Marco’s Italy
Florence city skyline panorama – Florence – Italy
Travels Across Italy-In Search of Italy’s Soul is written by Mark Gordon Smith, published travel writer and President of Private Italy Tours.
Using an easy “IF YOU GO” format, the posts provide detailed and helpful information for those planning a trip to Italy or for those only curious about sites, cities, and the history of bella Italia.
Discovering a “new” composition by Vivaldi
The following is a guest post by Michael Talbot (University of Liverpool, Department of Music, Emeritus): Regular Dresden-watchers will be aware of the ambitious project “Die Notenbestände der Dresdner Hofkirche und der Königlichen Privat-Musikaliensammlung aus der Zeit der sächsisch-polnischen Union” supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), which was brought to a successful conclusion [...]
Fivizzano and the First Printing Presses in Italy
Off the Beaten Path As I leave the E80 autostrada, north of the well-known town of Carrara, I trace the shores of the Magra River. My destination is a little-known place one must seek out. The tiny community of Fivizzano — a village far from the usual tourist destinations of La Spezia and [...]
Lago Orta: Italy’s Lake Region Secret
Lago Orta's Isola di San Giulio Like a dream, ocher lights illuminate this island amidst a golden hazed sunset. Alpine born breezes carry the scent of jasmine and lemon blossoms. As if the lakes of Northern Italy could hold no more surprises, you discover Lago Orta. With more than 150 miles of shoreline, [...]
Sophocles’ Shadows: Teatro Greco of Siracusa, Italy
The swallows arrive above the tall cypress trees surrounding the ancient Greek amphitheater in Siracusa. I take my seat among the hundreds who enter the Teatro Greco quietly, almost reverently. We have gathered here to watch a modern production of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Teatro Greco, Siracusa The stones of this [...]
Gallipoli: An Italian Treasure
A Puglian Gem A few cats laze in the shadow of a warm Fall sun. During this visit to Gallipoli, I have yet to encounter an American tourist. This is one of the wonderful benefits to visiting Gallipoli, and Puglia, during the off season. Riviera Armando Diaz at sunsetIt is a lovely October [...]
Round Houses & Roman Taxes: Alberobello’s Trulli
As I prepared for my first visit to Puglia’s village of Alberobello, I learned two very distinct stories associated with the creation of the legendary round structures called trulli. These lovely and unique, conically-topped structures form the heart of this very popular tourist site. Trulli and Taxes The first story concerns the shepherds [...]
Brunello Cucinelli and the Fabric of Community
Cucinelli Family Roots Solomeo, Italy On the rise of a low hill, not far from Lago Trasimeno—a heart shaped lake in the heart of the province of Umbria—rests the home village of Federica Cucinelli, wife of Brunello Cucinelli. For those unfamiliar with Signor Cucinelli, his family founded what became a world-wide [...]
Piegaro and the Glassmakers of Umbria
Venice to Piegaro: A Daring Escape In 1292, the rulers of Venice decreed all glass blowing would move to the island of Murano to protect the city from fires created by the furnaces in the glass workshops. Subsequently, the artists became virtual prisoners to their craft as the Venetians attempted to keep a [...]
Basilicata — A Province of Promise
A Region Less Traveled Basilicata. The provinces of Campagna to the north, Puglia to the east and Calabria to the southwest frame this province. The Gulf of Taranto forms what many refer to as the “arch” of the boot to the south. Between those political and geographic boundaries lies this large and little-known [...]
Caravaggio in Rome: An Overview of a Master
Ah, Caravaggio. Some have called him “Baroque’s Bad Boy”, but regardless of the nickname anyone gives this extraordinary painter, those words will forever fall flat when in the presence of his work. You will find numerous works by Caravaggio in Rome, but when you walk through a museum anywhere in the world, you [...]
Poggio’s Discovery: De Rerum Natura
Poggio Bracciolini Poggio Bracciolini You should place this name foremost in your memory regarding Italian history. Why might we need to remember this name? An epic poem and one of the most important texts of Western civilization. Poggio's discovery, De Rerum Natura, quite literally changed the world. Historians know little about [...]
Lecce: The Florence of the South
Lecce and Florence Florence dominates my childhood memories of living in Tuscany. The city of the Renaissance beckoned then, as it does now, with its world-famous museums, incredible writers, and history. Few cities can match it. When I began exploring the region of Puglia, imagine my surprise to learn that Italians call Lecce [...]
Galileo’s Sidereus Nuncius and the World of Forgeries
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 [...]
Scrovegni Chapel: Giotto’s Reflections on Faith and Light
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. [...]
Truffles and Trevi: The Flavors of Umbria
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, [...]
In an Unfamiliar Rome: Museums & Restaurants
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 [...]
Traveling to Sicily: Some of our Favorite Restaurants in Eastern Sicily
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 [...]
Venice’s Treasured Isles – The Monastery of San Lazzaro degli Armeni and Torcello
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 [...]
Juliet of Rome: A Face from Rome’s National Archaeological Museum
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 [...]
Barbara Strozzi and the Lyrical Music of Venice
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 [...]
Amahl and the Night Visitors
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 [...]
A Mysterious Monastery of Florence
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 [...]
Encounters with the Past: Sicily
Taormina Amphitheater and Mt. Etna Many years ago, the day arrived when I could finally visit Sicily. Black and white Italian films of the late 40s and 50s returned to my memory; criminal conspiracies, dangerous streets and pickpockets by the hundreds formed a stereotypically violent society where lawlessness was rampant and [...]
Genoa After the Collapse: A City Reborn
A terrible moment — August 14, 2018 — has led to a period of rediscovery for the city of Genoa. On that day, a huge autostrada bridge above the city center collapsed. New San Giorgio Bridge The government of Italy immediately took on the task of constructing a new bridge, and [...]
Brunello Cucinelli and the Fabric of Community
Family Roots Landscape of Solomeo On the rise of a low hill, not far from Lago Trasimeno—a heart shaped lake in the heart of the province of Umbria—rests the home village of Federica Cucinelli, wife of Brunello Cucinelli. For those unfamiliar with Signor Cucinelli, his family founded what became a world-wide [...]
A Thanksgiving Greeting
Votive offerings are given in times of gratitude, most often for miracles granted. The Cappella del Voto (Chapel of the Madonna of the Vow) rests in the right transept of the Duomo of Siena. The chapel is also referred to as the Chigi chapel because the space was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini [...]