#Peter Marzio

[uwmspeccoll]

Decorative Sunday

GEE’S BEND QUILTS

Since the 19th century, the women of Gee’s Bend in southern Alabama have created stunning, vibrant quilts. In 2002, folk art collector, historian, and curator William Arnett organized an exhibition entitled "The Quilts of Gee's Bend," which debuted at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and later travelled to a dozen other locations across the country, including our own Milwaukee Art Museum (September 27, 2003 - January 4, 2004). This exhibition brought fame to the quilts, and Arnett's foundation Souls Grown Deep Foundation continues to collect and organize exhibitions for Gee’s Bend Quilts.

The images shown here are from Gee’s Bend: The Women and Their Quilts, with essays by John Beardsley, William Arnett, Paul Arnett, and Jane Livingston, an introduction by Alvia Wardlaw, and a foreword by Peter Marzio. The book was published in 2002 by Tinwood Books, Atlanta, and published in conjunction with the 2002 exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. It includes 350 color illustrations and 30 black-and-white illustrations. The dust jacket notes observe:

The women of Gee’s Bend - a small, remote, black community in Alabama - have created hundreds of quilt masterpieces dating from the early twentieth century to the present. . . . [The] quilts carry forward an old and proud tradition of textiles made for home and family. They represent only a part of the rich body of African American quilts. But they are in a league by themselves. Few other places can boast the extent of Gee’s Bends’s artistic achievement, the result of geographical isolation and an unusual degree of cultural continuity. In few places elsewhere have works been found by three and sometimes four generations of women of the same family, or works that bear witness to visual conversations among community quilting groups and lineages.

Our copy is a gift from our friend and benefactor Suzy Ettinger.

View more Black History Month posts.

View more Decorative Sunday posts.

[cornermary]

From Bascilica di Sant'Agostino in Campo Marzio, on its Chapel of Saint Peter: "Many times he denied the Lord, who nevertheless granted him such a strong faith that he died for Jesus. He died in Rome, under Nero, choosing to be crucified upside down, as he felt unworthy of dying like his Master."

[broccolini-cellini]

PORTAL by Do Ho Suh

In 2006, London-based Korean artist Do Ho Suh (born 1962) began work on a seemingly impossible project—to “make something out of nothing,” casting the negative form of a traditional Korean gate in solid acrylic resin. Portal would take nearly a decade to complete, and would provide the site for fundamental developments in Suh’s thinking on the role of both artist and museum in the 21st century, as well as the relationship between East and West. This volume tells the epic story of that process through those who made it possible. Through color illustrations and texts, it provides unique access to the typically veiled fabrication process: the process of scanning, modelling, and constructing a nine-ton sculpture that would appear as if it was not there, a “living ghost image” cast from negative space.

Source: Twelve Books

Suh hangs up his signature transparent fabric for some resin and "nothing" to make his impossible sculpture. Commissioned by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) with curator Peter C. Marzio in 2006, it took nine years to complete, with Marzio tragically passing away five years before its completion.

I found it particularly astounding that a concept and vision could weather time and burueacracy triumphantly, albeit bittersweetly. Besides the technical feat, Portal's epicness rested on the persistence and support of Suh's collaborators. No artist is an island.

[garadinervi]

Sabiduras and Other Texts. Writings by Gego, Edited by María Elena Huizi and Josefina Manrique, Foreword by Peter C. Marzio, Preface by Mari Carmen Ramírez, Afterword by Bárbara and Tomás Gunz, «Documents of 20th Century Latin American and Latino Art», Fundación Gego, Caracas, The International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA), The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 2005 [Libreria El Astillero, Cantabria]

[artsleaderuh]

@Glasstire : Grant: @MFAH The Peter C. Marzio Award for Outstanding Research in Latin American and Latino Art. $2,500 granted to a graduate student, $1,000 to an undergraduate student Deadline: Nov 23, 2020 More at the Glasstire classifieds: https://t.co/4dUgBaXZrA https://t.co/g8WRUI4G37 (via Twitter http://twitter.com/Glasstire/status/1324414971208486920)

[golfclubdavos]

Seniorengolftage

Alle Jahre wieder, die drei schönsten Tage im Jahr sind nicht die Fasnacht, sondern für die Senioren ihre reservierten drei Golftage mit drei Turnieren.

1. Tag: Tee off Challenge, Preise gesponsert vom Hardrock Hotel Davos 1. Brutto: Sonja Müller, 25 Netto: 1 Urs Zeier, 36, 2 Peter Traber, 36, 3 Hans Bolt, 35.

2. Tag: Seniors Classics, Preise gesponsert von Kaufmann Weine Davos 1 Brutto Damen: Barbara Lanter, 21 1 Brutto Herren: Joachim Langner, 34 Netto Damen: 1 Esther Häberling, 38, 2 Barbara Schneider 36, 3 Ruth Jost, 34. Netto Herren: 1 Marzio Agustoni, 41, 2 Urs Zeier, 39, 3 Fritz Eichenberger 38.

3. Tag: Preise der Ski- und Sporthändler 1 Marcel & Esther Häberling, 46, 2 Gianni & Silvana Bianchi, 41, 3 Fritz Eichenberger & Brigitte Stamm, 4 Paul Petzold & Andrea Mark.

[ofhouses]

Dear friends, for the following three weeks OfHouses will be guest curated by Studiospazio. Studiospazio is an architectural practice with branches in Zurich and Mantova. Studiospazio was established in 2014 by Samuele Squassabia, Tao Baerlocher and Eugenio Squassabia. Studiospazio deals with the question of the relationship between architecture and the contemporary reality through projects, competitions, publications and the academic commitment. Samuele Squassabia (1984) studied at Politecnico di Milano and received his master’s degree at Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, with Valerio Olgiati. He worked at Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Genova, Gigon / Guyer Architekten in Zurich and Go Hasegawa & Associates in Tokyo. He was a teaching assistant at Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio (with Go Hasegawa) and is now a design tutor at ETH Zurich (with Christian Kerez). In 2016 he was the local architect for Go Hasegawa’s recently finished Marble Chapel in Guastalla, Italy. Tao Baerlocher (1985) received his master’s degree at ETH Zurich, with Christian Kerez. He worked at Guignard & Saner Architekten in Zurich, Go Hasegawa & Associates in Tokyo, Atelier Peter Zumthor in Haldenstein, Charles Pictet architecte in Geneva and Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop in Zurich. He is a teaching assistant at Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio (with Go Hasegawa and Junya Ishigami). Eugenio Squassabia (1989) is a master student at Politecnico di Milano. He worked at Cino Zucchi Architetti in Milano, Atelier Scheidegger Keller and Ciriacidis Lehnerer Architekten, both in Zurich. In 2016 Studiospazio was awarded the ‘First house’ prize by ‘Werk, bauen + wohnen’, with Philippe Jorisch, and the ‘Young practice’ prize by Sotto-Voce Foundation, Architektur 0.16. In 2015 Samuele Squassabia and Tao Baerlocher edited the book ‘Kazunari Sakamoto. Lecture / 坂本一成・講演‘ for Quart Publisher in Lucerne. Studiospazio had prepared for OfHouses a very consistent selection of old forgotten houses titled “The house and the city, a matter of relationships”, for which they wrote this short introduction:

“The creation of a house defines the cosmos for its inhabitants. However, it is not only a private matter. Despite its little dimensions, the house can also define the surrounding environment. With this selection, we aim to study the various relationships between the house and the city and the influence that the architectural object can have on a bigger scale. The representations of Rome by G.B. Nolli and G.B. Piranesi from the XVIII century are manifestations of two opposite understandings of this relationship. In the reconstruction of Campo Marzio, Piranesi expresses a city that is dominated by independent self-centered objects and is almost disappearing. On the other hand, the Nolli Map of Rome expresses a city as a continuous experience throughout the network of streets and the individual buildings remain unrecognizable. Rather than siding with one of these two opposites, we are interested in a third middle way, in the mutual relation between the object and the space, the private and the public, the house and the city. The houses we have chosen create their private space while defining the public one and vice versa. This expands the experience of the city and leads to a manifold understanding of the environment.”

(Cover: Studiospazio /// Workshop Garage /// Suzzara, Italy /// 2015-16. Photo: © Stefano Graziani.)

[drtanstravels]

We returned a little over a week ago from our final trip for 2017 which revolved around Anna speaking at the Fifth International Congress on OCT Angiography, “En Face” and advances in OCT, an annual conference held by the American Society of Retina Specialists, on this occasion in Rome, Italy.

We’ve been to Italy before, back in September of 2012 on a trip that took us through Florence, Rome, Pisa and Milan for another of Anna’s conferences, although that little adventure is a bit of a blur for me. This time we’d be spending four nights in Rome and although I knew I had been before, it still all felt completely new to me. We have done quite a bit of flying this year so we were able to upgrade to Business Class for the flights both there and back, which is great for a 13-hour overnight flight to Europe. We were supposed to depart at about 1:50am on Friday morning, but it was probably closer to about 3:00am by the time we took off. It didn’t matter to Anna, she fell asleep almost immediately, however, I had to wait until we were airborne and my “bed” was laid out before I could drift away, the last thing I heard being a small Chinese lady who had walked down the aisle to yell at her husband in the seat next to mine, “Cover your stomach!”

Friday, December 15 Due to the seven-hour time difference, we touched down in Rome at about 8:30am and were out of the airport relatively quickly. It was about a 45-minute taxi ride due to the morning traffic to where we were staying, the Ergife Palace Hotel, which was also where the conference was being held. The entire drive there I had this playing on loop in my head:

Sure, I realise it’s not about Rome, but it’s a homophone and that makes it close enough for me. Anyway, before long we arrived at our hotel and one thing soon became glaringly obvious — There is not a whole lot to do in that part of town. It was a bit before 10.00am when we got there and our room wasn’t ready yet, but Anna was happy because she wanted to attend her professor’s talk which began at 10 o’clock. All she needed to do was freshen up a little and change her clothes, something she was able to do in a bathroom in the lobby. Anna attended the talk while I sat in the lounge area with a coffee or three and read my book. I saw Anna chatting with her professor at about midday so when she saw me we tried to check into our room, only to be told it still wouldn’t be ready for at least another hour. We decided to have another latte each and waited for the buffet lunch to begin at 12:30, which was complimentary for speakers at the conference. I on the other hand, had to pay €20.00 (approximately AU$30.00) for some pretty average food and there was no way of faking my way through this one, I clearly didn’t appear to be a doctor, although I did kind of blend in Italy; I was decked out in a pair of black Adidas track pants, a t-shirt with dinosaurs on it, and a cap. Add to this the fact that I was slowly marinating in my own juices from our flight over and smelled more than just a little rancid, most in attendance probably just assumed that I was some homeless guy that Anna had taken pity on and decided to give a free meal.

A sure sign that apartment prices are going to double in the next five years.

Our room was finally ready by the time we had finished lunch so I eventually got to peel off my soured clothes and scrub off a layer of grime. Anna cleaned up too and went back to the conference, leaving me with a few hours to kill so I decided to check out an area of town that had a few shops I wanted to have a look at. It had been raining quite heavily for most of the afternoon so I jumped in a cab that was out the front of the hotel and went to Quartiere XI Portuense. Clearly this was a recently gentrified area, as I was immediately greeted the second I stepped out of the taxi by a bucket surrounded by syringes with an old belt for a tourniquet and some used tissues inside (left). Nice. I continued looking around the shops for a couple of hours, dodging the intermittent downpours, and then spent almost another hour in the rain trying to find an ATM that would accept my card and then attempting to flag down a taxi back to the hotel. It’s quite difficult to get a cab in Rome so I ended up getting an Uber, but that took about twenty minutes because of the traffic. In fact, the Uber booking came with a warning that the driver was either deaf or hearing impaired so I wasn’t quite sure how to respond when the driver called me on my phone; trying to communicate with a deaf person on the phone has trouble written all over it, but one would expect it would be even more difficult as a foreigner. Fortunately, everything went fine, he was calling me to say that he would be at least another 10 minutes, then he called me again when he arrived to ask what I was wearing so he could pull over and pick me up.

When I arrived back at the hotel, Anna had been looking at places to eat and suggested going to the very area I had just come from. I explained that there didn’t really seem like much in the way of nightlife in that spot and fortunately people eat quite late in Italy so we went and grabbed a drink at Matrix Bar, a dive bar down the road from our hotel and really the only bar in its general vicinity, while we looked for somewhere else to go for dinner. Matrix Bar wasn’t a particularly classy establishment, averaging a whopping two stars on Google Reviews, the first of which just reads “Sad and dirty,” but we were glad we stopped by for the amusement alone. We both ordered a beer and cringed as an angry guy played the poker machines while a heavily pregnant woman and her mother both chain-smoked and drank. As for food, there was a pizza restaurant out the back and a fridge full of desserts in the bar that inexplicably had the entire range of Magnum ice-creams without wrappers. That’s right, to choose your flavour of unwrapped Magnum, you had to read the sign in front of them.

Anna out the front of Matrix Bar

My beer

Some of the entertainment options available

Possibly counterfeit Magnums down the bottom

We eventually decided that we would have dinner at Ditirambo, a great looking restaurant in Campo de’ Fiori, and we definitely didn’t regret our decision. We ordered some ham and burrata, then we got our mains. Anna had homemade tagliolini with pork cheek, artichokes, and sheep’s cheese and I got the same pasta but with drunken octopus and it was all spectacular! The only problem with proper handmade pasta is that is so filling and sometimes the portions here are enormous. It was a Friday night and there was a cool shisha bar a few doors down in the square so we dropped by for a drink but there were a few drawbacks. First, it was freezing cold, we had to sit outside and, although there were heaters, we were still a little underdressed for the conditions. There were giant clear screens around us to block the breeze, but huge gust of wind came up and blew over the one behind us, shattering it! The other problem was that we were both still running on Singapore time so it was the equivalent of being about 6:00am and we aren’t that young anymore. The jet-lag had caught up with us both and Anna had a presentation to give the following day so we finished our drinks and caught an Uber home for the earliest night we’ve had in quite some time. A few sights from that tiring evening:

Anna and her dinner

Mine

She’s always loved the old Fiat 500

In the square at Campo De’ Fiori

Where we attempted to have a drink before realising we were too tired

Saturday, December 16 Anna was giving her presentation just before 9:30am, immediately after two of her former colleagues and good friends from New York, Chandra Balaratnasingam and Rosa Dolz-Marco, who we had recently visited in Spain. I couldn’t attend so I chose to sleep in, but I was told Anna’s talk went exceptionally well and was sent some photos. The pictures aren’t particularly clear or flattering, but it should give you the general idea:

I always feel kind of proud when I see these

Anna is bottom left

Doing her thing

After it was over we decided not to have the free conference lunch, but maybe go to the market around the corner to get a bite to eat, but upon arrival it was somewhat of a letdown. A lot of the stalls weren’t open and very few of the ones that were had food, however, I would’ve had no problem getting a birth certificate printed there for some reason. Instead, we walked further into town and had more pasta, more cheese and a Roman artichoke.

Anna still had a bit of spare time before she had to go back to the conference so we walked around and looked at some of the shops in the area, mainly secondhand and vintage stores. First we went into a place that had a lot of cool secondhand clothes where Anna bought a really nice dress and I tried to purchase a Vegas-era Elvis statue to no avail, then we found what is the epitome of my kind of store — Mercatino Compra Vendita Usato, a giant thrift shop the size of a department store and it sold everything, including an old slot-machine. Unfortunately, the slot-machine was too heavy and too expensive so I just settled for an enormous Spanish tambourine that’s about 45cm (18″) in diameter that Anna talked me into buying, as well as a couple of records. Anna left before I did to get back to the conference, while I took my time and then enjoyed the walk back.

Some of the services available at the barely-open market

It’s a shame we wouldn’t be there for the opening

A Roman artichoke

Elvis wasn’t leaving that building

At the entrance of a store where I could happily spend all day

Old record player

The slot-machine

The tambourine with Anna’s hand for perspective

This looked kind of cool

Is there a correct term for a group of nuns?

One that strayed from the flock

I got home and we had plenty of time to relax for an hour or two before it was time to go out for dinner again. One of the speakers that Anna has worked with is from Rome so he booked a restaurant for a group of us, including Rosa and Roberto, her husband, as well as Chandra and his family, however, Chandra, his wife, and his son had all developed an awful stomach virus and would be unable to make it, instead opting to try and get in better shape for their long flight back to Perth, Australia the following day.

Roberto had the brilliant idea of having a look at the landmarks and ruins around the city before dinner to see what they look like at night, something I would recommend to anyone visiting Rome, be it for their first or fiftieth time, for several reasons; not only does everything seem to have a much more spectacular appearance under lights, but also you’re free from all the annoying people trying to sell you stuff and offer completely unwanted assistance, as well as the other shady individuals that seem to migrate towards the world’s tourist attractions. Roberto, Rosa, Anna, and myself started out at the Colosseum, down past the Basilica Aemilia and the Imperial Forum, to the Altare della Patria and then slowly made our along the Tiber river, taking in all of the sights along the way en route to the restaurant. Once there, Anna’s Italian colleague chose a selection of his favourite dishes for us and we just ate and drank until we could no longer move. This might seem like a lot of  pictures, but it is merely a taste of what we saw, ate, and drank that night:

The Colosseum

Arch of Constantine

There are shoes hanging from power-lines in every city, but the ones here are really nice too!

Making our way up the street

Still going…

Campitelli

Some columns near Basilica Aemilia

More of Basilica Aemilia

Rosa, Roberto and Anna

Still more…

and more…

Julius Caesar

Still walking

A fountain on the side of the Altare della Patria

The Altare della Patria

A column near the Alter

Up close

Some ruins around the back

More ruins

Near Capitoline Hill

The view across the Tiber

What’s left of a bridge

More of the Tiber

And more of that broken bridge

Anna and Rosa chatting and eating

The whole gang… and I

Sunday, December 17 Today was to be the first of only two full days Anna and myself would have to ourselves this time and part of that would consist of changing hotels. The Ergife Palace wasn’t a bad place, but there was just nothing nearby, the nearest areas worth visiting were a 90-minute walk or a €20.00 (AU$30.00) taxi or Uber away. Fortunately for us, Anna had found the QuodLibet Guest House, located a relatively short walk from the Vatican and it was an upgrade we definitely welcomed. We checked out of our hotel and caught a cab straight to the QuodLibet, but initially it was a little difficult to find the Guest House. It turned out we needed to go through a common doorway for several other business and then take a tiny vintage elevator with inward-opening doors to the fourth floor, but once up there the place was beautiful. It had a bunch of uniquely themed rooms and the owners were great, really friendly and offering us heaps of free croissants and coffee.

“Hey Denim Dan, where’d you get the Canadian tuxedo?”

Once we had settled in we took a walk into the city, but made a point of avoiding the Vatican as one can only imagine how crazy that gets on a Sunday. Instead, we opted to check out some of the markets and then go into town and spend the afternoon just shopping, eating, and taking in the sights. The markets were a bit of fun, although there was not a lot there that really appealed to us. What does become abundantly clear when you spend a bit of time looking through markets and vintage stores in Rome is that there must’ve been a period of time around 15-20 years ago when the place resembled an entire city full of at-liesure Jay Lenos (right) — There is so much secondhand denim available! It’s not just jeans, shirts, and jackets, pretty much any wearable item was available made from denim at the turn of the century in Italy. People often consider Italy one of the world’s fashion capitals, admittedly they are generally referring to Milan, but let’s not forget that there was a time not too long ago when visiting one of the most historically significant cities on earth may have easily been mistaken for a trip to the mechanic’s.

We walked into Campo Marzio, one of the main historical districts that also has an abundance of great restaurants and pedestrian shopping avenues. The first thing to greet you as you approach these streets at any entry point will be at least one military vehicle and a bunch of heavily armed military personnel, obviously in place to prevent a vehicle attack, as has been one of the more common terrorist methods of late, such as that which occured just before we visited Barcelona, Spain earlier in the year or in my home city of Melbourne, Australia just days before Christmas, which several friends of mine witnessed. Needless to say, we felt exceptionally safe with these guys around so we just relaxed and did what we set out to do; spend the afternoon eating, shopping and exploring, including looking at some of the same sights again, this time during the light of day. Another huge bunch of photos:

Walking to the market from our place

In the market

Selling pastries

In Piazza del Popolo

Anna hangin’ out

One of many water features

Another obelisk

They actually make you feel pretty safe

Walking around

My octopus

Lamb and artichoke

A Cardinal doing his thing

STEAK!

Trevi Fountain

More of Trevi Fountain

Anna striking a pose

The side of the Altare della Patria

Some more columns

Part of the Forum

Some horses

If I had a vespa, it would be this one

We were planning to have dinner and some drinks with Rosa and Roberto again, but first we had a look at some of the shops and bars in a kid of hipster district called Monti. There was a brilliant artist’s market there that we spent a lot of time in, then it was off for a couple of libations at a bar that had some great beer and some even more controversial local art. When it was time, we met up for dinner and then headed to the same shisha bar, this time well-rested and better dressed to handle the cold. Here is a sample of some of the paintings from that bar, as well as the token shot of us all drinking:

Frida Kahlo shaving

Pimpin’ ain’t easy

Doing what we do

Monday, December 18 It was our last day to soak in everything Rome had to offer and we both had only one thing on our collective minds to begin the day; breakfast. Anna told me she had found a place simply called Eggs and as a part of their essentially egg-based menu, they apparently serve ostrich eggs for breakfast! We tried to make our way down there posthaste, but there was one minor setback we hadn’t considered; we had to walk past the Vatican, which meant we were going to get hassled constantly. “Why?” I hear you ask. Well, here’s a little background on the Vatican:

Vatican City is a country located within the city of Rome. With an area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of about 1,000, it is the smallest state in the world by both area and population. However, formally it is not sovereign, with sovereignty being held by the Holy See.

Within Vatican City are religious and cultural sites such as St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. They feature some of the world’s most famous paintings and sculptures. The unique economy of Vatican City is supported financially by the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications.

They even make phone covers of these guys!

What that means is that there is a never-ending throng of people trying to sell you shit and they don’t quit! Without any exaggeration, there is one of these guys, some of them local, but many of them foreign, standing every four or five metres along the footpath in the general vicinity of the Vatican, some trying to sell stuff, others trying to point you toward the entrances for museums, chapels, and other tourist attractions, most likely in an effort to get tips from American tourists. They just assume the only reason everyone is there is to do the touristy stuff and they will do anything to make a buck, especially off the Sistine Chapel. “Sir, the entrance to the Sistine Chapel is to the right. Sir? Sir…?” said one as we walked past him and was approached by another. “Sir, if you are looking for the Sistine Chapel, it’s just to the right,” said the next one, “Sir, do you need help?” inquired another, but my favourite had to be one we passed while walking through St. Peter’s Square; “Sir, this is not the Sistine Chapel.” No shit, Sherlock, I was able to figure that one out for myself because probably the most famous visible feature of the Sistine Chapel is its ceiling, covered by a world-renowned and critically-acclaimed painting by Michelangelo, consisting of nine scenes from the Book of Genesis. We, on the other hand, were standing in a sprawling outdoor area with an unobstructed view of a cloudless blue sky. Anna remarked that the Vatican had been cleaned up a lot since we were last there. Sure, the people trying to make a buck are a pain in the ass, but she told me that there aren’t as many gypsies, pickpockets, and criminals in general there. Just people bugging the shit out of tourists or trying to sell cheap souvenirs and fake handbags and quite a few homeless people and beggars. Apparently, last time we didn’t feel particularly safe in the Pope’s neighbourhood, but that wasn’t a problem this time so we took a couple of photos. Maybe it was just the time of the year, but it was a good thing we didn’t want to visit any of the sites because it was crowded as hell and this was on a Monday. Just look at the queues to get into the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica! I guess those annoying bastards are earning their keep:

Ann in front of a small portion of the queue

Panoramic shot of St. Peter’s Square

And another

That’s a long-ass line!

In front of the Obelisk at St. Peter’s Basilica

Back to the mission at hand — Getting those eggs. We were still perpetually getting hassled and I almost got to the point of asking the next person who inquired if I “need any help” if they happened to know how to get to the place that fries ostrich eggs, but I thought it was best not to encourage them. We eventually found our way to Eggs on our own, the walk there was beautiful, but the restaurant didn’t have ostrich eggs. They had the shells of ostrich eggs out the front, but the sole woman who who worked there spoke very little English so I pointed at the shells and she shook her head. Whether they don’t serve them or they just weren’t available that day is still a little unclear, but I still enjoyed the breakfast we had.

After breakfast we just walked around the city, checking out a different district to previous days, especially the market stalls that sold wine, cheese, ham, and salami, but one of the best decisions we made was going into Antica Salumeria, right near the Pantheon. Their website describes the place as follows:

Historical family from Norcia dedicated to salumeria for many generations.

Over the coure [sic] of the time it’s extended its branches in baking, food and pastry.

Loved by their loyal customers and by many tourists who rush into the store.

Screw the baking and pastry, if you love ham, salami, and cheese, this place will be to you what the Vatican is to Catholics! When we walked inside there was prosciutto and salamis hanging from the ceiling, as well as entire walls of cheese.

On our way to Eggs

The Pantheon

Out the front of Antica Salumeria

Once inside

Don’t worry, you were very tasty

Those black things up the top are wheels of cheese

Hemp cheese

We were given plenty of free samples and ultimately bought several shopping bags full of meat and cheese. The shop owners were extremely generous, giving us free bottles of olive oil and biscuits as we left.

We strolled around, another afternoon spent looking, eating, and shopping, be it for ourselves or buying gifts for friends and family back home. We found some interesting products available including a carrot sharpener (left). Judging by the text on the package, this product was most likely Danish, as opposed to Italian, but you never realise that you are coping without something until you first discover it. Still, with my giant tambourine, there probably isn’t enough room in my luggage for a carrot sharpener so I am destined to a life of blunt carrots.

Soon we were getting a little peckish again and it occured to us we still hadn’t had pizza since we had been in Rome. Neither of us felt like a big meal as we had already planned what we were having for dinner so we went to Alice Pizza. It may not have been traditional Italian pizza, more along the lines of fast food, but it was pretty damn good and with some kind of absurd flavours available, although it is hard to find a menu, leading me to believe that they change a lot of them daily. We went back to our apartment to relax for a while before dinner and before too long it was time to eat again, this time at a place that Anna loved last time we were in town.

After relaxing, we went out for dinner at Sorpasso. Sorpasso is split into two different places; Passaguai, which is mainly just a wine bar, and Sorpasso, the kitchen and restaurant area of the wine bar. We pulled up a seat and instantly recognised a couple of the waiters so Anna asked how long they had worked there and it turns out it was highly likely they were the ones that served us five years ago. Just as on that occasion, this time we ate like kings too.  We started off with a prosciutto platter, then had steamed cod with artichoke and some braised beef, followed by some pasta and a cheese platter. Have a look for yourself:

A carved tree stump near by

Anna insisted on a selfie

Ham platter

braised beef

Cod and artichoke

Some awesome broccoli pasta

Dinner was perfect, but our final night in Rome was only getting started. We went to a small nearby bar and sat in the main bar area, but it was little cramped and a tad depressing. It seemed like all the action was happening in the room next door, however, there was a sign that said it was a private function. The waitress said that it didn’t matter and that we should pull up a table and have some fun if there was a spare one. It turned out that there was so we crashed an office’s Christmas karaoke party and to say that it turned out hilarious is an understatement. Initially, we were welcomed with this group rendition of Wham’s seminal Christmas staple, Last Christmas:

The drinks flowed and the singing continued, some of it terrible, some of it quite decent, and on one occasion it was phenomenal. I’m referring to an African girl probably no older than about 12 or 13, the more-than-likely adopted daughter of one of the older employees, who did a mind-blowing rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s I will Survive. Things really got truly entertaining when, during a male employee’s heartfelt rendition of I’m Yours by Jason Mraz, it seemed that an incredibly drunk girl across the room (right) was flirting with me. She was constantly looking over at me, stroking the stem of her wine glass and occasionally mouthing the lyrics while staring me in the eyes, that kind of thing. Anna noticed as well and it was a running joke for us for the remainder of the night, but it was when I had to break the seal that it became clear that she was somewhat serious. The bathrooms in the bar were just two separate stalls side by side. I was in the midst of taking a leak in one stall when the door of the other stall closed and a woman’s voice began to sing seductively, “♫I’m yours…♫.” At first I thought it was just some regular drunk chick in the bathroom singing to herself, but when I went back to my seat I noticed the girl was no longer in hers. Anna then told me that the girl had got up just after I did and walked over to the direction of the bathroom. I informed her of what had happened while I was inside and neither of us could stop pissing ourselves for the rest of the night. Of course, the multitude of beer and wine certainly helped. We eventually staggered home, still laughing, and packed our stuff when we got back. Our flight was at around 11:00am the next morning and we don’t have the best track record when it comes to making flights comfortably on time so we figured we had better get some sleep.

Tuesday, December 19 I don’t usually make a big deal of writing about the day we leave, but in this particular case I’ll make an exception. We got up, enjoyed some of the free coffee and croissants that Gianluca, our host at QuodLebet, had prepared for us, accepted his parting gift of some traditional Roman Gentilini biscuits and half a kilogram of Gragano pasta from Naples and we were on our way to the airport. We got there with plenty of time to spare so we checked in and then went to the duty-free section to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Once that was completed we went up to the lounge and waited for our flight. In yet another example of our incredibly consistent ability to steal defeat from the jaws of victory at airports, we waited for the final boarding call and went to walk down to our boarding gate, which required us catching an elevator. We got in what we thought was the correct lift, albeit one with a bit of an industrial feel, and pressed the button for the floor, but it wouldn’t open when we arrived. Anna pressed the emergency button which rang an extremely loud bell, but the doors also eventually opened. We were then in an unfamiliar area so she pushed the handle on the first door in front of us, setting off a siren. It turned out that that door was to allow employees to access the tarmac. Oops We somehow found our way back to our gate, although we were the last to board our flight again, met with the same looks to what we experienced when we did something similar in Sweden. We made the 12-hour flight home, laughed while we were landing as a Chinese man who was at least in his mid-40s bawled while watching a documentary on the death of Princess Diana, and arrived back at our place at about 6:00am. I showered and, before going to bed for a nap, thought I’d weigh myself. Despite walking anywhere between 10-14 kilometres (6.2 – 8.6 miles) per day, I had still managed to pile on four kilograms (8.8 lbs)! I’m going to put it down to water retention from the flight or possible muscle development in my quads and gluts from all of the walking and climbing. No way was it all of that pasta.

Our second trip to Rome was a blast, just as we expected, but there were a few surprises, coincidences, and things we just generally don’t understand in Italy.

Pineapple, bitches!

First of all, despite all of the memes and everything else you may have read on the internet, yes, you can get pineapple on pizza in Italy (right). This one, however, might be a unique occurrence because it came from that Alice Pizza place and they did have some odd choices (banana pizza anyone?). Also, we never saw an actual Hawaiian pizza anywhere, but if this one exists, then there is nothing stopping anyone from adding a little ham to it.

Quite a lot of Uber and taxi drivers are called Massimo. In fact, almost every driver we had was called Massimo! The reason we noticed was when we ordered out first Uber, Anna said to me, “You’ll never guess what our driver’s name is.” I honestly had no idea what she was getting at so I just said something stereotypical like ‘Geppetto.’ “No,” Anna responded. “But do you remember The Bold and the Beautiful…?” It was hilarious at the time, but the reference lost its edge after we kept constantly encountering Massimos.

The final thing is quite a simple one — Why don’t public toilets have seats? Were people stealing them or something? I do everything I can to avoid a public toilet situation where I’m required to sit, but I think it would make the whole situation a little more tolerable if there were a seat. I’m not particularly good at hovering and that porcelain has to get a little cold on the cheeks during Winter.

Anyway, until next time, Italy, thanks to everyone who helped us out while we were in town and if you visit Rome make sure you stay at QuodLibet Guest House, you won’t regret it. The next time you’ll probably hear from me will be in a couple of weeks after I spend four nights in Bangkok with my mate, Owen.

Want to Gain Weight Rapidly? Visit Rome! We returned a little over a week ago from our final trip for 2017 which revolved around Anna speaking at the 

[global-news-station]

ROME: Shops and restaurants closed, hundreds of flights were canceled and streets emptied across Italy on Tuesday, the first day of an unprecedented, nationwide lockdown imposed to slow Europe’s worst outbreak of coronavirus.

Just hours after the dramatic new restrictions came into force, health authorities announced the death toll had jumped by 168 to 631, the largest rise in absolute numbers since the contagion came to light on Feb. 21.

The total number of confirmed cases rose at a much slower rate than recently seen, hitting 10,149 against a previous 9,172, but officials warned that the region at the epicenter, Lombardy, had provided incomplete data.

The government has told all Italians to stay at home and avoid non-essential travel until April 3, radically widening steps already taken in much of the wealthy north, which is the epicenter of the spreading contagion.

“Our civic duty is the only thing that can save us,” said Marzio Tonilo, 35, a teacher from the northern town of San Fiorano, which was placed under quarantine last month.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte unexpectedly expanded the so-called red zone to the entire country on Monday night, introducing the most severe controls on a Western nation since World War Two.

The move shocked many small businesses, which feared for their future.

“It looks like an apocalypse has struck, there is no one around,” said Mario Monfreda, who runs Larys restaurant in a smart Rome residential area. Under the government order, all bars and restaurants will now have to close at 6.00 p.m.

“It is a total disaster. This will reduce us to nothing … More people are going to die as a result of the economic crisis that this lockdown is going to cause than the virus itself.”

However, the prosperous northern region of Lombardy, centered on Italy’s financial capital Milan, called on the government to introduce even more stringent measures.

“I would shut down all the shops. I would certainly close down public transport and I would seek out all businesses that could be shut without creating excessive damage to the economy,” said Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana.

While Lombardy accounts for 74% of all the fatalities, the disease has now touched all of the country and the government is worried that if it worsens, the health system in the less developed south will collapse, causing deaths to spike.

ECONOMIC HIT

Rome landmarks including the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps were largely empty on Tuesday, while the Vatican closed St. Peter’s Square and St. Peter’s Basilica to tourists. Police told holidaymakers to return to their hotels.

For at least the next three weeks, anyone traveling in Italy will have to carry a document declaring their reasons. Outdoor events, including sports fixtures, have been suspended and schools and universities are all shuttered.

A former Treasury chief economist predicted that the lockdown measures were reducing Italy’s economic output by around 10-15%, with the tourism and transport sectors down about 90% on their normal levels.

Looking to mitigate the impact on ordinary Italians, the government is considering making banks offer customers a pause in their mortgage repayments. It also called for the European Union to relax its rules to allow more state spending.

“We will ask for the rules to be changed, it is a necessary condition, otherwise people will die,” Industry Minister Stefano Patuanelli told Radio Capital.

The Milan stock exchange fell a further 3.3% on Tuesday, meaning it has now slumped 29% since Feb. 20. Italy’s borrowing costs are also shooting up, reviving fears that an economy already on the brink of recession and struggling under the euro zone’s second-heaviest debt pile could be plunged into crisis.

The post Italy in coronavirus lockdown as deaths soar and economy fades appeared first on ARY NEWS.

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[gadgetsrevv]

PSG agree €15m keeper deal as Madrid decide against Chelsea man; director confirms Fernandes move

PSG and Real Madrid are close to completing a goalkeeper swap, while the sporting director of a Serie A side says he knows where Bruno Fernandes is going, according to Friday’s European papers.

  EURO GIANTS TO FINALISE KEEPER SWAP

Paris Saint-Germain are expected to announce the signing of Keylor Navas from Real Madrid on Monday, it is claimed.

The French champions have been chasing the Costa Rica number one throughout the summer, having sent Gianluigi Buffon back to Juventus, and with Navas eager for first team football after serving as Thibaut Courtois’ deputy last season.

Now, Marca claim that Navas will be presented as a PSG player on Monday, the last day of the European transfer window.

Madrid had been linked with several familiar names – including former Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina and current Chelsea backup Willy Caballero – as Navas’ replacement, but the Spanish source reveals that they will actually acquire PSG’s Alphonse Areola in return.

Navas will cost PSG €15m, while Areola – who previously played in La Liga with Villarreal – will move to the Spanish capital on loan.

  POGBA AGENT PUSHING FOR LAST-DITCH MOVE

Paul Pogba’s agent has reportedly pleaded with Manchester United to sell the wantaway star to Real Madrid before the European transfer window shuts on Monday.

Pogba, who has been strongly linked with a move to the Bernabeu all summer, has made no secret of his desire to quit Old Trafford and previously admitted he wants “a new challenge”.

The Frenchman’s agent Mino Raiola reiterated Pogba’s transfer stance last month when he told The Times: “Everyone knows the willingness of Paul to move on. We are in the process of that. Everyone knows what the feelings of Paul are.”

United have stood firm over their stance on the 26-year-old, although that hasn’t stopped the player’s representative from attempting to push through a last-ditch move, according to Marca.

A report on Thursday had suggested that Pogba would be happy to remain in Manchester for another season and then move to Real, although it would appear that the rumours over a move will not go away until after Monday’s deadline has closed.

The Spanish outlet has claimed that Raiola has told the Red Devils that Pogba will not extend his current United contract, which expires in June 2021, and urged them to sell him to Madrid for a whopping £181million.

Pogba is said to be desperate to play under Madrid manager and fellow countryman, Zinedine Zidane, but it seems like he may have to wait to seal his dream move – just like former Chelsea star Eden Hazard had to do.

  Get the latest personalised Red Devils products on our new TEAMtalk Man Utd shop!

  AND THE REST

Inter Milan want to sign Khouma Babacar from Sassuolo to become Romelu Lukaku’s understudy (Tuttosport)

AC Milan are weighing up a last-minute move for former Manchester United forward Memphis Depay (Tuttosport)

Barcelona defender Juan Miranda has completed his two-year loan move to Schalke (official)

Manchester United are set to scout prolific RB Salzburg striker Erling Braut Haaland, who Ole Gunnar Solskjaer coached at Molde (Salzburger Nachrichten)

Valencia are considering a late move for Newcastle’s Spanish defender Javier Manquillo (Super Deporte)

Kevin Mirallas has joined Royal Antwerp from Everton on a permanent basis (official)

Chris Smalling has completed his loan move from Manchester United to Roma (official)

Valencia are awaiting final approval from owner Peter Lim before confirming the loan signing of Rafinha from Barcelona (Diario Sport)

Fiorentina sporting director Daniel Prade says Bruno Fernandes is set to join Real Madrid for €70m, after revealing his side signed Dalbert from Inter after Sporting took Raphinha off the market (Marca)

PSG boss Thomas Tuchel has phoned Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele, 22, to convince him to move to the French capital as part of the Neymar deal (Le Parisien)

Robert Lewandowski has extended his contract at Bayern Munich by two years, taking his time at the Bundesliga champions through to 2023

Radja Nainggolan has revealed that Inter want Mauro Icardi out because his agent-wife Wanda Nara has caused problems in their dressing room (Corriere dello Sport)

Inter could send Icardi out on loan, although not to rivals Juventus (Sky Italia)

Mesut Ozil will not be making a last-minute exit from Arsenal ahead of the closure of the European transfer window, manager Unai Emery has confirmed

Former Tottenham striker Fernando Llorente has agreed a two-year deal with Napoli (Sky Italy)

Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny is due in Istanbul on Friday to sign a year-long loan with Besiktas (various)

AC Milan are preparing for a last-minute offer from Torino for Hakan Calhanoglu (SempreMilan)

Manchester United and Italy full-back Matteo Darmian, 29, is in negotiations for a return to Serie A with Parma (La Gazzetta dello Sport)

AC Milan are preparing a move for Udinese attacker Rodrigo De Paul (Calciomercato)

Fiorentina are reportedly considering a late move for Monaco striker Radamel Falcao (Football Italia)

Roma are reportedly ready to complete a triple swoop of transfers with the signing of Corinthians attacker Mateus Vital (Gianluca Di Marzio)

South Korea winger Lee Seung-woo has left Verona to join Belgian side Sint-Truiden on a permanent basis (Football Italia)

Milan left-back Diego Laxalt has arrived for his Torino medical after finally agreeing terms over a transfer (Football Italia)

Cagliari continue to reinforce their squad, as Robin Olsen and Giovanni Simeone signed for the Sardinians on Friday (official)

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[torentialtribute]

Lille president Gerard Lopez confirms four acceptable bids for Nicolas Pepe

& # 39; We have received offers for him to meet our requirements & # 39 ;: Lille president Gerard Lopez confirms four acceptable bids for Nicolas Pepe amid interest from Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal

Lille President Gerard Lopez has received four acceptable bids for Nicolas Pepe] Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal are all linked to the winger

by Peter Rutzler for Mailonline

published: 09:51 BST, July 26, 2019 | Updated: 09:51 BST, July 26, 2019

Lille president Gerard Lopez has confirmed that the French club has received four acceptable bids for Nicolas Pepe, with Napoli at their asking price of £ 71.7 million.

Pepe has attracted interest from all over Europe after an excellent outbreak campaign with Lille who qualified for the Champions League after second place in Paris Saint-Germain .

Manchester United Liverpool and Arsenal have all been associated with the 24-year-old, and Lopez confirmed in an interview with Tuttosport that four financially acceptable bids were made for the winger, including one from Napoli.

Lille President Gerard Lopez has confirmed four acceptable bids for Nicolas Pepe

We have received offers for him that meet our demands from four major clubs, "said Lopez, as quoted by Gianluca Di Marzio.

" Napoli made an offer for Pepe and they met at our asking price of 80 million.

& # 39; Now it is up to the player to decide where he wants to go based on the offers that his agents have received from those four clubs.

& # 39; Pepe is coming back from vacation on Monday and I think he will make his choice in the middle of next week. & # 39;

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[tipsoctopus]

Loads of Man United fans react to Kieran Trippier performance in Tottenham's CL defeat

Reported Manchester United target Kieran Trippier produced a disappointing display for Tottenham Hotspur in their 1-0 Champions League semi-final first leg defeat against Ajax on Tuesday, and Red Devils fans were quick to have their say on his display on Twitter.

The Express say that both United and Napoli are chasing the signature of the England international, with trusted Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio believing that the 28-year-old prefers a move to Old Trafford.

Should the former Burnley man sign for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men he would be competing against the likes of Ashley Young and Diogo Dalot for the right-back spot, but on this latest performance he would face a big struggle to get in the starting XI.

Find out which stadiums fans have nominated for the worst atmosphere in football in the video below…

According to Squawka he lost possession on 28 occasions – more than anyone else on the pitch – against the Eredivisie giants, while he once again struggled to make much of an impact at both ends of the field as Spurs failed to score or keep a clean sheet.

United supporters certainly weren’t impressed with what they saw from Trippier if their reaction on social media is anything to go by, with one even saying “Trippier is literally worse than Young”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Trippier no thanks get wan bissaka and Meunier! #MUFC

— Peter (@pg231076) April 30, 2019

Trippier had a great World Cup but has been awful this season. Definite purchase for #MUFC then 🙁

— John R. Watson (@John_R_Watson) April 30, 2019

We'll definitely sign Trippier, goodness me we're stupid

— Reyhan 🔰 🇬🇩 (@GreenzMUFC) April 30, 2019

Trippier is awful. I really hope I don't see another article linking us with him. Especially after rumours of a 'British core' being the agenda of the new DoF setup. #MUFC

— Ryan Kenealy (@ryan_kenealy) April 30, 2019

I hope the rumours about us trying to sign Trippier aren't true. It'd be like signing Ashley Young again but 5 years younger #mufc #totaja

— Mr Langford (@MrAdamLangford) April 30, 2019

I really hope want United are just using the Trippier rumours to shift focus away from main targets AWB & Meunier… #mufc

— Mark Mullins (@I_Am_Muffins) April 30, 2019

Please don't sign Trippier @ManUtd he's no better than Dalot who is 19

— MUFC (@MUFC1235) April 30, 2019

Really hope us going after Trippier is fake news, he is shocking lol

— Saf (@Saf_MUFC_) April 30, 2019

Hope the prospective director of football is watching Spurs tonight & has crossed Kieran Trippier off Woodward’s list of summer targets #mufc

— Stuart Dyson (@Debstu0) April 30, 2019

Who ever suggested trippier for united needs to be binned from scouting for united #mufc @ManUtd

— shipar ahmed (@shiparttn) April 30, 2019

Trippier is absolutely awful.

— MufcC🔋 (@MufcCentral_) April 30, 2019

Swear to god.. if United try to sign Trippier we might as well keep Young instead. #MUFC

— Cormac (@CormieD123) April 30, 2019

Please don’t sign Trippier it’d be a massive step backwards 😫 he’s awful #mufc

— Reece Dunbar (@reecedunbar94) April 30, 2019

I’m done if we replace Young with Trippier. He’s actually almost as bad. Just buy someone young and talented. Not another mediocre wasteman.

— Jaydn (@JaydnMUFC) April 30, 2019

Trippier is literally worse than Young , God help us 😔

— Boubs (@Whoisboubacar) April 30, 2019

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[romeplaces-blog]

Castel Sant’Angelo: da mausoleo a museo

Castel Sant’Angelo, detto anche Mausoleo di Adriano, è uno dei poli attrattivi più importanti di Roma, infatti lo abbiamo annoverato tra i musei da visitare assolutamente nel nostro articolo “Cosa vedere a Roma”. Per chi ama la storia, una visita a Castel Sant’Angelo è obbligatoria, perché in questo antico mausoleo si intersecano tra loro una moltitudine di concetti culturali fondamentali. Come ti spiegheremo in seguito, Castel Sant’Angelo era una tomba monumentale, che poi ha cambiato funzione nel corso dei millenni. Di fatto, oggi è considerato uno dei poli turistici più importanti del mondo, tant’è che si è posizionato quinto nella classifica dei musei più visitati. Per quanto riguarda gli orari e il prezzo del biglietto per poterlo visitare, ti rimandiamo alla fine di quest’articolo, dove troverai tutte le informazioni utili in questo senso.     I mausolei sono tombe pregiate, che era uso comune edificare in tempi antichi per onorare persone famose e personalità illustri. Basti pensare alla tomba di Tutankhamon, il faraone fanciullo. Il luogo dove sono conservate le sue spoglie è un’opera di inestimabile valore, forse una delle più preziose testimonianze dell’antichità per tutta l’umanità. Il culto dei morti è un comune denominatore di molte religioni, inclusa quella cattolica. Ricordarli dedicando loro tombe spettacolari e maestose era considerato, in tempi antichi, un gesto di rispetto e di devozione, nonché di buon augurio per la vita eterna nell’aldilà.     Stiamo per raccontarti l’affascinante storia di Castel Sant’Angelo e di tutto ciò che è successo tra le sue mura dal 125 d.C. ai giorni nostri. Sei pronto a ripercorrere oltre duemila anni di storia e di farti travolgere dal fascino di questo importantissimo monumento italiano? Allora cominciamo dalle origini, iniziando a scoprire chi era Adriano e perché gli è stata costruita una tomba così sfarzosa, maestosa e imponente. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({});

Indice

Castel Sant’Angelo: il Mausoleo di Adriano Castel Sant’Angelo dal 125 ad oggi: la storia Il museo di Castel Sant’Angelo e i suoi sette livelli Biglietti, prezzi e orari: informazioni utili per una visita a Sant’Angelo

  Castel Sant’Angelo: il Mausoleo di Adriano

Castel Sant’Angelo si chiamava, in origine, Mole Adriana o Mausoleo di Adriano. Adriano fu un importante imperatore romano e decise di edificare un monumento funebre per poter conservare, a tempo debito, le sue spoglie e quelle dei suoi familiari. I lavori per la costruzione dell’imponente mausoleo cominciarono nel 125 d.C. e per il progetto Adriano si ispirò a una tomba altrettanto nobile, ossia quella di Augusto.   Non a caso, la Mole Adriana sorge di fronte a Campo Marzio, territorio sul quale è ubicato il mausoleo augusteo. La costruzione fu terminata solo nel 139 d.C. per mano di Antonino Pio. Il Mausoleo di Adriano era, originariamente, una struttura cubica interamente rivestita in travertino, una roccia calcarea che rappresentava una delle materie prime più utilizzate per l’edilizia di quell’epoca. La tomba era decorata con una grande statua in bronzo che rappresentava Adriano alla guida di un cocchio trainato da quattro cavalli. Secondo alcuni appassionati di mitologia, questa scelta sarebbe un parallelismo tra l’imperatore Adriano e il Dio Apollo, divinità del sole.   L’interno della Mole Adriana comprendeva alcuni pozzi di luce che riflettevano sul marmo e sulla pietra della costruzione, creando giochi cromatici ed effetti naturali particolarmente suggestivi e spettacolari. L’imperatore Adriano fu sepolto nel suo mausoleo, insieme alla moglie Vibia Sabina ma Castel Sant’Angelo accoglie i resti di altri personaggi storici altrettanto importanti: l’imperatore Antonino Pio e la moglie Faustina con i tre figli, Commodo, Marco Aurelio, Settimio Saverio con la moglie Giulia, Geta e Caracalla.

Castel Sant’Angelo dal 125 ad oggi: la storia

Nel Medioevo, cioè attorno all’anno ‘400, Castel Sant’Angelo perse la sua unica funzione di mausoleo e diventò un fortino edilizio. Tutt’attorno alla struttura furono costruite delle mura di protezione, per volere di Marco Aurelio che infatti le battezzò “mura aureliane”. Questa scelta strategica non fu fatta senza cognizione di causa. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({}); L’eccezionale posizione della Mole Adriana, collegata alla terraferma grazie a un ponte costruito sul Tevere, rendeva difficoltoso e poco agibile l’attacco da parte dei nemici. Da questo momento in poi l’edificio smise di chiamarsi “mausoleo” e prese il nome di “castellum”. Quando i soldati avversari correvano lungo il ponte, con l’intenzione di assaltare la proprietà, i castellani scagliavano loro contro qualsiasi oggetto avessero a portata di mano, incluse statue preziose.   Il ritrovamento di una meravigliosa opera d’arte raffigurante un angelo nel fiume sottostante diede il nome a Castel Sant’Angelo. Sempre perché l’edificio era ben isolato grazie al ponte e alle mura, nel ‘500 Teodorico lo adibì a prigione. Nessun carcerato sarebbe infatti riuscito a scappare eludendo la vigilanza delle guardie: il percorso, sia in entrata che in uscita, era difficoltoso e impervio.   A metà del 1900 Castel Sant’Angelo diventò di proprietà dei Crescenzi che poi lo regalarono alla Chiesa. Alla fine del 1300 la struttura di Castel Sant’Angelo subì gravi e ingenti danni durante le lotte popolari contro i francesi. I secoli successivi servirono a ristrutturarlo e a rimetterlo in sesto, cercando di preservarne le caratteristiche architettoniche principali e il contenuto. Dopo l’Unita d’Italia, diventata nuovamente una struttura solida e sicura, Castel Sant’Angelo fu utilizzato come caserma per l’addestramento dei soldati e infine come museo conservativo ed espositivo, funzione che mantiene tutt’oggi.

Il museo di Castel Sant’Angelo e i suoi sette livelli

   La meraviglia e lo stupore di fronte a Castel Sant’Angelo s’impadronisce del visitatore prima ancora che questi entri nel museo. Percorrendo il ponte che porta all’ingresso si possono ammirare le statue angeliche, una più bella e maestosa dell’altra. La processione degli angeli termina con la statua che si erge sul tetto del castello.   Una volta era una rappresentazione in legno ma il tempo l’ha consumata e distrutta. Oggi, sopra Castel Sant’Angelo campeggia un superbo angelo in bronzo del 1753, opera dello scultore Peter Anton Von Verschaffelt. Il museo di Castel Sant’Angelo si struttura su sette livelli, ognuno dei quali rappresentativo di una circoscritta epoca storica dell’edificio. I primi tre ambienti sono dedicati al mausoleo vero e proprio. Attraversandoli si arriva alla sala delle urne. Il terzo livello permette di ammirare il castello e di immaginarne la sua funzione protettiva medievale.   È possibile passeggiare lungo il camminamento di ronda, che altro non era che il ponte sul quale si appostavano le vedette per controllare continuamente, giorno e notte, che non si avvicinassero nemici al proprio forte. Il quarto livello è il Cortile dell’Angelo, dove ci sono il pozzo e la stufetta. Il quinto livello è quello cosiddetto residenziale, caratterizzato da ambienti sfarzosi ricchi di dipinti, manufatti preziosi e colori sgargianti tipici dell’arte rinascimentale. Al sesto livello si trova la Biblioteca e all’ultimo l’Archivio. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({});

Biglietti, prezzi e orari: informazioni utili per una visita a Sant’Angelo

  Ti abbiamo fatto venire voglia di precipitarti a visitare Castel Sant’Angelo, vero? Eccoti alcune informazioni utili per organizzare la tua visita al museo del Mausoleo Adriano in maniera pratica e veloce: orari di apertura al pubblico: tutti i giorni dalle 9.00 alle 19.00; giorni di chiusura: 1 maggio, 25 dicembre, 1 gennaio; l’ingresso per i minorenni è sempre gratuito; i giovani europei di età compresa tra i 18 e i 25 anni pagano il biglietto ridotto, che costa 7,00 euro; il prezzo del biglietto intero è di 14,00 euro; esistono convenzioni e ingressi gratuiti per gli studenti universitari delle facoltà letterarie e artistiche e per i docenti delle stesse materie; si possono ottenere sconti per gruppi e gite scolastiche; tutte le informazioni aggiuntive si ottengono semplicemente chiamando il numero dedicato +39 06-32810. Se sei in possesso di una Roma Pass, controlla sul nostro articolo se Castel Sant’Angelo è un museo convenzionato e prenota subito la tua visita gratuita. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({}); Read the full article

[kenzymirror]

Edin Dzeko to Chelsea a done deal within 72hrs

  Roma striker, Edin Dzeko has agreed a move to Chelsea this January. Manager, Antonio Conte is in search of a back-up striker to support Alvaro Morata for the remainder of the 2017/18 campaign with names such as Andy Carroll, Peter Crouch and Jamie Vardy being mentioned but it’s understood the Blues are closing in on a deal for Dzeko. Italian outlet, Gianluca Di Marzio, claims Dzeko has reached an agreement with Chelsea and said “yes” to Conte over a move to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are also keen on signing Dzeko’s team-mate at Roma, Emerson Palmieri, and talks over a double deal are set to resume next week. It’s understood that Roma want a combined fee of around £44million from Chelsea for the duo, while out-of-favour Michy Batshuayi could complete a loan move in the opposite direction.

from Blogger http://ift.tt/2mUK6Ze

[nikescorner]

Dzeko Sets To Complete Chelsea Move.

Roma striker, Edin Dzeko has agreed a move to Chelsea this January.

Manager, Antonio Conte is in search of a back-up striker to support Alvaro Morata for the remainder of the 2017/18 campaign with names such as Andy Carroll, Peter Crouch and Jamie Vardy being mentioned but it’s understood the Blues are closing in on a deal for Dzeko.

Italian outlet, Gianluca Di Marzio, claims Dzeko has reached…

[juliandmouton30]

Dima Srouji attempts to revive Palestinian glassblowing with Hollow Forms

Palestinian architect Dima Srouji worked with traditional glassblowers from the small West Bank village of Jaba' to create this series of unusual vessels, which were on show at Amman Design Week.

Srouji was concerned the ancient craft was dying due to the region's isolation, so she devised the Hollow Forms project to introduce the glassblowers to contemporary design approaches. The craftsmen worked from her 3D renderings, creating abstract vessels inspired by the Palestinian land.

"The glass blowing industry in Palestine is one of the most beautiful and technically advanced local traditions," said Srouji. "The tradition has managed to survive for the last seven centuries; however, due to the fragility of the political context and the fragility of the material itself, the exportation of the products has decreased dramatically in recent years."

"To revive this tradition the concept of this project is to experiment with more contemporary forms and collaborate with the craftsmen in the area to produce a provocative exhibition. The goal is to highlight the cultural heritage while maintaining the current global standard of product design."

While Srouji was teaching craftsmen Ali and Marwan Twam contemporary design, they imparted their glassblowing techniques on her in exchange. They use a particular method called lampworking, which uses a burner torch to soften and sculpt the glass.

The exposure to the process gave Srouji the opportunity to discover its quirks and allowed her to adapt her designs in collaboration with the glassblowers.

"As I started learning how the process works myself and spent more time hands on, I realised that the fluidity of the material can generate forms that are more aesthetically powerful because of the factor of human intuition," Srouji told Dezeen.

"For example, one of the pieces has a really long blue neck. The proportions are all identical to the 3D form on the computer, but as we started creating the piece, I realised that it's more beautiful with the long elegant neck. Allowing ourselves to get lost in the translation is actually where the creativity and collaboration are really at their peak in the process."

While the finished forms have an animalistic appearance, they are actually driven by Srouji's architectural studies at Yale University, where she studied under Peter Eisenman and Greg Lynn.

"Like Piranesi's Campo Marzio, which Tafuri calls 'the absolute disintegration of formal order', this experiment looks at what the relationship of these figures are to each other and they can create a heterogeneous field," said Srouji.

"I'm poking a little bit at formalism by using inspiration from the Palestinian land, the history of the craft, and the people I'm working with. I try to evoke the spirit of the place while giving the forms some agency. Piranesi produced a virtual Rome outside of its real time and space, and with this inspiration, I visualise Palestine as a series of strange hollow forms — a kind of fantasy."

After living and practicing in London, New Haven and Milan, Srouji is now based in Ramallah. She works for the Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conversation to renovate Palestinian villages — which is what brought her to Jaba' and to the door of glassblowers Marwan and Ali, for whom she is renovating a new workshop.

The Hollow Forms project was on show at The Hanger, the main exhibition space for Amman Design Week, which ran from 6 to 14 October. Emerging Jordanian designers made a strong showing in the exhibition, alongside works by designers from across the region.

Related story

10 emerging Jordanian designers shaping the future of the Middle East

The post Dima Srouji attempts to revive Palestinian glassblowing with Hollow Forms appeared first on Dezeen.

from ifttt-furniture https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/15/dima-srouji-attempts-to-revive-palestinian-glassblowing-with-hollow-forms-amman-design-week/