A Celestial Discovery Imagine a bitter Tuscan night in the winter of 1610. A certain man directs his rudimentary telescope to the heavens. As he focuses his attention to Jupiter, he sees something astounding which brings him much joy. Moons circle the great Giant. A tale of incredible scientific discovery follows. Likewise, this discovery also [...]
Layered History in Scrovengni Chapel When Giotto di Bondone began his work inside the Arena Chapel, he had a great deal more than fresco design on his mind — ruthless money lenders. The commission came to Giotto from the Scrovegni family, and the chapel equally bears the names Scrovegni Chapel and Arena Chapel. Scrovegni [...]
A Chance Discovery Trevi Many years ago, by sheer luck, I found myself in the small town of Trevi. This treasure rests in the province of Umbria, adjacent to the SS3, the main road that winds north from Terni to Foligno. I stopped in the town to have lunch and discovered, either by [...]
Nearly every street, narrow alleyway or main thoroughfare in Rome, this city of the classics, offers delights for the palette, the intellect, or both. Over the years, I’ve written notes about Rome in my travel journal: places I did not want to forget, little surprising cafes or trattorias to eat in, a piece of art [...]
Santa Maria del Monte staircase in Caltagirone, Sicily On an island like Sicily, the choices for places to eat are as diverse as the food that makes this a ‘foodie’ paradise. This is a short list of some favorite places to dine in Eastern Sicily. Hours can change seasonally, so always check before [...]
Ancient Bell Tower in the San Lazzaro degli Armeni Island near Venice The Island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni For many years, San Lazzaro degli Armeni remained mostly secret, tucked away in the Venetian Lagoon not far from the Lido. Slowly, word of this living treasure of enormous value and importance has reached [...]
Roma Termini Station Hidden History When you step from the cavernous main hall at the Roma Termini station, you enter the Piazza dei Cinquecento. Visitors often head directly for the buses, taxis, and waiting private cars. Most miss the large museums across the Via Viminale, the busy boulevard that lines the northern side [...]
Most people cannot name a female composer of the Baroque era in Venice. For me, learning of Barbara Strozzi, the daughter of an intellectual and renowned father — and a member of the Incogniti — came as a welcome surprise. However, mystery shrouds much of her life, not unlike Venice itself. Beauty of Venice at [...]
Gian Carlo Menotti In 1950, Peter Herman Adler, artistic director of the NBC Opera Theatre, commissioned composer Gian-Carlo Menotti (1911–2007) to create the first opera for the American television audience. This proved no easy task, but Menotti’s exceptional talent — and a bit of inspiration, — led to his composition of an opera [...]
Convent of Sant’Agata Once, I walked along the Via San Gallo in Florence, a street I have come to know well. For more times than I can count, I have passed the façade of what appears to be a church and, until that moment, paid little attention. A small metal marker on a [...]