CULTURE, HISTORY, TOURISM, POLITICS, FASHION, FOOD, MUSIC, ART & LEISURE
ISSUE # 77 - 2019 - USA $ 18.50 WWW.ALLABOUTITALY.NET
Giuseppe Fiore
THE ART OF VEILING TO REVEAL Italy Discovered
TUSCIA IS DAZZLING, BUT SPARKLES MORE WITH STARS Noteable Figures
WHEN A BANK OPENED ITS DOORS TO THE POOR Red Passion
CAMPARI IN NEW YORK: HOME IS ESSENCE
EDITORIAL ITALIAN STORIES THAT DO JUSTICE TO NUMBERS In an economic landscape that seems to wipe the smile off our faces ever more often, there are still some bright spots that gladden the prevailing situation. At times fixed points that have always been there, other time reaffirmations. For a country like Italy, this light emanates from the success that its products continue to garner worldwide. A recent analysis by Coldiretti (the largest Italian agriculture association), using figures from the national data association Istat, compared foreign trade in May 2019 to the previous year: Italian food products made a historic leap of 9.4%. Given the size of the sector, the entire ‘Made in Italy’ market has soared. The foreign demand for Italian food is driven by the export boom to the United States that increased 13.7%. But not only is the US wooed by the charm of our products, Italian exports towards EU countries, and to the rest of the world, continue to be secure. The Belpaese’s food and wine sector, is continuously appreciated and universally admired. Food & Beverage is just one of the many elements that make up the multifaceted repertoire of Made in Italy. It is not just a cliché: numbers don’t lie. But figures alone are not enough to do justice to Italian know-how: stories need to be told. That’s why we at All about Italy decided, more than 20 years ago, to start telling you about events, initiatives and protagonists that have contributed to Italy’s global success. And if we continue to do so, with the passion and enthusiasm that has set us apart from the beginning, it is because the story we tell is endless, enriching itself every day with new characters and fresh realities capable of making the Made in Italy, today as yesterday, a light to follow. Paolo Del Panta Editor in Chief
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The road less travelled
Noteable Figures
Tasteful Experiences
26. THE MYSTICAL PATH SCARZUOLA
44. WHEN A BANK OPENED ITS DOORS TO THE POOR
64. A MIXTURE OF INNOVATION AND TRADITION ROASTED WITH LOVE
Italian heritage experience
Italy Discovered
32. ISOLA SACRA
50. TUSCIA IS DAZZLING, BUT SPARKLES MORE WITH STARS
Tasteful unions
Red Passion
#RovagnatiTastingWeek
58. CAMPARI IN NEW YORK: HOME IS ESSENCE
76. ROVAGNATI RETURNS TO THE UNITED STATES WITH ITALIAN TASTE
OF MONTEGIOVE’S
THE END OF THE LINE
70. UNITY IS STRENGTH... AND GOODNESS
Contemporary art
38. GIUSEPPE FIORE: THE ART OF VEILING TO REVEAL
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Automotive passion
80. ROBERTO CAVALLI THE UNTAMEABLE SPIRIT DICTATING NEW RULES FOR FASHION
94. ALFA ROMEO’S DREAM CAR
Dream Destinations
86. VENICE, A WORLDLY CITY TO DISCOVER
Auteur’s escape
100. GRAND HOTEL FASANO A STAY IN HISTORY
Italian style
90. FABRICS WORTH MENTIONING
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PHOTOREPORTAGE PHOTOREPORTAGE PEOPLE ITALIAN SETS TRADITIONS HIGH ALTITUDE READINGS TO THE TABLE ON THE SMALL SCREEN FOOD 2 WHEELS CHEERS! ARTEMEST
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Staff writers & Photos M. Morelli, L. Mancini, E. Pasca, A. Creta E. Rodi, M.Bertollini, M. Pituano, J.Daporto, E.Della Croce, S.Riva, S.Mallinckrodt, D.Proietto, I.C. Scarlett, Y.Leone, M.Baffigi, K. Carlisle
PHOTOREPORTAGE
WE ARE UNESCO: THE PROSECCO HILLS Last July, the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) officially declared the Prosecco hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene as the 55th Italian World Heritage Site. To be clear, the important recognition was a tap on the back for the regional product that ends up on the tables of millions of fans, and has shaped the enchanted landscape for centuries. A total area of 18,967.25 hectares in the heart of Veneto, characterized by a buffer zone of 9,769.80 hectares, and therefore a ‘core area’ of 9,197.45 hectares of very steep hills that, from east to west, go from Vittorio Veneto to Valdobbiadene. A fascinating and unique expanse now included in the cultural landscape category. Margherita Pituano
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PHOTOREPORTAGE
WAITING FOR... 2026: OUR OLYMPIC YEAR Last June 24, when IOC president Thomas Bach — Olympic gold medalist in Montreal in 1976 — announced that the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games would be held in Italy, a wave errupted throughout the country. Joy mixed with satisfaction and pride. Milano Cortina 2026 will mark the third time, after Cortina d’Ampezzo in 1956 and Turin 2006, that the Winter Olympic Games will take place in the Belpaese. The IOC Evaluation Commission assessed the Italian proposal as the most reliable and credible, favoring it over the Stockholm-Aare project, which submitted their candidacy for the ninth time in vain. Ice hockey and skating competitions are amongst the scheduled events in Milan, with the San Siro stadium hosting the Games opening ceremony. Cortina d’Ampezzo, on the other hand, will host most of the Alpine skiing events. Marco Bertollini
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PEOPLE XXX ROCKIN’ X 1000 XXX XXX
It all started when Fabio Zaffagnini, a former marine geologist, had an idea. In 2015 he persuaded 1,000 musicians to come together in the small Italian city of Cesena and play a song by the American artists Foo Fighters as a way of asking them to perform in their city. The Foo Fighters saw a recording of the event on YouTube, were flattered by the request from the ‘Rockin’1000’ and accepted the gig. On paper it could have been a typical rock concert, a packed sport stadium with the large audience singing and clapping. However it was a far cry from anything the concert-goers had seen before. The stage was the soccer pitch itself, specially set-up for the occasion and more than capable of accommodating the 1,000 or more musicians taking part. The Rockin’1000 is a, mostly Italian, travelling ensemble. The project began in Cesena in the province of Emilia Romagna and has become world famous with a thousand or more musicians playing and singing simultaneously at their concerts. Last summer the Rockin’1000 moved beyond Italy’s borders to perform in Paris and Frankfurt during which the audience of over 70,000 was invited to participate. Besides the large turnout of fans, musicians came from all over Europe to go on stage and play with the other hundreds of artists. In Paris the performers, led by the young conductor Alex Deschamps came mostly from France (743) and Italy (243) as well as from Belgium, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria and Canada. On the German leg, the Rockin’1000 were directed by Wolf Kerschek and performed in Frankfurt’s main stadium. This is the story of how ordinary people, united in their passion and creative ambition, succeeded in obtaining results that would otherwise have been unthinkable individually. It shows how artistic strength in numbers is the secret of success of the biggest music band in the world. A feature film is being made and is due for release next year, and aims to tell the story of the birth, training and development of this now world famous band of musicians. Alessandro Creta
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ITALIAN SETS
CLAPPERBOARDS IN ITALY Many directors over the years have chosen to set their films in Italian cities. Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples and Turin (to name just a few), feature in over 2,000 films. Rome is certainly the most popular of these, having hosted more than 15,000 productions, amongst which are such cinematic masterpieces as Fellini’s ‘La Dolce Vita’ (The Good Life) and its famous scene where Anita Ekberg cavorts with Marcello Mastroianni in the Trevi Fountain and later on, Audrey Hepburn got her big break starring with Gregory Peck in William Wyler’s ‘Roman Holiday’. The 2013 film ‘La Grande Bellezza’ (The Great Beauty) directed by Paulo Sorrentino begins with sweeping, magestic images of Rome shot from the Janiculum (Gianicolo) Hill. After Italy’s capital comes Milan, the setting for 352 motion pictures shot in-and-around the shadow of its cathedral, which include ‘Miracolo a Milano’ (Miracle in Milan) directed by Vittorio De Sica, the neorealist masterpiece ‘Rocco e i suoi Fratelli’ (Rocco and his Brothers) by Visconti, and ‘Happy Family’, directed by Oscar winner Gabriele Salvatores who used evocative images of the historic Vittorio Emanuele gallery, the cathedral, the Navigli canal district as well as one scene shot in Milan’s Chinatown, known as the Sarpi district. Of course Venice, Italy’s floating city, also features prominently with 287 films that have used its canals and grand buildings as a backdrop. Visconti’s ‘Death in Venice’ is a well-known example. Other more recent productions include Jon Watt’s ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’, ‘Casino Royal’ of the James Bond series and Spielberg’s ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ in which the facade of the Church of Saint Barnabas doubles as the entrance to the library where Indy’s father disappeared. John Daporto
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TRADITIONS
VIETRI SUL MARE, CERAMICS AND COLORS FROM THE AMALFI COAST In the province of Salerno, the gateway to the splendid Amalfi Coast is the beautiful village of Vietri sul Mare, famous throughout the world for its unique ceramics. Rich in monuments to visit and places of cultural interest, from the Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Giovanni Battista (Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista) Villa Guariglia and Torre di Marina di Vietri al Ponte di Molina (Tower of Marina di Vietri), this extraordinary location was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. However, what made Vietri globally famous is its ceramic production—a continuous tradition since the 15th century. The ceramics industry took root in the late Renaissance thanks to the Sanseverino princes and since then has always been a symbol of Vietri sul Mare: with artistic creations that decorate alleys and streets, making the already peculiar urban and coastal landscape even more fascinating. The ceramics of Vietri sul Mare are true masterpieces derived from a centuriesold tradition, typical only of some of the Amalfi Coast locales. They exemplify one of the pillar products of this coastal strip. Extraordinarily, every ceramic is a unique piece—there are no duplicates due to the very long and complex production process, which involves several phases. First, there is the initial wheelmodeling of the clay, then kiln baking, followed by immersion in white enamel, drying, hand decorating before the final bake that sets the incredible colors of the decorations. Even today the production of the best Vietri ceramics continues in the various artisan workshops, carrying on a family tradition that in some cases has spanned over 100 years. Sascha Mallinckrodt
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HIGH ALTITUDE READINGS
THE LIBRARY ONE STEP AWAY FROM THE SKY “What makes the mountain unique and the explorer fortunate is the possibility of looking at the world from a different and exciting point of view. And this is precisely what makes a good book and the mountain, the reader and the traveller, so similar”, reads the presentation of LaFeltrinelli 3466. June 2019, the Italian publishing house La Feltrinelli unveiled the highest library in Europe with these captivating words. In sixty square meters at an altitude of 3.5 kilometers, the bookshop laFeltrinelli 3466 offers a breathtaking view and a literary proposal for those who love walking in the woods in contact with nature. It was opened in the Punta Helbronner station, the ski resort on the south side of Mont Blanc, connected to Courmayeur by the Monte Bianco cable-car skyway. LaFeltrinelli 3466 has 376 publications for a total of 1,726 books, divided into thematic routes: from the high-altitude bestseller section to illustrated mountain and photographic books, from those dedicated to the Valle d’Aosta itineraries to mountain fiction, from books on art and the wines of Val d’Aosta and children’s books. Federica Bieller, president of the Funivie Monte Bianco Spa, says that “ Skyway Monte Bianco is not just a cable car, it is an idea. That of bringing people closer to the mountains and the sky, to widen horizons and overcome borders. Thanks to the opening of la Feltrinelli 3466 our technological cable car ride is enhanced to become a cultural trip.” John Daporto
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TO THE TABLE
PECK, THE GREAT MILANESE DELI The story of Peck crosses three centuries, from the first opening in 1883 to the latest in 2018, and it is a very tasty story. The founder of what today is a food and wine reference point for gourmand from all over the world, Franz Peck, arrived from Prague in Milan to open his workshop and he was so successful that seven years later he became an official supplier for the Italian royal household. After the end of WWI, Peck sold his business to Eliseo Magnaghi, who, maintaining the famous name, moved the deli to its current location in Via Spadari. With the new location being an ideal location for prestigious private events, Peck started the tradition of inviting leading political and institutional figures, together with important clients, friends, and intellectuals. Between 1956 and 1970, Peck was owned by the Grazioli brothers, who changed the business direction adding hot meals, takeaways, and gourmet sandwiches. The following owners, the Stoppani brothers, widened the offer even further to include bakery, patisserie, and an impressive wine shop. They also quadrupled the sales area to its current six thousand square meters, with a large underground cellar in which to age cured meat and store over three thousand labels of wine. In 2013, the brand was acquired by Pietro Marzotto and his family. His younger son, Pier Leone, in particular, managed, in December 2018 the opening of Peck’s second Milanese store in the most luxurious and avant-garde neighborhood of the vertical city, under the towers designed by international renown architects. Here Peck’s essence amazes its guests in four different spaces: gastronomy, restaurant, wine bar, and cocktail station. www.peck.it Ilona Catani Scarlett
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Ambasciatori del Gusto is the first association that brings together the excellence of the Italian cuisine in a single entity that comprises various professional figures, with the aim of creating a system to enhance the national agricultural, wine, and food cultural heritage, in Italy and abroad.
ambasciatoridelgusto.it #adgitaly
ON THE SMALL SCREEN
WE ARE WHO WE ARE THE NEW TV SERIES BY GUADAGNINO
At the end of July, Luca Guadagnino, the director of Call Me By Your Name (Chiamami col tuo nome) and Suspiria, began filming his first TV Mini-Series written with the author of The Solitude of Prime Numbers (La solitudine dei numeri primi) Paolo Giordano, along with screenwriter Francesca Manieri. Titled We Are Who We Are, it tells of the life of two teenagers, Caitlin and Fraser who, along with their families, live on an American military base in Italy. In this small corner of the United States within Italian borders, the series presents the friendships, the first loves, the struggles and the mysteries that characterize the story of the protagonists. The cast of performers, mostly very young, also includes Chloë Sevigny and the daughter of Martin Scorsese, Francesca, who until now has only appeared in her father’s films and in a film by her sister Domenica Cameron-Scorsese. In an interview last summer, Guadagnino said: “Paolo Giordano and Francesca Manieri painted this wonderful picture of teenagers on a military base in Italy. Working with them has been a satisfying experience.” He went on to emphasise the separation between his big screen projects and small screen endeavors: “It’s something I do for TV and I’m very interested in talking about today’s kids in an unusual scenario for me, the military world.” The 8-episode Sky-HBO series is produced by Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani for Wildside, with Fremantle as the international distributor. Marco Bertollini
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A MASTERPIECE NETWORK Musei Capitolini, Centrale Montemartini, Mercati di Traiano - Museo dei Fori Imperiali, Museo dell’Ara Pacis, Museo di Roma, Casa Museo Alberto Moravia, Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Museo di Roma in Trastevere, Musei di Villa Torlonia, Museo Civico di Zoologia FREE ADMISSION Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco, Museo delle Mura, Villa di Massenzio, Museo della Repubblica Romana e della memoria garibaldina, Museo Napoleonico, Museo Carlo Bilotti, Museo Pietro Canonica, Museo di Casal de’ Pazzi
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FOOD
A HIGH-ALTITUDE GOURMET EXPERIENCE Dine dangling with 50 meters between your seat and the ground below. Meals are served up with a breathtaking view of the Franciacorta vineyards, Sardinian or Amalfi Coast. This past summer, EnjoySky inaugurated an exciting experience in Villa Bernese park in Passirano (Brescia), birthplace of Nicola Maffessoli, company founder and seasoned restaurateur. Guests are fastened into secure ergonomic seats, then a giant crane lifts the table (up to 20 seats) to the sky where the chefs prepare their delicacies in front of the diners. Maffessoli, inspired by a similar Northern Europe venue, decided to create a 100% Made in Italy and itinerant project, held in the most evocative landscapes of the Bel Paese. In fact, EnjoySky will roll out the concept on the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como and Sardegna (Sardinia) very
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soon. Maffessoli explains, “Initially we turned to famous chefs from restaurants in Brescia (the Lombard city), who cooked directly on a suspended platform, while guests watched. We were overwhelmed by the booking requests and had to turn away many guests who wanted this experience…but soon other places with equally extraordinary views will be available.” Of course, this unforgettable experience is not for vertigo sufferers. It is, however, ideal for those looking for a true adrenaline rush. The most daring will even be able to tip the seats 90% to take selfies and breathtaking photographs, immortalizing themselves and perhaps even capturing a striking sunset 50-meters high and rising. Giorgio Migliore
2 WHEELS
DUCATI, THE 916 PLAYS SYMPHONY NO.25 Race-bred components, Panigale V4 mechanics and a Desmosedici Stradale engine. Ducati’s latest offering will be a strictly limited-number production. The Italian manufacturer, based in Bologna, is preparing to market a specialedition model - announced last July - in recognition of the sporting history of its famous red two-wheeler, the iconic 916. The new bike will be known as the V4 25º Anniversario 916 and have a production run of just 500 units. Ducati is currently in the Moto GP World Championship, but away from the race-track it intends to evoke memories of the glorious past, when the original 916 was king-of-the-road. The first 916s reached buyers in October 1994 and over the years the bike achieved enormous commercial success both as a sport road-bike and on the track in Superbike racing. Ducati annually builds and markets around 60,000 units worldwide and is now preparing to celebrate the 916’s 25th anniversary with a special-edition version of the firm’s flagship Panigale V4. Ducati’s own ‘Front Frame’ used on its Moto GP bikes, a dry clutch and some very specialized electronic controls also developed for Moto GP, such as a quick-shift (rapid gear shifting up and down without the use of the clutch), and traction-control will be the added components to the stock Panigale V4s basic mechanics. Fans will not have to wait long for this design gem’s unveiling. The new 916 will go on sale in October and costs almost 42,000 euros in Italy. The question remains; considering the price, would it perhaps be more sensible to keep the bike in your living room rather than in a garage? Sascha Mallinckrodt
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FERRARI TRENTO DOC IS THE WORLD CHAMPION OF “BUBBLES” For the first time Italy has garnered more medals than France at the most important international competition dedicated exclusively to sparkling wines—”The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships”. This record is partially thanks to the Ferrari winery, the champion of the competition. The producer from the northern city of Trento received 15 gold medals and for the third time, climbed the podium for the top prize of “Producer of the Year”. Since the first edition of the festival, Ferrari DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) Trento wines have been ranked amongst the best in the world. A result that proves the quality of the entire range of wine produced by the Trentino winery, and demonstrates an even greater prestige to an already-recognized best on the international scene. “We are extremely proud of this title”, comments Matteo Lunelli, President of Ferrari Trento, “as it shows once again that Trentino, thanks to its mountain viticulture, is a region with a unique and extraordinary vocation for the production of exceptional sparkling wines. Not surprisingly, Trento DOC has won the most medals in this competition. I dedicate—on behalf of my whole family—this success to all the women and men of Ferrari Trento who, day after day, have continued Giulio Ferrari’s dream for over a century and always aim for the most ambitious goals .” Ilona Catani Scarlett
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ALL ABOUT ITALY | The road less travelled
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The road less travelled
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Nothing will ever be the same. Yes, because visiting the Scarzuola of Montegiove - a town in the municipality of Montegabbione (TERNI) - goes far beyond the traditional artistic or museum experience where the visitor passively waits for the guide’s explanation.
The mystical path of Montegiove’s Scarzuola T
he mystical, yet profoundly pragmatic path inevitably leaves visitors subtly changed. The guests of this city-theater are, in fact, invited to bare it all (metaphorically), ask themselves questions (even the most uncomfortable ones) and abandon any prejudice. Only those who try to do it will be able to see the world and themselves with new eyes. In a forest far from peering eyes, the 13th century Scarzuola rises. Saint Francis of Assisi (Francesco d’Assisi) settled and built his so-called scarza hut in these woods before the monastery was constructed. Architect and interior designer Tomaso Buzzi named the structure after this marsh plant. After
Therefore the Scarzuola is first all, a pure-freedom zone, imbued with esoteric values and the personal architectural vision of its creator.
spending most of his life in the world of academia, in 1956 Buzzi decided to buy the land and make it his residence. He worked there for about 20 years to create his “ideal city”—the dream of a lifetime. He transformed this strip of Umbria into a unicum, giving free rein to his inspiration and his boundless creativity. Therefore the Scarzuola is first all, a pure-freedom zone, imbued with esoteric values and the personal architectural vision of its creator. The “ideal city” runs along a spiral path, descending behind the convent from the large amphitheater. It passes through seven theatrical sets, leading from
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ALL ABOUT ITALY | The road less travelled
the order of the Franciscan building to architect Buzzi’s structure dominated by disorder and imagination. Yet there is nothing casual about it! The chaos is modulated by its internal harmony, saturated with musical allusions embraced by Buzzi himself, a violinist by avocation. After all, architecture is nothing but “solidified music,” said the architect, “because there is always music at the core of all.” The style is neo-mannerist. On one hand, it dips into classical architecture from the Parthenon to the Coliseum. On the other, it samples Renaissance models (Palladio, Serlio). It is highly symbolic and evocative, made up of interweaving stairs and building joints, disproportions and geometries, astronomical and literary references. In particular, the main reference is to the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, an allegorical novel from 1499 attributed to Francesco Colonna, which describes the erotic dream of the main character Polifilo, a metaphor for his inner transformation in striving towards platonic love. Similarly, the visit to the Scarzuola is a journey through the folds of the unconscious, a navigation that,
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ALL ABOUT ITALY | The road less travelled
through a hermetic and surreal language, should lead the visitor to spiritual excellence and full self-awareness. The idea of the labyrinth reoccurs, suggesting the Masonic language and the incessant inner search, and in Buzzi’s cosmos it becomes the starting point of his initiatory-sapiential path. It is there, reproduced on the grass paving of the Amphitheater, under the gaze of a great Eye. But more generally it is the whole complex of buildings, connected by corridors and stairways, which constitute in themselves a sort of labyrinth, in which the beginning can become the end and vice versa. In this eternal flow, there are trials and obstacles to overcome whose goal is only one: the achievement of the perfect balance of vices and virtues, spirit and matter. In 1981, the property passed to his nephew, Marco Solari, who carried out the project based on the inherited drawings. To this day, he also acts as Cicero to all those who choose to visit this place. Visits are by reservation. Tickets are 10 euro per person. Beatrice Vecchiarelli
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ALL ABOUT ITALY | Italian heritage experience
Emperor Trajan transformed the area between Portus and Ostia Antica (south of Rome) into an artificial island, creating a canal that linked the Tiber to the sea: this is Isola Sacra (Holy Isle)
Isola Sacra the End of the Line I
dislike cemeteries both old and new, they frankly give me the heebiejeebies. I certainly don’t intend ending up in one myself if I have anything to do with it. However, steer me towards a 2nd century AD necropolis I’d never even heard of until recently not a million miles from Rome - just 33 kilometres away near Ostia - well that’s a different kettle of fish or urn of ashes altogether. An evocative wander awaits visitors to this peaceful site to admire sarcophagi, Greek and Latin inscriptions, scraps of mosaic floors, fragments of elegant stuccoed ceilings and beautifully painted faded murals with which families embellished the sepulchres where their loved ones remains were placed – quite possibly echoing the décor of their own
An on-going treasure trove for archaeologists and an unusual pleasure for all who make the trip to see Isola Sacra in its tranquil setting
houses in life, thus creating a reassuring home away from home for those left behind. As the most sought after sites were the most visible ones, there might well have been an element of one-upmanship in what was provided for the departed. Did they pour over monthly scrolls of Homes and Cemeteries for the latest fads in design, colour and layout? The site was most probably submerged under a build-up of silt and sand by the sixth century and only came to light in the 1920’s when a land reclaim operation was underway. It was restored over the next 20 years
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ALL ABOUT ITALY | Italian heritage experience
with more excavations still to be carried out, this is the first large pagan cemetery to be excavated. Claudius, 10 BC – 54 AD built the original harbour at Portus, creating the artificial island which was enlarged and improved by Emperor Trajan in 103 AD and added a road through it. Improving on the work of Claudius, he constructed one of the biggest canals ever built by the Romans at Portus to accommodate an ever increasing volume of ships carrying exotic goods from Egypt and Africa through to Ostia and once processed, on to the warehouses of Rome via the Tiber. Part of the artificial island which became ever larger due to the vagaries of the shifting Tiber, eventually became a necropolis beginning in the first century AD and was used until the 4th century. Prime positions for sepulchres were those built closest to the busy road connecting Portus to Ostia in order that passers-by could observe how affluent families were, and how much money they had lavished on their departed loved ones. Strict rules dictated the dimensions of the sepulchres, which were vigorously checked and recorded on marble plaques set in front of the tomb. Extensions were not permitted unless they were paid for. At first glance the general effect is of a miniature village complete with houses, tree lined streets and squares. The majority of the 100 sepulchres have little courtyards leading to an inscription over a doorway. Once inside are one or two rooms - some have 2 floors - niches for urns, decorations and space for the families to come and remember their loved ones. One features a terrace, inviting families and friends to sit in the sun and have a picnic maybe, musing over old times. The majority of the clients of the Isola Sacra were established tradesmen from farmers to fishermen, blacksmiths to water carriers. Tools of their trade depicted in terracotta plaques are still attached to the exterior walls. Then there were the professionals. Take a husband and wife team for example, surgeon Marco Ulpio Amerimno shown doing something gruesome to a patient’s leg, a range of intimidating large knives lined up behind him. A further plaque is of his better half - midwife Scribonia Attice, depicted on a low stool, arms outstretched to receive the baby, her naked patient in a chair, another woman is holding her under her arms. The plaque on the exterior of the tomb translates thus: May this monument be protected against evil! Built by Scribonia Attice for herself, her husband Marco, for Scribonia Callityche her mother, Diocles and freedmen and their descendants except Panaratus and Prosdocia. This tomb is for our exclusive use. You wonder what P&P could have done to incur her wrath to be so publicly shamed and excluded. A fisherman’s family commissioned a black and white mosaic of a lighthouse and 2 ships outside his sepulchre with a Greek inscription declaiming “here ends every endeavour”, then a depiction of a ship with three sailors, a fourth steering the ship’s rudder. Another plaque depicts a carpenter complete with an array of the tools of his trade hammers, shears, grips, planes, anvil and workbench - tools that could certainly be used today. On another a farmer crushes wheat with the aid of a working horse harnessed to walk round the mill. A further terracotta plaque shows
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Italian heritage experience
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a blacksmith standing on a bench working on a grindstone. On the right is a plaque showing a man behind his shop counter, surrounded by practical tools while another works at a bench. First prize for the most unusual floor mosaic for a necropolis has to be awarded to the black and white image of a nude lady putting on or removing a robe, a small bird, a dove maybe, and a half open casket with a necklace spilling out of it at her feet. Read into that what you will. The powers that be say it’s an image of Venus, but who knows. One bears the inscription Vivus fecit. I did it myself. Clearly a meticulous individual and firm believer of the old adage if you want something done properly, do it yourself. Business at the necropolis must have been only too brisk. The average life span at the time was 23 years based on the people buried there. A mere 10% of the population made it past 50. The women crammed bearing an average of 6 children into their all too brief lives. No wonder Scribonia could afford a fancy tomb. Once excavated, the site
The site of Isola Sacra was most probably submerged under a build-up of silt and sand by the sixth century and only came to light in the 1920’s when a land reclaim operation was underway.
yielded a treasure trove of over 2000 skeletons, providing archaeologists with priceless information about diet, longevity and origins at the time. The skeletons revealed that the average height for males was 164 cm (five foot four inches) women 152 cm (five foot.) The Isola Sacra necropolis represents a rare insight into cosmopolitan middle class life and death over three dynasties – Hadrian, the Antonines and the Severan Dynasty. An on-going treasure trove for archaeologists and an unusual pleasure for all who make the trip to see Isola Sacra in its tranquil setting. If you’re visiting Rome, a trip to Ostia Antica is a must. Just allow some extra time to visit this site. You won’t be disappointed. Isola Sacra is open Thursdays Fridays and Saturdays 10 – 4pm also on the first and third Sunday of the month. Admission is free. Ring for an appointment to visit (06 6583888, Via Monte Spinoncia 52). Jenni Scott
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ALL ABOUT ITALY | Contemporary art
The young Italian painting talent who found growth opportunity in Germany and ushered in expressive inspiration
Giuseppe Fiore: the art of veiling to reveal
T
alent is comparable to a lush plant that needs constant care: It needs fertile soil to propagate, consolidate and grow. An artist needs to sink the roots of creative research into a nutritious compost made up of history, ideas, expressive formulas and fervent inspiration. For Giuseppe Fiore, the rising contemporary-art star, Italy has been mother and guardian, as well as the springboard to take fly towards even wider horizons. If truth has it that Italian soil gave him birth and training, it is also true that Fiore had to move to Germany to find his definitive confirmation as an internationally recognized painter. Genius needs thrust and movement— it cannot stagnate. Fiore arrived in Germany treasuring the heritage of his origins, but also to expand and evolve his expressiveness, taking advantage of technological opportunities. He paints devotedly by the principle of the beauty of art for art’s sake—works that are open windows and play on the power of visual impact. Through the veil principle, Fiore builds images that seem to be hidden from the eye, but, in essence, strongly beckons the viewer to become part of the creative process and give new life, through their own interpretation and imagination, to the forms and to the meanings enveloped in the canvas.
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How did the move to Germany influence your art and what opportunities did you get professionally? I don’t think my move to Germany has particularly influenced my art. The creative process, which starts from inspiration, has always been independent of geographical boundaries for me. I have always tried to look beyond what happened to me in the environs and fortunately today with new technologies and social media facilitates this. The professional opportunities I have had in Germany are linked to the fact that I managed to support myself economically almost immediately by doing jobs that allowed me to grow artistically. However, I believe that the opportunities for growth experienced abroad are more personal and human than artistic and professional. We learn a new language, a new culture and at the same time the local way of working and living. Perhaps one of the most important things I learned from the Germans is punctuality, which can be applied both professionally and privately.
Contemporary art | ALL ABOUT ITALY
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ALL ABOUT ITALY | Contemporary art
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