BRESCIA READIES FOR 2024 MILLE MIGLIA
The 2024 itinerary of the mythical Mille Miglia race was presented recently in Brescia (Lombardy), where the very first edition was held in 1927. The five-day historic car race is an eagerly-awaited event exclusive to motor cars built before 1957 that have participated in at least one race between 1927 and 1957. The event was banned in 1938 for a twenty-year interval after several spectators were killed in a crash during the race.
The 42nd edition of the “Thousand Mile” itinerary between Brescia-Rome and back is divided into five-day stages and touches many cities in north and central Italy. This year's itinerary includes Genoa for the first time and follows an anti-clockwork route through seven Italian regions between the 11th - 15th June 2024. 400 cars have already signed up to compete. The Mille Miglia race was launched in Brescia and the town continues to be strongly identified with the event. Brescia also has a dedicated Museum, situated inside the converted medieval Monastery of Sant'Eufemia della Fonte at the town gate.
Info: Tel. +39.030.3365631 segreteria@museomillemiglia.it
HALLOWE'EN EXTRAVAGANZA IN GARFAGNANO
The biggest Hallowe'en party in Italy is centred round the medieval village of Borgo a Mozzano in the Garfagnano Valley (Lucca, Tuscany) where some 40,000 thousand participants invade the narrow streets to enjoy the non-stop festive programme of street artists, circus acrobats, music performances and historical reenactments all centred around the traditional theme of witches, ghosts, ghouls, vampires and other undesirables from the Underworld, according to the Hallowe'en tradition, imported in recent years from the ancient world of the Celtic peoples.
Borgo a Mozzano is known for its Bridge of the Devil (officially called the Bridge of the Magdalene) that arches high over the Serchio River, while Lucca is haunted by its local ghost - Lucida Mansi, a 17th century noblewoman who made a pact with the devil to retain her youth and beauty in exchange for her soul. Poor Lucida was no match for the Devil, who cheated her and she ended up drowning herself in despair.
Many events also take place in the nearby Royal Palace of Marlia in Lucca, once residence of Napoleon's sister Elisa whom he nominated Princess of Lucca.
Keeping in with the theme of the party, the historic Nardini distillers of Fornaci di Barga (also in the Garfagnano Valley) have produced a special Hallowe'en “Diabolik Drink”, available in the street food stands.
The 2023 Hallowe'en Night at Borgo a Mozzano lasts over two weekends of revelry, from the 28th - 31st October and the 3rd-4th November.
Info: Tel. +39.0584.581938/349.3238249 info@halloweenborgo.it
RIDE WITH SAN LEONARDO AT ALTA BADIA
The San Leonardo Ride is a highlight of the autumn season in the charming mountain villages of Alta Badia (Bolzano, South Tyrol) in the Dolomite mountain range. St. Leonard is the patron saint and every year his feast day is celebrated with a colourful procession of citizens and farmers in traditional costume, riding the local Haflinger and Norica horses.
This exclusive breed is an integral part of the culture of the area, where these sturdy and placid-natured animals adapt to all kinds of tasks, from pulling carts on farms to trekking trips with children. In their free time, the horses are left free to graze on the mountain pastures.
The Feast of St. Leonard is programmed for the 5th November 2023 and over a hundred riders and breeders will flock to Alta Badia for the event, which includes the blessing of the horses at the Church of San Leonardo, followed by a long procession through the valley villages with band music, dancers and the gastronomic specialities of the region. This year, for the first time, the event will be partnered by the Verona Horse Fair (9-12 November), the most important horse fair in Italy.
A special highlight of the Feast will be the dashing joust dedicated to the one-eyes medieval overlord Oswald von Wolkenstein, a local warrior, poet, singer and writer
Info: Tel. +39.0471.836176 www.alta-badia.org
CARAVAGGIO “RE-FOUND”
Francesco Petrucci, curator of the Palazzo Chigi Museum in the town of Ariccia, some 27 kilometres south of Rome in the hilltop area of the Castelli Romani, has scooped an exclusive first, with the exhibition of a long lost 17th century Caravaggio “Presa di Cristo” (Christ's Capture), on view to the public for the first time
Like so many “lost” Italian works of art, the painting has had an obscure and chequered history, before it was finally purchased by the late Rome art dealer, Mario Bigetti in 2003. For years it was the subject of controversy and discussion among experts. It was known that Caravaggio authorized several copies of his most popular works to meet patrons' demands, most made in his bottega by his assistants, but Petrucci, who is a leading expert on Baroque art, suspected that this particular version was an authentic work by the Master himself, pre-dating the celebrated painting on the same theme in the Dublin National Gallery collection.
Other prominent Caravaggio experts, including the late British art historian Sir Denis Mahon, as well as the Italian art specialists Claudio Strinati and Mina Gregori had also examined the painting and unanimously agreed that it was unmistakeably a first version of the Caravaggio masterpiece, painted personally by the artist. The hunch was subsequently confirmed during the subsequent extensive restoration process which revealed details and typical repentimenti in the artist's unmistakeable hand.
The painting was commissioned by the nobleman Ciriaco Mattei in 1606, as proved by the payment document in the family archives, and was subsequently passed to various owners till it was ultimately rediscovered in the National Gallery of Odessa.
The dramatic moment of Jesus' arrest is rendered in Caravaggio's unmistakeable masterly use of chiaroscuro, with the gleaming armour of the soldiers in contrast with the dark figure of Judas and the dull red robe of Christ. The profile of a man in the top right hand corner is believed to be a self-portrait of Caravaggio himself.
The Chigi Palace of Ariccia contains one of the most important collections of Roman Baroque art, donated by eminent collectors such as Fabrizio and Fiammetta Lemme (who contribute 128 works alone), Maurizio Fagiolo dell'Arco, Lascera, Ferrari and the late-lamented antiquarian Ferdinando Peretti, founder of the Walpole Gallery in London.
This is not an only “first” for Petrucci, who successfully identified a “lost” marble bust of Pope Paul V in Bratislava, Slovakia as the work of Gianlorenzo Bernini that had disappeared after the Borghese family had put it up for auction in 1893.
In addition to the exhibition, visitors can take the opportunity to explore the rooms of the Chigi Palace museum, which contains the original furniture, paintings and decorations of a princely house of the past.
The exhibition runs until the 7th January 2024
CARAVAGGIO “RE-FOUND”
Francesco Petrucci, curator of the Palazzo Chigi Museum in the town of Ariccia, some 27 kilometres south of Rome in the hilltop area of the Castelli Romani, has scooped an exclusive first, with the exhibition of a long lost 17th century Caravaggio “Presa di Cristo” (Christ's Capture), on view to the public for the first time
Like so many “lost” Italian works of art, the painting has had an obscure and chequered history, before it was finally purchased by the late Rome art dealer, Mario Bigetti in 2003. For years it was the subject of controversy and discussion among experts. It was known that Caravaggio authorized several copies of his most popular works to meet patrons' demands, most made in his bottega by his assistants, but Petrucci, who is a leading expert on Baroque art, suspected that this particular version was an authentic work by the Master himself, pre-dating the celebrated painting on the same theme in the Dublin National Gallery collection.
Other prominent Caravaggio experts, including the late British art historian Sir Denis Mahon, as well as the Italian art specialists Claudio Strinati and Mina Gregori had also examined the painting and unanimously agreed that it was unmistakeably a first version of the Caravaggio masterpiece, painted personally by the artist. The hunch was subsequently confirmed during the subsequent extensive restoration process which revealed details and typical repentimenti in the artist's unmistakeable hand.
The painting was commissioned by the nobleman Ciriaco Mattei in 1606, as proved by the payment document in the family archives, and was subsequently passed to various owners till it was ultimately rediscovered in the National Gallery of Odessa.
The dramatic moment of Jesus' arrest is rendered in Caravaggio's unmistakeable masterly use of chiaroscuro, with the gleaming armour of the soldiers in contrast with the dark figure of Judas and the dull red robe of Christ. The profile of a man in the top right hand corner is believed to be a self-portrait of Caravaggio himself.
The Chigi Palace of Ariccia contains one of the most important collections of Roman Baroque art, donated by eminent collectors such as Fabrizio and Fiammetta Lemme (who contribute 128 works alone), Maurizio Fagiolo dell'Arco, Lascera, Ferrari and the late-lamented antiquarian Ferdinando Peretti, founder of the Walpole Gallery in London.
This is not an only “first” for Petrucci, who successfully identified a “lost” marble bust of Pope Paul V in Bratislava, Slovakia as the work of Gianlorenzo Bernini that had disappeared after the Borghese family had put it up for auction in 1893.
In addition to the exhibition, visitors can take the opportunity to explore the rooms of the Chigi Palace museum, which contains the original furniture, paintings and decorations of a princely house of the past.
The exhibition runs until the 7th January 2024
CHEESE CHALLENGE IN NAPLES
The celebrated Provolone Valpadana DOP cheese, produced in the Lombardy and Reggio Emilio regions, northern Italy, is arriving in force in Naples on the 19th October, where is holding a “Sweet or Spicy Night out” in the historic Villa Cilento on the slopes of Posillipo in Naples for an unprecedented launch of the its cheeses in both their mild and strong variations.
The exclusive event is open to the public between 7.30 and 9.30 pm, with cheese tastings accompanied by music and dance performances.
The Consortia ProvoloneValpadana groups 700 dairy farms and cheesemakers, who produce each year over 600,000 forms for a total weight of over 7,000 tons.
The all-out effort to win the Neapolitans over to Provolone is a challenge. The Naples area has its own cheeses, such as the exclusive Provolone and the Caciocavallo Podolico produced in the Lattari Mountains above the Amalfi Coast. The Caciocavallo Podolico has an interesting history. The Podolica cow originally came from the Ukraine but it was crossed in the 19th century by a Agerola-born adventurer called General Paolo Avitabile who received a Jersey cow in a gift from the British royal family for services rendered in Afghanistan. The result was a prodigious milk output and an exclusive cheese only produced in 13 local communities.
Info: Tel. +39.0372.30598 www.provolonevalpadana.it
Info: Tel. +39.081.3500159 www.comune.agerola.na.it
PETER'S BOAT COMES TO THE VATICAN
“Peter's Boat”, a fascinating new addition to the Vatican collection, has been set up in the well space of the celebrated elliptical stairway that leads up to the entrance to the Vatican Museum.
The boat, a present from Pope Francis, is a replica of one of the sunken fishermen's vessels found at the bottom of the Sea of Galilee in 1986.
Experts agree that Simon Peter, the fisherman who became Christ's disciple and was crucified in Rome, would have had a similar craft. The original boat is now in the Museum of the Yigal Allon Centre in Israel.
The copy is handmade, using the same materials and techniques as those employed two thousand years ago, by the skilled craftsmen of the Aprea boatbuilders of Sorrento and the work was financed by the Aponte family, owners of the MSC cruise ship company.
Info: www.museivaticani.va
ALTAMURA MAN REVEALS HIS SECRETS
Thirty years ago, three members of the Bari (Puglie) branch of the Club Alpino Italiano, stumbled on a unique treasure concealed in the depths of the Grotto of Lamalunga, a cave near the small town of Altamura (Bari). It was the perfectly preserved skull of a Neanderthal Man, thickly encrusted in deposits of pearly calcite crystals, eerily resembling the celebrated Damien Hirst diamond-studded sculpture.
Recently, the remains have been the object of an in-depth research programme by a scientific team, who have established that the man, a Neanderthal who lived sometime between 170,000 and 130,000 years ago, must have fallen down one of the karst sinkholes common in the area and, unable to extricate himself, had starved to death. His body had been untouched by hyenas or other animals and was intact. He had practically all his teeth and investigators were able to extract his DNA from his shoulder bone, confirming the theory that present-day Europeans conserve a small percentage of Neanderthal DNA in their bodies. The skull was so thickly covered in mineral encrustations and it was decided to leave it where it was to avoid damaging it
The Homo Neanderthals of Altamura, named by the locals “Cicillo”, is considered to be one of the oldest and best preserved Palaeolithic skeletons discovered so far in Europe.
The Altamura plain, which lies among the karst formations of the Murgia, Puglia's vast rocky highlands, has revealed other important finds in the past, such as a cache of hundreds of animal bones some 50,000 years old, as well as a number of 70 million years-old dinosaur footprints.
The site is pending approval from UNESCO listing as a World Heritage Site.
M. STENHOUSE
MAGICAL GARDEN OF BENEVENTO RE-OPENS
The unique Hortus Conclusus garden of Benevento (Campania), created in the late 20th century by leader of the Italian Transavanguardia movement Mimmo Palladino, together with architects Roberto Serino and Pasquale Palmieri, has reopened to the public after a lengthy regeneration and restoration process.
The artist took his inspiration for an “enclosed garden” open to the sky, from the walled cities of the Middle Ages and the monasteries with their cloisters dedicated to contemplation, and has created an open air museum filled with his symbolic works, such as the landmark bronze horse with the golden mask, inspired by the celebrated mask of the Ancient Greek hero Agamemnon, the fountain of the shield emerging from the earth and the upside-down umbrella. The trees and flowers also all have symbolic meanings, such as the roses (divine blood), lilies (purity) and palm trees for joy.
The garden is open every day except Monday and is also used for concerts, talks and cultural events.
Benevento stands on the Old Appian way, south of Rome, and contains many spectacular monuments, such as the Triumphal Arch of the Roman Emperor Trajan and the early medieval Church of Santa Sofia, with its elaborately carved pillared cloister, a listed UNESCO World Heritage site.
Info: Tel +39.329.3173126 www.eptbenevento.it
ORANGE WINE COMING UP!
Still a niche product, the so-called “Orange Wines” of Italy are, however, beginning to make their mark in the international market place.
A product of the vineyards of the regions of Friuli Venezia Giulia in north east Italy, already celebrated for the internationally successful Prosecco, both in its classic and in its rosé version (“pink prosecco”), “Orange wine”, also known as “amber” or “ramato” (copper coloured) wine is a skin contact wine made from white grapes. It takes on its distinctive taste and colour by being left to ferment along with the juice of the grapes. Among its many advantages, it is made from autochthonous ribolle grapes and contains all the beneficial qualities of red wine.
Orange type wines are traditionally made in Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia but the method was developed and refined in Italy by renowned wine producer Josko Gravner, and launched in1997. They have been slow to make an impact but are now becoming increasingly appreciated for their natural and organic qualities.
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