Here is a second offer of waltz music, this composition is entitled Très Joli by Emile Waldtuefel.
Strange name really Waldtuefel means Forest Devil.
Strange name really Waldtuefel means Forest Devil.
Friday, 13 April 2012
Intermède musical, Emile Waldteufel, valse Flots de Joie, Auf Glückes Wogen
Brimming with joy, Flots de Joie, Auf Glückes Wogen
Emile Waldteufel (1837-1915) born to an Alsatian Family in Strasbourg, he went to study music in Paris and spent the rest of his life there. He had a very famous orchestra and was Court Pianist during the Second French Empire, often playing for Empress Eugénie. After 1870 he became a favourite of the French Presidents and often played at the Elysée Palace. He also had admirers in England in Queen Victoria and her son the Prince of Wales. His style is said to be more languid and anthem like very different than the style of Johann Strauss who was more robust in his waltz composition. Pianist are said to like Waldteufel's work because it is easier to play. He is well known for his most famous Skater's Waltz, a favourite in winter everywhere.
Emile Waldteufel (1837-1915) born to an Alsatian Family in Strasbourg, he went to study music in Paris and spent the rest of his life there. He had a very famous orchestra and was Court Pianist during the Second French Empire, often playing for Empress Eugénie. After 1870 he became a favourite of the French Presidents and often played at the Elysée Palace. He also had admirers in England in Queen Victoria and her son the Prince of Wales. His style is said to be more languid and anthem like very different than the style of Johann Strauss who was more robust in his waltz composition. Pianist are said to like Waldteufel's work because it is easier to play. He is well known for his most famous Skater's Waltz, a favourite in winter everywhere.
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Wisdom to achieve
Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:
1. Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?
2. Give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.
“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu
3. Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.
4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk. Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.
“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle
5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!
“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle
6. Give up complaining. Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.
7. Give up the luxury of criticism. Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.
8. Give up your need to impress others. Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take of all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.
9. Give up your resistance to change. Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell
10. Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer
11. Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
12. Give up your excuses. Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.
13. Give up the past. I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.
14. Give up attachment. This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another, attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.
15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves. You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.
Monday, 9 April 2012
on the second walk to Church of Trinita dei Monti
Trinité des Monts is a French Church at the top of the Spanish Steps in Rome, it was built by the King of France, Louis XII in 1502 and housed the French Order of the Minimes which in French is the diminutive of Minor, an order founded by a Calabrian Monk, San Francesco da Paola, known for his severe and austere life who thought St-Francis of Assisi had gone soft. Napoleon got rid of these good fathers when he arrived in Rome in 1797, many of whom where mathematical or scientific geniuses. Napoleon looted the church and then turned it into an artist colony, renting out space to painters and their muses. After the fall of Napoleon, the Bourbon were restored to the throne in France and Louis XVIII restored the church and had an aristocratic order of French Nuns, Les Dames du Sacré Coeur take over the Church and the convent, they still live there to this day. The order is semi-cloistered, you can attend the prayers of the Nuns and hear them sing at noontime. The composer Felix Mendelssohn thought their singing divine. The Church Trinita dei Monti is not very interesting as such, it is in need of restoration and cleaning, what is interesting to visit is the convent but that is not open to the public, we got in by ''Special Permission'' obtained by Nancy di Conciliis our friend and known historian and archeologist in Rome. In antiquity a fabulous villa occupied the site, it belonged to Lucullus it was such an incredible place with gardens and a spectacular view of Rome that Emperor Claudius's wife the evil Messalina forced the owner to commit suicide so she could then confiscate the villa. If you read Suetonius, he mentions Messalina, not a nice person at all, she held famous orgies in that villa with her numerous lovers. All Rome was talking, so much so, that her husband Claudius who was elderly, got very angry and sent the Pretorian guards to put an end to her and the party. Messalina was dispatched in the garden which are part of the convent complex and quite beautiful.
Medici Palace next to Trinita dei Monti
The convent has a bilingual school (Italian-French) program, it is a beautiful setting for the children to learn, the nuns are very devoted. The convent shares the garden with the Palazzo Medici next door which is the seat of the French Academy in Rome. Now while visiting the convent, the nun guiding us explained (tours are in French) that while the trial of Galileo (1632-33) was on-going the Minimes Fathers would meet with him strolling in the garden.
Galileo appearing in front of the Court of the Holy Office in the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva (Dominican order)
The Medici Family where the protectors of Galileo. He was on trial because of his theories on the Cosmos and Pope Urban VIII had been accused by the Spanish Cardinals of being soft on Heretics. The Pope felt insecure and fell victim of Vatican Palace intrigues led by the Dominicans. He was led to believe that Galileo was a threat to his authority by presenting a new theory based on tides, movements of planets and stars as observed by Copernicus with the newly invented telescope. The Earth was not the centre of the Universe as presented by Aristotle in antiquity but a planet rotating around the Sun. The theory of Galileo involved a lot of scientific arguments and this went way over the heads of the Pope and the Cardinals conducting the trial, all they saw was a challenge to official church teachings on Creation and a challenge to the absolute power of the Pope. Galileo was an old man at the time and famous for his writings and scientific achievements. Nonetheless Pope Urban VIII was sufficiently alarmed to ask that he be tortured if need be so he could recant his pronouncements. This trial also happened at the time of the Reformation with its implication for the Papacy in Rome. The Reformation was a very serious threat, Northern Germany and part of Switzerland had gone Protestant, England followed suit, so did the Scandinavians and the French King was also musing about changing camps.
It's 11:45 on the sun clock
The Minimes fathers were developing a universal sun clock inside the convent, one floor was devoted to this experiment, aligned on the Sun and oriented in such a way to get maximum exposure to Sun light. The Minimes were very interested in what Galileo had to say and in his calculations on the movement of planets etc.... So they invited him to help them, this way if Galileo was to die on the pyre at least his work would survive for posterity. Funny to think that those priests worked quietly in the Pope's back, understanding that the Church Hierarchy did not comprehend the scientific facts being presented too concerned with politics and power. The exhibit currently on show at the Capitoline Museums at the Campidoglio, LUX in ARCANA, shows the Galileo trial papers of the time.
The clock is painted on the ceiling of a large passageway in the convent in a locked area. The nun opened a little space in the window to allow a sunbeam to hit a small mirror disk, projecting unto the ceiling the exact time 11:45 am in Rome. The clock also shows the time in Paris and in Jerusalem. Other major cities in the then known world are also displayed giving the time in each. The clock can only show the time in a precise window from 10 to 14 daily.
The other room which is closed and opened only if you specifically request it is at the top of the convent its usage is not known, it is called the room of the parrot or in French Perroquet, all the walls and ceilings are painted to show a romantic ruined room, it was done in 1754. We were strictly instructed not to touch the walls, no backpacks and stand well away from the walls so as not to damage them by brushing against them. The only light comes from a large open window.
Dining hall of the Convent at Trinita dei Monti, scene Wedding at Cana
Christ turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana
To complete our visit we then went to the dining hall of the Convent decorated entirely to look like the Wedding at Cana with Christ changing water into wine and at the other end the King of France posing with his musicians. It should be remembered that this was suppose to be an austere convent which does not mean that you cannot have beauty.
This was such a delightful visit, to a secluded spot in Rome, I will certainly not look at the Trinita dei Monti Church in the same way now, knowing of its secret rooms and garden.
The convent has a bilingual school (Italian-French) program, it is a beautiful setting for the children to learn, the nuns are very devoted. The convent shares the garden with the Palazzo Medici next door which is the seat of the French Academy in Rome. Now while visiting the convent, the nun guiding us explained (tours are in French) that while the trial of Galileo (1632-33) was on-going the Minimes Fathers would meet with him strolling in the garden.
The Medici Family where the protectors of Galileo. He was on trial because of his theories on the Cosmos and Pope Urban VIII had been accused by the Spanish Cardinals of being soft on Heretics. The Pope felt insecure and fell victim of Vatican Palace intrigues led by the Dominicans. He was led to believe that Galileo was a threat to his authority by presenting a new theory based on tides, movements of planets and stars as observed by Copernicus with the newly invented telescope. The Earth was not the centre of the Universe as presented by Aristotle in antiquity but a planet rotating around the Sun. The theory of Galileo involved a lot of scientific arguments and this went way over the heads of the Pope and the Cardinals conducting the trial, all they saw was a challenge to official church teachings on Creation and a challenge to the absolute power of the Pope. Galileo was an old man at the time and famous for his writings and scientific achievements. Nonetheless Pope Urban VIII was sufficiently alarmed to ask that he be tortured if need be so he could recant his pronouncements. This trial also happened at the time of the Reformation with its implication for the Papacy in Rome. The Reformation was a very serious threat, Northern Germany and part of Switzerland had gone Protestant, England followed suit, so did the Scandinavians and the French King was also musing about changing camps.
The Minimes fathers were developing a universal sun clock inside the convent, one floor was devoted to this experiment, aligned on the Sun and oriented in such a way to get maximum exposure to Sun light. The Minimes were very interested in what Galileo had to say and in his calculations on the movement of planets etc.... So they invited him to help them, this way if Galileo was to die on the pyre at least his work would survive for posterity. Funny to think that those priests worked quietly in the Pope's back, understanding that the Church Hierarchy did not comprehend the scientific facts being presented too concerned with politics and power. The exhibit currently on show at the Capitoline Museums at the Campidoglio, LUX in ARCANA, shows the Galileo trial papers of the time.
The clock is painted on the ceiling of a large passageway in the convent in a locked area. The nun opened a little space in the window to allow a sunbeam to hit a small mirror disk, projecting unto the ceiling the exact time 11:45 am in Rome. The clock also shows the time in Paris and in Jerusalem. Other major cities in the then known world are also displayed giving the time in each. The clock can only show the time in a precise window from 10 to 14 daily.
The parrot's room in the Convent
The other room which is closed and opened only if you specifically request it is at the top of the convent its usage is not known, it is called the room of the parrot or in French Perroquet, all the walls and ceilings are painted to show a romantic ruined room, it was done in 1754. We were strictly instructed not to touch the walls, no backpacks and stand well away from the walls so as not to damage them by brushing against them. The only light comes from a large open window.
To complete our visit we then went to the dining hall of the Convent decorated entirely to look like the Wedding at Cana with Christ changing water into wine and at the other end the King of France posing with his musicians. It should be remembered that this was suppose to be an austere convent which does not mean that you cannot have beauty.
This was such a delightful visit, to a secluded spot in Rome, I will certainly not look at the Trinita dei Monti Church in the same way now, knowing of its secret rooms and garden.
Saturday, 7 April 2012
Walking in Rome
For the many years we lived in Rome we often took part in the organized walks with a friend who is an historian, archeologist who has lived and worked in Rome of over 40 years. We became good friends with her.
So on my most recent visit to Rome I consulted her calendar to see what she was offering in terms of walks. I always enjoy those ''By special permission'' entry to sites never open to the public. Many Palaces or convents are still private and fully functioning and the public is not invite to enter. Per example Prince Colonna still lives with his family in his 900 room palace in the centre of Rome just off Piazza Venezia and only opens the State Rooms on Saturday morning for 2 hours.
So I was very happy to see 2 walks on the 26 and 27 March. On the first walk we met in front of the Church of San Pietro in Montorio at the top of the Jianiculum hill or Jianicolo, this hill is across the Tiber opposite Rome itself and next to the smaller Vatican Hill, it is not part of the 7 hills of Rome. The ancient Romans thought that the war like god Janus, keeper of doors, of going and comings lived on this hill, thus the name. The Jianiculum Hill is were the family of Prince Doria Pamphilij had their summer residence, it is also the site of the most bloody battles between the French and Papal armies against the Italian army commanded by Garibaldi in the fight for the liberation of Rome and Papal theocracy 150 years ago. From the Jianicolo you have a commanding view of the whole city. So we met at this little church of San Pietro in Montorio, built and owned by the Spanish Crown, the inscription makes it clearly a Spanish Royal Church and next to it is the Spanish Academy in Rome and across it the Residence of the Ambassador of His Most Catholic Majesty the King of Spain. Next to the church is the Tempietto del Bramante, the story goes that Ferdinand and Isabella of Aragon and Castille wanted a male child and promised to build a little temple or Tempietto, their wish was granted by God but the child did not live beyond childhood. The Tempietto is rarely open to the public it is a small building in its own courtyard, quite beautiful to look at.
San Pietro in Montorio, Jianicolo
Scourging of Christ by Del Piombo
Balustrade with cherubs
Tempietto del Bramante
There is also a story that the Tempietto is the site where Saint Peter was crucified thus the name San Pietro in Montorio, the word Montorio is a distortion of Monte d'Oro or golden mountain because the soil has a lot of yellow stones and sand mixed in. Though it was established a long time ago that Saint Peter was actually crucified in the Circus of Nero next to where St-Peter's basilica stands today, for the crime of murder and preaching heresy, he apparently had killed a magician.
The church itself of San Pietro in Montorio is richly decorated with many side chapels, the first chapel on the right has the painting of the Scourging of Christ by Sebastiano del Piombo, a friend of Michelangelo.
The next chapel has the Madonna and Child by Niccolo Pomarancio, this painting is said to be miraculous. The beautiful balustrade with putti or cherubs is by Bartolomeo Ammannati and it is said that Michelangelo had a hand in the design. The painting over the altar of the Baptism of Jesus is by Daniele da Volterra. The chapel dedicated to St-Francis was done by Bernini. This Royal church is well worth a visit. If you want to see the paintings in a better light ask the keeper of the Church and for a small donation he will turn the lights on.
As we exited the Church, she asked me if I would stay for lunch, usually on her promenade we go for lunch afterwards around 1pm. I said yes, thinking we would go to a nice little restaurant in the area, nothing more was said, I was in for a surprise, but more on this later.
As we walked out of the church admiring the panorama of the City, we turn right and across the street is a Fascist era monument C. 1941, in a large park, a tomb to the fallen of 1849, 1860 and 1870. It is said that the ashes of the fallen soldiers are interred in this monument. Continuing upward you will see the famous Fontanone or big fountain, built by Pope Paul V, Borghese, he completed the construction of the new St-Peter's Basilica as we see it today. This fountain is the end of a great Roman Aquaduct originally built by Emperor Trajan at the end of the first century, known then as Aqua Traiana today it is called Aqua Paolina. Trastevere in antiquity was outside Rome and populated by slaves and immigrants, only Roman citizens could live in Rome. Thus Cleopatra Queen of Egypt came to visit Julius Cesar but was not allowed to enter the City of Rome because she was a foreigner and lived in a palace on the Tiber across from Rome. Trastevere did not have like Rome an abundance of clean water and the Fontanone was the sole provider of clean fresh and abundant water. The Fontanone we see today was built by Flaminio Ponzio and Giovanni Fontana the son of Domenico Fontana who built the great Moses Fountain in Piazza Santa Susanna. The four central columns come from the old St-Peter's basilica and all the marble of the fountain was taken from the Temple of Mars the Avenger in the Forum of Augustus. Look for the Borghese family animals the dragons and eagles on the fountain.
The Fontanone of Pope Paul V
We continued to walk up and passing by Villa Spada and the American Academy in Rome and then by the Gate of San Pancrazio into the park where the Monument of Garibaldi and numerous statues of all the heroes of the war of Italian liberation stand and the equestrian monument and tomb of Anita Garibaldi who died at 28 years of age fighting alongside her husband. This park is truly a lesson in more recent Italian history and politics. In the distance you can see the dome of St-Peter and below you the entire city. If you are in the park at noon time watch for the noon day canon under the statue of Garibaldi.
Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi on the Jianicolo
Noon Day gun on the Jianicolo hill.
Monument to Anita Garibaldi, clutching her baby and shooting her pistol.
After our walk we returned to Villa Spada for lunch, little did I know that today this very historic villa where Garibaldi and Luciano Manara, Commandant of the Bersaglieri stayed for 10 days while fighting the French and Papal armies just a few streets away is the Residence of the Irish Ambassador to the Italian Republic. Manara died on 30 June 1849 at the age of 24 while fighting the French, the Villa Spada itself was very badly damaged by cannon fire and savage fighting took place in the very garden where we had lunch. We were greeted by the Ambassador and his wife Pauline. She had made a lovely Irish stew and a wonderful salad and a Charlotte for dessert. Under the beautiful orange trees on a sunny afternoon it was difficult to imagine the fierce hand to hand combat which had taken part on this spot as paintings of the time shows.
Lunch served on porcelain bearing the crest of Ireland.
After lunch I walked back down the steep hill to the Tiber river, on the way down I passed a little park with ruins, Via Dandolo 45, the Syrian Sanctuary, known from early antiquity as a Sacred Woods, the area was dedicated to the Furies avenging deities who torment criminals. it is here that the first defender of poor Romans, Caius Gracchus committed suicide in 121 BC. His Conservative opponents in the Senate said that the Furies had called him to his death in their Sanctuary. It is a strange place or has a strange spooky look, I was happy the Furies were not after me.
So on my most recent visit to Rome I consulted her calendar to see what she was offering in terms of walks. I always enjoy those ''By special permission'' entry to sites never open to the public. Many Palaces or convents are still private and fully functioning and the public is not invite to enter. Per example Prince Colonna still lives with his family in his 900 room palace in the centre of Rome just off Piazza Venezia and only opens the State Rooms on Saturday morning for 2 hours.
So I was very happy to see 2 walks on the 26 and 27 March. On the first walk we met in front of the Church of San Pietro in Montorio at the top of the Jianiculum hill or Jianicolo, this hill is across the Tiber opposite Rome itself and next to the smaller Vatican Hill, it is not part of the 7 hills of Rome. The ancient Romans thought that the war like god Janus, keeper of doors, of going and comings lived on this hill, thus the name. The Jianiculum Hill is were the family of Prince Doria Pamphilij had their summer residence, it is also the site of the most bloody battles between the French and Papal armies against the Italian army commanded by Garibaldi in the fight for the liberation of Rome and Papal theocracy 150 years ago. From the Jianicolo you have a commanding view of the whole city. So we met at this little church of San Pietro in Montorio, built and owned by the Spanish Crown, the inscription makes it clearly a Spanish Royal Church and next to it is the Spanish Academy in Rome and across it the Residence of the Ambassador of His Most Catholic Majesty the King of Spain. Next to the church is the Tempietto del Bramante, the story goes that Ferdinand and Isabella of Aragon and Castille wanted a male child and promised to build a little temple or Tempietto, their wish was granted by God but the child did not live beyond childhood. The Tempietto is rarely open to the public it is a small building in its own courtyard, quite beautiful to look at.
There is also a story that the Tempietto is the site where Saint Peter was crucified thus the name San Pietro in Montorio, the word Montorio is a distortion of Monte d'Oro or golden mountain because the soil has a lot of yellow stones and sand mixed in. Though it was established a long time ago that Saint Peter was actually crucified in the Circus of Nero next to where St-Peter's basilica stands today, for the crime of murder and preaching heresy, he apparently had killed a magician.
The church itself of San Pietro in Montorio is richly decorated with many side chapels, the first chapel on the right has the painting of the Scourging of Christ by Sebastiano del Piombo, a friend of Michelangelo.
The next chapel has the Madonna and Child by Niccolo Pomarancio, this painting is said to be miraculous. The beautiful balustrade with putti or cherubs is by Bartolomeo Ammannati and it is said that Michelangelo had a hand in the design. The painting over the altar of the Baptism of Jesus is by Daniele da Volterra. The chapel dedicated to St-Francis was done by Bernini. This Royal church is well worth a visit. If you want to see the paintings in a better light ask the keeper of the Church and for a small donation he will turn the lights on.
As we exited the Church, she asked me if I would stay for lunch, usually on her promenade we go for lunch afterwards around 1pm. I said yes, thinking we would go to a nice little restaurant in the area, nothing more was said, I was in for a surprise, but more on this later.
As we walked out of the church admiring the panorama of the City, we turn right and across the street is a Fascist era monument C. 1941, in a large park, a tomb to the fallen of 1849, 1860 and 1870. It is said that the ashes of the fallen soldiers are interred in this monument. Continuing upward you will see the famous Fontanone or big fountain, built by Pope Paul V, Borghese, he completed the construction of the new St-Peter's Basilica as we see it today. This fountain is the end of a great Roman Aquaduct originally built by Emperor Trajan at the end of the first century, known then as Aqua Traiana today it is called Aqua Paolina. Trastevere in antiquity was outside Rome and populated by slaves and immigrants, only Roman citizens could live in Rome. Thus Cleopatra Queen of Egypt came to visit Julius Cesar but was not allowed to enter the City of Rome because she was a foreigner and lived in a palace on the Tiber across from Rome. Trastevere did not have like Rome an abundance of clean water and the Fontanone was the sole provider of clean fresh and abundant water. The Fontanone we see today was built by Flaminio Ponzio and Giovanni Fontana the son of Domenico Fontana who built the great Moses Fountain in Piazza Santa Susanna. The four central columns come from the old St-Peter's basilica and all the marble of the fountain was taken from the Temple of Mars the Avenger in the Forum of Augustus. Look for the Borghese family animals the dragons and eagles on the fountain.
We continued to walk up and passing by Villa Spada and the American Academy in Rome and then by the Gate of San Pancrazio into the park where the Monument of Garibaldi and numerous statues of all the heroes of the war of Italian liberation stand and the equestrian monument and tomb of Anita Garibaldi who died at 28 years of age fighting alongside her husband. This park is truly a lesson in more recent Italian history and politics. In the distance you can see the dome of St-Peter and below you the entire city. If you are in the park at noon time watch for the noon day canon under the statue of Garibaldi.
After our walk we returned to Villa Spada for lunch, little did I know that today this very historic villa where Garibaldi and Luciano Manara, Commandant of the Bersaglieri stayed for 10 days while fighting the French and Papal armies just a few streets away is the Residence of the Irish Ambassador to the Italian Republic. Manara died on 30 June 1849 at the age of 24 while fighting the French, the Villa Spada itself was very badly damaged by cannon fire and savage fighting took place in the very garden where we had lunch. We were greeted by the Ambassador and his wife Pauline. She had made a lovely Irish stew and a wonderful salad and a Charlotte for dessert. Under the beautiful orange trees on a sunny afternoon it was difficult to imagine the fierce hand to hand combat which had taken part on this spot as paintings of the time shows.
After lunch I walked back down the steep hill to the Tiber river, on the way down I passed a little park with ruins, Via Dandolo 45, the Syrian Sanctuary, known from early antiquity as a Sacred Woods, the area was dedicated to the Furies avenging deities who torment criminals. it is here that the first defender of poor Romans, Caius Gracchus committed suicide in 121 BC. His Conservative opponents in the Senate said that the Furies had called him to his death in their Sanctuary. It is a strange place or has a strange spooky look, I was happy the Furies were not after me.
Friday, 6 April 2012
Una Passeggiata alla Villa Torlonia
Villa Torlonia on Via Nomentana outside the walls of Rome near Porta Pia. This great estate was until 1945 the summer residence of the Princely Torlonia family, great supporters of the Fascist movement, like so many of the aristocratic families in Italy.
Porta Pia (in antiquity was known as Porta Nomentana)
As of 1926 Prince Torlonia invited Benito Mussolini to live in his palace, renting it out for 1 lira a year. The Prince who was elderly retired to a smaller pavilion in the park called Casa delle Civete, (house of the owls). When the Duce fell from power in July 1943, the estate was attacked by the mob and all the buildings were ransacked and burned. The wife of Mussolini and his children fled, the Torlonia family had moved to their other palaces. The Allied forces, namely the British army occupied the palace for a while as of 1944 but left in 1949, in the attic of the palace where army clerks worked, one wall is covered in rather beautiful pastoral scenes, drawn by a soldier. Villa Torlonia is not very far from the seat of the British Embassy at Porta Pia. The estate was left in a state of total abandonment until 1999, quite the eyesore in the centre of Rome.
Villa Torlonia entrance gate on Via Nomentana.
Then the mayor of Rome had the idea as a cultural revival and with the help of the European Union to restore the buildings of the estate. This restoration project has been on-going now for 12 years and is nearing completion. I decided to take a walk around the Villa Torlonia to have a look and see the evolution of the project since we left Rome in August 2011.
the Moorish green house completely restored as it would have been in 1890
coloured glass, painted stucco and ironwork, an extravagant building for exotic trees.
The idea of this restoration of the estate on Via Nomentana was to show how a great family lived in the 19th century, with the commuting between the city residence and the outside the walls country residence.
The Torlonia family has other palaces in Rome, one very near the Vatican State now used as an administration office for their estates and properties in Italy, the other at Villa Albani, a baroque palace with gardens even larger than those of Villa Torlonia currently serves as their residence. They also have very large farm estate by the airport at Fiumicino with spectacular ruins of the ancient port of Rome which connects to the Tiber River.
The private theatre of the Torlonia family now restored, the column holds the ashes of Princess Torlonia who had this grand building built.
I took a walk around the park to see the main theatre built as a ballroom, dininghall and concert, theatre for the Torlonia to entertain large groups of friends. The other building I wanted to see was the Moorish house, an arabic style building which housed exotic trees and plants during the winter, a rather elaborate green house. The other green house, known as the lemon tree house is on the other side of the park, it is now a restaurant, this building once housed all the orange, lime and lemon trees during the winter. In the 1930's Mussolini used it to host the different officials of Italian colonies who came to Rome to pay homage to the King-Emperor of Italy Vittorio-Emmanuelle III. The large stables and carriage house is now used as administrative offices, the library of the Prince is used for exhibits of rare books and prints.
The Prince lived in this house on the grounds of the estate while he rented out his palace to Mussolini. Very eclectic style.
The main house which dominates the estate has been beautifully restored, though unfurnished, with the exception of one bedroom, the rest of the original furnishing long ago disappeared. The bedroom in question is that of Mussolini and his wife. He lived in the house for 20 years with his family. It gives the visitor a very good idea of how the wealthy and powerful lived. The estate also has fake roman ruins and temples, it use to have numerous statues, all gone except for a few. Villa Torlonia is only one of the many great estates that once graced Via Nomentana. The story of the Torlonia family is also interesting, a rags to riches story, commoner is elevated to Prince of Italy. If in Rome, I recommend visiting Villa Torlonia.
As of 1926 Prince Torlonia invited Benito Mussolini to live in his palace, renting it out for 1 lira a year. The Prince who was elderly retired to a smaller pavilion in the park called Casa delle Civete, (house of the owls). When the Duce fell from power in July 1943, the estate was attacked by the mob and all the buildings were ransacked and burned. The wife of Mussolini and his children fled, the Torlonia family had moved to their other palaces. The Allied forces, namely the British army occupied the palace for a while as of 1944 but left in 1949, in the attic of the palace where army clerks worked, one wall is covered in rather beautiful pastoral scenes, drawn by a soldier. Villa Torlonia is not very far from the seat of the British Embassy at Porta Pia. The estate was left in a state of total abandonment until 1999, quite the eyesore in the centre of Rome.
Then the mayor of Rome had the idea as a cultural revival and with the help of the European Union to restore the buildings of the estate. This restoration project has been on-going now for 12 years and is nearing completion. I decided to take a walk around the Villa Torlonia to have a look and see the evolution of the project since we left Rome in August 2011.
The idea of this restoration of the estate on Via Nomentana was to show how a great family lived in the 19th century, with the commuting between the city residence and the outside the walls country residence.
The Torlonia family has other palaces in Rome, one very near the Vatican State now used as an administration office for their estates and properties in Italy, the other at Villa Albani, a baroque palace with gardens even larger than those of Villa Torlonia currently serves as their residence. They also have very large farm estate by the airport at Fiumicino with spectacular ruins of the ancient port of Rome which connects to the Tiber River.
I took a walk around the park to see the main theatre built as a ballroom, dininghall and concert, theatre for the Torlonia to entertain large groups of friends. The other building I wanted to see was the Moorish house, an arabic style building which housed exotic trees and plants during the winter, a rather elaborate green house. The other green house, known as the lemon tree house is on the other side of the park, it is now a restaurant, this building once housed all the orange, lime and lemon trees during the winter. In the 1930's Mussolini used it to host the different officials of Italian colonies who came to Rome to pay homage to the King-Emperor of Italy Vittorio-Emmanuelle III. The large stables and carriage house is now used as administrative offices, the library of the Prince is used for exhibits of rare books and prints.
The main house which dominates the estate has been beautifully restored, though unfurnished, with the exception of one bedroom, the rest of the original furnishing long ago disappeared. The bedroom in question is that of Mussolini and his wife. He lived in the house for 20 years with his family. It gives the visitor a very good idea of how the wealthy and powerful lived. The estate also has fake roman ruins and temples, it use to have numerous statues, all gone except for a few. Villa Torlonia is only one of the many great estates that once graced Via Nomentana. The story of the Torlonia family is also interesting, a rags to riches story, commoner is elevated to Prince of Italy. If in Rome, I recommend visiting Villa Torlonia.
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Passover-Easter
Tonight we have a full moon and Sunday is Easter. Little do people know that the Apostles did not celebrate Easter but Passover, after all they were Jews. Early Christians or followers of Jesus were mostly Jews. As the centuries went by Christians celebrated Passover with the Jews, it is only with the passing of time that Christians started to develop their own traditions and beliefs independent of Jews. By the third century the scale was tipped and most Christians were non-Jews, pagans were starting to join in other words. By the first Council of Nicea in 325 AD the Emperor as head of the Christian Church decided that all Christian Churches in the Roman Empire would celebrate Easter on the same day instead of having different dates for the celebration and it would be independent from Passover, it would also be celebrated on a Sunday instead of the day of Jewish Sabbath, Saturday. Today we celebrate the Easter Bunny who brings everyone chocolates for your salvation. I am not sure which Council made the Easter Bunny the other son of God.
Anyway enjoy and have a good Easter or Passover.
High Altar Church in Palermo, Sicily
But one tradition which we started last year in Rome is the making of the Pasteria a recipe given to Will by a friend from Napoli, the recipe is from his Grandmother. It is the traditional Easter pastry in Southern Italy.
Made from good quality Ricotta cheese and using such ingredients as pre-cooked grano, vanilla, Orange blossom essence, Cinnamon, Candied fruit, it takes 2 days to make. Last year Will made several Pasteria and brought one to Easter lunch at a friends house. One of the guest was the great grand-daughter of Giuseppe Garibaldi, Anita Garibaldi declared it to be the best Pasteria she had ever tasted, making Will an honorary Italian Citizen. I am glad he is making it this year, it is very good.
Pasteria a traditional Italian Easter dish.
Anyway enjoy and have a good Easter or Passover.
But one tradition which we started last year in Rome is the making of the Pasteria a recipe given to Will by a friend from Napoli, the recipe is from his Grandmother. It is the traditional Easter pastry in Southern Italy.
Made from good quality Ricotta cheese and using such ingredients as pre-cooked grano, vanilla, Orange blossom essence, Cinnamon, Candied fruit, it takes 2 days to make. Last year Will made several Pasteria and brought one to Easter lunch at a friends house. One of the guest was the great grand-daughter of Giuseppe Garibaldi, Anita Garibaldi declared it to be the best Pasteria she had ever tasted, making Will an honorary Italian Citizen. I am glad he is making it this year, it is very good.
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