ItalyUpdate

MONOPOLI TWANGS WITH UKULELES

The clifftop town of Monopoli (Puglia) stages its third Ukulele Festival between the 30^th May - 2^nd June 2024. The first edition, launched as an experiment in 2022, was such a success, attracting musicians from all over the world, that the town has decided to make it a regular annual event.

The three-day Festival features a full programmes of jam sessions, parades, evening concerts and informal open-mics concentrated in the historic centre. All are free and open to all.

According to the local tourist board, the introduction of the Festival produced an increase in tourism by over 50% during the first 10 months of last year.

The ukulele has an international following. It was developed in the Hawaii Islands at the end of the 19^th century by Portuguese immigrants and was enthusiastically adopted by the native people who developed the exclusive “Hawaiian sound”. The origin of the instrument's name is said to mean “jumping flea”.

Info: www.monopolele.com (also on Facebook, Instagram and other social media)

MONZA: THE QUEEN'S GOLDEN HEN

One of the most intriguing exhibits in the Museum of the Treasure of the Duomo of Monza (Lombardy) is a gilded silver hen surrounded by seven chicks, all grouped in pecking position on a circular metal tray.

The metal body of the mother is rippled to look like feathers and her eyes are made of rubies, while the eyes of the chicks are emeralds.

No-one knows the origin of this unusual artefact, which is believed to have been donated to the cathedral by the medieval Queen of the Lombards, Theolinda, who ruled as regent between 616 and 624 and was a driving force in the conversion of her subjects to Catholicism.

Theolinda is considered to be the founder of the great Duomo of Monza, which pays her tribute with a chapel decorated with a stunning cycle of mid-15^th century frescoes depicting 45 episodes in her life and stretching over a wall area of 500 sqm. A huge restoration project, completed in 2015, restored the frescoes to their former glory.

The Theolinda Chapel contains the celebrated “Iron Crown” of the Lombard kings, that was also used by Napoleon Bonaparte for his coronation as King of Italy in 1805. The crown, in the form of a jewelled circlet, is believed to incorporate one of the nails used in Christ's crucifixion, brought to Italy by Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine.

The Museum is open every day except Monday, while guided tours for the Theolinda Chapel are available between Tues-Sat and Sun afternoons.

Info: Tel. +39.323404 https://www.museoduomomonza.it

ROMANTIC GARDENS OF ROYAL NAPLES

Not many visitors to Naples realise that right in the heart of the city, next to the San Carlo Opera House, they can visit a fairytale garden with a magnificent view over the Bay of Naples. The Hanging Gardens of the Royal Palace of Naples were finally restored to the public in 2018, after extensive repairs and replanting to restore them to their former botanical splendour after the damage they suffered in the last War, when a shipload of explosives blew up in the adjacent harbour. The palace itself was hit by over 100 bombs and was further damaged by the Irpinia earthquake in 1980, and has required years of meticulous repairs to return it to its original splendour as the royal residence of the Bourbon dynasty.

The Hanging Gardens are laid out on a wide terrace that runs along the side of the palace and are partially shaded by a long pergola. The slender cast iron bridge that connects directly with the royal apartments has been rebuilt according to the original 19^th century plan of the king's architect, Gaetano Genovese.

Info: Tel. +39.0639967050 https://palazzorealedinapoli.org

PAST and FUTURE WITH A GREAT RENAISSANCE THINKER

The secrets of the distant past and the not-so-remote future merge in a multi-scope exhibition at the Rome Zoological Museum, inspired by the figure of one of the most eclectic Italian geniuses of the 16^th century. “Oltre lo Spazio Oltre il Tempo Il Sogno di Ulisse Aldrovandi” (Beyond Space Beyond Time The Dream of Ulisse Aldrovandi) gives a sweeping picture of the many scientific disciplines explored by a little known renaissance genius. The Rome tribute to the figure of the great Bolognese scientist, naturalist, philosopher, botanist, physicist and philosopher Ulisse Aldrovandi (who was born on the 28^th May 1522) follows on the heels of the widely acclaimed exhibition organized by the Golinelli Centre of Art and Science in the Alma Mater Studiorum Science Museum of the University of Bologna earlier this year.

Like many great minds of his age, Aldrovandi was both a scientist and an artist. In 1568, he created Bologna's first botanical garden. During his lifetime he collected 18,000 natural specimens and archaeological and exotic objects. He put together the oldest collection in the world of dried plants, plus 17 volumes of water colours and 14 cabinets filled with woodcut blocks, all of which he bequeathed to his native city.

Visitors will be fascinated by his celebrated “Monstrorum Historia” – a study of monsters and supernatural creatures, which anticipates the arrival of science fiction some centuries later.

In the best traditions of Renaissance thinking, the exhibition also looks to the future, exploring themes like long distance space travel, human hibernation possibilities and what would represent memories of life on earth – all with the support of instruments and images from the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF-OAS of Bologna and INAF-IAPS of Rome) as well as the European Space Agency, evoking a unified vision of art and science.

MUSEO CIVICO DI ZOOLOGIA, Rome, until 21^st July 2024.

Info: Tel. +39.06.67109270 or 060608 www.museocivicodizoologia.it

ITALO/ITABUS NETWORK OPENS UP ITALIAN REGIONS

The ITALO rail company is expanding its network of public train + bus transportation, and aims to serve the entire Italian peninsula within the next few years, according to Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the dynamic CEO of Italo, Italy's first privately owned train service. The recent incorporation of the ITABUS luxury coach company in May 2023 now guarantees a schedule of 500 direct daily connections between major Italian train stations and 85 key destinations, greatly simplifying travel, not only for locals and commuters, but also for tourist travel to smaller art cities and other localities.

Montezemolo underlined the attention the company had paid, not only to passenger comfort, but also to the environment, with the acquisition of the latest generation of low pollution generating coaches from the historic Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nurnberg AG (MAN), manufacturers, a leading provider of commercial vehicles.

Italo had something of a rocky start, with opposition from the state-owned rail transport monopoly Trenitalia, which did not welcome the debut of a rival. However, the owners (a team of independent Italian businessmen) persisted and the flaming red engines emblazoned with the logo of a white coursing hare have now become a familiar sight in major railway hubs since the first passenger train left Naples station on the 28^th April 2012.

At the moment, Italo trains operate a regular daily service of 116 trips. The company plans to expand its network, despite many logistic difficulties, such as the necessary substitution of outdated tracks, unsuitable for high speed trains, which still exist in many areas of southern Italy and Sicily.

The addition of the new ITABUS connections signal a revolution in the concept of inter-Italy travel, facilitating access to many destinations that previously involved complicated travel arrangements and long, roundabout trips. Good news for independent travellers keen to explore many of the lesser known wonders and “sights” of Italy.

M.STENHOUSE

Info: https://itabus.it

NATIONAL MADE IN“ ITALY DAY” LAUNCHED

The Italian MIMIT (Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy) has announced that the 25^th April each year shall be dedicated to highlighting and safeguarding Italian design, culture, art, sport and specialized food production. The 15^th April is the anniversary of the birth of the universal Italian genius Leonardo da Vinci, the symbol of Italian inventiveness and creativity.

After the success of the first edition in 2023, the event has now been established as “National Made in Italy Day”, to be celebrated all over Italy and in many countries with strong Italian connections.

The wide-ranging “Made in Italy Day” aims to showcase Italian excellence but also to heighten public awareness worldwide of the widespread imitation and falsification of Italian products, which in some cases has reached unsustainable proportions, causing enormous damage to Italian marketing and exportation. Celebrated brands such as Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano cheeses are among the biggest victims, but imitation “Italian” olive oil, wine, Prosecco, salami and mortadella are now produced on a large scale in countries like the USA, Russia and South America to the detriment of the genuine products, which are the result of the use of the finest raw materials, lengthy production processes, traditional know-how and scrupulous quality controls.

Info: Tel. +39.06.4705.1 www.mimit.gov.it segreteria.ministro@mise.gov.it

COCULLO SNAKE CULT AIMS FOR UNESCO LISTING

The unique Festival of St. Domenico at the mountain village of Cocullo (L'Aquila, Abruzzo) has applied for inclusion in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list.

The Festival, which dates back to prehistoric times and was originally in honour of the Great Mother goddess Angizia whose cult was observed by the ancient Osco-Umbri peoples of central Italy, and was adapted in the Christian era to the figure of St. Domenico the Abbot, healer and protector against snake bites.

The Festival, which is unique in Italy, is held each year on the 1^st of May and involves the capture of dozens of snakes by expert “serpari” (snake catchers) from the surrounding mountains and hillsides. These are then draped alive over the statue of the saint and carried in procession all over the village. When the festival is over, they are released back into the wild.

Cocullo is situated at 870 asl. in the Apennines mountains and has a fixed population of only 300 inhabitants, who are, however, determined to keep their ancient traditions alive. The local authorities have the backing of institutions such as ANCI (National Association of Italian Municipalities) and are hopeful of achieving their objective in view of the recent election of nearby L'Aquila as Italian Capital of Culture 2026. 

M. STENHOUSE

Info: Tel. +39.0864.49117 comune.cocullo@katamail.com

MUSSOLINI'S SECRET BUNKER RE-OPENS

After extensive restoration work, Mussolini's underground air raid shelter and secret bunker, tunnelled under his official residence at Villa Torlonia, Rome, have been re-opened to the public. The shelter, accessed by a stairway leading down from the ballroom of the Casino Nobile, redesigned by Giuseppe Valadier between 1802-06, and now a museum, was converted from an existing cellar at the outset of WW2 and fitted with electric light, air filters, telephone lines and anti-gas sealed security doors.

After Rome was bombed in 1943, Mussolini considered the air raid shelter inadequate and commissioned the adjoining bunker, situated at a depth of 6.5m with 4m-thick reinforced concrete walls. However, he was destined never to make use of it as he was deposed before it was finished.

The new “bunker experience” has been set up with projections from newsreels of the period and special multi-medial effects, that lead visitors through the pre-War period of the Mussolini family residence to the outbreak of the War, with the simulation of a typical bombing attack as experienced in the shelters.

Pre-booked Guided Tours (maximum 20 participants): 060608

Info: www.museovillatorlonia.it villaparchistorici@comune.roma.it

NATURE WALKS AT POMPEII

The buried city of Pompeii has opened up new nature walks around its ancient walls. The 8.500 sqm green belt that links the archaeological site to the modern city of Pompei has been laid out as a woodland park, using the same varieties of plants and trees that would have been present in the time of the eruption, such as oaks, elms, plane trees, almonds, tamarisks and ilexes as well as appropriate flowering shrubs and plants with the intention of recreating a natural habitat for local birds and wildlife.

The trail leads from the Amphitheatre Gate, around the perimeter walls of the necropolis of Fondo Pacifico, through the recreated ancient lucus (Sacred Wood) and the Avenue of Almond Trees, to the Sannio Gate and back into the archaeological site at the Via dell'Abbondanza.

The Nature Trail is part of a tree planting project involving 7,000 native trees and shrubs, which have been introduced into the archaeological site over the past year and has involved not only the direction of the archaeological site but also local schools and social cooperatives assisting young people with difficulties, under the direction of the Arbolia Benefit Corporation, dedicated to creating new green areas in Italy and combatting global warming. The Pompeii project is the latest in a succession of 34 urban woodlands planted in 27 Italian towns and communities for a total of 75 million forest trees.

Info: www.arbolia.it