How to Tour Italy

Voted one of the world's best Travel Podcasts!

2009-08-03T17:53:00.003-05:00

I am excited to post that How to Tour Italy was voted one of the best travel podcasts in the world. Check it out here. Download it here and decide for yourself.

Thank you Donald Strachan for your kind words. And thank you Telegraph UK for printing it.

I'm am most grateful and humble.

Context Travel is up for a NatGeo Award!

2009-07-19T04:18:00.004-05:00

Context Travel is a finalist in the National Geographic Sustainable Tourism Award. This is a huge deal and a well deserved honor. Please click on this link and help Context earn this prestigious award. http://geotourism.changemakers.com/en-us/node/16599/vote

How to save money in Italy

2009-07-06T03:08:00.004-05:00

Italy can get expensive. Follow these tips to save money every step of the way.

1. Book your hotel on www.howtotouritaly.com through my Venere partnership and sort by price. You're in Italy to be in Italy not your hotel room. As long as you have a private bath and shower you are good to go.

a. Rent an apartment for the week at www.howtotouritaly.com. Much cheaper than a hotel room.

2. No need to stay next to the Pantheon in Rome or the Piazza San Marco in Venice. Italian cities are small and walkable...yes, even Rome. The 15-20 minute walk to the main sights will save you a bundle of money and help you work off those fabulous Italian meals you'll enjoy. Plus, being a bit away from the main sights means your hotel will be a lot more quiet.

3. Eat panini or pizza for lunch at a cafe.

4. Shop at the local market for fruit and snack on it throughout the day so you eat less at the restaurants.

5. Grab those breadsticks in the package from the restaurants you eat in and toss them in your bag.

6. Buy one bottle of water and refill it at the FREE fountains in Rome, Florence, Venice, and Siena. Can't find a fountain? Pop in to the cafe and fill it up from the tap.

7. Buy and drink only house wine by the 1/2 or full liter.

8. Eat far away from the tourist sights.

9. Take the bus or metro everywhere you go...never take a cab.

10. Walk, walk, walk everywhere.

11. Rent an apartment with a kitchen, shop at the market, cook at home.

12. Need shampoo or something? Go to the dollar stores. They have them all over.

13. Don't buy soda, water, or gelato from the carts near the sights. Expensive and not too good.

14. Buy your train tickets when you get to Italy and save the service charge. There are lots of trains available so when you get to Rome, or wherever, go to the train station and buy your tickets then. You can choose the date to travel, the time, and you can make a seat reservation all at the kiosk. The days of rail passes are pretty much over.

15. Eat a snack before dinner like a panino or some cheese that you bought at the market or an affordable cafe. Then at dinner you can share an antipasti, primi, and secondi. Better yet don't get a secondi...they are usually the most expensive anyway.

16. Grab a kabob for lunch. I know you're in Italy, but they are good and affordable.

17. Go to aperativo hour (happy hour) at the cafe. Grab a glass of wine and snack on the great free food that is available. Then go to dinner so you can order small.

18. Don't go to Venice! Just kidding. Perhaps make it a day trip. Venice is a very expensive city and that includes the food, public transportation, and hotels.

a. To get from the train station to St. Marks is Euro 6,50 by water bus. Or you can walk over the bridge to Sestieri Santa Croce (a great neighborhood) and cross through to St. Marks Square by foot. Fun, easy, and beautiful. Best of all it's free and not very far at all.

b. Venice doesn't offer free aperativo like the rest of Italy because the finger foods are part of their local culture and cuisine called cichetti. This a great way to eat in Venice for a lot less money than a formal dinner. So, hit a cafe and grab some cichetti. Or better yet. Do a cichetti walk and find a few to enjoy and skip dinner altogether.

c. Stay in the Sestieri Castello in Venice. You can find a place for around Euro 90,00 a night most of the year.

19. Never sit at a cafe. Order at the bar, drink or eat it at the bar, and save the surcharge and cover of table service.

20. Take full advantage of the free breakfast at your hotel.

The Key is fun, the comes understanding

2009-07-06T02:57:00.003-05:00

The key is fun, then comes understanding. What do I mean? Italy is filled with historical and artistic treasures that can get overwhelming. Take your time, have fun. Those terms from art history class aren't really too important. The key is to soak in the beauty, understand the story that is being portrayed, and then comes understanding. The most important step is simply having fun. Then, embrace the story. Once you do steps 1 and 2 the understanding is a very easy next and final step.

Don't weigh yourself down with names, dates, and eras beyond the artist's name and the name of the work. It doesn't matter if the work was gilded, controposto, sfumato, or anything else. Just soak it in and enjoy.

Watch my video on one of the sculptures from the Loggia in Florence and you'll see what I mean.

Enjoy Italy. Feed your soul.

Cooking Vacations, Limoncello, and a great view

2009-07-02T13:25:00.005-05:00

During the How to Tour Italy Project I have been lucky to enjoy the greatest of Italy. The best part is everything I have done I've told you about during my show or on a video. Some of my favorite moments have been the food and cooking segments. In this segment I enjoy one of the greatest views in Positano at Cooking Vacations...from their deck! I got to make and drink the best Limoncello I've ever had, and I finally figured out that those huge yellow things aren't lemons at all.

Their are so many great things about Positano, but the food is at the top of the list for me. That puts the view in second and the view is amazing so you can only imagine how good the food is. Be sure to take a cooking class at Cooking Vacations to dig in to the culture and cuisine of Positano.

Don't take my word for it. Watch the videos (link to second video) and listen to the interview on the How to Tour Italy radio show.

The Pantheon

2009-07-02T12:59:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite sights in the world the Pantheon always delivers. It doesn't matter if it is the first time you've seen it or the 1000th...the Pantheon is one of those sights that will send chills down your spine. I love and every chance I get I sit in awe of it. I go inside and enjoy the wonderful dome. I stare at Raphael's tomb reading my favorite epitaph :

Here lies Raphael. While he lived Mother Nature feared to be outdone. When he died she feared to die with him.

I don't think a cooler epitaph exists anywhere.

I feel lucky when I'm in the Pantheon and a bird is flying around the dome. It really puts it in perspective. In fact, on my video from the Pantheon you can see a bird flying around the dome towards the end of the video...cool stuff.

Check out my video for more information on the great Pantheon of Rome.

And remember...Marcus Agrippa built this :)

Those annoying flower peddlers in Italy

2009-07-02T04:42:00.003-05:00

There is nothing you can do to avoid them. They'll hound you, they'll bother you, they won't leave you alone. As you're taking a bite of Cacio Pepe, as you're sipping your red...all of a sudden you get a flower shoved in your face, or a stuffed animal dropped on your table.

They are everywhere and will annoy you all night long. The only city I haven't seen them in is Siena. Rome and Milan they are the worst. Florence does a good job of keeping them a bay, but they're here too.

Check out my video on these guys. It's a sad commentary. I filmed it in only two drinks sitting at Campo dei Fiori in Rome.

Tips: Don't buy anything, don't try to be funny and negotiate, don't take anything they hand you, don't make eye contact. Say NO firmly!

Don't wait in line for the Colosseum!

2009-07-01T07:30:00.003-05:00

Do yourself a favor and take my advice on avoiding the line at the Colosseum. It's easy. Simply buy your 3 way ticket for the Forum, Palatine Hill, and Colosseum at the Forum or Palatine Hill. Enjoy both the Forum and the Hill first, then go to the Colosseum walking right past those that are in line to buy tickets or PICK UP THEIR RESERVED TICKETS from the ticket window at the Colosseum. If you take my advice you walk right through the middle line into the Colosseum and won't waste a minute of you time.

Check out my video on it.

Enjoy Rome with no line by visiting www.howtotouritaly.com. Also, subscribe to my podcasts on iTunes for free.

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers...oh my!

2009-07-01T07:22:00.003-05:00

A real Italian treat. These delightful pockets of Heaven are made differently in each region, but I prefer those from Rome (Lazio). They are stuffed with Mozzarella cheese and anchovies, then given and egg bath and rolled in flour. Follow this up with a quick fry and a light dusting of salt and you have one of the best treats you can find in Italy.

Check out my video on how to make Fiori di Zucchi Fritti and you'll be enjoying them at home in no time.

Leather and Mosaics in Florence

2009-07-01T05:41:00.003-05:00

Two great things to do in Florence are the Leather School at Santa Croce and the Mosaic School right around the corner. Both are free and well worth a stop.

The Leather School can be entered through the bookstore at Santa Croce or the side of the church. The leather isn't cheap, but the quality is exceptional. You can find smaller items that are affordable and are great for gifts back home.

The Mosaic School on Via Macci is amazing. You can see firsthand how the masters of old worked with mosaic to create their masterpieces throughout Italy. Be sure to check out the mosaic of the Sistine Chapel ceiling...OMG.

Check out my video on these two free stops in Florence.

4 Rivers, a Great Piazza, and Chariot Races

2009-06-30T05:19:00.003-05:00

Rome is a lot of things. It is a city of Fountains. It is a city of Popes. It is a city of Emperors. You can't go to Rome and not visit, in fact, visit often, one of the coolest piazzas in Italy...Piazza Navona. It was once a chariot racing arena built by the Emperor Domitian. Bernini built the amazing fountain of Four Rivers in the center. His sworn enemy built the church and the pope's palace on it. And today lots of artists, vendors, restaurants, and tourist pack it.

Just off the piazza you can enjoy Rome's most famous outdoor market, paintings by Caravaggio, the Pantheon, and lots lots more.

Check out my video on the Fountain of 4 Rivers and Piazza Navona.

Join me on Twitter: ajcspqr or on Facebook at How to Tour Italy.

Using the auto-tix machine is the way to go!

2009-06-30T01:40:00.004-05:00

The line at the train station ticket counter is always long and now, totally unnecessary. Using the automatic ticket machine is a snap. (On a side note, as I type this post, the bells of Santa Croce are ringing in Florence just down the street from my apartment.) They have an easy to use English option and the screens are simple to use.

All you have to do is choose your destination city, the date you wish to travel, how many passengers, whether or not you want to reserve a seat, and then pick the train you want to travel. You can pick today or any date in the future.

There is really no reason not to use the automatic ticket machine and avoid the lines.

Check out my video on it. It takes all of 2 minutes to buy my tickets.

Knobby Kneed Lamp-posts of Florence

2009-06-22T02:52:00.004-05:00

Florence is a lot of things, but something I especially love are the lamp-posts along the Arno River. What a great city. They have taken the time and spent the money to polish something up as simple as a lamp-post. Since a picture is worth a thousand words I'll just show you.

Graffiti Dripping off of the Walls in Italy

2009-06-20T13:41:00.003-05:00

Wow. The graffiti seems extraordinarily bad this year. It is literally everywhere and all over everything. I'm amazed where people will put it too. In side the Colosseum, on the School of Athens, on every building, on every train, on anything. Somehow the major sites avoid getting "tagged" but it still really sucks.

I know every major city has its issues with vandalism, but Italy is overrun with it. I don't like complaining, but maybe it's time someone in Italy did something about it. I have no idea what to propose, I don't have a solution, so I guess I'm simply venting.

Enough is enough.

Fagioli Uccelletto - A Tuscan Treat and easy to make

2009-06-12T16:31:00.003-05:00

When you come to Tuscany be sure to eat lots of beans and focus on Fagioli Uccelletto. This delicious dish has beans, tomatoes, and sage with a touch of garlic.

Here is how to make it:

1. Add oil to a frying pan, put whole cloves of garlic in the oil (be sure they have been crushed with your hand to break them open) and turn on the flame. Add your Sage too...4-5 leaves whole.

2. Cook until the garlic begins to sizzle and pop. When it is sufficiently browned take it out of the oil.

3. Drop your beans in now. Use two cans (serves 4) of Cannellini beans. I drain the oil out of one of the cans.

4. Cook for 5-7 minutes.

5. Add 1/2 of a can of tomato paste. Let cook for a minute, then stir it with a wooden spoon.

6. Purists stop here, but I like to add one can of whole peeled tomatoes for good measure. It tastes good and delivers lots of sauce for dunking. The key here is to pour the tomatoes from the can to a bowl and pop all of them open by hand, then add it to the pan.

7. Let it cook on medium heat and reduce for about 20 minutes. Stir it, and turn the heat down after 10 minutes to low.

8. Enjoy with a loaf of Tuscan Bread.

This dish is even better on day two so make plenty so you have leftovers.

La Piazzetta - The best Florentine Steak in Florence!

2009-06-12T16:16:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite spots in Florence at Via di Ripoli 43/R. It is not in the center and you'll have to take a bus or a cab to get here. Don't worry, after dinner, they'll call you a cab to get you back to your hotel. This place is filled with locals. You will very likely be the only tourist there and that is fantastic.

1. The Florentine Steak here is so good it hurts. I don't care what you've heard, or read this is the best place to get the coveted Florentine steak. They do it right every time and this is the best in town.

2. The grilled and skewered meat is fantastic. They skewer it, cook it on the grill perfectly, and hang it from a stand at your table so you can dig in like a true carnivore.

3. Do you like seafood? If so, then this place still rocks. They have a wonderful, for lack of a better term, Paella loaded with seafood and big enough to feed the entire table.

4. Still hungry? The pizza here is outrageously good with so many options any pizza lover can find exactly what they're looking for. They make Vera Pizza here.

5. Room for more still? The pasta is very nice. Go with one of the meat pastas to take advantage of their incredible meat selection.

6. The house wine is a bottle and not a carafe of wine, but don't worry...it's cheap and very good.

7. The dolci is fantastic. A huge list to choose from. I love the first one on the dolci page.

8. Still have room? The Grappa list is impressive.

9. Digestivo! End with a nice Cynar a little espresso and roll into your cab.

10. Price tag - Not bad at all. Very affordable or can get a little pricey if you go with a large meat selection.

VERY GOOD! Excellent in fact! Check out their website. The menu is posted.

I forgot one thing. They have a great outdoor seating area that will make you smile and the night even more fun.

Good Eats in Florence II

2009-06-12T15:36:00.003-05:00

These are in no particular order

1. Birreria Centrale at Piazza Cimatori 1/R - This unbelievably good spot is just down the street from Dante's house and is in the medieval district of Florence. It is small so get there early or late. In the nicer months they double in capacity due to the fantastic outdoor seating. Beware of the annoying flower and junk peddlers though. For a great meal in Florence you really can't miss here. The chairs inside are old church pews. The crostini are fantastic, the pasta misti is a great primi piatti and allows you to try 4 different pastas and sauces. It comes on a little hot plate. The real treat here is the Florentine Steak...OMG. It is at the top of the charts for me where Florentine Steak is concerned. The staff is wonderful.

2. Cart with no name near Birreria Centrale at Piazza Cimatori - A great little place to grab a bite. It is lined up with locals during the lunch hour. They serve all kinds of panini, but specialize in Florentine Tripe sandwiches. The price is right too. Refill your water, pop, grab a panini, and off you go. Nowhere to sit though. You have to stand or find a seat elsewhere.

3. Golden View Open Bar at Via de Bardi 54 - 64/R - The view here is spectacular and caters to Americans. They have live jazz every night, the staff speaks better English than I do, and the view...oh my, the view. If you call ahead and make a reservation you can get a table at the window. I recommend reservations here because it fills up quickly. This is a trendy little spot with huge, luxurious bathrooms that is filled to the rim with American travelers. The food was excellent, but in my opinion, has lost a few notches. My antipasti was excellent, my pasta was ok, my second course wasn't good at all. I've eaten here a few times to make sure I'm not catching them on a bad night. I don't want to overanalyze it, but it should make your list, but no this isn't the best food. The place itself is amazing. It overlooks the Arno, Ponte Vecchio, and the Uffizi. The wine list is huge and well put together.

4. Gusto Leo at Via Proconsolo 8-10/R - This place is next door to the Rum e Pere cafe and caters to tourists. I have to admit...it isn't too bad. Come for the bruschetta, stay for the pizza, and move on. My favorite bruschetta is the one with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Simple, but good.

5. Naima at Via dell'anguillara 54/R - A GREAT stop for lots of reasons. During the day it is quiet with great prices, great espresso, and cold bottled water. Take a break from the heat and catch up on email with their free WiFi. The staff here is great. Some of the nicest in Florence. Matteo is the best bartenders you'll find in Florence. He's happy to whip up all number of frozen, tropical drinks and makes the best Mojito I've ever had. The lunch here is good too. Naima has one of the best happy hour buffet you'll find here in Florence. At night it gets pretty busy with college students, and it is always fun to hang out here.

6. Grana Market just up the street from Birreria Centrale - Go here, grab some wine, some olives, some salami, and a little cheese and sit at the well in the Piazza by Dante's house.

Great eats - Florence

2009-06-12T15:16:00.003-05:00

These are listed in no particular order.

1. Le Colonnine at Via de' Benci 6/R - a good spot for lunch very near Santa Croce. This is a well-priced spot with good pizza and crostini. Indoor and outdoor seating.

2. Rubaconte at Via Ghibellina 178/R - Not too far from the Bargello this place has great A/C for a little retreat from the Italy heat and some good pizza and pasta. Their Fagioli Uccelletto is very good. They are used to serving large groups from walking tours so they move pretty quickly if you're pressed for time. The Olio Piccante is very good here.

3. Bar Rum e Pere at Via Proconsolo 2/R - directly next door to the Bargello. Make this your cafe. It is very well priced for being so close to a great museum. It is really a little local joint tucked in to the center of Florence. You pay less the Euro 1,00 for a good espresso. The beer is cold, the wine isn't bad either. Stick to the bar here. The food is below average since it isn't make on premise, but bought and stacked into the cooler. They have a bathroom if you're in a jam; buy an espresso at least though.

4. Grom at Via di Campanile and the corner of Via Oche a very short walk from the Duomo - This is the third best gelato in Florence and I included it in my Gelato, Chocolate, and Panini walking tour (download it from iTunes and print it off for walking directions too). I like the granita here and the pistacchio.

5. Trattoria Alfredo at Via dei Leoni 14/R - A very short walk to the Uffizi, Piazza Signoria, the Bargello, and my favorite gelato in Florence Alfredo isn't too bad at all. The crostini are good, the chef's pasta of the day is always a good bet, and the service is good. They have good fruit salad here as well.

Lemon Ice aka Granita in Positano

2009-06-12T14:42:00.003-05:00

The best things in life aren't usually free, but they don't have to be expensive. A favorite treat of mine throughout Italy is the granita. I love lemon granita. There isn't a better place to get lemon granita than the Amalfi Coast. In Positano, every day, I would go to the little lemon granita cart just up the walkway and stairs from the beach, near the cab stand, the cool art store, and the bus stop that takes you to the top of Positano. You can't miss it. It is set up on your right as you walk up the hill. Directly across from it is an art store that has the coolest picture of the beach from the 80's I've ever seen ( it's of a girl with an amazing tan line :) ). The lemon Ice is only Euro 1,50 and tastes so good once it hits your lips that you'll keep coming back for more. So much so that you may even spoil your dinner. Don't be concerned that the portion is too small...it isn't. In fact it is just right. Enjoy it and go back as often as you can.

Positano Dining

2009-06-12T14:09:00.008-05:00

One of the wonders of the Amalfi Coast is the food, sometimes above its amazing beauty. There is a lot more to enjoy than limoncello in one of the most beautiful places to visit in Italy.

1. La Tagliata - Simply one of the best restaurants in the whole of Italy. This is a family run place that delivers 100% of the time. There is no menu, they use the vegetables from their garden, Mom cooks, Dad grills, the Sons cook and serve too. Start to finish amazing. For only Euro 35,00 per person you get 8 different antipasti delivered to your table, then a huge family sized plate of the pastas of the day. After that they'll bring over a platter of grilled meats that would make any carnivore cry. The limoncello is home-made, the dolci is too. I had a cake made with Ricotta cheese and pear that brought me to my knees. I can say that if God came to Italy to eat he would go to Positano and dine at La Tagliata. I interview the family during the How to Tour Italy show. One more thing...they have a pick-up and drop-off service. Just have your hotel call or email them (link is their name) and they'll come get you and drop you off for free.

2. Da Vincenzo - This great little spot is open for lunch and dinner and is about half-way up the hill in Positano. You can walk or take the bus...it's easy. Watch my video on getting around in Positano. This place has been in the family since Nonna had it as a grocery store. He started cooking for friends and one thing led to another. Now his grandson, also named Vincenzo, is the namesake for this great place and his Mom and Dad are the owners. When we did the interview for the How to Tour Italy Project with Vincenzo we got a tour through the kitchen as the chefs prepared the menu and dishes for the day. They chopped fresh tuna, made fresh pasta, and Mom and Dad cleaned and peeled beans. The espresso was delicious which came as a perfect ending to a molten-lava, homemade chocolate cake that made me look forward to the hike down the mountain to shag a few pounds. A must stop in Positano.

3. Grottino Azzure - One of my favorite little local spots in Positano. It is near the top near Via Chiesa Nuova next door the Bar International. Every local knows where it is. You can take the bus up to it too. (watch my video). I had a fantastic bruschetta and a nice arrabiatta sauce. When it took a little too long they brought over a little pizza. It was cheap and it was great. This is a real local spot so be ready for the local fare, the local pace, and a great bill.

4. Bar International - A great stop for a great espresso, a little snack, some chips, cheap beer, wine and water. This is a local cafe and one worth the tiny bit of effort to get to in Positano. It is near Via Chieso Nuova directly across the street from a bus stop. Any local can tell which stop to hop off at for a little Bar International espresso.

5. Valle dei Mulini - On the mid to lower side of the hill in Positano near some great clothes shops this little gem has a great garden that you sit in to enjoy lunch or dinner. I have to admit that the server was a bit of a pain, but the food made up for it. The pizza was great, but the real claim to fame here was my antipasti. It was simply grilled vegetables in oil with a touch of salt, but the bufala Mozzarella was grilled and drizzled with a little honey...OMG! Amazing and worth the price of admission for sure.

6. If you want or need some additional tips on where to go or what to eat email me at ajc@howtotouritaly and I can dig around for more insider tips from my friends that live in Positano to help you make your trip fantastic.

Getting to the Amalfi Coast on the Circumvesuviana

2009-06-12T12:51:00.003-05:00

It's a snap. All you have to do is get to Naples. At the Naples train station called Napoli Centrali simply follow the signs to Circumvesuviana.

1. As you get off a train you'll walk down the binaro towards the station.

2. You'll walk to your left.

3. Hit up any of the tabacchi in the station along the way to buy your tickets.

4. Be sure to hit the bathroom. It's a long ride (about an hour and a half) to Sorrento and once you enter the corridor leading from the main Naples train station to Circumvesuviana there is no bathroom.

5. If you need cash there is an ATM (Bancomat in Italy) down the same corridor towards the Circumvesuviana line. You have to slide your card to be let into the room through a secured door to get to the actual ATM. A VERY good thing at Napoli Centrali.

6. Follow the signs.

7. Feed your ticket into the ticket-feed like at any public transportation turnstyle.

8. It beeps and you walk through.

9. You will see a little cafe. Grab an espresso and a bottle of water.

10. Go down the stairs to binario 2 and 3. The train will come on your right as you walk down the stairs.

11. The TV's will tell you when the next train to Sorrento arrives.

12. Got on. Fight for a position because it gets packed.

13. Watch your pockets at all times.

14. The train starts to emply after the fifth stop or so and you'll likely be able to get a seat.

15. Sorrento is the last stop so enjoy the ride.

The annoying flower and junk peddlers of Italy

2009-06-12T12:37:00.005-05:00

Check out my video on these guys...sad and funny

Here is a little advice on how to deal with the annoying flower and junk peddlers of Italy. Don't deal with them at all. Ignore them, don't look at them, don't ever buy anything from them.

If you sense the annoyance in my tone it's because as I'm sitting down at a nice table outside enjoying my Florentine Steak or a cocktail one of the junk peddlers comes up and jams a rose in my face. It really gets under my skin.

You'll find them selling whatever it is they get their hands on. They'll walk right into a restaurant or cafe and shove whatever they have in your face. Sponges, flowers, rocks that make weird noises, junk toys, sunglasses, plastic motorized cars, umbrellas, bull-horns (no joke), cowboy hats, gloves...you name it.

The best way to handle them is to say no and keep walking. If you're at a restaurant just say no and wave them off with a polite annoyance. If they don't stop then get a little more forceful. Be nice, but don't buy anything. If you have to just call over the server and let them deal with it.

Here are some of the scams they'll run. "A free flower for the beautiful girl." Nothing is free and once you have it in your hands they'll relentlessly hound you for payment. Once in a while you'll see a huge tour group and everyone in the group has a flower! This only encourages them.

If you haven't experienced them yet...you will. Don't buy anything!

Here is how you DON'T wait in line at the Uffizi or to see the David in Florence

2009-06-12T12:29:00.003-05:00

1. Go to OrsanMichelle in Florence.

2. On the side between the statue of Saint John the Baptist and Doubting Thomas there is a little booth.

3. That booth sells tickets to all state run museums which include the Accademia (David) and the Uffizi.

4. Go there, walk up, buy your tickets for same day entrance.

5. Walk right by the people in line.

A. Go early so you can choose what day you want to get in.

B. Pick your time.

C. If you have time to kill do my Gelato, Chocolate, and Panini walk through Florence and enjoy some of the city's best Gelato, Chocolate, and Panini.

Ranking in the top 5 on iTunes!

2009-06-12T05:24:00.004-05:00

I am very excited and happy to report that I am ranking in the top 5 on iTunes in the Places and Travel category right behind that other guy Rick Steves. I am also happy to report that I'm ranked #30 in the Society and Culture category. I'm using David as my picture to capitalize on the symbolism. The little guy taking on the big guy and winning, staring down my competition. You know...all those things.

Thank you to everyone who subscribed to my podcasts to help me rank so well.

Here is a link to subscribe to the How to Tour Italy podcasts.

Lot's more great stuff to come over the next few months during the How to Tour Italy Project.

Have a great day and remember to Feed your Soul everyday.

Gelato, Chocolate, and Panini Walking tour in Florence

2009-06-10T11:53:00.005-05:00

In Situ: Gelato, Chocolate, and Panini Walking Tour of Florence

The Gelato, Chocolate, and Panini Walking Tour of Florence features the best of the best for gelato, chocolate, and Panini in Bella Firenze.

If you aren’t’ coming to Italy anytime soon I suggest heading over to your favorite ice cream shop at home and listening as you enjoy a little ice cream. If you are coming to Florence get ready for one of the best and tastiest walking tours of your life.

I recommend this tour for two people to share the goodness along the way. We’ll be hitting 3 gelaterias, 3 chocolaterias, and 2 panini places. I won’t tell you what to order, but I’ll let you know my favorites.

I’ll stress getting one small cup or cone of gelato and sharing. At the first 2 chocolaterias get a piece or two and sharing. Both Panini places get one panino and share, and finally at the last chocolateria, well, no holds barred…dive in, go nuts, order a bunch, take it back to your hotel, it is amazing.

1. Starting at the Duomo our first stop is going to be the gelateria Grom. Start the tour looking at the duomo on the campanile side with your back right up against the posts on Via Campanile. The Campanile will be right in front of you and the baptistery just to your left.

2. Turn around and walk one block up Via Campanile to the T intersection of Via Campanile and Via Dell’Oche. Grom will be on your left at the corner. It has a blue sign and there will likely be a line of locals and tourists waiting to order that goes around the corner. Try any flavor you like. At Grom I prefer their granita, but that is only in season during the summer. If you are there any other time try their pistachio…it is heavenly.

3. Take note of something. Artisan gelato is places in little bins and isn’t overflowing into the glass case with fruit jammed into it. The artisans are masters at creating gelato and keep it at exactly the right temperature to be enjoyed. Like most food in Italy it is about the taste, not the appearance. In the US food is marketed like the monster bowls of pasta you get at many Italian restaurants. In Italy food is tasted and enjoyed.

4. Now with you back to Grom and standing on Via Dell’Oche you are going to go right to Via dei Calzaiuoli. At Via Calzaiuoli you’ll go left.

5. Pass all those other people that didn’t take the time to listen to the How to Tour Italy Gelato, Chocolate, and Panini walking tour eating their sub-par gelato. There are lots of gelateria on Via dei Calzaiuoli that will be filled with people. Notice the overflowing tubs of mountainous gelato. Smile, nod your head, snap a picture, and walk right by.

6. OrsanMichelle will come up on your right. As you walk by you’ll see a little door with a ticket window. This is where you can buy same day tickets for the Uffizi and Academia I told you about last week. The ticket window is right between Saint John the Baptist and Doubting Thomas.

7. Look to your left. You’ll see Via dei Cimatori. 3 doors down on the left side of Cimatori is one of Florence’s best Panini shops named I Fratellini. You walk up, order your Panini and wine, and eat in the street. There are no seats and you can place your wine on the little racks they provide against the wall in front of the shop. Try anything here. It’s all delicious.

8. Head back towards Orsanmichelle and go left back onto Via Calzaiuoli and walk into Piazza Signoria. Stop, take it in, even if you’ve seen it a hundred times the view from here is fantastic. You will talk diagonally toward David and the corner of Palazzo Vecchio. Check out my videos on the Loggio, and my other In Situ walking tours for lots of great information on all the great things you see in Piazza Signoria.

9. At the corner where Palazzo Vacchio, The Loggia, and The Uffizi are you are going to go left onto Via di Ninna. That puts the side of Palazzo Vecchio on your immediate left.

10. As you walk you’ll see a café and tabaccheria with a white sign on your left and a little non-descript Loggia on your left. On the corner, on the loggia side you see a little fountain that is a face with a man sticking out his tongue with the water dripping from his tongue. Walk straight between the café and Fountain now your are on Via dei Neri. It twists and turns a bit, but the next Gelateria and chocolate shop are on Via dei Neri. Stay the course and before you know it at Via dei Neri 22 on your left is my favorite Gelateria in Florence Gelaterian dei Neri. Here I love the Fiori dei Latte and Chocolate Messicana (hot peppers, pistachio, and chocolate). They have around 6 cups sizes to choose from. Remember go small so you can enjoy the entire tour. Share.

11. Directly across the street from Gelateria Neri is a little chocolatieria. Pop in and buy a little something nice. Lots to choose from here. Go small…save room.

12. When you walk out of the chocolateria with Gelateria Neri in front of you you’ll go left back the way you came. At the corner where you see the crazy little fountain you can cross the street and sit on the funky little bench in the small piazza. This is actually the exit for the Uffizi. You can sit and enjoy the goods from Neri and the chocolate shop.

13. OK. With the bench you sat on to enjoy the best gelato in Florence you’ll go left and walk up Via dei Leone. The loggia and crazy fountain will be on your right, then you’ll cross over Via dei Neri and the little café will be on your right. Walk a couple blocks. In the distance you’ll see a building on your right with some cool white statues above the doors. Cross over to the right side of the street if you haven’t already. You will soon see a bunch of Vespas parked, and the Bargello. Walk right past the Bargello which will be on your right. By the way the street name changed from Leone to Proconsolo. Welcome to Italy. That is why it’s tough to drive here.

14. Just after the Bargello you’ll pass café Rum and Pere (pear) and right next door Gusto Leo the restaurant. Keep walking and just up the street from there is a little magazine/newspaper stand La Nazione. That corner, the corner with the stand La Nazione is Via Borgo Degli Albizi. Go right.

15. Walk up Via Borgo Degli Albizi until you come to a small piazza. You’ll see the Lion’s Fountain Irish Pub on your left. Just after that will be small archway. Turn left into the archway and ½ way down on your right you’ll see in big red letters the word Vino. That is the Panini shop named Antico Noe. You’ve come the next Panini stop. They offer 25 types of Panini, fresh made as you order. I love number 14. You can sit on the small tables out front in the shade from the archway. This is a good stop to catch your breath.

16. After you eat your Panini from Noe with Noe at your back go left back to the piazza. Go left and just on your right about 20 feet is Vestri. My second favorite gelateria in Florence. Here I love the melon and white peach gelato. They also make handmade chocolates. Try the orange dipped in chocolate. Crazy good.

17. Sit on the little bench in front of Vestri. After you enjoy the chocolate and gelato you’ll get up and go right. You’ll pass a little flower stand in the piazza immediately on your left. Stay straight and cross the street onto Via Pietrapiana.

18. As you look down up Via Pietrapiana you’ll see a pharmacy / farmacia. Walk to the right of it. After the pharmacy the street changes to Via dei Martiri del Popolo. Stay on Martiri del Popolo until the streets ends at a T intersection. There will be a little park on your right. You’ll take a right at the park and T intersection onto Borgo Allegri.

19. Go up one block and on your left across the street you’ll see a store named Pepe Rosa. It is pink. You go left at this corner onto via dell Agnolo. We are almost at the last stop. Go up on block to Via Macci and take a right.

20. Look up the street about ½ down the block on your left. You will see La Bottega del Cioccolato owned by the chef and dolci master Andrea Bianchini. Slide the door open and let the wonderful aroma seep into your nose. He’ll greet you warmly and describe his wonderful creations to you. Pick one or two or three, he’ll wrap them up, and head to your hotel or favorite spot in Florence and enjoy.

21. Oh to get back to the city center from the Santa Croce area where you are now simply go left out of La Bottega del Cioccolato to Via Ghibellina which is the very next street. Go right and keep walking until you get to the Bargello on Via del Proconsolo in the city center.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Best to walk it off a bit after you’ve enjoyed all the tastiest treats in Florence. The best part of this tour is you can do it again and again or do a segment per day until you get through it. I say dive in and do the whole thing in one walk. Lots of great photo opps along the way and this tour will help you get your bearings in Florence too.

Don’t forget to look me up if you're here. Shoot me an email at ajc@howtotouritaly.com, and remember…Feed your soul.

The ultimate Italian Experience is at the Market

2009-06-10T05:37:00.005-05:00

If you love to travel, if you love to dive in to a culture, and you love Italy there is no better place to get the real deal experience than the market. They have everything you could ever want from chairs to tomatoes.

The real experience is diving in even if you don't speak Italian. Buy your lunch. Grab a shirt. Eat a white peach. Smell why Italian food is so great...it's because of the fresh daily market.

In Rome go to Campo dei Fiori. In Florence go to Mercato Sant'Ambrogio (locals). There is another one in Florence called Mercato San Lorenzo, but it's filled with tourists and worse prices. That noted the San Lorenzo market has lots of leather vendors so you can barter one against the other to get a great jacket or belt. Feel free to haggle. Don't ever pay sticker for anything at the market.

A word to the wise. If you are at a market and want to buy some fruit or vegetables you will hear the vendor yell out "one euro" to get your attention. If you see something you like or want don't point at it right away because they'll often say that what you picked isn't one Euro, but Euro 1,50 or 2,00. So point at something you don't really want at first, then go for what you want.

Be sure to visit the market with your camera ready. Sample the goods before you buy. And don't buy the first things you see. Peruse the market, then buy.

Enjoy the Tuscan Countryside for only Euro 2,40

2009-06-09T09:27:00.003-05:00

If you want to enjoy the Tuscan countryside, but didn't rent a car you're in luck. This is a great option that delivers Bella Toscana without the white knuckle driving that you would otherwise have to endure to see the bending cypress trees or the wise old olive orchards.

Here is how to take a 1/2 day trip from the center of Florence by bus and be back in time for dinner for only Euro 2,40.

1. Starting with your back to the Duomo facing Via Del Proconsolo with the Museo Dell'Opera del Duomo in front of you walk to your right to the first bus stop you run into. It is right in front of a little restaurant that will likely be closed during the day.

2. Wait for bus 23 A Sorgane to come by and pick you up. Don't forget to stamp your ticket right away in the little yellow box on board the bus. If you don't and get caught it is a Euro 43,00 fine that must be paid in cash immediately.

3. Take bus 23 A for about 20-30 minutes to Bagno a Ripoli. Ask the driver to let you know when you get to the Rodolico stop.

4. Get off bus 23 A at the Rodolico stop. It is a small stop with a little cafe right out front. It will have a circular round-a-bout in front.

5. You will likely have a few minutes to wait for your small connection bus so go into the cafe and grab a beer, espresso, or a prosecco and sit out front on one of the chairs.

6. Bus 48A to Villamagna will come soon or later. Before you get on walk up to the front door and ask the driver, Villamagna? If yes, hop on and enjoy the ride up the hill to Villamagna.

7. The view is amazing. You'll enjoy the valley around Villamagna with olive orchards, vineyards, amazing views of Florence off in the distance, and enjoy the cooler temperature of the hills only a few minutes from Florence.

8. Hop off the bus in the piazza a Villamagna. It's the last stop so you can't miss it. There is a small cafe in town. Go there and grab lunch and an espresso. It is very affordable. For 2 panini made with artisan cheese, Tuscan bread, and salami, and a bottle of wine you'll only spend around Euro 14,00 (mostly for the wine). Sit at a table out front.

9. After lunch wander around town snapping pictures. Next to the cafe on the left you'll see a small gravel road. Follow it around. The view from the hillside is breathtaking.

10. If you want to stay for dinner the local restaurant Antico Forno is fantastic. The Chef Owner is very nice and his lovely wife is the server. They speak little to no English, but that's ok...you're in Italy. You can sit outside under a canopy and enjoy some great Tuscan dining at great prices. If you stay for dinner be sure arrange a taxi or limo to pick you up before you go. The restaurant can call on your behalf too. It is better to call a cab and have this arranged ahead of time so you don't have to wait too long or get stuck in Villamagna.

11. Getting back to Florence is a piece of cake. Take 48A from the piazza in Villamagna to the Rodolico stop in Bagno a Ripoli.

12. Grab another espresso or bottle of water from the cafe as you wait for your connection.

13. Hop on bus 23A back to Florence. Be sure to stamp your ticket!

14. Get off bus 23A in front of Santa Croce and enjoy my In Situ audio tour of the burial church of the great Michelangelo.

15. Enjoy the ride and remember to feed your soul!

La natura e l'arte di Dio

2009-05-29T08:22:00.003-05:00

Dante writes La natura e l’arte di Dio (nature is the art of God).

You can see the storm coming in for miles. Like most things in Italy it is a gradual build-up. But when it hits it is as fierce as they come. Perched high atop a Tuscan hill the view from where I sit is exceptional. The valley seems to have been decorated by a master artisan. The clouds slowly roll in to cover everything in a cool mist. The wise olive trees are perfectly placed, while the sad bending and weaving Cypress trees hold their own against the wind.

8 kilometers, 20 minutes by cab, 1 hour by bus if you catch both on time, and about 10 degrees cooler Villamagna seems trapped in history. The locals speak very little to no English (which I love). There is one little café, one little restaurant, and small bar. Nothing seems to have changed here in decades. Walking into the café you hear the record skip while being greeted with a very warm buon giorno.

Villamagna is just outside Bagno a Ripoli which is just outside of Florence, but the worlds are so different. The locals have lived here for generations. The little house I’ve rented has been in the owner’s family for 3 generations. That is a foreign concept to most Americans.

It takes some time to beat the American out of me. Waiting for the bus is a little like therapy. I walk far too fast for my own good in a hurry to get nowhere. I barely enjoy my dinner before I’m asking for the check. But gradually, surely, the American in me seeps out like the comfortable feeling you get when you secretly loosen your belt after a 3 course Tuscan meal. It is quite good for the soul to let life pass you by while enjoying it. I’ve come to learn as I do every year that Italy really is a lifestyle and not a destination.

There are few things as good as Fagioli Uccelletto, the Bargello, or the smell of Villamagna after the rain. I wonder how many times the serpents tail would encircle me to deliver my fate in Dante’s hell? I’m guessing four times around due to my avarice nature. I seem to squander things away with no thought of tomorrow. I hope my search within my soul that began so many years ago leads me to Beatrice and inner peace. If it doesn’t I can say that I truly gave it everything and I’m ok with that.

Those aren't lemons, but they're great to eat!

2009-05-25T12:08:00.002-05:00

Those aren’t lemons, but they are amazing! The delicious Bread Lemon.

Those huge football sized lemons you see on the Amalfi Coast dressing up windows aren’t actually lemons. They are fantastic to eat though. The locals call them Limone di Pane which means bread lemon.

They smell like grapefruit, but are about the same weight as a regular sized lemon. The fruit inside is protected by a an enormous pith that gives the fruit its size and its name.

The locals cut it in half and then slice it into smaller, bite sized slices about the size of a lemon you get for a cocktail at a bar. Then they sprinkle a little sugar on it for an after dinner treat that is fantastic. The only thing they don’t eat is the skin…it’s too bitter.

Check out the How to Tour Italy Podcast with Cooking Vacations or the Video with Cooking vacations to learn more.

Real Deal Limoncello

2009-05-25T12:03:00.002-05:00

Real Deal Limoncello!

This recipe comes courtesy of Cooking Vacations and Lauren who was given this recipe from her friend Antoni0.

Limoncello is an authentic elixir that is suitable as an aperitif, a digestivo, or as an evening drink with friends. The ingredients for Limonello are simple and few, and making a batch does not require much work.

If you are trying this recipe and aren’t living in Positano than I suggest, as a first step, washing the lemons you buy from the store in vegetable and fruit wash thoroughly. You want to remove all of the waxy coating on it so that it looks good on the shelf at the store. That is the major difference between food in Italy and the U.S. In Italy food is judged by how it tastes, not how it looks. You’ll rarely, if ever, find any produce with wax or a shining agent on it.

5 organic lemons (thoroughly washed)

2 cups of everclear

2 cups of sugar

2 cups of water

Take a large glass jar with a sealable lid. Wash the lemons and pat them dry. Remove the zest with a potato peeler. Take only the skin leaving the pith (the white stuff between the skin and the fruit of the lemon).

Fill the jar with the everclear and drop in the skin of the 5 lemons you have peeled. Seal the jar and store in a cool, dry place. Every day pick up the jar and swirl it around. After 6 days (it can go as long as 14, but no longer) you combine it as follows:

Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar. Melt it to a simple sugar. Let it cool to room temperature. Pour into the glass jar with the lemons and everclear. Swirl around. Then strain into a bottle.

Store it in the freezer and enjoy ice cold.

Thank you Lauren and Cooking Vacations.

Check out the video on www.howtotouritaly.com on how we made Limoncello from the Cooking Vacations balcony overlooking Positano…amazing.

You’ll also learn a thing or two about those huge “lemons” you see in the Amalfi Coast.

Well Mr. Steinbeck your essay worked

2009-05-22T02:55:00.004-05:00

Positano and the Amalfi Coast as a whole is one of the most beautiful spots in Italy. I am looking forward to exploring lesser known regions to find a local comparison, but for now the A.C. is it. Mr. Steinbeck wrote "it is difficult to consider tourism an industry because there aren't enough tourists." That has certainly changed. It's booming with tourists. As well it should. Like any popular spot there is a reason and the reason is it's amazing.

It is one of those things. Someone tells someone and all of a sudden it's out there. The A.C. has been host to day-trippers and the wealthy for quite some time, but it can certainly be enjoyed as a local.

I have to admit that I'm not a beach guy so the A.C. on the surface doesn't do it for me. Once you get here and start to dig in you find a whole new world. A world of small local cafes, little markets, fantastic terrace gardens, huge lemons, clinging clouds, insane Vespa drivers, and some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

My advice for the A.C. is simple...don't take a day trip here or there. If you're in the A.C. be in the A.C. Don't try to hit each town in a day with a home base in Sorrento...you miss all the fun. The towns have a different life entirely at night when the boats take the sore and weary Americans home. (I write sore because you'll walk up so many steps that it's best not to think about it. Buy some great shoes and go for it.) The smart ones stay here and enjoy it at night.

It is expensive, but if you do it right you'll be good.

1. Don't eat at the seaside restaurants. Great food, but insanely expensive.

2. Buy some fruit, bread, cheese, salami, from the in town, top of the hill markets and walk down to the beach for a little picnic.

3. Hit the cafes like Bar International on Via Chiesa Nuova for an espresso.

4. Ask the locals where they eat and go there.

5. Don't assume everyone speaks English. Be p0lite and begin the conversation by asking if they speak English...in Italian if you can.

6. Go to Capri, go to Ischia, and go to Procida. Be sure to stay the night to enjoy the local side of things.

7. Enjoy anything with lemons and olive oil. The combination here is the best I've ever had. I truly love the Italian Anchovies (not salty) with lemon juice and olive oil. This is one of the best snacks i've ever enjoyed.

8. Treat yourself to some plump green olives and prosecco on the beach. Or, take Hande's advice from Vino Roma and order a Franciacorta instead. I have to admit it...I like it better too. :)

Explore the A.C. and let it touch your soul like it has since the Augustus and some of the worlds most beloved writers.

In Rome? Love Wine? Go to Vino Roma!

2009-05-20T11:43:00.003-05:00

If you love Wine, like wine, want to learn more about wine, have fun with wine, or try something super cool in Rome go to Vino Roma for a wonderful time. You'll enjoy wines with Hande from throughout Italy and learn a lot about wine in a fun way. You have to check it out.

Listen to my upcoming radio segment with Hande at Vino Roma this Thursday.

www.vinoroma.com

Great stuff. I'm a white wine guy and finally know why :)

If you're only in Rome for a day this should make the list. Vino Roma offers cruise packages too...very cool.

They are right over Ponte Cavour next to some great cafes.

Cool stuff to do in Florence

2009-05-20T11:41:00.001-05:00

Some Very Cool Stuff to Do in Florence

Accademia Museum – Do you like Michelangelo? Who doesn’t? Do you like Maplethorpe? Most actually don’t…to in their face. Put your opinion aside and dive into a cool concept. Check out how the contemporary isn’t that much different from the classic. Compare Michelangelo’s David to the nude photography of Maplethorpe to understand things haven’t changed all that much.

Iris Garden – through may 20 check out the blooming Iris’s from the Florentine Iris Society at Piazzale Michelangelo. A real springtime treat for flower lovers with a wonderful view of Florence.

Check out www.turismo.intoscana.it for great information about what to do and what’s happening in Tuscany.

Amico Museo – Through Sunday May 17^th Tuscany is offering a taste of the Artisan’s life. You can visit wonderful museums and historical workshops from Siena to Lucca, and more to dive into ancient flour mills, villas, churches, and much more.

“Genius We are Born” – celebrate the genius of Florence from artists to filmmakers to scientists. Go to www.geniofiorentino.it May 15 – 24^th. Hear people reading Dante in the Streets, attend lectures on Da Vinci, Learn about Clement VII.

Trofeo Marzocco – Florentine Flag Throwing at its finest in Piazza Signoria on May 23. See the best compete for a truly medieval spectacle with thousands of photo opps. This is something you can’t see just anywhere.

Celebrate the anniversary of the death of Fra Angelico in Florence on May 23. First a mass at Capella dei Priori in Palazzo Vecchio, then a small parade to Piazza Signoria, then palms and flowers will dress the plaque marking the spot where he was burned to death in the Piazza. It all starts at 10:00 AM in Palazzo Vecchio.

Galileo at Palazzo Strozzi until August 30^th. Learn about the genius that is Galileo through lectures, videos. Lots of other goodies from Pompeii, plus Botticelli, Rubens, and more.

Love wine? Of course you do. Check out Corte del Vino on May 23 – 24. 400 wines, 80 winemakers, taste it all, taste the best. Only 18 Euro per ticket. You can also enjoy lunch for a little extra. www.principe-corsini.com

www.vinoturismo.it - if you like wine you have to check out the guided tours and tastings in Tuscany on May 31. All of Italy’s wines are present and accounted for so you can indulge Napa Style. This is a real treat since Italy doesn’t often present its wines like Napa does for tours and tastings.

Are you a fan of Filippo Lippi? After 7 years of restoration his fresco cycle in Prato is available to enjoy by guided tour. Call 0574 24112 to make a reservation.

Finally, we're in Rome and the Project begins

2009-05-13T15:43:00.003-05:00

No day of travel is without its perils. We missed our connection in London, but we managed to enjoy lunch with our friend Darryl C. One of the greatest guys I know.

Our first leg from O'Hare to London wasn't too bad. We flew coach. (I tried to upgrade, but couldn't get it done) The time flew since I slept. I couldn't help getting annoyed with a little boy across the aisle who wouldn't stop yelling, screaming, and otherwise causing a problem.

I enjoy watching how others travel. There are people out there who are always complaining and miss the concept that traveling is the adventure. The stuff you do in the middle is the easy part.

A group of older folks were on our flight. The men wore WWII gear so you knew they had been to the Big One and lived to tell about it. I was impressed that they all sat in the middle row of 5 on the 777 and didn't budge, say a word, or complain a bit. They didn't even get up to go to the bathroom. I enjoyed watching them as they easily conversed with each other and everyone around them with the ease that only comes from surviving something that should have been your end. It was nice to see them embracing every moment unconcerned about the little or the big things. The only things these gentlemen were concerned with was that their wives had what they needed for the flight like a bottle of water and something to read.

I'm a bit tired so I won't pontificate, but suffice it to say I hope I can be as at ease in my skin someday as these men were in theirs.

Feed your soul.

Tomorrow...the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, San Luigi dei Francesi, and the Colosseo.

Pronto! Using the phone in Italy

2009-05-01T14:56:00.002-05:00

Calling Italy from the U.S.

1.     Dial the International access code (011 in the U.S.)
2.     Dial 39, the country code for Italy
3.     Dial the 2-4 digit area code
4.     Dial the 4-8 local number
5.     011 39 02 xxx – xxx - xx

Calling Italy from Italy

For all domestic calls dial the area code and number. Calling from Rome to Milan simply dial 02 – xxx – xxxx. The area code is always needed in Italy even when calling from Rome to a Rome number.

Calling an Italian Cell Phone

Cell phones do not have to be prefixed with a 0. Rather than area codes cell phones use a 3 digit cellular prefix that begin with a 3. When calling from the U.S. to an Italian cell phone dial 011 – 39 – 3xx – xxx – xxx. When calling a cell phone from Italy to Italy dial 3xx – xxx – xxx.

Calling the U.S. from Italy

1.     Dial the International access code for Italy – 00
2.     Dial the country code for the U.S. – 1
3.     Dial the area code for the city you want to call (Chicago) – 312
4.     Finally dial the phone number
5.     001 – 312 – xxx – xxxx

A tip no one talks about, but you'll love me for it.

2009-04-23T20:05:00.004-05:00

This is a little embarrassing, but essential. As you'll discover in Italy the bathrooms are hard to come by, and when you do find them they are often ill-equipped. By ill-equipped I mean there is often no toilet paper.

My advice is to bring personal, flushable, wipes to use for a little bathroom hygiene when you need it. They aren't expensive, they work great, and you'll never be caught off guard with that not so fresh feeling.

Keep in mind that you can't or often cannot flush paper down the toilet so follow the bathroom's instructions as posted. If you do it right though you should only need one flushable wipe instead of, well, however much toilet paper you use.

I prefer WetOnes Fresh 'n Flush. They make them in individual packets so you can throw a few in your backpack.

You can find them on Amazon, at your local drugstore or Wal-Mart. Don't leave home without them. You'll thank me later.

How the How to Tour Italy Project will work

2009-04-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

How the How to Tour Italy Project will work

The best, most hidden, tastiest, most fun, most interesting, and most beautiful of Italy will be delivered during the How to Tour Italy Project.

Let’s say I’m in Rome doing an episode on the Pantheon. I’ll do the Radio show live from in front of, in, and around the Pantheon talking about all the things that make the Pantheon great like the fact that all of the columns came from a mine in Egypt. Each of the columns were cut to fit in Egypt and sent by barge to Rome and placed where they are today. It takes over 6 people holding hands to circle each column. I may also talk about how the great Renaissance artist Raphael is buried there and that his unfinished painting Transfiguration was shown at his memorial, and that...you get the idea.

As I’m doing the radio show I’ll record a video so you can hear and see all the great stuff about the Pantheon. As I’m doing the radio show and recording the video I’ll be doing a Twittcast for all the Twitterers (is that a word) out there. How will I do the Twittcast while doing the radio show and shooting the video you wonder? It’s top secret or I may have someone in Italy helping me.

Once the episode is done I’ll post it on www.howtotouritaly.com and add some pictures since they’re worth a thousand words plus drop a post on the How to Tour Italy Blog about the Pantheon, update my Facebook Fan Page and status, and finally turn the radio show and video into a podcast and add it to iTunes...all on the Pantheon.

You’ll be able to follow along with each post on www.howtotouritaly.com in order as it’s all happening, or select the region of Italy you want to learn more about and go from there. You can also select by artist, masterpiece, or topic. Keep in mind you can tell me where to go and what to do on Twitter, via email, on Facebook, or on my blog.

Here are some of the topics I’ll be covering to give you an idea of what to expect:

Professor Langdon’s adventure from Angels & Demons in order as I share each sight he encounters with a twist, Caravaggio’s paintings at San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, Why espresso is so much better in Naples, The beautiful sunflowers of Tuscany, Grappa from its home town, the coolest bridge in Italy (it’s not what you may think), Paduan Hens, white asparagus of Bassano, black bread, beer, and speck in Trentino-Alto Adige, Italian fondue in Aosta, the riches of the Loggia in Florence, Find Italy’s best food region (I have my opinions, but I’ll let the food do the talking), do a radio show from the Roman Amphitheater in Fiesole using the natural acoustics, and much more.

I already have some excellent guests lined up. I’ll be doing a wine tasting with Vino Roma in Rome, walking tours with Eden walks, showcasing one of the best B&B’s in Florence, and...well, you get the idea.

The best, most hidden, tastiest, most fun, most interesting, and most beautiful of Italy will be delivered during the How to Tour Italy Project.

The How to Tour Italy Project

2009-04-04T12:31:00.000-05:00

v. The definitive investigation and discovery of Italy’s treasures told by a collection of experts, academics, travelers, and tour guides delivered by Anthony Capozzoli seamlessly through Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, iTune’s podcasts, Flip-Videos, a Nikon D70, a Sony HandyCam, the How to Tour Italy radio show, and a Widget for the benefit of travelers, lovers of Italy, and those that are unable to travel due to our global economic conditions.

The sexiest prison

2009-03-20T10:40:00.000-05:00

In the center of Florence you'll find the sexiest prison you'll ever see. It didn't start out that way though. It used to be the center of the government. It didn't turn into a prison until the 16th century when the police headquarters were moved here and prison cells added.

It is now one of the best museums in Florence; The Bargello. The exterior is divine. The courtyard perfect. The collections are amazing and contain masterpieces from some of Italy's most famous artists like Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Giambologna, Cellini, and Verrocchio.

You can see a Michelangelo's Drunk Bacchus, Donatello's naked David that kicked off the Renaissance, the competitive panels for the Gates of Paradise the spurred on the creation of the most famous Duomo in Italy, Cellini's Ganymede who became the cup-bearer to the gods of Olympus, the world's most famous depiction of the god Mercury by Giambologna, St. George...well, you get the picture.

This rarely busy museum in the heart of Florence is one of Italy's finest and shouldn't be overlooked on any itinerary. Very near it you'll find some of the best restaurants in Florence. My favorite B & B (aptly named Il Bargello B & B) that has a superb rooftop patio with a view of that will make you weep, it's right around the corner from Dante's house and Beatrice's tomb, has a great cafe on the opposite corner for a refreshing espresso, and the list goes on and on.

Be sure to listen to next week's radio show for more details. Touch base on the Unabellavista Fan Page for more write ups this week on the Bargello and the great details behind what makes her collections great like why Michelangelo's Bacchus is different and tipsy, Why Donatello's Naked David is such a big deal, the difference in the competitive panels (let's see if you pick the winner), and much more cool stuff.

Is one day in Siena enough?

2009-03-11T13:26:00.000-05:00

Absolutely not!

It is a city that has a totally different soul at night than during the day. Daytime is wonderful, but it can be a little overrun with tourists. That's ok though. Just enjoy the streets, walk around away from Campo or the Duomo (after you enjoy them of course) and you'll be able to experience the quiet corners of one of Tuscany's most beautiful cities. The key is to get lost...really lost. Pack a bottle of water, a few batteries for your camera, a couple of memory cards so you don't have to delete a single image, and off you go.

By staying in Siena for a couple of days you can enjoy her at night. The people of Siena are out, the streets are much more quiet, the Campo gets filled with people enjoying a glass of wine under the stars, and the Palazzo and Duomo reflect the moonlight in a way that cannot be described only gazed at. Be sure the grab a bottle of wine at the little wine shop on the Campo. She'll open your bottle and give you plastic cups, they offer limoncello, and bottles of beer if you what you want doesn't grow on a vine. Be sure to clean up after yourself so Siena doesn't restrict use of the Piazza and prohibit drinking a nice glass of wine.

There is so much to enjoy in Siena that one day is certainly not enough. Spend time, stay in a small B&B or little hotel, if you go for the Palio go the week before and enjoy the build-up to the race, take an Italian class, have a Guiness at the Irish pub in Piazza Gramsci, let Siena seep into your soul and that takes more than a day trip.

Siena, Siena, and more Siena next week on the show

2009-03-07T12:38:00.001-06:00

Next week's radio show will cover all things Siena. We'll start with the best sights. Discuss the history of the founding of Siena and how the city is tied to Rome. Then, we'll cover, what is in my opinion, the best lunch spot in Tuscany. If God came to Siena he would eat here. The Palio and where to see it. How to really enjoy the Palio like a local. Where to study Italian and get the most out of the classroom. It'll be a great show. Please tune-in on Thursday from 11:00 - 12:00 in the afternoon on Talkzone.com. If you miss it grab it as a podcast on iTunes.

Dante and his living hell

2009-03-07T09:16:00.000-06:00

Dante Alighieri has become Italy's most revered poet, but it took a while. He was exiled from his beloved Florence due to his political association with the losing team, the White Guelphs. (The details of the political struggle is for another day...suffice it so say, as most fights occurred then, it was between the Pope and Power base of Florence.

To be exiled was a living torture. Dante writes of it in Paradiso Canto XVII

"This is the arrow that the bow of exile shoots first. You are to know the bitter taste of other's bread, how salty it is, and know how hard a path it is for one who goes ascending and descending other's stairs."

Close your eyes and think of what it would be like to never be allowed to go home again...ever. You'll never see your family, friends, or the barista who knows just how you like your morning coffee on Saturday. You'll never walk into your home to that comfortable, familiar smell that is your comforting home. Dante's Italy wasn't like Italy of today where people get around on the trains and visit other cities. Many lived their lives without ever leaving home...ever. Exile was living hell. Especially for Dante who loved his Florence so.

Dante's hell didn't even start with his exile. His unrequited love was the stuff of legend. In fact he loved his Beatrice so much that he made her his guide in Paradiso (Heaven). She only spoke to him in life a couple of times. His love was mostly from a distance. He yearned for her and his love was never returned. In fact, she barely knew who he was. The best way to put yourself in Dante's shoes is to think back to high school when you were eating lunch on the uncool table and never thought to even speak to him or her for fear of rejection. That burning love that never seems to go away even today. That was Dante's love for Beatrice.

Near Dante's home in Florence is a little church that Beatrice and her family attended. She is buried there. It is worth a visit, unlike Dante's home which isn't. At Beatrice's tomb you'll find baskets of letters written to Beatrice for her divine help in love. There are letters from school children, teenagers, young adults...even those in their golden years. It's amazing. That fact of the matter is that Beatrice was the object of love and didn't really do anything to return love to Dante. She has been immortalized as the divine guide in the Paradiso, but only because Dante's love for her never dwindled.

I think Dante would be happy to know that a monument in his honor is in Santa Croce and that he is "buried" (He's actually buried in Ravenna) with some of Italy's most famous sons like Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Ghiberti, and Galileo. I think Dante would be happy to know that his statue is standing in the corridor of fame at the Uffizi. I think Dante would love to know that his Beatrice is honored today because of his love for her.

Throughtout his life he lived with and endured torment. Torment from his local Florentines, torment from his government, torment from his church, and worst of all torment from his beloved Beatrice. To get a taste of his agony read the Inferno. To understand his complexity read Purgatorio. The get a glimpse of his soul read Paradiso.

Happy Birthday Michelangelo

2009-03-06T12:38:00.000-06:00

Today is a great day. It's sunny and warm in Chicago and it's Michelangelo's Birthday. I won't be rude and tell you how old he is, but suffice it to say...we'll need a pretty big cake to get all of his candles on it. Nonetheless, no birthday would be complete without a little discussion about the birthday boy.

1. Today is his birthday.

2. Thought his nursemaid gave him his love of sculpture.

3. Didn't like painting at all.

4. Considered himself a sculpture first and foremost.

5. Refused the Pope three times for the job in the Sistine Chapel.

6. Lorenzo Medici took him in to hone his artistic skill and ability.

7. Beaten by his uncle and father to dissuade him from pursuing art as a career.

8. Didn't trust anyone.

9. Rarely changed clothes.

10. Didn't eat or drink much.

11. Was a little grumpy all the time.

12. Some of his most famous work: David, Pieta, Pieta Ultima, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Sistine Chapel Altar Wall, Medici Chapel, St. Peter's Dome, Moses, and Pope Julius II's tomb.

13. Would hate his current tomb...it's not up to his standards.

14. Motivation was the Belvedere Torso in the Vatican Musuem.

15. His Risen Christ in Rome is rarely crowded to visit and you can get right up to it.

16. Angela Nickerson's book is a great way to get to know Michelangelo.

17. The How to Tour Italy Radio show segment with Angela is a great way to celebrate Mike's Birthday.

18. Michelangelo had stinky feet. Want to find out why? Click here.

19. Read the Agony and Ecstasy of Michelangelo for a great fictional and historical read.

20. Michelangelo died in Rome.

21. He was smuggled back to Florence after his death by his nephew.

22. He was laid in state in Santa Croce in the Sacristy on the Main, Central Cabinet.

23. You can see his unfinished tomb in Florence at the Duomo Museum.

24. His nose was broken by a fellow artist after Mike criticized his artwork.

Grappa, Eating Smart, and more Grappa

2009-02-27T14:09:00.000-06:00

We had a great show on the How to Tour Italy Radio Show yesterday. A full-blown Italian Liquor tasting from Campari to Grappa. I have to admit I was a little saucy when it was over. I also had two great guests: Joan Peterson of the Eat Smart Guides and Chef Travis Rodriguez of Timpano Steakhouse. Chef Travis brought into the studio two handmade Carpaccios that were delicious. Joan let us in on how to to Eat Smart while traveling the world including Sicily, her guided foody tours, and her important role as Director of the Travel Publishers Association.

Next week we'll be talking to Cartolina Tours, diving into the wonders that are hidden at Santa Croce in Florence, and finally...Florentine Steaks.

Please listen live or download a recorded episode at www.talkzone.com > travel > how to tour italy.

How to Use the Trains in Italy

2009-02-13T09:19:00.000-06:00

Train travel in Italy is the way to go. Here are a few tips to guide you.

1. Plan your trip from start to finish. Make sure you get your reservations confirmed for the museums you want to visit like the Accademia, Uffizi, and Borghese. Reservations are a must for these museums.

2. Next decide on how many train travel days you'll need. For a 14 day trip it usually lands around 4.

3. Go to RailEurope.com and buy your 4 day rail pass. 2nd class is the way to go. No need to pay extra for first.

4. You'll get your Rail Pass in the mail in a couple of days. Be sure to look in the schedule book to decide on which trains you'll be taking to get from A to B. This is important because trains between the major destinations often require a reservation. Rome to Florence is a reservation route. You don't want to risk not getting on the train you want to avoid waiting in the station for an extra couple of hours while you're on vacation.

5. About 12 weeks out go back to RailEurope.com and book your reservations. It costs money to book it, but it is well worth it.

6. Pack light. You don't want to lug extra baggage through the stations and cobbled streets of Italy for no reason. One carry-on for 2 weeks is plenty...I've done it. So can you.

7. Don't ever leave your bags unattended in the station even for a second.

8. Be sure the keep your money and credit cards tucked away in different pockets so if you do get picked it won't ruin your entire vacation. Keep the numbers to your credit card companies handy so if you have to call them you can do so quickly to get replacements and cancel your cards.

9. Don't ever give your passport up to plain clothes officers. Make them take you into the police station at the train station. They won't get mad and it will avoid a scam. People fake that they are officers and ask for you passport and off they go with it leaving you empty-handed.

10. You have to get your ticket stamped on your first day of travel by waiting in line at the ticket counter.

11. Each subsequent day of travel you have to add the date of travel on the ticket in the space provided.

12. Don't forget to sign the ticket and add your passport number.

13. If you're caught without a ticket it is a 50 Euro fine.

14. If you want to take an extra train ride, but run out of days simply buy a ticket at the biglietteria in the train station. They aren't expensive and this allows you to enjoy an unplanned side trip.

15. You must stamp your ticket at the yellow box. You'll see them at the top of each Binari (track).

16. Use the sottopassagio (underpass) to get from the station to your track.

17. Never cross the tracks. You'll get a fine.

18. WC = toilet

19. The track isn't posted until 10 minutes before departure so be ready to dash to get your seat for the popular routes...another reason less baggage is better.

20. Listen to my radio show or podcast on train travel to get the most out of your trip.

21. If you're really ambitious you can watch my video on using the trains on Youtube.

Thursday, February 19th's Radio Show

2009-02-13T09:03:00.001-06:00

February 19th's show will has a great line-up. We have two great guests: Kathy McCabe of the Dream of Italy website, blog, and newsletter. We also have Mindy Kaplan of Lou Malnati's Pizza restaurants.

I'll also be talking about dining well during your visit to Bell'Italia. I know, how do you not eat well in Italy? You'd be surprised. With a couple of tips you can turn a good meal into a great meal.

Please listen to the show next Thursday. You can listen live from 11:00 AM - 12:00 by going to Talkzone.com > Travel > How to Tour Italy > Listen Live. If you miss it you can download the show from iTunes...just follow this link.

The Depravity of Caravaggio

2009-01-21T10:05:00.000-06:00

One of the best painters from 17th Century Italy, Caravaggio live a hard and depraved life. He was wanted for murder, had to flee Rome, drank, enjoyed the brothels, and was hated by his contemporary artists for destroying the art of painting.

As a young man he was apprenticed to Simone Peterzano. His master was relatively unknown with his biggest claim to fame was the he studied under the great Titian and produced the great Caravaggio. I guess some of us are eternally students or teachers.

After his apprenticeship Caravaggio moved to Rome with only a few bucks from his parents estate to find his career. He was quickly absorbed into the pleasures the large city of Rome brought to his doorstep and drank, gambled, and enjoyed women. His work at first was simple and didn't pay well.

After he got his feet under him and found the right patrons he was able to begin creating work and was beginning to get paid very well.

Caravaggio's key to success, at least today, is that he used contemporary Romans in 17th century clothes to depict Biblical scenes. He painted as he saw things with all the dirt, blood, grime, and inner soul of his models brought to life. He strayed as far away from "true" religious painting as one could. For this his fellow 17th century artists despised him. They thought he was ruining the art of painting once and for all.

His artwork wasn't rediscovered for its greatness until 100 years ago or so. That isn't to write that some of his powerful patrons didn't see and understand his brilliance. Scipione Borghese collected many of his works and bought them from others that commissioned Caravaggio, but rejected the work upon completion.

Listen to the How to Tour Italy radio show on Thursday, January 22nd at 11:00 Central in the afternoon. I'll be talking about Caravaggio, his work, depravity, and where to enjoy his paintings throughout Italy, Europe, and the United States. Tune in to the show by clicking here. If you miss it you can listen to the recoreded episode of the show or as a podcast on iTunes.

In addition, the Do You Love Italy widget will be featuring art from Caravaggio from January 22-27 on the photo page. You can load it at the top of this page by clicking on the "get & share" tab at the bottom of the widget.

Unabellavista is taking it to the airwaves!

2009-01-02T17:14:00.000-06:00

Unabellavista is proud to announce that Anthony Capozzoli of Unabellavista will be hosting his own radio show titled, How to Tour Italy. The show airs live on Thursdays from 11:00 - 12:00 in the afternoon starting January 22nd on http://www.talkzone.com/. You can listen live by visiting http://www.talkzone.com/ and clicking on LISTEN on the How to tour Italy page. If you miss it you can listen to the broadcast from talkzone.com anyway...every episode will be recorded. All you have to do is click on the episodes and listen. If you prefer you can download episodes from the Unabellavista podcast page on iTunes and the other podcast sites where you find Unabellavista.

We already have some great guests booked like Paul Bennett of Context Travel, Caron McConnon the Vice-President of Business Development for Venere.com, and the wonderful author A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome Angela Nickerson.

The show will focus on all the things that make Italy great like art, history, food, wine, tours, culture, and of course travel.

Please listen, call in, and tell your friends and family that love italy.

Competition at the core of greatness

2008-12-30T09:07:00.000-06:00

The fact of the matter is this...competition between artists drove the best art in Italy. There are many great stories about how the artwork was vastly improved when there was a competition to earn the commission. The most famous is likely Brunelleschi v. Ghiberti for the Gates of Paradise. Ghiberti went on to win. The result was two of the most beautiful doors in the world. The loss drove Brunelleschi to create the dome of Florence at the mother church.

Michelangelo competed mostly against himself. At times his competition against other artists was real. He very much wanted to create the pendant for his David, but that commission went to a better aligned artist named Bandinelli. He created his Hercules and Cacus; A marvelous work, but would Michelangelo have done better?

The ebb and flow of political alignment surged through Italy’s power base. Who knew the right rich and powerful patrons? What did the Pope want? Who was whispering into the ears of the decision makers to control who earned the work? This is the basis of many decisions. The entire political structure worked from who you knew, being a courtesan, and raising up the identity of your friends. It is very much like today. Is it any wonder that the Ivy league has so many successful alumni? Is it entirely due to their intelligence (which we cannot fully ignore) or is it that the majority of students come from rich and powerful families who are very well connected?

Bernini and Borrimini are two great examples of how the powerbase worked in Rome. As noted in earlier posts Bernini was very well liked and connected. Borrimini wasn’t liked and the decision makers didn’t like working with him due to his difficult nature. Borrimini didn’t do himself any favors being so disagreeable. There were times, however, when Bernini was out of the circle.

Bernini had an embarrassing failure at Saint Peter’s when his bell towers didn’t have the right foundational support and had to be ripped down. This was a lot of egg on his face. Imagine a world without TV or newspapers as we know them today to spread news. Gossip was king and it could ruin people. It drove Bernini into a category of failure he wasn’t use to at all. This lack of divine light on Bernini opened the door for Borromini to win some important commissions. The powers that be are fickle and if you don’t stroke the right people bad things happen.

Pope Innocent X wanted to decorate Piazza Navona. His family home was on the Piazza along with his family church. Borromini was a respected (although disliked) architect/engineer. The pope asked him to pipe water into the Piazza using some of Ancient Rome’s springs and aqueducts. He successfully did so for the Pope. Then Pope Innocent X wanted a fountain to raise the caliber of the Piazza to Papal standards and change it from a market to a socially graceful Piazza worthy of a Pope. Borromini dreamed up the design of the fountain being built with the four major rivers of the world and went so far as to draw sketches to illustrate his vision.

Bernini was still out of favor, but his allies worked with him to bypass his ill-favor and help him win the commission anyway. At a dinner party with the Pope the model built by Bernini was placed so that the Pope would see it as he walked from room to room. See it the Pope did and fell in love with the design. This was a risk taken by Bernini’s ally and Bernini himself. The commission was given to him. Think of poor Borromini. He built the pipes to bring the water to Piazza Navona, came up with the design, and still lost the commission. Why? Bernini had people working with him behind the scenes and put him in a position to win at every turn.

You always attract more bees with honey. (That would have been a great metaphor if the Pope came from the Barberini family :)). The point of this is simple, the art of Italy is even more beautiful if you understand what happens behind the curtain and that it is always better to be graceful and fully understand who is making the final decision where commissions are concerned.

Borromini - Looking in from the outside.

2008-12-29T08:39:00.000-06:00

Borromini – Looking in from the outside

It is quite a strange thing; the power of relationships and who you know carries you much further than raw ability and talent. Take Franceso Borromini for example. He was quite literally a much better trained architect who understood the mathematics and technology behind creating some of Rome’s most beautiful churches, yet he remains relatively unknown to the throngs of tourists that besiege Rome every year. Why? He didn’t play the game. Bernini, on the other, hand was a master courtesan who capitalized on relationships and won the majority of the best commissions during his lifetime even if that meant stealing them.

Borromini was literally despised by the powerbase of Rome. He was irrational, didn’t listen to what the patrons wanted, and was a stubborn man, who thought he and he alone knew best. It put him into a position that forced him to look into the world of art from the outside hoping to win work over better positioned artists with lesser ability, but better connections.

During his lifetime he was trained as an architect by Carlo Maderno and had the privilege of working on Saint Peter’s in Rome. He worked alongside Bernini on the project with Maderno in charge. The two architects were rivals through and through and during their lifetimes pushed each other to even better achievements. Bernini’s came easily where Borromini’s came with a struggle. That is to write that Borromini’s work came easy because he was a masterful architect, but his disagreements in design and execution with his paying patrons and other architects forced him to bitter arguments and disagreements almost daily.

It has been written that Borromini’s work came from his soul. He was a devout Catholic and his devotion was delivered in his architecture. One of his best works is San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome. It was built for free by Borromini for the religious order of Barefoot Trinitarians. The dome of the church is a sight that should make any itinerary. Borromini uses some core geometric figures as a religious metaphor: the triangle and the circle. The triangle represents the Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The circle represents the eternity of God.

“These figures and images are everywhere in San Carlo(ino), and they reach their figurative and literal zenith in the dome itself. Looking up from the center of the church, a visitor sees a dove, its wings outstretched, enclosed in a triangle, which in turn is surrounded by a circle. Borromini placed a potent symbol of God surrounded by the Trinity and the Infinite at the pointin the church closest to Heaven. It is a stirring reminder of the order’s and Borromini’s faith.”

The others of his most famous works are Saint John Laterano and Saint Agnes in Agony. Saint John is the official church of the Papacy in Rome. This was a huge commission for Borromini. Saint Agnes was done for the Pamphili family and Pope Innocent X.

During the work on Saint John a worker was found murdered and Borromini took the brunt of the blame. The Pope had to intervene to insure that his punishment wasn’t too severe so he could continue work on the project. He didn’t commit the murder, but it was on his watch. Saint Agnes is eternally harassed by Bernini from his fountain of Four Rivers in Piazza Navona. The statue with his hand being repelled by the church and covering his face is said to be Bernini’s final argument against the work of Borromini. Whether it is true or not remains a mystery. You should decide for yourself when you visit the Piazza.

Borromini, after a long and difficult life, fell on his own sword. He died alone and unloved. His works are his children and his gift to us. It is who you know not what you know that leads to success and a life of leisure.

Be sure to visit San Carlo, Saint John, and Saint Agnes in Rome to experience a delightful view of a master’s mind and what comes of raw ability in spite of a lack of powerful friends.

Shakespeare couldn't make this stuff up!

2008-12-11T08:46:00.000-06:00

Gian Lorenzo Bernini is one of Italy's most famous artists. He has created some of the finest works, for the finest families, at some of the finest locations in Rome. He was truly a courtesan. His connections to powerful families earned him commissions he, by rights, shouldn't have earned. That isn't to write he wasn't worthy, but inexperienced in certain specialties like architecture.

Most people are aware of his competition with the lesser connected Borromini. This stemmed from Borromini being the superior architect. Even so, Bernini often won commissions over Borromini due to his connections. It really comes down to who you know.

During the Barberini Papacy Bernini could do no wrong and won any commission he wanted due to the Pope pulling strings or hiring him outright for work for the Church. More on his connections in a different post. This post is about love and murder.

Many people know about the pain of love, the agony of love, the kind of love that drives us all insane. It forces us to do things we wouldn't otherwise dream of doing. This is true even for a genius like Bernini. You can't make this stuff up...the great Bernini was caught up in a love triangle that Shakespeare would envy.

Bernini by his own admission was a man who had "great inclination to pleasure." Bernini was having an affair with Costanza Bonarelli who was married to Matteo Bonarelli, one of Bernini's assistants. Bernini was open about his affair. Some think she was the model of Divine Love for Pope Urban's tomb.

Bernini heard a rumor that his brother Luigi was also having an affair with his Costanza. One day, Bernini lied to his brother stating that he was going to the country. Instead, he went to Constanta’s house to spy on her and to see if his brother would show up. Sure enough he saw his brother leaving Costanza's house, with her kissing him as he left.

Bernini followed his brother to St. Peter's and attacked him with a crowbar. He ruthlessly beat him intent on killing him. It is likely a combination of being humiliated as well as the love he felt for Costanza. Luigi escaped with two broken ribs and a hell of a beating. It doesn't stop here. The next day Bernini ordered his servant to go to Costanza’s house and cut her with a razor. Bernini wanted to insure that she wouldn't appeal to another man. The funny thing is Bernini was mad that she cheated on him, but he was having an affair with a married woman and was shocked when she strayed even further? In her bed Costanza was cut with a razor. Bernini once again attempted to attack his brother with a sword. He escaped into Santa Maria Maggiore.

The Pope intervened and lessened the charges. Bernini was forced to pay a fine. Luigi left Rome and was replaced at St. Peter's as a superintendent on the commission. The Pope absolved Bernini due to his excellence in art.

A bust of Costanza is now in Florence. It is thought that Costanza's likeness was used in Bernini's Medusa at the Capitoline Museum in Rome.

Mannerism, The Rape of the Sabines, & Giambologna

2008-12-03T08:33:00.000-06:00

One of the first works of art to be started and complete without a patron. This beautiful sculpture is at home in the Loggia of Florence. It has a prominent spot at the front right. With its twisting figures, raw emotion, and grace it is a proud pendant to the Perseus of Cellini.

The sculpture was created by Giambologna. It is named the Rape of the Sabines, but it didn't start out that way. Giambologna was a student at the Art Academy in Florence and wanted to prove his technical skill with multifigured sculpture and complex narrative. This was only allowed because he was a student who was to learn the art of sculpture free of direction and traditional convention. This is the painting that, more or less, kicked off Mannerist sculpture.

First how the sculpture landed in the Loggia. When Giambologna completed his masterpiece Cosimo I's son Grand Duke Ferdinand I saw it and decided then and there that it should be added to the Loggia. This was a huge deal. Consider the artwork and sculpture of Florence and you'll get a sense of how important it was to even be considered for placement in the Loggia.

The powerbase of Florence discussed what the work repressented...what was the narrative of the work? A few things came to mind. First, it was considered to repressent Andromeda, the wife of Perseus, to tie it to Cellini's work and complete the narrative theme of the Loggia's statues. That didn't really fly. I'm not sure why since it would have worked. Raffaello Borghini, a member of the Academy, offered the Sabines as its narrative and it stuck.

The story of the Sabines is about the founding of Rome. The Roman's needed more women to grow the Eternal City's population. As the Romans often did they took what they needed from neighbors. This is no different. They took the Sabine women by force (they did ask first, but were denied) and brought them back to Rome. The statue repressents the sacking. It isn't actually a statue of rape, but it does conjur up the image rather well.

This is one of the more photographed statues in Florence due to its location in the Loggia. The next time you see it in a photoalbum you can tell them the artistic and historical story.

Even now...the taxis try to rip you off!

2008-11-10T10:38:00.000-06:00

Wow...what an experience. I am always amazed at how the cabs try to rip you off. I don't often take taxis in Italy. I prefer to walk and enjoy the city. That noted going to and from the airport I take a cab, getting from the train station to my hotel, and if I have to get across town in the rain.

Kristen and I picked up a cab on Saturday morning to go from Rome to the airport. We picked up the cab at the piazza at the top of the Spanish steps in front of our hotel. The taxi stand has a sign stating that rides to the Airport are 40,00 Euro and luggage is free. I knew that the rate to get to and from the airport was set by Italy at 40,00. The cab driver placed our bags in the trunk, got in and started the meter. I knew he was going to try to get more out of me than the standard rate. He took the longest way to FCO that I have ever seen, he went through the FCO cab stand to get his ticket, then he dropped us off. The meter read 67,00. We quickly jumped out of the car and grabbed our bags. I went into my wallet and discovered I only had a 50,00 bill. I told the driver the regulated rate was 40,00 and he went into the BS about it being so early, and he placed the bags in the trunk so that changed the standard fare to a metered fare. I gave him my 50,00 tried to get change (knowing that wouldn't happen) and walked away.

Another time in Rome we jumped in a cab from Fiori to get to our hotel at the top of the steps. It was raining and we had a few drinks so we didn't want to walk. As we started to drive away I noted the meter was running with 6,50 on it. I didn't say anything, but when we got to our destination I only paid the delta between 6,50 to 10,00 and just walked away.

Another time in Rome walking from Termini (train station) to the cab stand a guy walked up to Kristen and me and asked if we needed a taxi. I had no intention of taking his ride, but decided to see how bad he was going to try to rip me off. I told him our destination and he offered 30,00 Euro including the bags. The fare in a taxi picked up in the taxi line would only be 15,00 or less so I laughed and walked away. He offered to lower his fare to 25,00.

Taxi Tips:

1. Ask how much the fare will be to your destination before you get into the car.

2. Don't take rides from unauthorized cars at the airports and train stations.

3. Always get in the cab line to insure the car is a real taxi.

4. Pay only the standard fare of 40,00 euro to and from the airport to the center of Rome.

5. If the meter is running just pay the difference between the cost and where the meter started.

6. Pay and walk away. They know they are ripping you off and won't do anything if you pay and walk.

7. Have change so you don't have to give a larger bill. Harder to get change back than pay less.

8. Bag charge is BS. Don't pay it.

Pack light, pack light, pack light

2008-10-06T06:07:00.000-05:00

2 weeks in Italy, one carry-on and a backpack! The key to enjoying yourself in Italy is to pack light so traveling isn't a pain. Running through train stations and getting through the airport are so much easier with only a few things. Plus you don't have to check any luggage which is fantastic. I did go a little crazy at REI this weekend. I bought a new carry-on bag, backpack, fleece, and wired camera strap. Oh, I did buy a new travel duffel bag to load with the stuff I buy for the return trip. It comes in its own zip pouch and clips onto my roller bag.

I now have everything I need for a great trip: bags, camera, video camera, hotels, train tickets, fleece, and a well planned itinerary. The only thing left to do is book my reservation for the Accademia, Uffizi, and Borghese.

With only one carry-on bag I am limited to what I can bring so doing laundry is something I'll have to do midtrip. I'll likely cheat and have the hotel do it and pay a premium. I've never liked the idea of wasting time scrubbing my clothes. I don't like it here and I surely won't like it while in Bella Terra.

I'm not sure what I'm most excited about for this trip? Seeing some of my favorite artwork, the food, or seeing K's face enjoying Italy since she hasn't been there before. Probably seeing Italy through her eyes.

Remeber - pack light, only bring what you need, and make reservations at key museums so not to waste any time waiting in line. Oh, if you run out of something Italy has everything you need so don't sweat it.

Santa Maria del Fiori of Florence

2008-10-03T06:45:00.000-05:00

When I think of Florence the first thing that comes to mind is the Duomo. In fact, other than the Colosseo the Duomo has to be up there as the most used icon to represent Bell'Italia.

The story of the Duomo is a great one. Florence built their magnificent Duomo as you see it today. The dome was left unfinished because no one had the archictural know-how to complete such a large, unsupported dome.

Florence held a competition...many competed. One architect had the idea to pile dirt for the workers to reach dome as they built it. Then, to get it cleaned out, add coins to it and allow the populace to come in with buckets and retrieve the dirt hoping to get a coin or two. This was quashed.

The artist that ultimately won the work was Brunelleschi. He didn't really have a lot of architectural experience, but his model was the best, offered a free standing, unsupported dome (like the Pantheon in Rome), and seemed the safest due to its double-shelled and ribbed support system.

One of his principle competitors for the work was Ghiberti who recently defeated Brunelleschi for the work on the Bapistery Doors of Florence a few steps away from the Duomo.

Florence decided to give the work to both artists - Ghiberti and Brunelleschi. This didn't last long though.

Brunelleschi worked tirelessly to prove that he should be the one and only architect on the job. He ultimately won his independance.

The know how to create such a large dome was lost to the ancient Romans. Brunelleschi traveled to Rome to study how the Pantheon was built. He climbed on it, sketched it, and used it as a model for his dome in Florence.

Brunelleschi's concept was innovative. He built a dome on top of a dome so the interior would support the exterior, allowing for access for maintenance and cleaning, and the weight of the overall dome would be support across both structures. He also added support ribs. Eight in total. Think of two eggshells one on top of another and you can visualize the concept employed by Brunelleschi.

It is a magnificent sight to behold. Its shadow is believed to cover the whole of Tuscany. When you stand under it you are in awe of its size and beauty.

When it was blessed after it was built Pope Martin V gave Florence a golden rose in honor of the great accomplishement. You can see it in the Duomo museum today. The first mass was given by another Pope after the entire Duomo was complete. This is a great church touched by the hands of many vicars of christ.

Glorious Limoncello!

2008-09-30T07:05:00.000-05:00

A delicious drink after dinner, before dinner, or for no reason at all. Limoncello is easy to make at home. You'll be surprised what you can accomplish with a few lemons, some vodka(or everclear), water, and a little sugar.

15-20 lemons

2 (750-ml) bottles 80-proof vodka or everclear. Buy cheap...not Grey Goose necessary!

4-6 cups water
2-4 cups sugar

Wash and dry the lemons. Only use the ones without blemished peels or pare off any spots and the stems, ends. Remove the peel from the lemons with a sharp peeler or fine grater, carefully avoiding the bitter white pith. If any white pith remains on the back of a strip of peel, scrape it off. If you get any of the white part in the batch, the limoncello will be bitter.

Put the peels in a glass jar(glass is key. Plastic jars leave a funny taste) and add the vodka and/or Everclear about two inches below the top and seal tightly. Leave the jar to steep in a cool, dark place until the peels lose their color, at least 2 weeks.

Put the water and sugar in a saucepan, stir and slowly boil until it turns clear. Let the syrup cool

Pour the Lemon & Vodka mix through a colander into the cooled sugar water. It will turn yellow. Let sit for 20-30 minutes.

Add to clean, hinged, resealable bottles and place in the freezer.

Mascarpone Cheese and Fig Preserve

2008-09-29T10:20:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite recipes for a great and very easy dessert.

Mascarpone Cheese - you'll find it in a plastic container about the size of a cream cheese.

Fig Preserve - Harder to find...try a gourmet store or a higher end wine shop with a market.

1. Place all the Mascarpone cheese into a bowl.

2. Mix in 1/2 of the fig preserve (you can adjust, but start with a little and add to taste). Less is usually more.

Mix well and place in fridge for an hour or so.

Serve with bread sliced into bruschetta sized slices. Toast them if you like.

This is great for dessert or breakfast.

Vatican looking for the next Michelangelo

2008-09-26T10:17:00.000-05:00

Today's masters came to be through great work commissioned by rich patrons and most importantly the church in Rome. Think of the collection of masterpieces you can enjoy in the Holy See. Michelangelo, DaVinci, Bernini, Raphael, Caravaggio, and many more.

Well, you may see some of our contemporary artists added to the list. The Church will be holding a good, old-fashioned, commission earning contest. The goal is to have artists refresh spiritual art. The winner will be chosen by the Holy See and a team of art critics and artists. The theme of the project will be to give the competing artists a theme like light, suffering, or death, or something more direct like David.

I'm interested to learn that the Church is looking for wealthy patrons to sponsor the artists and the artwork to the tune of $1,000,000.00 or so...maybe more. I can't wait to see who steps up.

At the end of the day we may end up with inspired work done in fresco, sculpture, mosaic, or oil.

The Church is concerned about the loss of "figuration" or the artistic rendering of religious themes or Saints that the world has come to recognize...think of David with sword in hand and head underfoot, Saint Longinus with his spear, Saint Peter with his keys, the Annunciation with Saint Gabriel and Blessed Mary.

I read the plan is to have the Church educate people on modern interpretation of these age old themes. It will be interesting to see just how flexible the Church will be at the end of the day.

I'm a huge fan of the Renaissance masters, but am excited to see what this competition yields.

I'll keep you posted on what I find out in the year to come.

Enoteca Cul-de-Sac a Roma

2008-09-16T09:41:00.000-05:00

For a great taste of Italy dine at Cul-de-Sac in Rome. It is near Piazza Navona and has a great menu. They specialize in wine, cheese, and salami, but have a great list of dishes for each course.

This is a great place to enjoy different wines and cheese from throughout Italy and France. I recommend going for dinner, but get there a bit early to get a seat. You can take the wine with you if you have any left over.

In addition to the great wine list you can try grappas, cognacs, and much more. The price is right, the options are plentiful, and the good divine.

Here are some of the dishes on their standard menu. They also offer specials daily.

Sun dried tomatoes in olive oil

Bean soup

Too many cheeses to mention...a great and rich list

Check out their website. It's in Italian, but easy to read.

http://web.tiscali.it/culdesac/

Their address is:

Enoteca Cul DeSac Piazza Pasquino, 73 00100 - Roma Tel. 06/68801094 - google maps will show you exactly where it is...only a few steps from Piazza Navona.

This would be a great place to start your Rome at Night tour via Unabellavista.

So much more than a ceiling

2008-09-15T09:51:00.000-05:00

The Sistine Chapel is so much more than a ceiling. It is dripping with the handywork of Italy's masters from start to finish. The walls are covered by not only Michelangelo (obviously the ceiling, but also the Altar wall with his Last Judgement), but also with Perugino, Rosselli, Botticelli, Signorelli, and Ghirlandaio.

The chapel was built by Sixtus IV and is named after him. His nephew, Pope Julius II, went on to put on the ceiling with the help of Michelangelo. Pope Paul III asked Michelangelo to paint the Altar wall.

Sixtus IV wasn't getting along with Florence and the Medici too well. By a show of peace and putting it behind them Florence and Lorenzo sent a team of his, or rather, the city's masters to decorate the wall of the chapel. Did they ever!

One wall is decorated with the life of Jesus. The other wall is painted with the life of Moses. They are glorious panels that are worthy of a visit alone. Throw in Michelangelo's work and well...you have the Sistine Chapel.

Michelangelo's ceiling is the book of Genesis painted with prophets and ancestors of Christ. He also decided to add 10 shields in alternating sections with another biblical story line. Oh, for good measure this was his first real commission in fresco never having done one of this magnitude previously. He also painted the stories of David & Goliath, Judith and Holofernes, the Crucifixion of Hanaan, and the Brazen Serpent. His Last Judgement shows Jesus in a whole new light. He painted popes too; starting with Saint Peter and ending with Pope Felix I.

When in Rome you must visit the Sistine Chapel. Don't rush and don't just look up. Be sure to enjoy the walls. You won't be disappointed.

Vera Pizza only in Italy and one place in Chicago!

2008-09-11T14:37:00.000-05:00

Pizza, the real deal, can only be found in Italy. The pizza there cannot be compared to anything we have here in the U.S. Like the wine and cheese of the boot, the pizza also has a quality control method to insure that it is made with exactly the right ingredients and process.

Don't get me wrong; I love Chicago and NY style pizza. They're delicious, but quite a bit different than what is found in Italy.

The original pizza can only be found in Napoli. Pizza Margherita is made with dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil. It is named after Margherita of Savoy and has the colors of the Italian flag. She is buried in the Pantheon in Rome.

The true process of pizza making is standardized by the Associazione vera pizza napoletana. They even offer courses to learn the proper way to make it for individuals or businesses.

Here is how the real deal is made and it is delicious.

1. dough from scratch made from wheat flour (type 0, 00 or a mixture)

2. Neapolitan yeast

3. water.

4. kneeded by hand

5. after rising, formed by hand...no rolling pin and only 3mm thick

6. dressed with only red sauce, mozzarella, and basil.

7. baked in brick oven for 90 seconds at 485 degrees.

You will often find olive oil with hot red pepper flakes soaked in it to drizzle over the pizza. It is amazing and a great touch.

If you live in Chicago you can try the real deal, certified pizza at Spacca Napoli. Go often! Don't forget to try the chocolate gelato with spicy red pepper...OMG, it's amazing.

31 Days of Italians & JT Mancuso

2008-09-10T16:25:00.001-05:00

Are you Italian? Do you love the Italian culture? You must visit http://home.earthlink.net/~31italians/ to get the scoop on the many and great contributions of Italians. Each day in October JT Mancuso will post an achievement of note. Check it out...you'll be impressed by what we, from the boot, have contributed stateside.

I would also like to share her entire site. Ms. Mancuso has done a great job of organizing all things Italian with great links to other sites, book reviews, and, of course, great Italian food. Her website is http://www.jtmancuso.com/ you'll be happy you saved it in your favorites.

The only Gothic church in Rome

2008-09-09T08:19:00.001-05:00

Rome is a city of magnificent churches. Each one of them has a character all its own. In the center of Rome near the Pantheon and Piazza Navona are a collection of churches that are worthy of a full day enjoying. The churches of note are the Pantheon, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Gesu, and Saint Ignazio.

All of the majesty of Rome's churches comes through with these. However, there is only one Gothic church in Rome and it is steps away from the Pantheon. If you are looking at the doors of the Pantheon in Piazza della Rotunda with the fountain at your back walk to the left of the Pantheon about 50 feet. You'll see an ancient Egyptian Obelisk atop an elephant. This is Bernini's work and marks the piazza in front of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva.

Minerva has work by the hand of Michelangelo, Fra Angelico, and Bernini to name a few. Michelangelo's Risen Christ is at the altar. Christ was originally naked, but has since been covered by a garland for modesty. An unnecessary touch, but done nonetheless. This is one of the few Michelangelo sculptures you will enjoy withouth a huge crowd at your back or without a reservation.

Santa Maria Sopra Minerva translates to Santa Maria over Minerva. Originally this church was a temple to Minerva for the ancient Romans.

What is Gothic? One of Europe's most famous Gothic Church is Notre Dame in Paris and it is a shining and beautiful example. Italy's most impressive Gothic Church is in Milan. It seems to rise from the earth and shoot to Paradise.

Some key features of Gothic architecture are Flying Buttresses - struts from the nave, Pinnacle - pointed caps, Gothic rib - where the point of arches are the same height as the vault's crown.

Win a free stay in Rome from Venere.com

2008-09-08T12:58:00.000-05:00

Check out the details on this link...watch a video, answer a few short questions, and you're in the running.

http://www.venere.com/blog/watch-and-win-contest/

Good luck!

Italian v American cuisine and lifestyle

2008-09-08T10:55:00.001-05:00

In Italy dining is an event. The day starts with a very light breakfast of a roll, some cheese, maybe a chocolate roll, some espresso, and fruit. There are no huge skillets to be found.

Lunch is a great break in the day and is usually the larger meal. It takes around 1.5 hours to dine on multiple, realistic sized portions. Wine is enjoyed at lunch and is a social event between friends and family. Many Italians go home for lunch, but in the larger cities many eat out at restaurants.

Dinner is really an epic event. Dining starts around 7 or 8 and lasts 2-3 hours.

It is hard to find candy bars, chips, and other junk food. I'm sad to write that it is becoming more available these days. A snack in italy is gelato, a slice of pizza, a light panini, or fresh fruit.

I rec'd the above email from a friend. I'm not sure where he found it, but the subject line read, "after two years Michelangelo's David returns from the U.S." I'm afraid to admit it, but it is true. Two years here eating McDonalds and other junk food this is what the result would be.

Time to jar the tomatoes

2008-09-05T13:09:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite times of the year. The tomatoes are growing ripe and ready to be picked. The mornings and nights are chilly. And soon, after 2 days of hard, but fun work, I get to restock my shelves with my Nonna's homemade tomatoes.

The key is fresh tomatoes, some pickling salt, and basil. I can't give out the entire recipe, but can talk about the process. It's a family secret you know?

Each bushel yields around 10-12 jars of tomatoes, give or take.

1. Tomatoes

2. Boil water

3. Pour boiling water over tomatoes

4. Fish them out with a slotted spoon.

5. Peel skin off. Simply flick the tomato with your finger and the skin pops, then peel.

6. cut in half and squeeze out the seeds into a cone colander.

7. flatten each skinned half or quartered tomato.

8. Add pickling salt to the mason jar.

9. Add a layer of tomatoes

10. Add fresh basil

11. Repeat steps 9 & 10.

12. When jar gets half full use a wooden spoon, the non spoon end to push down the tomatoes and release any trapped air.

13. Fill to the top, and place a basil leaf, then add wax sealing lid.

14. To seal, add jars to boiling water until seal pops shut. Place in a cool dry place and check their seal. Any that didn't seal are no good and must be eaten right away. The others are good to go into the cellar.

Now for the tomatoes in the cone colander.

1. Add all the excess stuff.

2. Push down often to extract all the juices.

3. As the juices come through you'll pour it through a cloth that is tied tightly over a clean bucket.

4. When all the tomato juice has been pushed through the cloth you'll add salt and boil in a pot.

5. This makes, in essence, tomato juice that can be added to your tomato fillets when cooking.

This jarring process makes the tomatoes a bit salty so no need to add much when cooking. In fact don't add any more at all. It is a great base for any Italian tomato based sauce or dish.

The key is to reduce it until the tomatoes melt in your mouth, but still hold their shape in the bowl. A skill that will take years to master. My Nonna did it perfectly, but it has taken her a lifetime to master.

Be sure to follow a specific recipe to get great tomatoes. This is only meant to give you an indication of how the process works.

One final note about my Nonna. At her age she had more energy than the entire family put together. She was always the first one up to get started, always the last one standing, and it seemed effortless to her. I miss her dearly and my tomatoes will never be the same without her.

Ciao Nonna :)

Ahhhh, Siena. Rome's sister city.

2008-09-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

The founding of Siena has its roots in the founding of Rome. Rome was founded by Remus and Romulus. Remus was killed by his brother Romulus. When Remus died his two sons fled Rome to safety. When the did they had stolen a statue of the She-wolf suckling the twins. Their names were Senius and Aschius. As they fled north they were protected by a white cloud during the day and a black cloud at night. She takes her name from Senius.

The colors black and white are present everywhere in Siena...namely the Duomo that carries the two colors throughout its facade. The flag of Siena is also black and white. The city's crest is called Balzana. You will also see the statue of Rome's She-wolf throughout Siena.

Siena was a city that survived and flourished without access to water for trade. Instead her money came to the city from the road that went from Rome to Paris named Via Francigena. Most travelers stopped in Siena for the night so like today much of the city's money comes from travelers.

Siena was also a banking city. It was the official bank of the Vatican and today you will still see signs for the Bank of Siena...the oldest bank in Italy. There are silver mines around Siena in the countryside.

Like most towns in Tuscany Siena was most often at war with Florence. Unfortunately, Florence won and controlled Siena. Today you can still see the Medici Walls and Medici Crest around the city of Siena. The famous poet Dante fought against Siena with Florence.

Siena is a fantastic place to visit and call home while visiting Tuscany. I prefer to stay in Siena and take day trips to Florence and other hilltowns. The food is wonderful, the people are amazing, and it is, per capita, one of Italy's wealthiest cities.

Cellini almost died by the head of Medusa

2008-09-03T10:25:00.001-05:00

Cellini was a goldsmith and bronze sculptor from Florence. He was creating the famed Perseus and Medusa now in the Loggia of Florence. During the casting process he nearly died.

As he poured the molten metal into the cast of his Medusa and Perseus his studio caught fire. He and his assistants fought so hard to prevent it from burning down he caught a terrible fever. He lay in bed for three days fearful of death due to his fever.

One of his assistants came to him saying, "Poor Benvenuto (Cellini), all is lost." This news enraged Cellini. He let out a yell he claimed could be heard throughout Italy. He jumped from bed with his terrible fever to assess the damage to his statue.

The metal had cooled and didn't set properly. It has a rough look and almost looked as if it couldn't be saved. Cellini began to reheat the metal. He bought oak from a carpenter down the street and reheated the cast to a liquid. The damage done during the first pour reduced the amount of salvageable metal. As it turned to a liquid he knew he wouldn't have enough for the entire pour. He had his servants bring all the pewter in his entire house adding it to the molten liquid.

He worked so hard for so long that he forgot about his fever, his asssistants worked as hard doing the work of three men per person.

Cellini poured and saved his masterpiece.

He wrote about the entire process in his autobiography. It is one of the better reads about life and work in Renaissance Italy from the hand of a master.

The image of Cellini is from the walkway near the Uffizi in Florence.

The cells at San Marco in Florence

2008-09-02T09:17:00.001-05:00

Fra Angelico was a Dominican at San Marco in Florence. The artwork he painted on the walls is a must see while visiting Bella Firenze. A short walk from Michelangelo's David you'll enjoy a view into the life of a Dominican Friar, understand how they lived their lives, and enjoy some of the world's most beautiful frescoes.

The work isn't created in a consistant narrative, but rather, a view into the belief system of the friars. Each room or cell has a fresco that the friar would study while in his bed chamber. The fresco delivers a message on the value system of the Dominicans. Each fresco contains a scene from the life or passion of Christ. Many of these frescoes place Saint Dominic in the scene.

Saint Dominic was the founder of the order and placed three critical components to the life and values to each friar. 1 - live in poverty, 2 - education, 3 - be good to everyone.

The Dominicans didn't beg. They chose to spend their time in study. Those that were less intellectual spent time in the trades. Fra Angelico dedicated his life to art. He only painted religious scenes, would weep as he painted a crucifixion scene, and lived his life in poverty dedicated to the order.

San Marco has cells meant for only the brothers to see. They did paint scenes in the common areas where guests would be able to see the artwork. One of my favorite, non-cell, paintings is of the Annunciation at the top of the stairs as you enter the cells. This is a public image, but it is unlikely non-brothers would see it since it was placed in the hallway of the sleeping quarters.

The Altarpiece is one of the common area paintings and contains the Virgin Mary, Jesus, Saint Dominic, Saint Francis, Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian. Cosmas and Damian were the family Saints of the Medici and since the Medici family funded the rebuilding of San Marco their patron Saints were included in the Altarpiece.

Be sure to spend at least 2-3 hours here to fully enjoy the artwork, get a feel of the life of the Dominicans, and enjoy a brief step back into life in Renaissance Florence.

The Mortal Gorgon Loses Her Head in Florence

2008-08-27T07:41:00.000-05:00

One of Florence's greatest statues is outdoors for all to enjoy day or night. Located in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Piazza Signoria Cellini's Perseus and Medusa is one of the world's masterpieces.

Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae. As most Greek myths go Perseus mortal grandfather was told by a prophecy that he would be killed by his grandson. Perseus was exposed to the sea only to be found by a fisherman.

Years go by and Perseus is now a man. He attends a banquet and at the banquet he is fooled into promising to do anything that is asked of him by the King. The King asks him to fetch the head of Medusa. Medusa was one of the three Gorgons and the only mortal one of the three.

To begin his quest he is aided by Athena and Hermes. Perseus heads to Libya to seek 0ut the Graiae. When he finds them he steals their shared eye and tooth. In turn they tell him where and how to find Medusa. He also receives a pair of winged sandals, a magical bag, a magical helmut, and a shied from them. Hermes throws in a sickle-shaped sword too.

Off he goes to find and kill Medusa in her lair. If he gazes at her he'll be turned to stone. Perseus finds her sleeping and sees her through the reflection in his shield. His blow is guided by Athena. He places Medusa's head in his magical bag and flies away wearing his winged sandals.

Athena takes the head of Medusa and places it on her shield. It is now called an Aegis and is meant to frighten enemies during battle.

Cellini did his Medusa in bronze. It nearly killed him and burned down his studio. More on Cellini and the process later. Caravaggio created a painted shield with the head of Medusa now located in the Uffizi. Bernini created a masterful sculpture of her head in stone located in Rome at the Capitoline Museum.

Cacio all'argentera - Herbed Italian Cheese

2008-08-25T10:51:00.000-05:00

This is a crowd pleaser and very easy to make. It serves four, but can easily accomodate more.

2 Tbl of olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb of Provolone cheese, cut into 1/2" slices
1 Tbl balsamic vinegar
1 tsp each of fresh oregano and rosemary
cracked black pepper
Italian bread

Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the cheese and cook until it begins to soften slightly (around 2 minutes). Turn the cheese with a spatula and cook 1-2 more minutes. Scatter the garlic into the pan along with the vinegar and herbs. Saute until the garlic begins to sizzle.
Pour directly into serving platter and enjoy.

Dante - The father of the Italian language

2008-08-19T12:49:00.001-05:00

Dante Alighieri wrote the Divine Comedy. It ranks up at the top with the world's best Epic Poems. In it Dante travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. His guide in Hell and Purgatory is another great poet named Virgil. In Heaven his guide is his beloved Beatrice.

The love story between Dante and Beatrice is worthy of Shakespeare. Having only met her a handful of times and sharing only a couple of conversations they never grew their relationship beyond a casual one. Only seeing her from afar Dante loved her so. He loved her so much that she has been immortalized the Divine Comedy as his guide through Heaven.

The Divine Comedy was written in Italian rather than the standard Latin or Greek. By doing so Dante brought the Italian language to center stage. This let Europe know that Italian was worthy of the highest use in literature. It also brought the trilogy to the masses throughout Italy that couldn't read Latin.

Each book contains 33 cantos. The Inferno actually has 34 because of the introduction. Each of the three books end with the word stars.

The Inferno is the most famous 0f the three due to Dante's colorful descriptions of the tortures of the nine levels of Hell, each sin that caused the sinner to be eternally tortured on that level, and bring contemporary Florentines, Romans, Popes, and other political figures to Hell while they lived in Dante's Italy.

One of the tortures that sticks in my mind is where a sinner, submerged under boiling pitch has his flesh ripped apart by demons using grappling hooks if they come above the boiling tar.

In the Divine Comedy Dante encounters Odysseus, Achilles, Charon, Saint Peter, other great Epic Poets, and many more.

It is well worth a read even if you only get through the Inferno and Purgatorio.

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!

2008-08-15T08:53:00.000-05:00

The history of Greece versus Troy is fantastic. Two of the world's best books / epic poems tell us the story. Evidence of the epic war are everywhere in Italy through art.

The Vatican Musuem has one of my favorite statues that delivers through sculpture one of the pinnacle moments of the Trojan War, has been touched by Michelangelo, and is considered one of the finest examples of Ex Uno Lapide (carved from a single stone) in the world.

The Laocoon was carved in 25 BC...yes 25 BC by three Greek sculptors. It is the priest Laocoon and his two sons being dragged to their deaths by a serpent. The serpent was sent by Apollo as punishment for Laocoon's awareness of Greek treachery. The gods played an enourmous role in the fall of Troy.

The Greeks seemed to leave the beaches of Troy leaving behind a gift of a giant wooden horse. This gift was the brainchild of Odysseus. The Greeks sat quietly in the belly of the wooden horse, the Trojans opened up the city walls dragging the gift into the square. The Trojans, thinking the war was over, celebrated all night. Late into the evening when the Trojans slept the Greeks dropped from the horse and...well, the rest is history.

Laocoon knew this was a treacherous gift and warned the Trojans. Apollo punished Laocoon for his foresight and dragged him and his children into the sea.

This great sculpture was found in a vineyard in Rome on the Esquiline Hill. It was brought to Rome from Greece by Emperor Titus in 69 AD. The pope at the time of the discovery of the Laocoon was Pope Julius II...of course. Michelangelo himself went to identify the great sculpture, repaired the arm of the Laocoon (you can still see the cracks). Julius II offered the vineyard owner 600 gold ducats for life to own the great work.

It is now placed in the Vatican Museums and is one of their prize works.

Oh, by the way, the phrase, "beware of Greeks bearing gifts" was uttered by Laocoon and has remained a timeless phrase to this very day.

Italian Sangria

2008-08-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

In Southern Italy you will enjoy chilled red wine...yes chilled. In it you'll find sliced peaches and oranges. It is easy to make and turns cheaper wine into something delicious.

First buy a gallon jub of Gallo Paisano.

Put the wine into a pitcher add sliced peaches and oranges

place in the fridge for a few hours

When you pour it to serve add a splash of sprite or 7 up.

Be sure each glass gets a bit of fruit to enjoy after the wine.

Narcissus in Rome

2008-08-12T07:38:00.000-05:00

Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio painted a Narcissus. It is in the Barberini Gallery. Well worth a visit while in Rome. There are many great paintings at the Barberini, but this is one of my favorites.

Narcissus was a proud and beautiful youth. So beautiful that he didn't want to give himself to any lover. One of his spurned lovers yelled, "may Narcissus love one day so, and himself not win over the creature whom he loves." Nemesis, the god of vengeance, heard the cry and granted it. After a hunt in the woods Narcissus came upon a still dark pond and fell in love with his own reflection. He died gazing at his beauty and a flower grew in his place.

Art scholars question the authenticity of this work. Is it or isn't it a Caravaggio? Until they prove otherwise I'm giving him credit.

The image is fantastic. Caravaggio perfectly captures the emotion of Narcissus. He longingly gazes at himself, the water has an inky color that repressent his anguished soul.

The Narcissus flower grows on the water's edge and is named in honor of this Greek youth.

Talking Statues - Achilles rejoins the fight

2008-08-10T18:16:00.000-05:00

In Rome even the statues talk. There is a statue of Menelaos with the body of Patroclus near Piazza Navona. It has been a staple of Roman politics since the 16th century.
It was named Pasquino because the statue was placed near a tailor's shop named, of course, Pasquino.
On it the Romans placed notes of political discontent since it was illegal to outwardly voice resentment to the government. When you visit the statue a few blocks from Piazza Navona you'll even see notes posted today. They'll be in Italian so take a few pictures and translate the notes when you get home or ask a nearby local if they would translate for you.
One of the more famous notes was placed on Pasquino in the mid 1600's directed at Pope Innocent X. This is the pope that funded and built the famous fountain of Four Rivers by Bernini in Piazza Navona with taxation of the Romans. The note read, "We don't want obelisks and fountains; we want bread, bread, bread."
A little on the story of Patroclus and Menelaos. Achilles chose to remove himself from the war against the Trojans in the Illiad due to a slight by general Agamemnon. The slight was over a woman who Achilles claimed as his own as a spoil of war. General Agamemnon took her from Achilles. Achilles removed himself from the war and remained in camp and vowed not to fight until he got back what was rightfully his. His cousin Patroclus wanted to join the fight, but Achilles refused.

One night while Achilles slept Patroclus donned his cousin's very recognizable armor and ran into battle. The Greeks thought Achilles was back. A battle raged that pitted "Achilles" against the great Hector of Troy. They fought one-on-one with Hector killing "Achilles." The Greeks and Trojans thought that the feared "Swift-Footed Achilles" had been slain. When his armor was removed it was discovered that it was Patroclus.

The Greeks brought the dead body to Achilles who flew into a violent rage. He rejoined the Greeks, but in the fashion of a great warrior rode to the gates of Troy, challenged Hector to a one-on-one battle and slew him. Then to add insult to injury tied his dead body to the back of his chariot. He dragged him around the walls of Troy three times and all the way back to camp.
More on the story of Troy and the importance of the Illiad to art in Italy and Greece.
Oh, one more thing, the Borghese museum statues are organized starting with the statue that ultimately kicked off the Trojan war with Venus Victrix and ending with Aenaes fleeing from Troy to found Rome.

Ordering espresso at the train station

2008-08-09T10:03:00.000-05:00

Ordering your espresso at the train station is a little different than at a cafe in the city. At the station you must first go to the cashier and pay for it. You'll then get a receipt that you bring to the cafe counter. The barista will come up to you and take your ticket. Tell them what you want. They'll tear it indicating that you have been served.

Italy has changed the sugar servers. They are now the individual sugar packets or sugar pourer. I miss the old school servers that had spoons in them. I guess for health reasons it makes sense to have packets, but I always enjoyed the large community sugar bowl. Each cafe usually had a different one that automatically opened when you removed the spoon.

Museo San Marco - Fra Angelica

2008-08-08T14:29:00.000-05:00

Museo San Marco is home to the glorious work of Fra Angelico. He painted the cells of the monastery for his brothers of the Dominican church in Florence near the Galleria del Accademia.

This museum isn't usually too busy, but provides a great look into Friar life of the Renaissance. Fra Angelico decorated the cells of the Friars with scenes of Saint Dominic inserted into Biblical scenes. Each image repressents divine life and illustrates the goal of each Friar in their work. Fra Angelico's Annunciation is one of my favorites in San Marco. His Annunciation is one of my favorite Annunciation scenes.

Savonarola lived here. You can visit his large cell with his desk and chair. You can also see his cloak. Savonarola took Florence away from the Medici family. He preached and raised the citizens to riot. He was responsible for the fire of the vanities forcing citizens and artists to burn things that were deemed "illegal" for church going people. It is sad to note that Botticelli burned some of his paintings in the fire. Savonarola was ultimately hanged and burned to death in Piazza Signoria. Rebels didn't last long in Florence.

San Marco delivers the calmness of the Friar's life. Its cloister is beautiful. The Dominicans were determined to avoid the moral problem of wealth and lived peaceful lives (except Savonarola).

Fra Angelico often wept before painting scenes of the crucifixion and refused to work on anything but sacred images. He was given the name Angelico by another Friar.

Pope John Paul II entered him into the church's official role of beautiful Christian. I recommend spending at least 2-2.5 hours at San Marco to soak it all in. You may have to wait a few minutes before entering each cell for those ahead of you to exit. The rooms are small and people often enjoy each work for 3-5 minutes.

Top Ten Ancient Rome

2008-08-05T10:51:00.000-05:00

1. Colosseo - Rome

2. Foro Romano & Palatine Hill - Rome

3. Pantheon - Rome

4. Pompeii & Herculaneum - Rome

5. Roman Ampitheater - Verona (still used for concerts and entertainment today)

6. Piazza Navona - Rome

7. Hadrian's Villa - Tivoli

8. Ostia Antica - Ostia Antica

9. Domus Aurea - Rome

10. Paestum - Paestum

Live like a Roman - rent an apartment

2008-08-01T07:48:00.000-05:00

A great way to enjoy Rome is to live like a Roman. Renting an apartment is affordable and places you in the daily routine of the Roman lifestyle. There are many companies that offer flats or apartments. I have personally used the Parker Company. They have a great inventory of property suitable for 1 up to 12 people.

You can jump online, check availability, book your room, and make your deposit. Once you arrive in Rome you meet a representative from Parker at the property. They take your cash deposit, give you the keys, and instructions on how to depart after your stay.

We stayed at a great apartment a few steps from Campo di Fiori. It was cheap compared to a hotel in the center of Rome. Most stays are a one week minimum.

Visit the website at www.theparkercompany.com/ You can also order a full color catalog. I recommend doing both.

Parker has property rental throughout Italy.

Capitoline Museum of Rome

2008-07-31T07:47:00.000-05:00

Considered the oldest art collection in the Western World the Capitoline Museums offer a great starting point to enjoy Ancient Rome, the Forum, and the Colosseo.

Gifted by the Pope Sixtus IV to the Roman's to prove the greatness of the Roman history this art museum offers a view into anicent Rome that will truly bring the Eternal city to life. Pope Sixtus was the uncle to Pope Julius II. Sixtus built the Sistine Chapel and it bears his name.

Julius II(Sixtus IV's nephew) decorated the ceiling with the help of Michelangelo. Michelangelo decorated the piazza in front of the Capitoline Museum. The statue in front is Marcus Aurelius and has survived because at the time of its placement Pope Paul thought it was the Emperor Constantine. A replica sits in the piazza. The original is inside the museum.

Two of my favorite pieces in the museum are the Colossus of Constantine and the micromosaic taken from Hadrian's villa. You can also see the Dying Gaul and the boy removing a thorn from his foot.

This museum is well worth the visit. You also get a great vantage point into the Forum for photos and the entrance into the Forum is a short walk from the Capitoline Musuems.

Tragedy of the Tomb

2008-07-30T09:54:00.000-05:00

Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II to create his tomb. It was going to be a glorious eternal resting place for Julius with over 40 statues. It would have been a mausoleum if it were completed to the original specifications.

Michelangelo himself traveled to Carrara to harvest the marble, he paid for it out of his own pocket, and began work in Rome. This was going to be the ultimate accomplishment for the artist. It tested his ability as an architect and sculptor.

During the course of work the Pope created a private corridor from Saint Peter's to Michelangelo's studio to suppress any jealousy. He would visit the artist and his work often. Bramante began whispering into the Pope's ear to stop work on his tomb. It was a bad omen. The pope eventually listened.

Michelangelo went to get payback on the marble and wasn't admitted to see the pope. This happened three times. Michelangelo freaked out, sold his stuff, and moved back to Florence. He eventually reconciled with Julius. Shortly after he was commissioned to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

The tomb was never completed to its original standards. It now rests in San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome. It does contain the Moses by Michelangelo and is amazing. It is said that this statue alone would do Julius honor enough.

Top Ten (actually twelve) Botticelli

2008-07-29T09:34:00.000-05:00

Botticelli was one of the finest artist the Renaissance produced. Most of his work can be enjoyed in Florence. Here is a top ten (actually twelve) of his must see work.
1. Birth of Venus - Florence - Uffizi
2. Venus Primavera - Florence - Uffizi
3. Madonna del Magnifica - Florence - Uffizi
4. Adoration of the Magi - Florence - Uffizi
5. Calumny of the Appelles - Florence - Uffizi
6. Temptations of Christ - Vatican Museum - Rome
7. Punishment of Korah, Dathan, & Abiram - Sistine Chapel - Rome
8. Events in the life of Moses - Sistine Chapel - Rome
9. Pallas and the Centaur - Florence - Uffizi
10. Judith - Florence - Uffizi
11. Madonna of the Pomegranate - Florence - Uffizi
12. Cestello Annunciation - Florence - Uffizi

Buon Americano Buon Appetito

2008-07-28T07:47:00.000-05:00

The Italians are very easy going. They love their culture, their food, and they especially love when travelers embrace being Italian while visiting Bella Terra.One of the best things Italy delivers to you is the food. It will set a whole new level of expectation as to what good is when dining. Everything from the bread to the dolci. Espresso is a religious experience. Pizza is an artform. Fresh fruit will give you the chills. The cheese and salamis are in fact second to none (sorry France). The pasta and the endless variety of pasta sauces will amaze you.

I recommend writing in a journal throughout your entire visit to Italy. Write down the name of the cafe, the city, what you ate or drank, and rate it. Almost every restaurant has a card at the host station to grab. Be sure to grab one and drop in in your envelope of cards. They will keep the memories alive in your scrapbook and be fun to look through in the years to come.

The key to getting the most out of your dining experience is to embrace each meal. Go outside of your comfort zone and stay away from staples. Don't pass on a wonderful spaghetti marinara, but compliment your meal with an out of your box second course. Try a different dessert at each meal. Try a different gelato flavor each time...you'll eat it 4 times a day so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy your favorite.

Here are some tips to get the most out of your dining experience.

1. Be polite. Service goes much slower in Italy...don't be offended. They aren't blowing you off. The Italians enjoy dining as a full experience to be slowly enjoyed. Embrace it.

2. Try to speak a bit of Italian. They'll know you aren't fluent and won't expect you to know more than the basics. Try to say hello, thank you, where's the bathroom, etc. They'll love it and you'll be surprised at how much fun it is.

3. Ask the server for his / her recommendation. "Che cosa ci consiglia per primi piatte, secodi piatte, dolci, antipasti. You will then be delivered excellent recommendations and specials of the day that will raise your meal to a new level.

4. Ask for a wine recommendation in addition to your meal.

5. Many times they will offer a "misto" of dishes per course if you ask. You will be surprised that in Italy this is a compliment. In the U.S. restaurants will be offended. Not in Italy. They want to share their culture and food with you at every turn.

6. Don't assume the server speaks English. Ask if he / she does "Parla inglese?"The key is to take your time, try new things, be polite, tip, and you'll have a wonderful meal every time.

Don't forget. The server is not going to bring your bill (conto) until you ask for it. It is impolite in Italy to assume a table is finished. The sign to ask for you bill is the same in the U.S. as in Italy. An imaginary pen in hand as if you are signing a credit card slip works perfectly.There is a full article on the unabellavista tips page that you can download and enjoy. I also cover this topic in my podcasts on iTunes.

Italian living at home - Italian cheese clubs

2008-07-25T10:11:00.000-05:00

It is hard to get to Italy often enough to satisfy our love of Bell'Italia so bring Italy to you with an Italian Cheese club.

Italian Cooking and Living Cheese Club

I have been a member of the cheese club offered by Italian Cooking & Living magazine for years and I love it. Each month you get 2 different types of cheese straight from Italy to your doorstep. Membership to the club is free. You then choose between 1/2 pound x 2 cheeses per month or 1 pound x 2 cheeses per month. I get the 1/2 pound and have been very happy with it. In addition to the cheese you get a recipe or two, a write up on the cheese and how it is made and the region it is made. Great stuff.

Cheeseline.com

This is a great site. Shipping to the U.S. is a bit expensive, but if you and some family or friends love Italian cheese go in together. It divides the shipping cost (Cheese is shipped by air from Italy) between you. They help you buy the right amount to capitolize on shipping. The site is well organized by country (if you want to buy French or other European cheeses), by milk type, sharp, sweet, aged, and more. The selection and options are fantastic.

When was the last time you saw Taleggio at your local gourmet store?

A sample from their website:

Taleggio D.O.P. is a soft Italian gourmet cheese that is considered a delicacy when served in many dishes or when served on its own as a delightful Italian taste treat.
It is a gourmet cheese of very old origins, perhaps even before the 10th century. Its regional origin was the Val Taleggio, in the province in Bergamo, from which derives the name of the cheese. Currently the area of production and ripening of the Taleggio cheese is Lombardy, Piedmont and Venetia regions.
The rind of the cheese is thin, and of soft consistency; its color is natural rose-orange, with the presence of a characteristic grey and green light sage color mould. The paste is uniformly compact, softer under the rind and the color changes from white to pale yellow, with some small circles. The taste is sweet, with light acidic vein, slightly aromatic, sometimes with a truffle aftertaste; the odor is characteristic.
Taleggio gourmet cheese should be served to room temperature, to fully display its taste and its aroma. It is not necessary to remove the rind, but it is sufficient to gently scrape it. Most Taleggio cheeses are matured for a minimum of 40 days and in order to comply with US FDA regulation for export to the USA the maturation of our Taleggio cheese has been extended to over 60 days.

Italian wine is easier to come by at your local liquor store. Join a cheese club or buy from Cheeseline.com to bring a little Italy to your doorstep and enjoy!

Panzanella Salad - it's amazing

2008-07-24T10:17:00.000-05:00

This is a great recipe that can be enjoyed year-round. It is quick and easy.

6 cups day old Italian bread, torn into bite-size pieces

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vinegar

4 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

3/4 cup sliced red onion

10 basil leaves, shredded

1 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size pieces

*add a few anchovies if you like.

**I like to add a few pinches of crushed red pepper.

Masaccio, Santa Maria Novella, and the Trinity

2008-07-23T08:11:00.000-05:00

This painting was a major turn in style. Masaccio was focused on and used linear perspective in execution.This fantastic painting can be seen in Florence at Santa Maria Novella.The coffered arch, God, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph complete the illusion of three dimenstions. The patron family is depicted kneeling. They are of the Lenzi family.The goal of the artist was to create a real space inhabited by the figures in the scene. Completed in 1427 it is a masterpiece that many other artists of the Renaissance used to perfect the use of perspective.The skeleton at the base of the image repressents our mortality with God and the Holy Spirit at the top completing the imagery. At our death life truly begins in Paradise.

Loggia dei Lanzi - Florence

2008-07-22T10:29:00.000-05:00

Located in one of the greatest piazzas in Italy Loggia dei Lanzi contains some of the best sculpture in Italy. As you stare at the David in his original location the Loggia is to your right. The David shares his location with Heracles And Cacus from Bandinelli. The Loggia contains the Rape of the Sabines, Perseus with the Head of Medusa, Ajax with the Body of Patroclus, Heracles and the Centaur, and others. It is one of the beautiful things about Italy...all of this wonderful art decorates the piazza. Not just any art, but world famous sculpture by the world's masters. The sculpture is overwhelming. Being located in Piazza Signoria you'll walk through on your 2nd or 3rd day and almost not notice it. The Loggia is named after the German bodyguards for Cosimo I. It took its name in the 16th century and has been used for Civic events. Oh, one more thing...Palazzo Vecchio is there too with the Uffizi right around the corner. Florence is a wonderful city with so much to see it will be a bit overwhelming. Take your time, enjoy every step, and don't rush it.

Stay in one city and learn Italian

2008-07-18T07:56:00.000-05:00

A great way to spend your time in Italy is to stay put in one city and study Italian. I did it last summer in Siena at the Dante School. It was my favorite time spent in Italy.

Most schools offer housing at great rates, you'll meet fantatic people, and you'll really get to know the city. Siena was a great choice.

I studied during the weeks before and during the Palio. There is no better way to experience the Palio than with the Sienese. It brought the experience to a whole new level.

The classes offered go from beginner to advanced and can be done in as little as one week. Most schools also offer walking tours and culinary classes to students.

My favorite part was meeting so many great people in class. All of which are still my friends. We stay in touch on Facebook.

Do yourself a favor and look into an Italian class during your stay. It will be well worth it for you.

Boboli isn't just pre-made pizza crust!

2008-07-16T10:33:00.000-05:00

The Boboli Gardens are one of Italy's best illustrations of wealth and power. The Pitta family built the gardens and palace to show Florence and the world their power and to rival the famed Medici family. It didn't stay in the Pitta family too long. The wife of Cosimo I, Eleonora di Toledo bought it and it quickly became another home of the Medici family.

The Pitti Palace was connected to Palazzo Vechio and the Uffizi by the the corridor built by Vasari. This is how jewelers came to occupy Ponte Vecchio. It used to be filled with butchers, but the Medici thought the smell repugnant and undignified. They had them removed and replaced with the more refined, and less stinky, jewlers you see there today.

The collection of artwork at Pitti is incredible and often overlooked by travelers. Many great Italian artists have works here like: Bandinelli, Lippi, Signorelli, Pontormo, Botticelli, Raphael, and Titian. It is located just over the arno and can be enjoyed on the day you walk across Ponte Vecchio. There is a lot to enjoy at Pitti so start your day early to enjoy the garden and the palace. The second part of your day be sure to visit the magnificent Santa Maria del Carmine. More on SM Carmine in another post.

Home Food Movement in Italy

2008-07-11T11:12:00.000-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me! The Italians get it and deliver it. There is a movement in Italy that you should look into for a great meal and a great experience while visiting Bell'Italia...Home Food.

I read about it in the American Way magazine on my last flight to San Francisco.

http://www.americanwaymag.com/tabid/2855/tabidext/3989/default.aspx

In short, women and families throughout Italy created a network of home chefs that love to cook authentic Italian food and offer the experience to travelers.

From the article:Sensing a culinary collapse in her own country, 71-year-old Italian sociology professor Egeria Di Nallo, a Bologna native, teamed with the University of Bologna and the Association for the Guardianship and Exploitation of the Traditional Culinary- Gastronomic Heritage of Italy in 2004 and dreamed up a little something called Home Food. Like the name suggests, Home Food is a network of home cooks -- mainly Italian women, known as Cesarine (“empresses”), named such as a nod to the mothers, aunts, and grandmothers who have passed on the traditional recipes of the country through the ages -- who are fervently preserving the culinary traditions of one of the most gastronomically blessed places on earth.

AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING, there were 250 Cesarine spread throughout all the regions of Italy. So the next time you are in Bologna, you can forgo the exhaustive search through the university town’s lovely medieval streets that ends up with you on the losing end of bad Bolognese, and instead feast on salsiccia passita (traditional pork sausage) and Bolognese-style veal cutlet, a recipe that first appeared in local cookbooks in 800 AD. You can enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime meal with local wines and cheeses in an attic home just a few steps from the former residence of Giosuè Carducci, one of Italy’s greatest poets and a 1906 Nobel Prize winner.Each time you step into a Cesarina’s home, you are embarking on a rare journey of taste that harks back to the region’s traditional cuisine before it was pierced and prodded by the modern world. In the words of Home Food, you will be “avoiding flights of imagination, fusion, or contamination that have taken the foods away from their traditional form.” On the Home Food website (www.homefood.it), each Cesarina’s menu reads like gourmet Dante: vivid descriptions of transcendent meals bookended by historical context. You can literally swallow the past.“Home Food has looked for and found in Italian families the people who are repositories of the ancient knowledge of our cookery and has convinced them to share their knowledge and experience with a larger circle of people whilst at the same time remaining within their own domestic environment,” writes Di Nallo on her company’s website.

This is a fantastic opportunity to do as the Italians do!

Italians work to live finding life and culture important, not $

2008-07-11T10:12:00.000-05:00

I am always impressed with the Italian lifestyle. I read in the Chicago Tribune today about how a world-remowned, Umbrian Chef has countered the weakend U.S. dollar and falling Italian economy. Rather than post the entire article I'll drop the link and provide a few quotes that deliver the point.

In short Chef Gianfranco Vissani noticed more and more empty tables at his 2 star Michelin restaurant just outside of Rome. He created a set menu for 30 Euro. His regular menu would easily cost 100 Euro.

"Other chefs told me: 'You're crazy,' " Vissani said, looking into the kitchen one morning as a battery of cooks prepared steaming blueberry-laced risotto and slender platters of salmon carpaccio. "With this meal, I make no money. … But my thought was: We have to do something. At 30 euros, we at least can preserve the culture of the table." Diners can still order La Carte, but he opened a community style room with one large table for people to enjoy a great, affordable lunch.

This may not seem like a big deal, but this is like True in Chicago offering a more affordable lunch just to make sure the culture of dining stays alive. I don't think this would ever happen in the U.S....ever!

"I believe the culture of food and wine needs to be spread to youngsters—and the young have no money now," "If we put up the prices, everyone will stay home and eat out of cans."
The Italians work to live and enjoy life as it comes. We should take a page from their lifestyle.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-italy-chef_spolar_jul11,0,5046727.story

Colosseo - Need I say more?

2008-07-10T07:32:00.000-05:00

When the Colosseum falls so too will Rome, and so too the world.

The Romans revolted against Nero because he built his Golden House. Within the home was a lake where the Colosseo stands today. Vesapasian became Emperor after Nero and knew that he had to win the Romans back if there was ever going to be order. Vespasian began construction on the Colosseo. Just like we escape our lives by going to the movies, a cultural event, or a bar the Romans did the very same thing. The Colosseo in Rome is the most famous of the ampitheaters today. In fact they were built throughout the empire. Some of the other famous ones are in Verona (They still hold concerts and cultural events there), Pompeii, and Syracuse Sicily.

The Roman Colosseo holds over 50,000 spectators, had sails over the top to shade fans. The sails were wielded by sailors in the Roman navy. Seats were given by social rank. Exit were called vomitorium, hence the word vomit or to exit. The columns on the exterior are purely decorative and go from bottom to top: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.

This is a must see, must have reservations sight. Buy your tickets at the Palatine Hill ticket office and walk right in to the Colosseo

Cheese - Formaggio

2008-07-08T07:23:00.000-05:00

No visit to Bella Terra is complete without a full sampling of the cheeses of Italy. My only and best advice is to try it all. Every time you stop to eat finish with a piatto di formaggio. Each city, region, or town will serve it up a bit different. Be sure to ask for a wine recommendation to go along with your cheese.One of my favorite ways to eat cheese is in Tuscany. The Tuscans drizzle Balsamic Vinegar over their Parmigiano Reggiano. It is one of the best combinations I have ever tried. Keep in mind you have to buy the aged Balsamic. It is sweet and syrup like. Don't just drizzle any Balsamic over the cheese or you'll be disappointed. And remember less is more. My second favorite way to eat cheese comes from Siena. I enjoyed a hunk of Pecorino with a small side of Pear Preserve. The preserve had a hint of spice in it. Married with a nice Tuscan wine the combination is one of my favorite memories of last summer.

Reservations are critical at Italy's most popular museums

2008-07-07T07:33:00.000-05:00

A visit to Italy is not complete without enjoying a visit to the top sights. This can be taxing if you don't plan ahead and make a reservation. Most of us visit Italy for 10 -14 days. Why waste a minute of your time waiting in line. For the key sights the wait can easily exceed 3 hours. I am amazed at how many people just wing it. I have asked many of them why they didn't make a reservation and the answer is always the same: "I didn't think we needed one" or "I didn't know the line would be so long."

Here are the sights that I recommend you make a reservation to visit:

1. Uffizi Gallery:Florence

2. Accademia: Florence (David by Michelangelo)

3. Borghese:Rome (No entry without a reservation).

4. Santa Maria della Grazia:Milan (Last Supper by Da Vinci)

5. Vatican Museums:Rome (It would be nice, but you have to wait in line...no reservations accepted!) The key is to go later in the day when the crowd has thinned.

6. Colosseo:Rome (Simply buy your ticket at the ticket office at the base of the Palatine Hill. You can then enter the Colosseo bypassing the very long line.

Visit http://www.unabellavista.com/tips.htm You can click through to make your reservations at these sights and use the saved time for a gelato, Campari, or another sight visit.

To Vespa or not to Vespa

2008-07-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

I don't think there is anything as quintessential as a Vespa in Italy. They are everywhere. You can get around quickly, park wherever you want...for the most part, and make you feel like a true Italian when you ride through town.The Vespa is so popular that most days, in the city centers, all you see are Vespas.Keep in mind a few things before you take a ride on the Wasp.

1. The Italians know the streets well. Any second guess on your part can result in an accident.

2. Don't enjoy your first Vespa experience in Rome, Milan, or Florence. I recommend renting on a smaller city to get the hang of it and build up your confidence.

3. Wear a helmet.

4. Don't smoke or take a phone call while riding. You'll see the Italians doing this constantly. They are veterans and can pull it off. Don't try it...too much going on to focus on the cabs, pedestrians.

5. Study the road-signs a bit.

6. On day one, buzz around early in the morning or late in the evening when traffic is lighter.

Enjoy the ride!

Gian Lorenzo Bernini - Italy's other sculptor

2008-07-01T10:13:00.000-05:00

When people think of Italian Sculpture they immediately go to Michelangelo...and rightly so. He is, in my opinion, Italy's artistic master. I would go so far as to argue that he is the world's artistic master. When it comes to sculpture he has few rivals. His nearest rival is Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Bernini's work is incredible. What he is able to do with a hammer and chissle sets a new standard for accomplishment with stone.

Bernini has so many masterpieces in Rome that you would be able to spend two full days touring to enjoy them all. If you don't have two days, but want to get an eyefull of his work you must visit the Borghese. My favorite is his David. Unlike Michelangelo's which is David before the fight; Bernini's is during the fight. He is aggressively twisted to hurl the rock to fall Goliath.

Cardinal Scipione Borghese held up a mirror while Bernini sculpted. Bernini used his face as he struggled with the stone to deliver that same struggle to his David's face. I would equate Bernini's sculpture with a photograph in that the life and emotion potrayed in his stone is uncanny. His father was a sculpture, but never achieved the same level as his son.

The top works of Bernini are: David, Fountain of Four Rivers, Apollo & Daphne, and the Ecstasy of St. Theresa.

unabellavista widget 'Diretto"

2008-06-27T15:43:00.001-05:00

A little taste of Italy everyday on your favorite web spots. Feel free to share it and post it anywhere you like. It goes on almost any social site, iGoogle, and yahoo.

Caravaggio

2008-06-27T07:49:00.000-05:00

Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio was a troubled man. He was a drinker, a gambler, murdered a guy, and frequented brothels. All this and a fantastic painter too.

His style is called tenebroso which means shadow. He depicted Biblical scenes in contemporary Rome. His models wore typical Roman dress in his Rome. The use of light for Caravaggio was sacred in that he used it to show who or what was important in the painting.

One of my favorite painting from Caravaggio is Calling of Saint Matthew. It can be seen a few steps away from Piazza Navona in Rome at San Luigi dei Francesi. You will also see Martydom of Saint Matthew there. Both are amazing.Walk into the church and go towards the alter. At the Alter look to your left. They are in the last transept. You can drop a coin in the light box to light up the paintings. I highly recommend you do this.You can also see Caravaggio at the Vatican Pinacoteca, The Borghese Gallery, and the Uffizi.

La Campana - A great Roman Restaurant

2008-06-26T09:31:00.000-05:00

This place is one of my favorites. It is very Roman. The service has always been excellent and the food divine. It is a little more expensive, but well worth it.

I usually eat here on my last night in Rome.

Located on Vicolo della Campana, 18; Tel: (06) 686-7820. The street is tiny so you'll need to find it on a map. Even when you find the street the door to the restaurant only has a small neon sign.

My favorite things here are: Fried Zucchini Flowers, Jewish Artichokes, Cacio e Pepe, and Bucatini Amatriciana.They also have one of the best antipasti tables in Rome. Lots of things to choose.

http://www.ristorantelacampana.com/