled south of the bustling seaport of Naples, the tiny towns composing this scenic coastline offer some of Italy’s most breathtaking views. The Amalfi coast stretches from the Sorrento Peninsular almost as far as the port of Salerno. The town of Amalfi is in the middle and at the northern end is the scenic town of Positano, with its hundreds of houses, restaurants and hotels built into and on the mountainside. Compared to other tourist sites, the Amalfi Coast gives visitors a real taste of what life is like in Italy’s sun soaked south. 24 hours on the Amalfi Coast | FOX News
07132012 Iain Stewart sees the destruction wrought by Vesuvius in the Roman town of Herculaneum. The town destroyed by Vesuvius | BBC
07142012 The steep walk up a wide, well-maintained trail to the cone of Vesuvius takes 30 minutes, making it the briefest trek of the four volcanoes. Once at the top you can walk around half of the cone while peering directly inside — an experience that is simultaneously captivating (it’s impossible not think of the eruption that buried Pompeii) and forbidding (volcanologists predict Vesuvius will have a major eruption in the future). Hiking Italy, Volcano to Volcano | The New York Times
07152012 A recent study of the Early Bronze Age community of Afragola, buried under ash fall about 3,800 years ago, has given researchers a glimpse into both life on an Early Bronze Age village and how Bronze Age farmers lived and survived with an active volcano in the background. The Campanian plain is a large, flat area in southwestern Italy on the Gulf of Napoli, that contains the modern cities of Naples and Salerno, and the ancient buried cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. There were at least twenty Bronze Age villages buried in the Vesuvius' eruption of 3760 ± 70 BP. One of the most intensively studied to date is Afragola. Other Vesuvian Eruptions | About.com
07162012 The new TV spot that is titled "Immigrants" tells the tale of the 500's departure from the beautiful Amalfi coast and Sorrento in Italy with several cars jumping into the sea and driving under water all the way to New York City. At the same time, we're listening to the sounds of a popular Italian song called 'Torna a Surriento,'(Come Back to Sorrento) sung by international artist, Arianna and composed by Flavio Ibba. New Fiat 500 Ad: The Next Wave of Italian Immigrants Has Come to America | Carscoop
07172012 "Amalfi Blue, lost & found in the south of Italy," is a story of self discovery. Author Lisa Fantino lost her heart and soul along the magical Amalfi Coast and found herself along the way. It's a true story of love and lust, men and women, friendships and family, death and re-birth, set in some of the most beautiful locations in Europe. Toss in kidnapping, intrigue, hot salsa nights and sex and you've got passion, Italian style. Join Lisa as she shares what it takes to live la vita bella. Amalfi Blue Benvenuti | Wanderlust Women Travel
07182012 Located in Praiano, a fishing village between Amalfi and Positano, Villa Mida is a two story property just 1.3 km from the center of a fully equipped town. Its privileged position, high above the coastline, grants spectacular views. The trendy style of Villa Mida is felt in the mixing luxury fabrics and splashes of color with contemporary and sophisticated pieces. Villa Mida | Bravo Holiday Residences
07192012 We sunbathed and swam our way around the Amalfi Coastline from Agerola to Positano between the 14th and 18th June. Below you will find all our favourite Instagram photos, travel tips and places we visit during our trip to help you plan your next trip to the Amalfi Coast. Live Blogging from the Amalfi Coast | Four Jandals
07202012 The Amalfi Coast - the perfect place to unwind after exploring Italy's cities. Hostels in Amalfi Coast | Hostelworld.com
07212012 Our pizza making class shows kids, step-by-step, how to mix, knead and roll out the dough. A variety of pizzas are made using local seasonal ingredients, along with local antipasto and a dessert. Everyone enjoys the pizza together after the lesson. Kids will also learn a little history on where and how the first pizza was made in Naples. Chef Raffaele Esposito, a Neapolitan chef and baker, created a special pizza for the Queen Margherita. Using tomato, mozzarella, and basil, in the colors of the Italian flag – red, white & green, he named it Margherita. To date, the Pizza Margherita is Italy’s most popular. Kids Cooking Programs | Cooking Vacations
07222012 The Hotel Caruso, in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast, offers a breathtaking range of possibilities for our guests. Very spacious rooms, each room with its own unique style. The furniture reflects Neapolitan style and tradition and has been exclusively created for Hotel Caruso; some rooms also feature antique 18th and 19th-century pieces. The hotel has a panoramic heated pool. The fully equipped fitness centre provides everything you need to maintain your exercise routine away from home. At the Wellness Centre, guests enjoy superb treatments by Aromatherapie and Maria Galland. Hotel Caruso 5 stars luxury | italyTraveller
07232012 In the summer of 1962, at the invitation of writer Gore Vidal, Jackie Kennedy - the wife of JFK - took her children to Ravello for a three-week holiday on Italy's Amalfi Coast. Among her favourite activities was driving down to Conca dei Marini to waterski (this was a gift for paparazzi who followed her). One of the thousands of pictures of Jackie that filled the Italian papers that summer is on the wall of the bar of the Monastero Santa Rosa; it captures the First Lady effortlessly riding the waves with impressive style. Oh Amalfi: The return of Monastero Santa Rosa, Jackie Kennedy's Italian hideaway | Daily Mail
07242012 The name Villa Cimbrone comes from the rocky ridge on which it stands known as “cimbronium.” Englishman Ernest William Beckett, Lord Grimthorpe, purchased the property in 1904 after his grand tour –– a trip through Europe the sons of Englishmen of the time took to see the world and finish their education. Lord Grimthorpe sought to create a garden for the villa like no other. He consulted a French botanist for the choice of the trees and plants for the flowerbeds. According to recent studies, the English writer and gardener Vita Sackville-West may have helped plan the garden. She was a friend and admirer of the English garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, whose numerous books line the shelves of the villa’s private library. Jekyll represented the latest fashion for the English garden at the turn of the 19th century, especially with her herbaceous borders. Today the park-like garden covers what seemed acres. Thomas Mickey: An English garden on Italy’s Amalfi Coast | Chronicle-Express
07252012 It has an impressive list of former guests. Goethe, the Duke of Wellington and Shelley are among those who have graced La Cocumella with its presence. Even in 1825, when it opened as a hotel, the building was well-established. In fact it is the oldest building on the entire Sorrento peninsula, having been originally constructed as a Jesuit monastery in 1597. We were lucky enough to visit on the evening of a concert taking place in the cloister, the hotel's largest indoor space. The acoustic is excellent, allowing audience members to hear even the subtlest performances from a distance. La Cocumella has a reputation for its musical programme: as well as a series of early season concerts it also offers further events in September organised by a local impresario. Hot spot: Grand Hotel La Cocumella | travelbite.co.uk
07262012 Nocelle is one of the access points for the Sentiero degli Dei, or Path of the Gods, perhaps the most spectacular of the ancient footpaths that criss-cross the hills here. You could start the walk in Positano but you need to climb a lot of steps from Positano to get to Nocelle and the view is just as good from the bus. From Nocelle, the walk heads out into the pristine hillside and from here it's only about two hours until you finish in the village of Bomerano, rather than closer to four. Walkers enjoy gorgeous views of the coastline and its scalloped bays. Along the way, the terrain changes from lemon groves to scrubby hillsides to shady glens to terraced vineyards. Splendour by the sea | The Age
07272012 The non-stop presence of the green woodlands on each plateau, the wonderful views you can enjoy from the summits of Montevergine, Vallatrone, Toppola Grande and Ciesco Alto over the Gulf of Naples, the town of Avellino, and the Plain of Noli, enchant the tourist visiting Partenio. Discovering Partenio means reliving the emotions of a millenary history in symbiosis with Nature! In the Heart of Campania, A Trail between Nature and Man | Parks.it
07282012 Luckily for those of us who love Rosé, low demand means high supply at low prices, so it's often possible to get some of the best wines available at $15 or less. We had the opportunity to taste three great examples recently. The most delicate and easiest to drink was Terredora di Paolo's Rosæ­novae ($15), a delightful Italian wine from the Campania area. It's made from the free run juice of the Aglianico grape. This method provides the least amount of violence to the grape, and offers a light, fragrant drink ideal for a hot summer evening. Favorite Rosés for the Summer | Austin Chronicle
07292012 Sorrento coastline, the island of Capri and the Amalfi coast, which are Campania’s jewels, abound in the terrace cultivations of lemons which make the scenery even more colourful, and since the 19th century, there is proof of the tradition of offering the blend made out lemon known as limoncello to visitors and nobles that passed by the coast. In Capri, Sorrento and Amalfi, there are many legends and stories on the origin of this liqueur; some say the limoncello is as ancient as lemon cultivation itself. Others say that it was used by fishermen and farmers to fight off the cold of the morning. Some others say that the recipe was originated in a monastery. How about some limoncello? | Bit Community
07302012 Day 1: Coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice on the sunny Piazza San Domenico close to the apartment. Following Patrick through the back streets and marvelling at the extravagance of the Baroque churches. Eating vast quantities of gelato. A late afternoon climb up to San Martino to visit the museum and macabre charterhouse cloisters. Naples - a couple of weeks ago. |  sarahhickson
07312012 About 40,000 years ago, a huge volcanic eruption west of what is now Naples, Italy, showered ash over much of central and Eastern Europe. Some researchers have suggested that this super-eruption, combined with a sharp cold spell that hit the Northern Hemisphere at the same time, created a “volcanic winter” that did in the Neandertals. Humans Blamed for Neanderthal Extinction | Wired

JUNE 2012

PAINTING EN PLEIN AIR

06012012 I will always remember the Amalfi Coast as a place unlike no other I have ever seen. It’s a region of village steps and tiny walkways (350 steps down to the Sea in Praiano), of one long coastal road that winds in dangerous turns precariously above the Sea, and of daily seafood, stunning sunsets, and rich ancient legends. But the photos say so much more than I could in words… Italy’s Amalfi Coast: A Photojournal | Jennifer Lyn King
06022012 In the heart of Amalfi is a strange and wonderful world to explore, ready to enchant you with the spectacle of a prodigious nature. The Natural Reserve "Valle delle Ferriere", an example of exceptional beauty, the variety will astound you with its colors, its light effects, its vegetation, alternating zones typical of tropical countries with the most familiar of our Mediterranean. Ferriere Valley | cultural-hub.com
06032012 I Bagni della Regina Giovanna (it is so named after Queen Joan of Anjou who frequented here to take baths) consists of a beautiful rocky beach close to where you can still admire the ruins of an ancient Roman villa, utilised by Pollio Felice for his summer vacations during the 1st century AD. To reach this piece of jagged coastline that overlooks the sea, you need to walk a short and quite easy trial which departs from Capo di Sorrento. The beach is not suitable for children but compensates by offering a crystal clear sea which is impossible to resist. Location of the Villa | Villa Serena
06042012 This is an itinerary coast-to-coast, for trekking and hiking lovers, it’s possible to cover the distance by one day, anyway it’s also possible to take a bus for same ways. Crapolla is easy to reach from 'O Sole Mio Hotel, by a footpath; hidden in its own small bay, we find a little fishermen’s village, with same traditional fishing boats on the beach. The path to the beach is full of interesting nature, made by olive graves and oak chestnut, here the ruins of St. Peter’s Abbey remind us of the Apostle who landed here on his journey to Rome. The name Crapolla seems to derive from an anciet temple of Apollo, here we can also find the ruins of a little monastery. Crapolla | Hotel Ristorante 'O Sole Mio
06052012 Sorrento is only an hour's drive from Naples but feels a million miles away from its bustling streets. Overlooking the Bay of Naples this small town is famed for its lemons and its production of Limoncello, a lemon liqueur, traditionally served chilled as an after-dinner digestive. A stop at Sorrento's only surviving Limoncello producer Giardini di Cataldo turns out to be a delightful afternoon, tasting a whole range of lemon products. My favourite? The ultra-refreshing lemon ice cream. When life gives you lemons... | thisisbristol
06062012 We put ashore, history heads firmly on, to explore the Parco Archeologico at Baia. Our guide, quoting Seneca and Vitruvius, set about performing the impressive trick of breathing life into the 2,000-year-old ruins, palatial villas whose crumbled footings and scraps of mosaic extended across the fig-tangled terraces above the domes of the great bath houses. In satisfyingly fetid wafts, the past rose from this Roman-era playground and spa on the Bay of Naples – a place of legendary licentiousness where the likes of Pompey and Caligula had staged scandalous entertainments and Nero had his mother murdered. This was top-drawer history tourism, with no shortage of contemporary parallels: crowding Baia's bay were lavish mega-yachts, all laundered fortunes, thong-style swimwear and bling-laden security details, suggesting that little had changed among Italy's ruling class, even if today's lot appeared to prefer their palaces offshore. Cruises: Italy's bay of beauty | Telegraph
06072012 Armed with cane, water bottle and jaunty baseball cap, Silvio led us on a fascinating tour of this massive piece of Italian history. As we stepped carefully along deep chariot wheel tracks etched into the stone streets, we learned how the inhabitants of Pompeii ate, cooked, loved, and suffered. We saw their gorgeous murals, grinned at the clever “fast food joints” and chuckled when Silvio explained that men were only allowed to enter the red light district if their foot exceeded the length of a prominent “manly part” carved into stone at the entrance. The Tour Guide in Pompeii who Changed My Mind about Tour Guides | The Travel Belles
06082012 My favorite restaurant to indulge in a delicious local meal is . . . La Fontelina makes divine ravioli caprese. You need to try it everywhere on Capri, but theirs is the best. To stay in shape, my on-the-go fitness regime is . . . walking up and down the hills in Capri, whether to dinner at Le Grottelle or to the beach at La Fontelina. It’s better and more beautiful than a StairMaster. Where I Go: Michael Kors | Vanity Fair
06092012 Why spend a weekend or more in Capri? Because of its undeniable beauty. It’s a quiet place where lemon trees grow in streets; where cars are as useless as umbrellas, and just as rare; where perspectives and views change every few yards and the sea is the deepest blue; where a still white mist redesigns the horizon every few moments and the air is filled with the scent of jasmine, citrus and pine. Guide to Capri | ItalyTravelista
06102012 Amalfi Coast Road, Italy. We’d forgive you for smashing up your vintage convertible MG when distracted by the pastel villages, historic churches and pristine lapping coastline here. This is one of the prettiest routes we’ve ever encountered, and the coastal roads are crammed with enough hairpin bends to get your pacemaker screaming. “It’s absolutely beautiful, the scenery makes this road trip,” says David Light, motoring editor at Khaleej Times. “The best way to experience it is in the summer, in a drop-top sports car.” World's 10 ultimate drives | CNNGo
06112012 For the last decade or so, Salerno – thanks partly to a decisive, far-sighted local administration – has carved out a successful role for itself with tourism and culture. The most touristy part of the city starts at the recent Grand Hotel Salerno. With its strategic position (surrounded by large public car parks with reasonable tariffs), it provides an ideal starting point for the city’s seafront. The promenade extends westwards as far as the Santa Teresa beach, where work is underway to build the Crescent (a semi-circular residential complex), the new Piazza della Libertà and – most importantly – the Polo Marittimo (a Maritime Terminal with a design that recalls the undulations on an oyster) created by Zaha Hadid. Salerno and Some of the Cilento | Vogue
06122012 Located in one of the most beautiful areas of Italy, the artisan producer "Il Forno Antico" in San Mauro la Bruca offers excellent food and rooms where it is possible to spend the night . Not far away it is possible to relax on white idyllic beaches. We're not in the Caribbean, we're in Italy. Topic: Food at the beach | Veracious
06132012 Mount Gelbison is one of the most famous and popular shrines in southern Italy. It dates back to 1300, and people come from all over to pay respects to The Shrine of Novi Velia Holy Mary. At the top sits a historic sanctuary open only from the last Sunday in May to the second Sunday in October. Mount Gelbison sits 5,593 feet above mountains covered with many kinds of trees, including chestnut, wild elm, maple and pear. This place is higher than Zermatt, Switzerland, and on a clear day visitors can easily see the Gulf of Salerno. An Italian Itinerary from Venice to Naples and Beyond | Johnny Jet
06142012 You and your children can enjoy a relaxing walk in the Botanical Garden, a quiet  spot of verdant nature right in the chaotic centre of Naples. There you can admire the felceto and the palm grove;  typical plants of the Mediterranean area, like the citruses; officinal plants and plants that require special acclimatization, that is the immense representation of Ninfee in appropriate bathtubs and in a better exposed area, the so-called desert, the wide collection of fat plants. Inside the Garden there is the Museum of Paleobotanica, introducing a collection of fossils and objects made of vegetable material. The Botanical Garden | children itineraries
06152012 I didn’t want to go there. I wanted to climb up a volcano. That is, until I walked up to the second floor of the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, and saw what had been unearthed from the ruins of Pompeii. First there were mosaics, fashioned from the tiniest bits of colored tile into large, bright masterpieces from the first century. Most interesting were the sculptures: graceful bronze fauns, classic busts, winged beasts and a tiny bird, the same size—but much more beautiful—as one I’d sculpted in an amateur artistic fit a few days before. Suddenly, I had a connection—something in common with an artist from an ancient land, some 2,000 years ago. My self-pity was long gone, replaced by awe and genuine appreciation. Vesuvio: Annihilation/Preservation | ITALY Magazine
06162012 When we reach the driveway of Villa Ida, we are greeted by Roberta Cuomo, the first member of the Cuomo clan we meet. We follow her along a short path lined with grape vines and fragrant oranges and lemons. She invites us to drink Neapolitan coffee and plum cake around one of the large, round, painted ceramic tables in a manicured backyard that feels like a family room. The Cuomos, once a family of nobles, live in a private villa that houses 20 family members in an ocher-colored stucco enclave subdivided into eight apartments. We roll up our sleeves and take our places at individual cooking stations set up on both sides of a long table next to the outdoor kitchen. The menu includes a traditional four-course Neapolitan-style lunch using recipes that Angela and her mother, Ida, inherited. First, we make tomato sauce for a pasta dish that layers ziti from nearby Gragnano with baby eggplants and mozzarella cheese. The approach is hands-on, watching and doing. A Cooking Class At Villa Ida In Sorrento | The Huffington Post
06172012 Benevento is a dichotomy between displays of ancient history and an impressive collection of modern art. The Museo Arcos, the town’s Museum of Contemporary Art, is home to numerous modern works from artists worldwide. Considered a ‘live museum,’ it has a space for the display of more progressive works. Many of the works created in the Museo Arcos, such as the sculpture pictured above, are displayed in the streets of Benevento. Bene Benevento in the Heart of Campania | Luxury Italian Tours
06182012 Jennifer Deacon describes the Cilento Coast as similar to the Tuscan Coast or Amalfi Coast – 20 years ago. The area offers everything on your list: biking trails and beaches where you don't have to fight for a spot to plant your umbrella. “Medieval Pisciotta is perched high above the sea with a maze of pedestrian-only streets to navigate. The modern port below is a charming little strip of cafés and small businesses; there are beaches and a small marina. From here you can enjoy the nearly deserted but pristine beaches. … There is a great national park system with walking and biking trails, and guided excursions would be recommended for these days.” Deacon describes Il Cannito as “an absolute gem of a small, family-run property.” This is the place to relax, bike, hike or take a guided visit of the famed Greek temples near Paestum. The hotel's matriarch, “Mama,” also offers cooking classes in the kitchen. “From there, they can also arrange a private boat trip down the coast to the otherwise inaccessible beaches of Cilento, and swim in amazing private coves.” Can you recommend a mother-daughter trip to Europe? | The Globe and Mail
06192012 The sparkling sea and golden sand are the main richness of the beaches of this region, which every summer attracts many Italians and foreigners. There is also much to visit from the cultural and architectural point. In Nocera Inferiore you can also visit the Archaeological Museum of the Agro Nocerino and the Museo Provinciale. It is open from 9am to 1pm and from 5pm to 8pm, every day. Also to see is the memorial stone in Sapri. Located in Piazza Plebiscito it is a little monument to Roman times that it has become a real cult object. Summer Holidays in Campania Italy | Steps Across
06202012 Pierpaolo Maisto’s firm in Pontecagnano Faiano (Salerno, Italy), as many other firms situated in Piana del Sele, is specialized in different types of fresh-cut salads, first of all in wild rocket (they have been cultivating since 2006), but also in red and green Baby leaves, Baby spinach, oriental salads such as tatsoi, Mizuna, Red Chards, Bulls Blood, green and red Pak choi. Italy: Organic rocket and baby leaf from Piana del Sele Europewide | FreshPlaza
06212012 La Calanca is the principal beach of Marina di Camerota and it can be reached by a large rocky stair consenting a comfortable walk fot the tourists. This beach is made up of fine, white sand and low waters, so that it satisfies the needs of adults and children, expert swimmers and not swimmers, whom can enjoy the freshness of the water just by walking on the shore. It is therefore a favourite family beach. Marina di Camerota: the 'Pearl of Cilento' | VisitItaly
06222012 My favourite stop on the Napoli kayak tour was when we stopped at the Roman ruins which were visible above, and below, the sea surface. Snorkelling gear was again donned to explore these ancient structures. I only wish we had more time here as this was definitely the highlight. It was such a fun few hours and a totally different way to explore Napoli. We definitely recommend you to check out Kayak Napoli as they run adventure trips every day and it’s a great way to escape the Italian heat. Sea Kayak in Napoli | Four Jandals
06232012 Grassano was the original pizzaiola at Spacca Napoli, a third-generation pizzamaker from Naples, who, in the late winter of 2006, showed Chicagoans that pizza was not just a knife-and-fork-required affair. She showed us that great pizza is a study in contrasts, of blistered, bubbling, high-rising crispy edges and a chewy, slightly droopy center. She showed us that a real pie does not take 45 minutes. And yet, despite the adulation, as Grassano pulls a pizza peel across a wood-fired oven made of imported Italian ash and Vesuvio stone, she looks as though she’s slumping under some major, but invisible heft. Pizzeria da Nella Cucina Napoletana | Chicago Sun-Times
06242012 Within ten minutes we had two piping hot pizzas in front of us. To wash it down we shared a bottle of Nastro Azzurro beer. The pizzas were spectacular: hot, moist, beautiful. To make a perfect pizza is a difficult job, a pizzaiuolo needs great skills, good quality natural dough, high oven temperature (490C / 915 F), the right wood, a lot a lot of practise but also love, passion and pride. They have them all at the Trianon. One of the secrets of a Neapolitan pizza is the wood fired oven insulated by volcanic sand from Vesuvius. A Short Trip To Naples | Lemons and Olives
06252012 Capri is a lovely island in the Mediterranean located on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in Italy. After having been there, I now understand why Lomography decided to name their La Sardina Beach Editions after this amazing island. Basking at the Beach: Capri Diem | Lomography Italia
06262012 Those seeking the charms of Capri without the crowds will be delighted to discover Ischia. Just 20 miles west of Naples, this intimate island is one of Italy's best-kept secrets. Among its many treasures is Albergo San Montano, whose charming maritime theme suits its seafront surroundings. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, this stunning hotel seems to hang suspended between sea and sky, and will dazzle you with its breathtaking views of Naples, Mount Vesuvius and the Sorrento Peninsula. Albergo San Montano | Luxury Link
06272012 Everything in life is about location, location, location and nowhere does that apply more than at the seafront in Positano, Italy. Chez Black (Via del Brigantino, on the beach, Positano) is one of those beach favorites…..those who want to be seen and those who want to see…the sea….flock here to stare at the blue waters of the Amalfi Coast. Mangia Monday at Chez Black in Positano | Wanderlust Women Travel
06282012 In the locality of Starza della Regina in Somma Vesuviana in the province of Naples, thanks to a multidisciplinary research projects between the University of Tokyo and the Special Superintendency of Cultural Heritage of Naples and Pompeii, the excavation of the so-called Augustus Villa, a big Roman building, built during the imperial period and used until the V century A.C., was started. Today it is possible to visit a monumental area with columns and decorated walls with niches. It is a broad residential complex, probably used for the agricultural production. The building was buried by the Vesuvian eruption of 472 A.C. Many statues have been found, among which that of a woman with peplos, the fragmented statue of Dyonisus/Bacchus holding a baby leopard with an ivy crown. Villa di Augusto | InCampania
06292012 After closing in the nineties for renovations, Naples' Filangieri Museum, founded in 1888 to hold the personal collection of Gaetano Filangieri, has finally reopened to visitors. Prince Filangieri of Arianiello was a lawyer, scholar and philosopher with a great interest in ancient antiquities. His personal art collection includes not only fine art, but a vast array of weapons, china, miniatures and precious materials such as ivory, ancient glass, and coral. The Museo Filangieri Reopens in Napoli After Decades of Renovations | Italy Magazine
06302012 Some people claim that pizza was invented in Greece; others say it hails from southern France. A friend of mine who went to Yale swears it comes from New Haven. Sheesh! Have any of these people been to Naples? Anyway, who gets the credit for inventing pizza is a moot point when the answer to who makes the best pizza is obvious: Naples, Naples and more Naples. Fie on your Chicago deep-dish, your Roman pizza bianca and especially your mass-produced Domino’s and Pizza Hut. There is simply nothing like Neapolitan pizza made of hand-kneaded dough too fragile to toss, topped with fresh, authentic ingredients and baked fast on the surface of a bell-shaped, wood-burning oven. There’s No Place Like Naples for Pizza | The Constant Traveler

MAY 2012

PICNIC ON THE AMALFI COAST

05012012 I haven't been able to stop dreaming of long lazy days spent sunbathing on the Amalfi Coast... Picnic On The Amalfi Coast | coco+kelley
05022012 With summer temperatures and humidity soaring, I've been drinking mostly cool white wines for the past couple of weeks. Sadly, a surprising number have been neutral and boring or too heavy to refresh. But not this 2010 Vesevo Beneventano Falanghina "V" from Italy's Campania region, which is mouth-filling but also fresh and vivid. Its flavors are pure, crisp citrus and tangy minerals yet it has a lovely honeyed finish. Aromas of piney woods, white flowers and juicy pears tantalize. A Fresh Italian White | Zester
05032012 Taurasi is a hilltop village in Campania’s Irpinia region, high in the Apennine mountains. The red wine that grows here is made from Aglianico, and belongs to that category of full-bodied, austerely tannic reds at the most serious end of the Italian wine spectrum. Despite its ‘Barolo of the south’ tag, Taurasi is not one of the country’s better known wines. Its reputation among specialists has long been assured by Mastroberardino's spectacularly long-lived reserves, but for decades this historic winery was a flagship without a fleet. Wider recognition of Taurasi’s potential has only come more recently, with the increase in the number of producers and the upgrading of what used to be very uneven quality standards. Italy's 10 most exciting wine styles | decanter.com
05042012 Walking down Via Camerelle on Italy’s Capri island once, I saw a statuesque woman with wavy golden-brown hair and flawless bronze skin. She was looking through a shop window, perhaps contemplating whether she had room in her long, slender arms to carry one more shopping bag. She looked elegant and effortlessly put-together in her white shirt, white Capri pants (of course!), and dark, movie-star sunglasses. And since I love to make up stories in my head, I decided that she was either a jet-setting model, actress, or contessa, who keeps a lovely villa on Via Tragara, overlooking the dazzling Bay of Naples and those Faraglioni rocks. She and her dashing lover will rendezvous at the bar of Hotel Quisisana, where they’ll have a drink or two. With red-painted lips, she’ll sip her Quisi Royale – a purée of pesca (peach) and fragole (strawberry) with Laurent Perrier Champagne. Caprese Bites with Speck Ham on Sour Cream Biscuits | Tartine and Apron Strings
05052012 Instead of navigating overcrowded Pompeii, why not explore another intriguing ancient city—resting just five to 15 feet underwater. You’ll be snorkeling past eerily beautiful mosaic-floored villas at Italy’s Parco Archeologico Sommerso di Baia in no time. Thanks to bradyseism—the gradual raising or lowering of earth due to filling magma chambers—the neighborhood of Baia, 30 minutes west of Naples, now rests in about five to 15 feet of water. Guided tours for both snorkelers and divers cover eight underwater (and four terrestrial) sites like Villa Protiro and Portus Julius. Intricate black-and-white mosaic floors, loose statues, and frescoes mingle with sea stars and anemone shoals...for now. As recently as 1984, the sea floor raised six feet. Coolest underwater attractions | Yahoo! Travel
05062012 As the ferry nears and I disembark, I wonder how Hollywood could have found this isoletta so perfect off the coast of Naples. I mean, sneeze and you’ll miss Procida. It’s that small at only 3 kilometers long. The beaches are rocky, as are most along the Bay of Naples but take a walk through this island and explore Via San Rocco and its beautiful pink houses… afterall, this is where Matt Damon rode a scooter down its narrow byway in “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” As you pass by the sunflower yellow church of Madonna della Grazie, take some time to sit and watch the tiny fishing boats. Grab a spot along the wall and get in tune with the ebb and flow of life again. You won’t find garish souvenir shops on Procida and you just may find yourself again. It washes life in shades of pastels and offers the perfect spot for a romantic mezzogiorno. Off the Beaten Path to Procida | Wanderlust Women Travel
05072012 "I have this strange memory as a child – perhaps I was four or five – and I was opera-singing in the garden." It paid off. The Italian soprano has just made her Royal Opera House debut singing Mimi in its current production of La Bohème. She lives between London and Avellino, in southern Italy. This autumn she makes her New York Met debut as Leonora in David McVicar's Il Trovatore. Observations One to Watch: Carmen Giannattasio, Opera singer | The Independent
05082012 Renowned men’s tailored clothing company Cesare Attolini of Naples has opened its first store outside of Italy, on Madison Avenue at the corner of 67th Street in New York. Within the 2,500-square-foot space, clients can meet with the store’s tailor to select from nearly 1,000 swatches of fine English, Italian, and Scottish fabrics for bespoke suits, which take eight to 10 weeks to complete in Italy. Cesare Attolini Takes Manhattan | Salon Deauville
05092012 This fall, Whitewall’s photographer Rafael Y. Herman visited Kiton’s atelier in Naples, Italy. He captured some incredible moments, but I was wondering, since you grew up in the atelier, what do you think makes Kiton’s atelier in Naples unique? Antonio de Matteis (Kiton CEO): It’s unique because it is impossible to replace the atelier with 350 tailors in this world. They all work together, they work all by hand, and this for sure makes the Kiton atelier unique. And the place where they work, the atmosphere they create for the company, is very special. The only company in Napoli left today that can say they have 350 tailors is Kiton.  Atelier Visit: Kiton in Napoli, Italy | Whitewall Magazine
05102012 I love Ischia so much that I had planned a return trip for Mother's Day weekend again this year with my friend Kristen. My husband and son needed to experience "Heaven On Earth" too before we leave Italy. David and Mayer joined me last weekend in paradise. Negombo on the Island of Ischia is Heaven On Earth, {in my opinion}. Heaven On Earth | gibsonchop.com
05112012 As if the Amalfi coast weren’t paradise enough, there are flowers everywhere. Two of our favorite gardens are in Ravello: the Villa Rufolo and the Villa Cimbrone, both of which pair gorgeous flowers with spectacular views of the sea. 5 More Reasons We Love the Amalfi Coast (in Photos!) | Walks of Italy
05122012 Although we left Sunday, we did have a few hours to spend lounging on the beach and doing a little shopping. But, in all honesty I felt like a little kid again because I couldn’t wait to jump in the Mediterranean Ocean on the Positano Beaches! I have never felt so free and relaxed before. I could literally float effortlessly in the waters and swim out to as far as I wanted, all the while I had a view of the quaint Positano town hanging on to the cliffs towering above me. The Surreal World of Positano | Blonde and A Broad
05132012 I'm dreaming of summer and of Italy. Together. Maybe it's because my calendar keeps reminding me each time I check a date... or the painting of Positano in my hallway which keeps calling out to me? So I'm off to Positano (still dreaming) and you can come with me! Pastel Positano | Especially Beatiful
05142012 I'm not really the sort of person that has favourite words but the simple word 'boat' conjures up all sorts of lovely thoughts.I saw this floating in the sea on my way back to work after lunch at Fornillo beach. I like boats, don't you? A favourite word | Positano Daily Photo
05152012 Velia is the Italian (and Latin) name of the ancient town of Elea located on the territory of the comune of Ascea, Salerno, Campania. It is most widely known as the home of the philosophers Parmenides and Zeno of Elea and the Eleatic school. Velia | Heritage Key
05162012 The irony about Naples, a cornerstone of many Mediterranean itineraries, is that the approach via the Bay of Naples is actually more beautiful than the city itself. Indeed, most cruise travelers, upon debarking at the chaotic port, immediately head out of town to the area’s more notable attractions—the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and charming Sorrento. But Naples is worth a look, too. It was settled by ancient Greeks, but through the centuries, Italians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Germans, and Normans also lived here, and there’s definitely a frenetic, multicultural ambience. At the very least, you’ve got to try the pizza. Most Beautiful European Ports to Sail Into | Condè Nast Traveler
05172012 Carlo Luglio spins a colourful story about Enzo Gragnagniello, an Italian musician. In search for his musical roots, Enzo goes on a film journey to revisit the places and memories that shaped his sensitivity as an artist. Together with the character, the spectator discovers a variety of influences,  ranging from soul to Italian songs, that converge in his art to make a coherent whole. The character says, ‘the task if art is to remind us who we are’, and the focus of Luglio’s musical documentary is precisely on self-discovery. Roots | Krakow Film Festival
05182012 The start is more than promising: A helicopter shot presents an aerial view of Naples, zeroing in on a kitschy "royal carriage" transporting newlyweds to a wedding palace that wouldn't be out of place on the Jersey Shore. Inside, boisterous wedding parties are entertained by Enzo (Raffaele Ferrante), a former "Big Brother" contestant making a living by promoting his 15 minutes of fame. Having a celebrity in their midst makes the wedding guests go wild, including Luciano (Aniello Arena), the family cut-up who loves to perform. When the party is over and Luciano and his family head home to their apartments in a crumbling old building typical of Naples, there's a palpable disconnect between the phony glare of the marriage factory and the run-down darkness of their working-class digs. Reality | Variety
05192012 Enzo Coccia has an evangelical air as he discusses his spring pizza – piled with asparagus, buffalo mozzarella, sheep's cheese, lard and beans. "They may say I am a heretic, but I just want to experiment," says the controversial exponent of the Italian trend for what are being dubbed gourmet, or "ultra-pizzas". What makes Coccia different is that he has dared to open for business in the town where pizza was first popularised and where in 1889 a pizzaiolo named his new mozzarella, tomato and basil pizza – mimicking the white, red and green of the Italian flag – after Margherita of Savoy. Naples' staple got a further boost from the 1954 Italian comedy The Gold of Naples, where Sofia Loren plays a pizzaiola in the working-class district of Materdei. Five decades on, Starita, the local restaurant which kitted her out for the role, is still pulling in the crowds. "I am dead against these gourmet pizzas – a pizza restaurant must be quick and cheap and turn out at least 400 pizzas a night," said Antonio Starita, 70, whose grandfather opened the restaurant in 1901. "I have seen cream being used, and it doesn't get worse than that," he added, while pounding dough beneath the obligatory photos of the pope and former Napoli footballer Diego Maradona. Naples chefs take sides in the 'ultra pizza' wars | The Observer
05202012 Napoli won the Italian Cup final 2-0 on Sunday to shatter Juventus' hopes of a domestic double and ruin Alessandro del Piero's final game for the Old Lady. Second-half goals by Edinson Cavani and Marek Hamsik gave Napoli their first Italian Cup win since 1987 when Diego Maradona led the team in an unprecedented period of success for the club. After winning Serie A and going unbeaten through the season, Juventus were aiming for a first domestic double since 1995. "It's almost unthinkable to beat Juventus over 90 minutes when they hadn't lost all season. It was an achievement within an achievement," Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri said. After the celebrations die down, Napoli will turn their attentions to trying to keep hold of star players like Cavani, Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi, who have all been linked with big-money moves away from the club. Napoli upset Juve to win Italian Cup | CNN.com
05212012 To understand the man, sometimes you have to have met him as a boy. To understand the full scale of Chelsea’s achievement in winning the Champions League in such dramatic style on Saturday night, you had to be in the bowels of the Stadio San Paolo, Naples, late on the night of February 21. This team should have lost to Napoli, could have been defeated by Benfica and needed a miracle to get past Barcelona. We have seen his Chelsea move from being boys to adults; now, with this victory they have become old men, capping off glorious careers. In this case, fact is far stranger than fiction, and Chelsea’s history-makers must be saluted for making the impossible possible. From the despair of Naples to the joy of Munich | Irish Examiner
05222012 A project to drill deep into the heart of a supervolcano in southern Italy has finally received the green light, despite claims that the drilling would put the population of Naples at risk of small earthquakes or an explosion. Italian news agency ANSA quoted project coordinator Giuseppe De Natale of Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology as saying that the office of Naples mayor Luigi de Magistris had approved the drilling of a pilot hole 500 metres deep. The Campi Flegrei Deep Drilling Project was set up by an international collaboration of scientists to assess the risks posed by the Campi Flegrei caldera, a geological formation just a few kilometres to the west of Naples that formed over thousands of years following the collapse of several volcanoes. Researchers believe that if it erupted, Campi Flegrei could have global repercussions, potentially killing millions of people and having a major effect on the climate, but that such massive eruptions were extremely rare. Scientists to drill supervolcano | Stuff.co.nz
05232012 The narrow road with sandstone block retaining walls on each side, overgrown with gnarled roots, begins at a the little Piazza of the Two Gates, an unusual sight with with two narrow streets leading from two archways side by side. Just 300 or so feet from the Twin Gates down Via Catteneo was the splendid, ornate Villa of Giovanbattista della Porta (1535-1615). From the age of 15, he had studied "natural magic" and in 1558 he published a book on all sorts of dark arts which gained great notoriety across Europe but also brought strong accusations of witchcraft and his engaging in strange experiments, rituals and rites. The negative reports in Naples were quickly hushed up. "The Academy of the Secrets" is said to have been a members-only ritual chamber, and is believed to have been somewhere beneath the area of della Porta's villa. It was open only to those who had discovered the "natural secrets."  The "Academy of the Secrets" | Napoli Underground
05242012 Naples in southern Italy gives access to Pompeii and the island of Capri. Magical Med | The West Australian
05252012 This undated photo courtesy of Nanette Lepore shows designer Nanette Lepore, right, on a boat with her cousin, Lisa Lepore, as they travel from Naples to the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Fashion designers often live the jet-set life they love to mimic on their runways. They travel for business, they travel for pleasure. They are always looking for inspiration, and they take a lot of photographs. Fashion jetsetters can travel light -- and in style | The Daily News
05262012 Legend tells that the beach in Meta, in 1500, was the landing spot of the Saracen pirate Alì and where he was heroically confronted by the people of Meta. During this fight Alì is said to have died, and from the cry of liberation ‘Alì murì’ (Alì has died), derives its name Alimuri. What is certain is that every summer the wide beach is populated by hundreds of people who come from all over to find refreshment from the heat with a dip in the sea or under umbrellas. Alimuri Beach | Sorrento Coast
05272012 Capri Palace Hotel & Spa features 77 beautiful rooms, among them 11 suites unique in their special character to accommodate the most demanding traveler. Each of these richly decorated rooms, which include amazing artworks and different antiques, offer breathtaking views over the island and the gulf. One of the hotel’s greatest features is the “Warhol”. It’s a total 545 square feet suite with a pool, and decorated with oil paintings of Warhol’s famous artworks (including his unique “Campbell Soup”) realized by Italian artist Michele Costantini. Mediterranean, charming and Italian | Pure
05282012 Hotel Raito features rooms, outdoor pools, and a gourmet restaurant that all overlook the sea while the hotel gives visitors a feel of elegance, beachside chic, and dedicated service by the staff. For fun take a stroll down to Vietri sul Mare, a seaside village off the Amalfi Coast, get a massage at Expure Spa, enjoy lunch at II Golfo, and retire after a wonderful day with dinner at Hotel Raito. Experience one of Italy’s finest hotels on the Amalfi Coast at Hotel Raito. Hotel Raito – Vietri sul Mare | stupidDOPE.com
05292012 Enter Un Bateau pour Capri by Eau d’Italie Le Sirenuse - it’s a liquid celebration of those well-coiffed, perfectly put together women and the oh-so-chic parties of yesteryear—part snapshot, yes, but gloriously embellished by the imaginings of time. Certainly Un Bateau pour Capri contains a goodly amount of nostalgia with lyrical notes like peony, freesia, peach, jasmine, and musk. Un Bateau pour Capri | Sirenuseblog.com
05302012 One of my honeymoon destinations was the Amalfi Coast. This picture is taken from our hotel room terrace, looking on the Tirrenian Sea. The landscape is magnificent: the beauty of the nature is amplified by the uniqueness of the houses and hotels built in the rock along the coast. Summertime + awards | classiq
05312012 In spite of the troubles on the market, the first couple of Facebook have been enjoying a cruise around Italy's Amalfi Coast after spending two days exploring Rome on their honeymoon. He wore plane Adidas sandals and she traipsed alongside him in sneakers as the two boarded a Pershing 37 luxury vessel to view the coastline in all its glory. The couple rented the entire boat, which can fit up to 12 people and can travel up to 45mph, according to company Amalfi Sails. The company is known to specialize in custom tours, shuttling customers to the most beautiful and must-see sights of the jagged coastline and surrounding islands of Capri, Ischia, Procida, and Li Galli. Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg and new wife spring for luxury yacht ride around Italian coast on honeymoon | Daily Mail

APRIL 2012

GET MARRIED IN RAVELLO

04012012 Italy is top of so many of our travel bucket lists, so obviously we couldn’t resist sharing this sweet Ravello Destination wedding with you. It’s simple – just two people professing their love to each other in the sweetest way. The town of Ravello is made up of gardens, small cobble stone alleyways, birds singing, roosters crowing in the morning, church bells in the distant hills, beautiful cliff side gardens and breathtaking views of the Mediterranean. Amalfi Coast Wedding Film from Life Stage Films | Style Me Pretty
04022012 We've stayed at some of the best hotels in the world and in our opinion, Palazzo Sasso ranks as being in our top 3 favorite hotels.  Its' really hard to find ANY flaws.  My wife and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary at the hotel complete with a ceremony renewing our vows and a whirlwind "fashion shoot" by Gianni, an amazing local photagrapher that we hired for the ceremony. Ravello..the Beverly Hills of the Amalfi Coast. |  MyLALifestyle.com
04032012 Villa Rufolo is named after the family that built it, the Rufolo family. The architecture is a perfect fusion of Arabic, Sicilian and Norman design. One of the major aspects of the villa is the Torre Maggiore, a large tower of thirty meters that looms over the town and the sea. It was built to signify the wealth and prominence of the Rufolo family. The gardens of the villa are also notably one of the most beautiful in the world and are said to be the inspiration for Richard Wagner’s opera “Parsifal”. They are full of cypresses and exotic plants and flowers.  It is also home to the famous Ravello Festival, a series of concerts held in the villa as well as other sites around Ravello. Talented musicians and performers travel from around the world to perform for guests under a sky full of stars and a backdrop of jagged coastline. A Magical Place Called Villa Rufolo in Ravello | Italia Living
04042012 Our fabulous London-based Venetian architect, Alvise Orsini, has helped me select the most dreamy handcrafted silken chandeliers from Aqua Creations to illuminate both of my shops at Le Sirenuse. Aqua Creations is a small (and quite young) specialized company in Tel Aviv, producing innovative and highly unique lighting (along with some equally intriguing seating), ranging from incandescent organic globes (like our chosen “9 Palms” design, above) to fantastical ambient sea-creature-like shapes. Aqua Creations | Sirenuseblog.com
04052012 Formerly the property of opera director Fanco Zeffirelli, Villa Tre Ville is a unique villa that is available for rent. Nestled between the village of Positano and Hotel San Pietro, the property offers a spectacular view of the sea spread over four private deluxe villa buildings and plenty to keep entertained. If you’re looking for a nice place to relax for cocktails and other drinks, look no further than the Salone Bianco. Done in the Positano style, the Salone was designed by Renzo Mongiardino and includes white ceramics made by Scotto of Vietri sul Mare. Syrian mother-of-pearl furniture that once belonged to Zeffirelli decorates the Salone. Dine, Drink and Daydream at Villa Tre Ville | Haute Living Magazine
04062012 Procida is less well-known than Capri and other islands in the glorious Bay of Naples, chiefly favored by Italians, a scant 30-minute ferry ride from the mainland and barely a half square mile in size. On Easter weekend, though, the ferries are full because Procida’s Mysteries of the Dead Christ processional—begun in 1754 as a macabre march of flagellants—is one of the most colorful in Italy. Good Friday Festivities on Procida | The Constant Traveler
04072012 If Americas Cup Naples wasn’t already big enough, a number of events and free concerts have been planned for the Event Village and around the city during the week of America’s Cup. The festivities kick off with the inauguration of the Public Event Village at Villa Comunale on the morning of Saturday April, 7th with an inauguration and ribbon cutting ceremony and the passage of the Tricolor Arrows. That evening, Roy Paci e Aretuska will perform a live concert in the historic Cassa Armonica at Villa Comunale. The America’s Cup Naples Opening Ceremony will be held in Piazza del Plebiscito on the evening of Easter Sunday. Meanwhile, Jazz musicians Enrico Rava e Julian Oliver Mazzarello will perform live at the Cassa Armonica in Villa Comunale. Countdown to Americas Cup | Napoli Unplugged
04082012 Another view of Mt. Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples. Tour Day 5, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast | Peggy's Photos
04092012 Fortunately, looking for holiday reading my 16-year old had spotted Mary Beard's Pompeii (an award-winning book that became a TV series), which is rich in absorbing detail and this helped to whet young appetites and arouse curiosity. No youth hostel: we stayed at Sorrento, at the other end of bite-shaped Bay of Naples from the city itself, within sight of Vesuvius. Around the corner of the promontory is the lovely Amalfi coast, offshore the much-sung Isle of Capri, and the Emperor Augustus had a holiday villa in Sorrento, part of it in the grounds of our hotel , the sedately magnificent Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria. The Edwardians loved Sorrento and you can see why. The view across the bay to the volcano turned even a salty sailor like Horatio Nelson into a romantic - he wooed Emma Hamilton away from her husband, the British ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples. Pomp and splendour | Mail Online
04102012 They are the new faces of an old folk tradition, but they are also part of an unrivaled sideshow of music freaks. This is the new generation of new melodic singers from Naples: a boundless battalion of the youngest performers of the local melodic taste, trying to replicate Nino D'Angelo's fame which burst on to the scene in the 90's. Alessio, Raffaello, Rosario, Nancy and Fortuna grew up watching local Tv programmes, dreaming of being part of the dream factory that is show business. Naples. Neomelodici: the new music circus | Storee.se
04112012 In 1325 Charles, Duke of Calabria began construction on what is now one of the richest monuments in Naples, the monastery of San Martino. The extensive layout of the place, serenely ensconced just below the massive Castel Sant’Elmo, is nothing less than palatial, boasting two fine cloisters and a dazzling array of architectural and artistic wonders. Certosa di San Martino | DK Travel
04122012 "This collection for Macy's captures the essence of the Italian summer lifestyle and is at the same time true to my style,” said Alberta Ferretti. “I imagine a sensual woman that was joyfully elegant and unequivocally Italian. I am happy that Maria Carla’s unique style, Ellen Von Unwerth’s modern eye, and the fairy-tale atmosphere of Positano made my imagination become real. I'm glad I had the opportunity to give a solar, fresh and joyful Italian dream to the customers of Macy's and I believe that these items will become staple dresses in their wardrobe.”
04132012 Il Costa Torre is a former Saracen tower dating back to the 15th century. It’s located along the Amalfi Coast about 2 km from Maiori, in a dominating position sheer above the sea. This property provides a fantastic atmosphere.It stretches from the panoramic coastal road right down to the sea. As you descend, you will discover a delightful and perfectly-tended Mediterranean garden full of surprises: from the Jacuzzi located on a terrace ledge, suspended between the sea and the sky, to a sauna hidden behind a rock that looks onto a beautiful inlet of the Mediterranean. Il Costa Torre | RentaVilla Europe
04142012 The journey starts in Cava de’ Tirreni: the perfect starting point for your journey and an ideal way in to the coastal walks towards the marine villages of Vietri sul Mare and Cetara. Tramonti, a pleasant location of Amalfi Coast untouched by mass tourism, is embedded in an interesting rural surroundings and it is perfect to live a peaceful sojourn enjoying wonderful atmosphere, traditional food and renowned local wine. Highlights & Backroads of the Amalfi Coast - Hiking tour | Much Better Adventures
04152012 In the vast choice of Sorrento restaurants Italy, stands for color and originality the restaurant Aurora Light, one of the few light restaurants in Sorrento, located in the central Piazza Tasso. If, however, to the tantalizing flavor of the Aurora Light dishes adds the class and elegance of the great wines in large format, here are ready the evenings "The colors of Aurora Light & the Magnum of Canonico 1898". Three themed evenings dedicated to the primary colors and fine wines of the Canonico. When the color meets the wine in Sorrento | Sorrento Plares
04162012 Asprinio has very particular viticultural and vinification traditions The grape variety is grown on local poplar trees and can rise up to 30-45 feet in the air. The vines grow up the trees and then are bent onto wires that are strung between the poplars. This was apparently an Etruscan technique. This vine wall is quite a sight. This system is called vite maritate (married vines). In order to pick these grapes, the growers have to climb very high in the air on thin ladders called scale napoletane (Neapolitan ladders). Asprinio, a Grape That Has Been Made Into Wines for 2000 + Years | Alta Cucina Inc
04172012 The 1934 taurasi is a deeply pitched, intense wine that boasts incredible richness considering its 76 years of age. Dried prunes, leather, tobacco, licorice and spices are woven together in this fully esolved Taurasi. Even though the 1934 is full of tertiary aromas it also retains just enough freshness to keep things interesting. Sweet scents of pipe tobacco linger on the harmonious finish. This is an unbelievable bottle. Mastroberardino Taurasi 1934 | csp.skynetblogs.be
04182012 The culinary story of well-coiffed grandmother of six Maria Caputo begins on her family's farm in Taurasi, near Naples, in Italy's Campania region. She began to cook aged nine. By 10, she could mostly do it all herself. Caputo is among a number Italian families in Canberra who keep the family traditions alive. Nonnas doing it the old way | Canberra Times
04192012 On the America's Cup World Series Naples final day Chris Draper led his Luna Rossa crew to a thrilling win in the final fleet race, collecting 50 points for his efforts to vault up the leaderboard and win the AC World Series Naples Fleet Racing Championship. The victory kicked off celebrations among the tens of thousands of Italian America’s Cup fans lining the Naples waterfront to catch a glimpse of their heroes. Thrilling win for Luna Rossa | Sail-World.com
04202012 Quite simply, the AC World Series hit a new level in Naples. On and off the water. On the water, the racing was phenomenal. There were nine crews competing, the same as in the first three events, but the addition of the two Luna Rossa crews raised the competitive bar considerably. Clearly, Chris Draper and his Luna Rossa Piranha team, despite protestations to the contrary, arrived in Naples ready to challenge the series leaders. With a win in the Fleet Racing Championship and a second place finish behind Artemis Racing in the Match Racing, the new Italian team served notice there's another crew to be reckoned with at the top. If the competition on the water was at an all-time high, off the water, Naples was a mind-blowing experience. The crowds were like nothing previously seen at an AC World Series event (or indeed, other sailing events). Organizers estimated crowds of over 500,000 through the Race Village over the course of the event (and more than double that along the extended waterfront), including a massive turnout on the holiday Easter Monday and again on the final Sunday. Reflection on Naples | America's Cup
04212012 I love starting the day at Pignasecca Market–buckets full of glistening fish, baskets overflowing with friarielli, those tasty bitter greens, and big, full operatic voices all around. Panificio Vincenzo Coppola (Via Pignasecca 35) is a favorite stop for taralli, studded with almonds. Then to slip into the Santa Maria della Concezione a Montecalvario and light a candle…ah, the drama! Lunch at Trattoria Nennella (Vico Lungo Teatro Nuovo 103, closed Sun). I’ve never seen a menu here. Nennella’s son bellows out what mamma’s cooking–from lasagna to gnocchi alla sorrentina. It’s homey and delicious and there’s always going to be a laugh watching this family in action. Golden Day Sixty-Three: The Spanish Quarter of Naples | Golden Days in Italy
04222012 This magnificent Tower hugs the shore line of the Amalfi Coast just outside Positano on the beach of Fornillo and its 13th century origins are typical of this area and its Saracen history, but one of its more recent owners was a real Princess! Hence the name: Torre Principessa. Its original pentagonal shape makes it one of the truly outstanding properties on the Amalfi Coast. In the 1920’s Gilbert Clavel a renowned Swiss contemporary architect and writer embraced this largely destroyed historic tower and nurtured it back to life with his innovative and artistic flair, filling it with his signature wooden furniture and colourful well known celebrities like Pablo Picasso, Cocteau, Depero and many others. It became a well known haven for the creative elite! Torre Principessa | Amanda Tabberer
04232012 The following image was taken as we approached the island of Capri. It can be seen in the distance across the bow of the boat where my two daughters rode with a couple of the people that traveled with us. The Mediterranean Sea was calm and beautiful, at times a deep blue and at other times a brilliant turquoise, and the island of Capri was rugged with mountains and cliffs that dropped into the sea. From Positano by Boat to Capri and Back to Positano | Stephen L Tabone Nature Photography
04242012 The tour boat rounded a bend. “Look up there,” the driver told us. “That’s the Punta Tragara, the fanciest and best hotel on the island.” Everyone looked up at the grand orange palace, all jutting balconies and terraces, perched on the top of one of Capri’s highest spots. The Punta Tragara is magnificent. It’s a Capri classic, built in 1920 as a private villa on the suggestion of Le Corbusier. During WWII it was used as a headquarters for the American command and in 1968, it was bought by one Count Manfredi and turned into the hotel it is today, bar a few changes, such as updated rooms and a spa. On top of the world at Capri’s Punta Tragara | City A.M.
04252012 It was a honeymoon destination for Greek shipowner Aristotile Onassis and his bride, Jacqueline Kennedy; a playground and movie set for screen goddesses Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren; a magnet for artists and writers such as Graham Greene and W. Somerset Maugham. Today's see-and-be-seen crowd includes Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts and supermodel Naomi Campbell. Every year, nearly a quarter-million vacationers join the glitterati, squeezing onto the 2-by-4-mile island, mostly in July and August. So many people pack Capri's winding cobblestone streets and rocky beaches each summer that some travel guides, such as Fodor's and Rick Steves, dismiss it. But there is a way to avoid the madness: See it in May or September. Getting the timing right for Capri, Italy | latimes.com
04262012 In most of the world, scheduling a concert for 6 a.m. would be eccentric, to say the least. Not so on Capri, the idyllic island in Italy’s Gulf of Naples whose natural beauty has drawn gatherings since Roman times. Finally, after negotiating a series of steep stone steps down the side of a cliff, we arrived at the candlelit Matermània Grotto, a cavern half open to the night sky, where traces of an ancient Roman shrine are still visible. In antiquity, this had been a nymphaeum, or shrine to water nymphs, decorated with marble statues and glass mosaics, artificial pools and seashells. Legend holds that the grotto was also a place for the worship of Cybele, the pagan goddess of the earth, known as Magna Mater, or Great Mother, who gave it its name. The Lure of Capri | Smithsonian Magazine
04272012 The dark-red bullet-shaped "Italo" trains are run by NTV, a company headed by Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo who wants to take a quarter of the market from state rail network Trenitalia, the biggest employer in the country. "Italo has arrived, the competition has kicked off," NTV told its first passengers on an inaugural trip from Rome to Naples as they admired interiors that included a cinema carriage, leather seats and panoramic windows. Italy launches Europe's first private high-speed train | theSundaily
04282012 Italy's burgundy red Ferrari on rails is finally going into service. Starting on April 28, the "Italo" will travel at speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour between Milan, Rome and Naples. The new high-speed train is more environmentally friendly and also cheaper than its competitors - on both the rails and roads. Private 'Italo' Train - Italy Introduces Ferrari on Rails | Spiegel Online
04292012 Since Queen Margherita put her name to Naples' signature dish in the late 19th century, the pizza has spread through the world with a success that even Joolz Caesar himself couldn't match. Then we absolutely can't do the same for some of Britain's best-known food brands whose new toppings make Jamie's Union Jacks look like Naples' legendary pizzeria Michele..."We do [adhere to the Neapolitan rules] where we think it's necessary," he tells me. "In Naples it's literally like a religion, if your pizza is not made with the right flour or the right tomatoes, cheese and oven at the right temperature –they don't count it as pizza." Trending: Pizza - death by a thousand slices | The Indipendent
04302012 I turned up at Da Michele just as they opened at 10.30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. At midday, the place can be a zoo, but in the morning it's very quiet. It's an ordinary looking place and the moment I saw an old man who later introduced himself as Luigi Condurro, dressed in a shirt, tie and white jacket, stoking the wood fired oven, I knew the place wasn't a tourist trap. After my first bite, I had to stifle a laugh. The look on my face as I ate this remarkable pie must have been one of shear bliss. I couldn't stop smiling. I've never taken ecstasy but both Leo and I were sort of overcome with happiness as we savored the perfect blend of crust, sauce and Buffalo mozzarella. "This pizza is outrageous!" my son said, and he was right. It was ridiculously good. The sauce was sweet and a bit tangy, just right. Da Michele Pizzeria In Naples: Is This Really The World's Best Pizza? | Gadling

MARCH 2012

VESUVIUS BEYOND

03012012 A sprawling metropolis in one of the world’s most beautiful natural settings,Naples is a city of contrasts. Combining more than its fair share of Italy’s artistic and cultural riches with high levels of noise and chaos, the capital of Campania province is the kind of place where magnificent palazzi crumble beside busy roads, and a priceless Caravaggio hangs in a shabby church guarded only by a snoozing caretaker. Look one way and there’s Mount Vesuvius. Look the other, and Capri shimmers on the horizon. Above your head, washing hangs like flags between the cliff-like rows of apartments, while a Greco-Roman street remains intact underground after 2000 years. Slick Chiaia and middle-class Vomero are refuges from the anarchic alleys of Spaccanapoli, Naples’ centre. Further up the bay, the upper-crust of Neapolitan society live on Posillipo’s cliff. Head in the other direction and you reach Pompeii, that unique city of the dead. Nowhere, like Naples | Delicious
03022012 The region of Campania was an important point of intersection between the cultures of antiquity. As the center of the Greek colonial presence in mainland Italy, Campania later became a focus for Roman interest in Hellenistic culture. For educated individuals like Cicero, Seneca and Pliny the Younger, the region was associated with artistic and intellectual pursuits, but also with the pursuit of luxury and excess. The purpose of this panel is to prompt new inquiries into Campania’s distinctive multicultural identity. Campanian Cultures: Poetics, Location and Identity | rogueclassicism
03032012 The brilliant colours, the energy, the wildness, the sheer sensory overload of Naples make Palermo - until now my personal gold standard for the most attractive example of chaotic urban vitality - seem, by comparison, as orderly and restrained as Zurich. One hears stories and warnings about petty crime in Naples, but though tourists should never flash valuables, I never felt unsafe in the city. If I were staying a month in Naples, I could happily spend whole days wandering up and down the Via dei Tribunali, the lively and congested street that for part of its length follows the course of the central decumanus of the ancient city, along the route that led past the Greek agora and the Roman forum. High art is the Naples diet | Brisbane Times
03042012 Naples was the best walk of my life; it was so fun and amazing. It made me feel at home because there weren’t thousands of tourists and it wasn’t very loud. On the walk I saw markets that sold different kinds of fish from which they get from their coast. Then came time for tasting pastries at the bakery fried Graffa was so delicious it reminded me of donuts from home. I also had the chance to experience a Gothic church (Basilica di Santa Chiara) and a Baroque church (Gesù Nuovo) that were right across from each other. The difference between the two churches was very noticeable. In the Baroque church everything was so huge and fancy with detailed decoration that will take someone years to analyze. As I was walking around, I began to see beautiful graffiti everywhere. Some people may get mad about it, but to me it’s art and a way of expression. I ended up taking pictures of most of them and found a new topic that intrigued me. St. Hope travel scholarship | Context Foundation
03052012 An awesome pop song about the destruction of Pompeii. The video has lots of lava, models of body molds and dancing skeletons. As a bonus prize, we also get Budgie painted white doing interpretive dance about what it's like to have hot ash fill your mouth. Goths heart old stuff. Need I say more? Music to Dig By: Souxsie and the Banshees, 'Cities in Dust' | Archaeopop
03062012 Mezzatorre Resort & Spa is a stunning establishment situated in Forio d'Ischia, at the end of the island Ischia's San Montano Bay and within easy reach of the town of Lacco Ameno. The imposing tower and villa are surrounded by 7 hectares of Mediterranean scrub and subtropical plants and boast fabulous views of the sea, Mount Epomeo, and Vesuvius. Mezzatorre Resort & Spa Ischia | ItalyTraveller
03072012 Even in the dark we noticed that the Aquapetra Resort and Spa resembled a small village. Our dinner lasted several hours and the wine and food was excellent. The food was paired with wines made from a few of the common grapes grown in the Campania wine region. We tasted different wines made from the white grape Falanghina and the red grape Aglianico. On the next day we took a tour of the facility that included the spa area and grounds. A church, across from the check-in, provides a glimpse of the past. The spa offers many amenities such as an indoor swimming pool, a jacuzzi, sauna, bath, and a relaxation area.The resort makes for a relaxing stay and provides a base for exploring the wineries in the region. Aquapetra Resort & Spa by Terry Sullivan | Aquapetra
03082012 From the tourism point of view, Herculaneum is known for the vibrant colors of the frescoes inside some of the villas. The details are, indeed, pretty impressive. So, moving on to things that, I must admit, I find much cooler: mosaics and stonework. One of the things that I find both exhilarating and shocking about historical sites and artifacts in Italy is how close you can get to them. There are certainly some things that are too delicate to allow rough handling by the masses, but there's a surprising amount that you can not only touch, but walk on. Herculaneum: Pompeii’s mud-covered sister city | TourAbsurd
03092012 Reopening, March 8th 2012, are some long-closed sections of the remains at Stabiae – the female bath and spa area, previously closed to visitors. Pompeii – baths at Stabaie reopened | Tickitaly
03102012 The sea at Via Caracciolo in Naples is normally slow-moving at this time of year, but the waters have been made choppier this year by cranes preparing a new cliff. The world's best skippers, including the Australian sail magician, James Spithill, will face off in the knockout match race, but also in spectacular fleet regattas, with the head-to-head between boats visible throughout the city, as the hills overlying the Gulf of Naples form a natural amphitheatre. Neapolitan imagination has already been shown, with strategic spots identified on balconies and terraces to see the races close up. Sailing: Naples preparing for world showcase in America's Cup | ANSAmed
03112012 Spend an idyllic week cruising around the gorgeous Amalfi coast on your very own yacht. Bareboat Sailing Holidays has yachts for charter for those with sailing qualifications, while the rest of us can hire a skipper to do the hard work as we kick back on deck or swim in the sea. Either way, the Bay of Naples and beyond is your oyster. Drop anchor at Capri, volcanic Ischia or the other Phlegrean islands; work your way along the Amalfi coastal resorts of Sorrento, Positano and Ravello; or head north to the Pontine islands. The area is dotted with great beaches and rugged landscapes, plus top-notch nightlife for party animals. Sailing, Amalfi coast | The Guardian
03122012 The principal source is a book published in 1904 called "La Prima Repubblica Marinara d'Italia - Amalfi", written by a gentleman called Umberto Moretti. In what is described as 'il capitolo unico' (the only chapter) in the section headed 'Notes on Industry and Commerce' Moretti discusses the traditional industries of the area (both manufacture and agriculture). His first stop is with the fishing industry which brought in, among other things, coral, tuna, mackerel and swordfish which were sold in the markets in Naples and Salerno. The agricultural muscle of the area is dedicated principally to the lemon groves followed by the grape. Such was life in Amalfi | From Amalfi to Crewe - A Criscuolo Diaspora
03132012 Vegetables are sneaking onto to the dessert menu. Vegetables are sneaking onto to the dessert menu. "Eggplant and chocolate is a classic Neapolitan dessert that's existed for hundreds of years on the Amalfi coast." Dulce de Lettuce? | The Wall Street Journal
03142012 For purists, the pizza story stops with two classics. "Everything else is dross." The most ardent observer of this rigorous approach is a Neapolitan pizzeria called Da Michele. Since 1847, it has only sold pizza Marinara and, in a reckless extension of the menu after 1889, pizza Margherita. Just add parmesan: Tracing the roots of Italian food | The Independent
03152012 Gragnano is called "La Citta' della Pasta" because its history of pasta making is 500 years old. Last century, every family would make pasta using the pure water from the local springs (it is still pure, with limited calcium content) and drying it in the streets, taking advantage of the warm breeze that would flow through the main road like a channel from the mountains to the sea.There are very few pastifici left in the center of Gragnano but they no longer dry the pasta in the streets, for hygienic reasons. Pastificio Faella is the only Pastificio left in the main square, Piazza Guglielmo Marconi. Don Mario Faella told me with an authority and a passion I will never forget: pasta needs its time to rest! In fact, he believes that the drying phase is the most crucial and delicate in the production of pasta. Why is Faella the Best Artisanal Pasta in Gragnano? | Gustiamo
03162012 Caggiano is one of our favorites! This estate is beautiful (pristine vineyards, vaulted cellars, a little wine museum) and the wines are sleek and elegant. Caggiano´s Taurasi Vigna Macchia dei Goti is considered to be one of the best Taurasis in Campania, on a par with a very good Barolo. The white Fiagrè, made with Fiano and Greco, is a sexy white with a bewitching nose. Beautiful place, great wines. You can visit the local castle while in the area. Campania Wine Travel Notes - Antonio Caggiano | Cellar Tours Blog
03172012 It was Salvatore Ferragamo’s dream “to dress a customer from head to foot”, says Ferruccio, the son of the man who set up the global luxury Italian leather and fashion brand. The latest venture is into fine jewellery, launched late last year, and perhaps the culminating step of Salvatore’s vision. Salvatore Ferragamo was a pioneer who in 1911, at the age of just 13, set up shop in his home town of Bonito, south of Naples. When Salvatore died in 1960 he was still only making ladies’ shoes and the rest of the growth of the company was down to his family. That Ferragamo should enter the largely unbranded world of jewellery makes sense: the strong look of this Italian house lends itself to jewellery, and product extension is how luxury companies grow from shoes to fragrances to fashion. Ferragamo: Fulfilling father’s dream of dressing from top to toe | Financial Times
03182012 Napoli isn’t Napoli if you didn’t visit a classic tailor. Invited by one of the best I found my way thru the narrow streets to a small square, ringing the bell of the house of Gino Cimmino. The first room is the fitting room with rows of fabric samples hanging down the walls between a few yellowed images of past style icons. The second room is the tailor room. Here, all the Gino Cimmino suits are made end send out to customers around the globe. Gino Cimmino started at the age of 14 at one of Naples’ tailors as his apprentice. When he turned 23 he decided to start on his own, and since than establish himself among the great couturiers of Naples. It’s inspiring to see a craftsman working in this sober workshop 3 stores high somewhere in the centre of Napoli. Sartoria di Gino Cimmino | Anothersomething
03192012 Alicia Frankovich’s The Opposite of Backwards (2008) involves the artist hanging from the five-story exterior of Galleria Annarumma404 in Naples. Unannounced, this gesture, so slim and formless, relies on you—her audience—to add value; even as I write this document, given that none of us could have ever been there, except by chance encounter. Random Entrant and the Force of Failure. | image and text
03202012 Starting from the iconography of Our Lady of Sorrows, I photographed old ladies in their own house at Quadrelle (AV), party tablecloth becomes canceling intimate space and common knives are converted into symbolic ornament. Forever And Ever | Saurin Natalia
03212012 I like discovery. I get excited over good wines from obscure places made from grape varieties I don’t recognize. This can make me insufferable at tastings, because I’m also pretty bad at hiding my enthusiasm. Vestini Campagna, Kajanero, Terre del Volturno 2010 is the kind of wine I get enthusiastic about. This Italian red is a blend of Pallagrello Nero, Casavecchia, Pizzutella and Aglianico grapes. It’s on the bold side, with cherry and spice notes dominating. There is enough power in the tannins that this novel but well-made wine can easily stand up to roast meats, strong cheeses or other hearty foods. Where to Go For a Torta | The Lo-Down
03222012 Lucio Mastroberardino was in Portland recently to promote the unique terroir of his homeland. Mastroberardino is the chief winemaker at Terredora di Paolo, the only Campania winemaker whose wines all are estate-grown and -bottled. (That doesn't make them "better," necessarily, but it does make me feel a closer connection to the whole of their being.) Mastroberardino dispelled the notion that Campania fits a southern Italy stereotype of "hot, dry, flat." Southwest coast of Italy produces sublime wines | Portland Press Herald
03232012 Each summer, the treacherous coastal road in Italy linking picturesque Sorrento with postcardy Positano is jammed with cars and buses bringing tourists through the fragile hill towns of the Amalfi Coast. But just south of Amalfi is Cilento National Park. The white sand beaches here are quiet and the sea is crystalline — two things you won’t find in Amalfi. The Anti-Amalfi | T Magazine
03242012 Positano Italy. That’s where I want to be. | Pic Saga
03252012 The existence of the Blue Grotto was revealed in August 1826 by the German writer August Kopisch, who described its extraordinary beauty. Since then the Blue Grotto has become the emblem of the island of Capri; but the enchantment of this place goes back further in time, when it was well known by the Romans, as proved by the antique statues which were found in the Grotto.This discovery, the remains of an ancient landing place and the work on an underground tunnel, create an image of a natural cavern adorned by statues: a nymphaeum built around the intense and brilliant blue of the sea which still today fascinates its visitors.The grotto was known to the locals under the name of Gradola, after the nearby landing place of Gradola, but it was avoided because it was said to be inhabited by witches and monsters. Blue Grottos of Capri | Live Fabulous
03262012 In my imagination, there is plenty going on in the garden that points to capricious behaviour. Just look at the two characters in the scene above. Balzac must have read the mind of the Classical Roman in the background who appears to be confounded by the modern-day woman sharing his part of the Garden of Augustus. Capricious Anacapri Garden | My Garden Haven
03272012 If one can sometimes compare a biography to a novel, “A Book of Secrets” reads like a series of linked short stories. At its heart it weaves together the lives of several not-especially-well-known women, around whom more famous men (Lord Randolph Churchill, Auguste Rodin, D. H. Lawrence and E. M. Forster among them) sometimes revolved. Place is a resonant character in “A Book of Secrets.” Much of the action revolves around the palatial Villa Cimbrone, located on a hill above the Italian village of Ravello, where many of these women visited. Mr. Holroyd refers to it, a bit melodramatically, as “a place of fantasy that seems to float in the sky,” a spot that “answers the need for make-believe in all our lives.” In the Fast Company of Women on the Edge | The New York Times
03282012 Sant'Angelo on the Italian island of Ischia, which served as the fictitious seaside village of Mongibello in "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Must-see movie Location: Bagno Antonio beach | msnbc.com
03292012 I struggle to stay still for a whole week. I remember trying to have a relaxing holiday on Ischia, an island off the coast of Naples, and if I was lying by the pool, I wanted to play table tennis; if I was playing tennis, I wanted to be by the pool. A holiday that combines all three is fantastic for me. My Life In Travel: Jake Humphrey, BBC sports presenter | The Independent
03302012 When I was in Italy I had a chance to see the oldest image and representation of an aquatic athlete in Greek art which dates back to I think it's 500 BC and this was the painting of the Tomb of the Diver in a city called Paestum today but in the olden days when it was a Greek colony in Italy which is about 85 kilometers south of Naples, it was known as Poseidonia, which was named after the god Poseidon, the god of the sea. And not only did I find some incredible old swimming pools in this town but I really went to see the Tomb of the Diver and the Tomb of the Diver is an artwork that's on a four-sided tomb of limestone slabs and the roof of it is the one that contains this really incredible painting. Ancient Greek Painting Details Early History of Aquatic Sports | SwimmingWORLD
03312012 Paestum began its life as a Greek city, and the original circular civic meeting space is preserved, though later built over by a Roman building. This is where early democracy of sorts played out over 2500 years ago. In contrast, the amphitheatre built by the Romans illustrates the change in government as the city became more and more Latinized. Paestum #4: A Circle and an Ellipse | Saint Louis Patina

FEBRUARY 2012

SUBWAY EXCAVATIONS

02012012 Naples was once upon a time the largest city in Italy, and also in Europe. Today, it is better known as a UNESCO World Heritage Site brimming with history, arts, music, architecture, culture, and gastronomic adventures. You can relax and unwind at Orto Botanico which is one of the most beautiful landscaped gardens in the city. It was created nearly 200 years ago. You can take a leisurely stroll and discover its array of unique flora, be it palms, tree fern glades, cacti, shrubs, or flowering trees. The site is open daily, and admission is free. 48 hours in Naples | 48 Hour Visit
02022012 Face it - Naples is likely not the first destination to come to mind when planning a trip to Italy. So imagine my surprise, on a recent trip there, when I discover a dynamic, architecturally and artistically interesting city with enough world-class sights to keep me occupied for days. The city has devoted itself to cleaning up its act over the past decade, and while it retains elements of the old Naples, today’s Naples is well on its way to reclaiming its 2,800-year birthright as one of Italy’s most important centers of art, gastronomy, architecture, and culture. The Brighter Side of Naples | National Geographic Traveler
02032012 Naples is a very old place and has many legends and spirits associated with it. Of the two most famous spirits in Naples, the bella ‘Mbriana is certainly the more positive one. The other is Munaciello, a much darker and frightening entity. The bella ‘Mbriana only appears for an instant, as a reflection in a window or through a curtain swaying in a breeze. She is described as a beautiful young woman with a gentle face, and there is brightness about her. Her name derives from the Latin “Meridian;” the brightest hour of the day. This is significant because Southern Italians are referred to as Meridionali, a word that has the same Latin origin and refers to the people of the midday sun. Lessons from the bella ‘Mbriana | Magna GRECE
02042012 No matter where I go in Italy and the world, I come home and find myself relieved to be back in Naples. Ultimately, though, the reason I love living in Naples is that the people here rarely treat me like a foreigner. In Naples, you know what happens when I speak Italian? Nothing. The waiter brings me a cup of coffee. Or the water or wine I ordered. It's expected that you speak Italian, almost as Americans expect people to speak English in the United States. Non si muove | The American
02052012 Lulu Kennedy, Fashion East founder, began her degree in Contemporary Cultural Studies at Middlesex University then transferred to ‘Instituto Orientale’ in Naples where she also organised acid house raves, booking London DJ's to come and play, including Princess Julia. One legendary rave was in a medieval castle and when the police arrived to close it down Lulu’s team just hoisted the drawbridge and carried on! After a little too much fun, Lulu decided it best to come back to London where she finished her degree and started working in contemporary art galleries. We Love Lulu Kennedy | Fashion's Most Wanted
02062012 I’m discovering great things about every port. Today for instance, after visiting the Silhouette, the newest ship that is nearly identical to the ships I’ve been on, we went out for pizza in Naples, Italy. It was pretty good. They cooked it in a wood fired oven which gave it a smoky and even a bit charred flavor. Very good. Three Cruises Down. | RyanOnTheShip
02072012 On Friday night, we joined a tour offered by the USO to a local winery for grape picking and wine tasting. Just the drive to the winery was an adventure. We left for what was supposed to be a 20 minute drive to a winery located on the side of Mount Vesuvius. This winery does not sell their wine to any other stores or distributors, and they're only open on Saturday & Sunday to the public... except for special events and tours such as ours. Since we were very, very late, we were quickly led into the vineyard and given shears & crates to get to clipping. Pepe the Winemaker supervised. Grape Stomping & Wine Tasting | In Search of Gelato
02082012 “Falanghina is a historic grape from Campania, the region that includes Naples. Sannio is a hilly region of Campania, north of Naples, with a wine-growing history so ancient that it was favorably mentioned – as Samnium in Latin – in the works of Pliny, Cato and Horace.” Vin Bar – Santa Monica | Refined Palate
02092012 A meal is like a fine Italian opera, many singers of differing range coalesce into a beautiful entertaining story and a memorable experience. And like wandering upon some street corner in New Orleans, you may fortuitously stumble upon such a talent. That is exactly what happened when I wandered into The Chefs of Napoli. Having been to Italy and particularly to Naples several times, I know the real deal. Chefs Luigi Barile and Antonio Cacace are the real deal. Both hail from the hometown of Sophia Loren, Pozzuoli, Italy. A small seaside town nestled in the outskirts of Naples about twenty minutes drive from the big city. Both their fathers were fishermen. Childhood friends, they grew up together and were introduced to the cucina at an early age. Learning how to make gnocchi from Grandmother led to working in family restaurants and eventually here to America. The Chefs of Napoli | Basil Magazine
02102012 Executive chef Andrea Froncillo came to Salito's after being executive chef at an impressive list of Bay Area restaurants including Calzone's, the Stinking Rose, the Crab House at Pier 39, Bobo's, the Franciscan at Fisherman's Wharf, and the Old Clam House, all in San Francisco, and the Dead Fish in Crockett. Froncillo was born in Naples, Italy, learning to cook in his grandmother's kitchen before receiving his formal training from the E.N.A.L.C. culinary school, graduating with honors. Bread & Butter | Marin Independent Journal
02112012 Even after the post Neapolitan pizza invasion took captive our minds and stomachs, Di Fara remained a critic and consumer favorite. Some might say this is a purely American pizza, and I couldn’t disagree more. Is very much an Italian pizza, made to order, by a single hand. Even the afternoon intermissions evoke memories of Napoli. Dom has expertly crafted the perfect fusion of American and Italian principals, ingredients, and flavors. In Brooklyn, a Pizza thats all Heart | Authentic Italian American
02122012 On the way to Amalfi the coach stopped to admire the view of the town of Positano that clings improbably to a vertical cliff with buildings tumbling chaotically from the top right down to the beach at the bottom. All transport in Positano is only possible on foot but it looked well worth the effort as it boasted the most picturesque pastel villas adorned by pink bougainvillea and pots of boiling red geraniums and sweet smelling Mediterranean herbs. Best of all, in my opinion, was the village of Vallone di Furore, where steep rock walls sheltered an enclave of abandoned and partially collapsed fishermen’s houses and a tiny harbour with a beach littered with small hard working fishing boats all resting up for the day. The Amalfi Drive | apetcher.wordpress.com
02132012 The Amalfi drive is noted as one of the world's most picturesque coastline drives. Sorrento, Italy | Liquid Blue
02142012 A crenellated castle, pink-washed clifftop church, and pebbled beach make Vico Equense perhaps the most dramatic—though surprisingly undiscovered—village on the Sorrento Coast. A Village Escape in Vico Equense | Travel + Leisure
02152012 Naples is a diamond-in-the-rough, offering stunning landscapes, historical monuments and a burgeoning art scene. Though Naples is not a touristy city in the same sense as Venice, Florence or Rome, it should be. This is a city teeming with grandiose monuments, piazzas, churches and museums, and some of Italy’s finest and best-value-for-money cuisine. Beauty Amid the Chaos in Naples | TravelMuse
02162012 In the evening, we took the underground tour of Naples. Naples, like many cities in Italy, was built on top of old Roman cities. The interesting part was the aqueducts. It was 40 meters below ground level. Plants in the aqueducts. There is so much water in the air down in the aqueducts that these plants grew without the need for watering. Naples, Pizza, Pompeii, and Brothels | paydrotalks.com
02172012 Paestum is an ancient Greek coastal town about 80km south of Naples with a surrounding area partially devoted to the cultivation of their Carciofo di Paestum (Paestum Artichokes). Most of the fields we occasionally saw as we drove into town were full of plump purple buds floating above a mass of green foliage. The predominant method to cook the Paestum artichokes is to roast them above (but not touching) hot coals. The Artichoke Blog | Feast of Paestum Artichokes
02182012 The martyrium complex founded by St. Paulinus at Cimitile, near Nola. The bishoprics of Neapolis and Nola had a complex relationship in late antiquity. Ancient Naples: A Documentary History | Rabun Taylor
02192012 Arpaise in the Province of Benevento is a nature lover's paradise hiking and horseback riding. Arpaise | travelcampania
02202012 Ischia has all the beauty of Capri at about half the price. It has great beaches, friendly restaurants and thermal hot springs bubbling up from its volcanic core. For sightseers and photographers alike, the Aragonese Castle and the Gardens of La Martella are must-sees. | BootsnAll
02212012 In 1976, Gore Vidal wrote of Villa Cimbrone: Twenty five years ago I was asked by an American magazine what was the most beautiful place that I had ever seen in all my travels and I said the view from the belvedere of the Villa Cimbrone on a bright winter's day when the sky and the sea were each so vividly blue that it was not possible. The Terrace of Infinity, entirely restored by Lord Grimthorpe in 1907, commands a sublime view. The high point literally and figuratively of our trip to the Amalfi coast. This balconata belvedere is believed to have existed ever since the days of ancient Rome. Standing on the stone balcony, one feels weightless, dizzily suspended between earth and heaven over the blue Bay of Salerno. The Splendor of Ravello | Your Garden Matters
02222012 Villa Peirce is nestled in the beautiful park of Rocca Matilde. The large enchanting park spreads from Posillipo's hill to the sea providing the perfect setting for a variety of citrus trees, caves, temples, fountains, paths, bridges and terraces and was documented by many famous authors. An extremely beautiful natural setting was further inspired by true romantic English taste. Enchanted by the Posillipo's natural beauty and troubled by her marriage, the Marchesa left England to reside in Naples in 1842. The three story building, as it appears today is laid out at sea level on a small man made harbour. The vaults, terraces, pillars, towers, marbles recall Moresque inspiration. In 1909, the Peirce family bought the property and more recently the villa was owned by Achillle Lauro. Gala Dinner | European Workshop on Optical Fibre Sensors 2007
02232012 From the tourism point of view, Herculaneum is known for the vibrant colors of the frescoes inside some of the villas. The details are, indeed, pretty impressive. One of the things that I find both exhilarating and shocking about historical sites and artifacts in Italy is how close you can get to them. There are certainly some things that are too delicate to allow rough handling by the masses, but there's a surprising amount that you can not only touch, but walk on. Herculaneum: Pompeii’s mud-covered sister city | TourAbsurd
02242012 Remains of rotten fish entrails have helped establish the precise dating of Pompeii's destruction, according to Italian researchers who have analyzed the town's last batch of garum, a pungent, fish-based seasoning. The desiccated remains were found at the bottom of seven jars. The find revealed that the last Pompeian garum was made entirely with bogues (known as boops boops), a Mediterranean fish species that abounded in the area in the summer months of July and early August. Fish Sauce Used to Date Pompeii Eruption | Discovery News
02252012 Pizzeria Anna, in the small town of Agropoli, is a place without pretension. I ordered the pizza a sorpresa, the surprise, which turned out to be divided into eight sections, each representing a different selection from the menu. It arrived like a painting, like a masterpiece you see, smell and eat. The base was light and crisp – not too crisp, but nowhere near soft or spongy. One section was a sample of the remarkable and rare duchessa – a ham and mashed potato pizza, which tasted much better than it sounds, and was not at all stodgy or bland. Another section held perfectly cooked squid and huge, succulent prawns. Yet another was a triangle of salad, with rocket leaves, slivers of carrot and what I think were pumpkin flowers. Elsewhere there was creamy mozzarella, fragrant basil and a rich, sweet, almost fruity tomato sauce. I travel to Italy regularly and I eat plenty of pizza so believe me when I tell you that this was extraordinary. Is this the best pizzeria in Italy? | The Guardian
02262012 A pizzeria called Sorbillo was on my list of 'places to eat pizza' and according to my Time Out guide to Naples it didn't close for August. So we walked down Via Santa Maria di Constantinopoli, through Piazza Bellini, ending up at the beginning of Via dei Tribunali. This was another arrow straight road but it seemed to have much more shops along it than its parallel, Spaccanapoli. We even found a SSC Napoli store where we bought Rory the team's football kit. Forza Napoli | Colin Owen
02272012 The exact circumstances of the discovery and description of the fossil of Scipionyx is an intriguing story. Giovanni Todesco during a journey in South Italy visited the site of Pietraroia and hoping to collect some fossils he examined a slab of unusual shape in a dump of rocks used for the construction of a new street. Observing more carefully the rock he noted imprints of bones covered by a thin layer of sediments. He took the slab home and tried to remove the thin layer of sediments, but soon abandoned this arduous task and the presumed bird-fossil became forgotten for years. Only in 1992 Todesco contacted the palaeontologist Giorgio Teruzzi, who finally recognized it as dinosaur and contacted the rare Italian dino-experts. The history and geology of the first Italian dinosaur: Scipionyx samniticus | History of Geology
02282012 The Amalfi Coast is one of Italy’s greatest treasures; in contrast to the landlocked beauty of Tuscany, the Amalfi region is all about the interplay of the Mediterranean sea and the hilly coast line, with all the plunges and beautiful colors associated with the villages that dot the coastline. Positano, Sorrento, and Amalfi are just three of the towns worth exploring here, but the entire region offers a luxurious artist’s haven. Artistic Travel along Italy’s Amalfi Coast | TravelSort
02292012 As is well documented by a bunch of archival sources, for about five years Giotto served as court painter to King Robert the Wise in Naples. He first appears on the king’s payroll in late 1328, was made an official member of the Royal household on January 20, 1330, and remained in Robert’s service at least until 1333 or perhaps even early 1334. A document dated May 20, 1331, also provides information what Giotto was working on: An altarpiece (which had already been completed by that time), and wall-paintings in the Capella Secreta as well as in the Capella Magna of the Castel Nuovo, the most important of the city’s Royal residences. Giotto’s Frescos in Naples (Lost Artworks #1) | L’historien errant