ItalyUpdate

VENICE TO CHARGE ENTRY FEE

The Municipal Council of Venice has announced that from next year (2024) a €5 tax will be levied on day trippers visiting the lagoon city. The objective is to discourage the mass invasion of crowds who pass only a few hours in the city, spend next to nothing, leave piles of rubbish to be disposed of and bring no benefit to the city itself. At present, the number of Venice-in-a-Day tourists who arrive every day in the city is almost double that of the residential population.

The tax will be introduced on an experimental basis during traditional holiday periods in spring 2024. Residents, local workers and employees as well as students enrolled in the city university, will be exempt. Visitors with hotel bookings will also not be charged as they already pay tourism tax as part of their accommodation package.

Payment must be made in advance online but full details have not yet been released.

Venice and its lagoon have just recently narrowly escaped being added to the UNESCO list of endangered sites, due to the problems of mass tourism, climate change and threats to the eco system. With the introduction of the entry tax, the city hopes to limit the damages caused by the first of these problems. The activation of the massive “Mose” dam across the lagoon is also proving positive in restricting the periodic flooding that plagued the city centre.

Info: visit-venice.italy

ANCIENT UMBRIA MYSTERIES REVEALED

The Festival of Ancient Umbria widens its scope this year to encompass seven major centres within the territory of Italy's most mysterious central region. This year's edition, spread over six months of events and conferences involving eminent historians and anthropologists, is entitled. “Uomini e Dei” (Men and Gods) and sets out to explore the spiritual world of the Italic peoples, the Etruscans and the early Romans, the three different populations that once inhabited the region.

After last year's highly successful launch, the 2023 version was inaugurated on the 8^th July 2023 at the National Archaeological Museum of Perugia, set in the historic central area, known as the “Isola di San Lorenzo” (Island of St. Lawrence) even though no island exists. The word is simply a corruption of the Latin “ Insula” (meaning a block of houses).

The second stage of the Festival took place at a real lake, at the town of Tuoro sul Trasimeno on Lake Trasimeno (25^th August 2023), scene of an epic defeat of the Romans by Hannibal's invading troops. The programme continued the following day at San Giustino in the National Archaeological Museum of the Villa di Pliny. The third event, on the 2^nd September 2023, was held at the town of Spoleto, seat of the celebrated annual International Arts Festival. October 21-22 will involve the Museum of the Citta di Bettona, listed as “one of the most beautiful borghi in Italy”, as well as the Archaeological Museum of Colfiorito. Back to Perugia on November 11^th at the Chapter Museum of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, built over the remains of an Etruscan temple.

The itinerary concludes on the 2^nd December 2023 at the Archaeological Museum of the town of Terni

Every phase of the Festival is accompanied by a series of lectures by leading experts in the field, who will reveal the secrets of the spiritual life of the three ancient races and their relationship with the supernatural world and the afterlife.

The lectures areavailable on internet and in podcast versions

1000. STENHOUSE

Info: Tel. 0039.334.2573601 www.festivalumbriantica.it

Take your pick...for autumn reading

MARSALA BOOST FROM “THE LIONS OF SICILY”

Italian author Stefania Auci's best seller “The Lions of Sicily” recounting the saga of the Sicilian Florio family, has rekindled interest in Marsala, the fortified wine that the Florio company has produced for the past two centuries.

“The Lions of Sicily” will debut in streaming on the Disney + Channel on October 25^th with further episodes programmed to run till the end of the year.

Marsala wine was first launched in 1773, when English merchant John Woodhouse had the bright idea of adding spirits to the wine barrels he was exporting to London to stop his cargo from deteriorating during the voyage.

After a long period of boom, during which Marsala was nominated the first Sicilian DOC wine in 1969, public tastes began to change and Marsala lost its initial popularity. It sank so low, in fact, that latterly it was used principally as an ingredient in cooking.

This is now changing, thanks to the commitment of the Florio company, which merged in 2004 with Duca di Salaparuta, an equally prestigious and historic Sicilian wine – to divide marketing and production strategies. Florio has recently developed a new range of high quality fortified wines, cosseted in enormous oak barrels in the cavernous cellars at the historic town of Marsala (Trapani, east Sicily), which are open to visitors for tours and wine tastings.

A curiosity: in 2015, Marsala wine attracted the attention of the Panton Color Institute, which elected its deep purple-red tone as “Color of the Year”and created the new tint “Pantone Marsala” available on decorators' palettes.

Info: Tel. +39.0923.781111 www.duca.it

ANCIENT UMBRIA MYSTERIES REVEALED

The Festival of Ancient Umbria widens its scope this year to encompass seven major centres within the territory of Italy's most mysterious central region. This year's edition, spread over six months of events and conferences involving eminent historians and anthropologists, is entitled. “Uomini e Dei” (Men and Gods) and sets out to explore the spiritual world of the Italic peoples, the Etruscans and the early Romans, the three different populations that once inhabited the region.

After last year's highly successful launch, the 2023 version was inaugurated on the 8^th July 2023 at the National Archaeological Museum of Perugia, set in the historic central area, known as the “Isola di San Lorenzo” (Island of St. Lawrence) even though no island exists. The word is simply a corruption of the Latin “ Insula” (meaning a block of houses).

The second stage of the Festival will take place at a real lake, the town of Tuoro sul Trasimeno at Lake Trasimeno (25^th August 2023), scene of an epic defeat of the Romans by Hannibal's invading troops and continues the following day at San Giustino in the National Archaeological Museum of the Villa di Pliny. The third event, on the 2^nd September 2023, will be at the town of Spoleto, seat of the celebrated annual International Arts Festival. October 21-22 involves the Museum of the Citta di Bettona, listed as “one of the most beautiful borghi in Italy”, as well as the Archaeological Museum of Colfiorito. Back to Perugia on November 11^th at the Chapter Museum of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, built over the remains of an Etruscan temple.

The itinerary concludes on the 2^nd December 2023 at the Archaeological Museum of the town of Terni

Every phase of the Festival is accompanied by a series of lectures by leading experts in the field, who will reveal the secrets of the spiritual life of the three ancient races and their relationship with the supernatural world and the afterlife.

The lectures will also be available on internet and in podcast versions

1000. STENHOUSE

Info: Tel. 0039.334.2573601 www.festivalumbriantica.it

Courtesy of Freepics

Bye for Now! We'll be Back in September

RIGONE DI ASIAGO JAM & HONEY RESTORATION PROJECT

Leading Italian honey and jam producer, Rigoni di Asiago, continues its project to restore “lesser known works of art that deserve to be better appreciated.” The programme, called “La Natura in Cuore di....” (Nature in the Heart of...) began in 2015 and has so far involved six art works in six different Italian cities, with the technical support of Fondaco Italia Srl, anadvisory group that gives economic support to restoration projects involving Italian art heritage.

This year, which also marks the company's Centenary, involves Naples and the enormous 2^nd century AD porphyry marble basin that originally came from the Baths of Caracalla in Rome and now sits in the courtyard of the Garden of the Fountains in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN).

Previous restorations have involved Milan, with the frescos of the Jesuit Atrium in the Brera Palace (2015), Rome's Fountain of the Marriage of the Sea in the gardens of Palazzo Venezia (2018), the restoration of the crypt of the rock church of San Giovanni in Monterrone at Matera (2019), a section of the frescos in the Grand Cloister of Santa Maria Novella in Florence (2020) and the Contarini Fountain in Bergamo (2021-2022).

Rigone di Asiago is a family business, run by Andrea Rigoni. Its production plant , which is situated in the unpolluted area of the mountains of Vicenza (Veneto), specializes in organic conserves and honey.

Info: www.rigonidiasiago.it

GREEK THEATRE OFFERS OPERA FOR THE DEAF

The celebrated Greek Theatre of Syracuse (Sicily) is introducing a revolutionary new service that allows people with hearing problems to enjoy performances better. The system debuts on the 5^th August 2023 with the opera “La Traviata”.

In addition to the presence on stage of two sign language interpreters, deaf spectators will be issued at the theatre entrance with devices that transmit sound wave vibrations that allow them to follow the music. They will also be entitled to free entrance to the show.

The initiative is the result of collaboration between the Coro Lirico Siciliano ( Sicilian Lyric Choir) and the Associazione Sicilia Turismo per Tutti (Sicilian Association of Tourism for Everyone), with backup from INDA, the National Institute of Ancient Drama.

Sign language assistance has already been experimented with success at a previous theatrical presentation of “Ulysses; Last Odyssey” on the 30^th June 2023 at the Syracuse Greek Theatre.

The theatre, dating from around 470 BC sits on the slope of Mount Temerite in the Archaeological Park of Neapolis.

Info: Tel. +39.0931-487248 www.indafondazione.org

THE MIRACULOUS FRUITS OF TURIN

The Francesco Garnier Valletti Museum of Fruit is a little known treasure, tucked away inside the research and scientific faculty of the University of Turin. It contains a vast collection of perfectly reproduced wax fruits created in the 19^th century by master craftsman Francesco Garnier Valletti as a permanent record of the many different varieties of fruit registered by the then Royal Institute of Chemistry and Agriculture, founded in 1871 and now known as the Council for Agricultural Research and Agrarian Economy (C.R.E.A.).

The present museum was inaugurated in 2007 to house the collection of over a thousand of Garnier Valetti's fruits, labelled and set out on display shelves. A century ago they were much in demand to grace the tables of the royal houses of Europe. True collector's pieces, they were purchased in vast numbers by the Zar of Russia, Prince Henry of Orange, the Agricultural Museum of Melbourne and the Imperial Museum of Berlin. Garnier Valletti's work has never been surpassed and is nowadays considered invaluable as documentation of many varieties of fruit which have been lost, due to modern processes of standardization.

Until the 9^th September 2023 the Museum is staging the photographic exhibition “MELE e PERE” (“Apples and Pears”) by Dutch artist Erik Kessels, defined “a visual magician” by Time Magazine.

Info: Tel/ +39.011.6708195 www.museodellafrutta.it

info-museodellafrutta@comune.torino

THE VULNERABILITY OF ITALIAN ART WORKS

The recent destruction of a version of an important work of contemporary art, the Venere degli Stracci (Venus of the Rags), the controversial masterpiece of Arte Povera by Michelangelo Pistolesi, which had been set up in Naples main city square, has caused an outcry. The work, which according to the artist represents “the disorder of modern life”, was set deliberately on fire and was reduced to a pile of cinders.

The citizens of Naples have treated the destruction of the installation as a death to be mourned and continue to drape flowers and messages of regret on the empty framework that supported the composition.

Unfortunately, this is only the last in a list of wilful devastation of Italian art and antiquities. Carving initials on the venerable stones of the Colosseum may seem a minor crime in comparison but authorities are worried that it may set off a trend among the 19 thousand + plus tourists who visit the amphitheatre every day.

Unfortunately, monuments and street installations are vulnerable and difficult to safeguard. Some years ago, again in Naples, the Montagna di Sale (Mountain of Salt) by Mimmo Paladino was destroyed during the New Year revels. The artist has subsequently reconstructed his oeuvre in Trapani at the cultural centre of the Foundation Orestiadi at Baglio di Stefano Gibellina (Sicily). The “Capuzzelle” (Skulls) by Rebecca Horn met a similar fate, as did Richard Serra's “Spiral”. And no-one can forget the horrifying incident in 1972 when Australian tourist Laszlo Toth attacked Michelangelo's Pieta with a hammer in a crowded St. Peter's Basilica under the horrified gaze of visitors and custodians. Toth, who was diagnosed as severely disturbed, was interned for a while and then subsequently repatriated.

MSTENHOUSE