Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts

Thursday, 30 May 2024

Roman Mosaics of Ostia Antica

Merchants from all over the Roman Empire had their "offices" in Ostia Antica. Their store signs were these mosaics. The Forum of Corporations was the principal center of commerce and trade for the Roman Empire mainly during Age of Augustus. Located in the major port city of Ostia, this open-air market was essential for Rome as a place of varying and exotic goods from foreign lands. Merchants gathered here to sell anything from grain and shipping services to elephants and giraffes.

 Rebuilt in 2nd Century AD, the Forum of Corporations was also representative of the many diverse cultures that made up the Roman Empire. Oil importers, grain importers, rope-makers, and ship builders from corporations spanning across the empire came here to benefit from Ostia’s positioning at the mouth of the Tiber River, which easily facilitated the importation and transportation of goods into the empire.

A total of 61 rooms, each which measured 4 meters by 4 meters, opened onto the marketplace. The rooms were separated by a wooden partition and were arranged according to the geographic origin of the merchant or business, the majority which were based in Africa. There was also a temple in the middle of the forum sacred either to Annona Augusta, the Divinity of Imperial Supplies, or Ceres Augusta.

The most notable detail of the Forum of Corporations is the intricate black and white mosaics that lie in front of each shop. These mosaics indicated the professional associations of each vendor. The Forum was adjacent to the Theatre of Ostia and people would also pass through the Forum before and after performances. 
 
 
















Tuesday, 9 January 2024

Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy.

It was built just outside of Rome, by the Appian Way (212–216 AD). The baths were of an unprecedented size, allowing 1600 Romans to bathe simultaneously. In addition to the bathing facilities, there were two libraries, shops, offices, gardens, and even a sports area. Artworks recovered from the ruins include famous sculptures like the Farnese Bull and the Farnese Hercules. During and after their operation as baths, they served as inspiration for many other notable buildings, ancient and modern, like the Baths of Diocletian, the Basilica of Maxentius, the original Pennsylvania Station in New York City, Chicago Union Station, and the Senate of Canada Building. Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy is tourist attractions these days.


Friday, 29 July 2022

Palazzo Fortuny–Venice

Venetians called this place “The House of the Magician.” It’s where Mariano Fortuny, who became world famous for his outrageously gorgeous fabrics, gowns, and lamps, set up his home and workshop in 1907. There was a woman behind his success: Henriette Negrin, who he met in Paris in 1897 when she was a French widow, a model, and a seamstress. She became his muse, collaborator, and wife—after they lived together for twenty-two years. 

You’ll see Fortuny’s paintings of Henriette here—some nude, others with her dressed elegantly with her hair swept up, along with photographs of their trips to Greece and Egypt, where Fortuny got lots of inspiration. In the museum where they once lived and worked together, you enter the world of this eccentric, twentieth-century Renaissance man. Fortuny was born in Granada in 1871, to both a father and grandfather (on his mother’s side) who were highly acclaimed painters in Spain. 

His father died when he was three, so his mother took him to live in Paris, and also traveled about, until they finally settled in Venice, because Fortuny was horribly allergic to horses, and this was the only place around without carriages. After his early artistic endeavors in painting and photography, and success in designing sets and lighting for theater, Fortuny, at thirty-six years old, began his work on printed fabrics here with Henriette. He’d already had an attic studio in the thirteenth-century palazzo, and then bought the building that had been cut up into apartments and gutted it, turning it into a free-flowing creative space. 

The walls of the first floor’s large rectangular room are covered with Fortuny’s patterned fabrics, creating a warm, exotic, colorful ambiance. His paintings and lamps surround displays of his gowns and capes that were worn by such illustrious women as Eleanora Duse, Sarah Bernhardt, and Isadora Duncan. Fortuny broke into the woman’s fashion world in 1907 with his Delphos gown, inspired by tunics from ancient Greek statuary. 

It was simple and finely pleated, in soft, shimmering colors. Women happily tore off their corsets to put on the sensational dress that elegantly draped their bodies. He packaged it rolled up in a hatbox, so it was easy and light for travel. The second floor of the museum gives you an idea of what life was like when 100 workers were there producing Fortuny fabrics, under Henriette’s supervision. In contrast to what’s below, it’s stripped bare with only huge worktables. 

Off to the side is Fortuny’s library and personal workshop, where you’ll get a hit of the practical side of this free-spirited artist. It’s packed with volumes of books about artists who came before him, lots of journals where he cataloged designs and colors, his paints and tools. Fortuny’s preferred entrance to this palazzo was climbing through the skylight, straight into his workshop. Fortuny’s fabric designs, of intricate swirls, animals, and geometric prints, on cotton, silk, or velvet, clearly show his influences from Spain and travels to Greece and farther east. 

But ultimately, they’re completely Venetian, reflecting the cultural melting pot of the city, with rich colors muted by the city’s fog, or glistening in gold or silver sunlight. He was called “the magician” because nobody could figure out exactly how he produced these fabrics, and his techniques are still kept secret. You’ll be so tempted to reach out and touch them in the museum, but you can’t. 

For a tactile experience, head to the Fortuny Showroom on Giudecca, or one of the Venetia Studium stores in Venice, where you can even buy a scarf, pillow, purse, or lamp to take home and keep a little bit of the Venetian magician in your life. Palazzo Fortuny Museum: Campo San Beneto (San Marco), 10-6, closed Tuesday.










Sunday, 23 February 2020

Scola Tower - Italy

Italy has a rich history of the fortress; hence every town has many ancient places to see. Scola Tower is one of them, a military building located in the province of La Spezia. The tradition and architecture of Scola Tower showcase rich history. It was built in the 17th century with large blocks of square stone that still stands 42ft tall in the sea. The main object to build this tower for the defense system of the senate of the Genoa in order to protect the coast, surrounding towns and villages.
The historian believed, the Scola Tower was made to accommodate 8 to 10 soldiers, comprising a Captain, a bomber, commanders, and their guards. Earlier this tower was also called “Torre di San Giovanni Battista” and “Tower of St. John the Baptist”. Early chronicles claim the tower was built at the cost of 56,000 Genoese liras.
The pentagonal shape tower has 4 feet thick wall. That is why the architecture of this tower still stands in the sea. In the 18th century, the naval battle between the British and Napoleon badly damaged the structure, eventually no other option to left it abandoned. As time passed, the tower lost its defense purpose, and authorities found the structure useless. In 1915, it was planned to demolish. But luckily Socla Tower kept saving by Ubaldo Mazzini an official of the Ministry of Public Education by realizing its historical value and make some structure improvement.
For many years, the tower was a place for the Italian Navy target practice. In the 20th century, travelers realized the value of old buildings and paying visits regularly. Therefore, the Italian government realize the importance of this historic tower and systematically restored between 1976 till 1980 to save the structure for future generations.
Eventually, it becomes a popular tourist attraction in Palmaria (island) in Porto Venere in the Gulf of Poets. The loneliest nature creates an opportunity for tourists to come here and enjoy the unforgettable surroundings of water. They can relax their mind and body to view the history of this beautiful tower. The dramatic and fascinating beauty is one of the most characteristic features in the Gulf of poets.
Moreover, it is an ideal place for photography in the shadow of ruined blocks. Many areas of tower are overgrown vegetation inside the interior and top of the tower, which is adding dazzling beauty to photographers.  





Wednesday, 16 January 2019

Cascata delle Marmore, Italy

About eight kilometers of Terni, The Italian City has a magnificent three-tiered waterfall which is called Cascata delle Marmore. The tiered waterway, surrounded by trees and greenery, looks like a tremendous force of nature. It is also recognized Marmore Falls were once part of Grand Tour of wealthy Englishman of 17th and 18th century. He went Italy and France to seeking out places art, culture, and roots of Western civilization.

Cascata delle Marmore is a product of human engineering intervention with nature. The Cascata delle Marmore total height is 165 m making it the tallest man-made waterfall in the world. Marmore Falls’ curiosity lies not merely in its splendor but also in the fact as 2,200 years ago, no waterfall exists here. The Marmore Falls located at The River Velino, took a completely different path ending in a swamp within the plains of Reiti. The marshy and motionless waters of the swamp were believed unhealthy and were attributed for numerous illnesses that affected the population living there.

The Roman consul Manius Curius Dentatus gave a plan to construct a canal here. Later on, it was named Curiano Trench, in 271 BC, to drain the swamps and direct the excess waters into the natural cliff at Marmore creating the falls. From this point, the water fell into the Nera River below.

Though, the solution didn’t work out as expected. The Reiti valley continued to flood, and when water was high in the Velino River, it now flooded the Terni valley too where the water was diverted. The man-made canal and the resulting flood became a long source of dispute between the inhabitants of Terni and Reiti valley.

The former wanted the canal closed, whereas the latter sought the flow of the falls increased to accommodate the excess water. The problem between the two cities was so argumentative. So, the Roman Senate was forced to address it in 54 BC, but the agreement couldn’t arrive and the matter remains unsettled for many centuries.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the barbaric invasion and the development of the feudal system caused the planed territories and the countryside to be gradually abandoned. The lack of maintenance of the Curiano channel caused the base of the channel to accumulate silt and the Reiti valley once again began to flood. It was not until the 15th century that Pope Gregory XII ordered the construction of a new canal to restore the original flow.

Further improvement was made by Pope Paul III in the mid-16th century and a regulating valve was installed to control the flow. The final modifications were given the Cascata delle Marmore the present appearance. Cascata delle Marmore received its current look in 1787, when an architect Andrea Vici diverted some of the water to create a series of lateral cataracts on the instruction of Pope Pius V1. In 1896, the newly formed steel mills in Terni started to use the water flow in the Curiano Trench to power their operation to generate electricity.


Tourists try to be there the moment the gates are opened to see the powerful rush of water. Twice a day, the power plant flips a switch and lets the water once again gush over the cliffs as it had for millennia. A beautiful path along the falls lets the visitor hike up to the top of the falls. Also, along the way, a tunnel leads to an observatory next to the falls, where a guest is guaranteed to get soaked.
Source: CP











Friday, 25 August 2017

The Stelvio Pass, The Most Spectacular Zigzag Path in the World


The Stelvio Pass is located in the Ortler Alps in Italy between Stilfs in South Tyrol and Bormio in the province of Sondrio, about 75 km from Bolzano and near 200 meters from the Swiss border. It is named for its proximity to the town of Stelvio, situated at 2757 meters above sea level and is one of those most amazing and spectacular places on Earth. The Stelvio Pass was actually built in 1820-1825 by the Austrians and has since changed very little. Due to its prime location between the Austrian, Swiss and Italian borders the passage was of great strategic position for years and was the scene of armed combat during the First World War. It’s one of the most wonderful road pass in Europe. Although some accidents have already taken place in this high-altitude road, especially among people who underrate the difficulty involved in traversing its zigzag path.

Thus, one after another, the 48 hairpin turns, extend over 24 kilometers away, with an average gradient of 7.5%. It is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps and the second highest in the Alps, just 13 meters below the Col de l'Iseran, France. Therefore, it is an almost unreal scenario, the way to Davos, through Bormio, is remarkable and attractive without traffic. Hence careful exercise required for extreme caution when passing on-coming traffic, over-taking and around corners. The Stelvio Pass is open from June to Sep, however, can be closed anytime, if high snow falls. The Stelvio Pass retains an importance for sport lovers, it become a cyclist track, when Grand Tour of Giro d'Italia often crosses the Stelvio Pass, Every year, the pass is closed to motor vehicles on one day in late August when about 8,000 cyclists ride on the Stelvio.

Moreover, the Stelvio Pass was also selected by the British automotive show Top Gear as its choice for the "greatest driving road in the world", though their search was concentrated only in Europe. The road over the pass, known as Stilfser Joch in German, toughest and most spectacular climbing is from the Prato side; Bormio side approach is more tame. Local drivers have been described as 'homicidal'. It's possibly the most historic of all climbs ever used in pro cycling, a giant in every sense. Indeed this road is very exhilarating and sometimes very exposed and unsecured driveway in innumerable twists and turns.

The drive is definitely worth it. There are many excellent photo opportunities here. Don’t forget your camera! The Stelvio’s height can mean that it’s a wildly erratic and somewhat volatile mountain where the weather can turn in an instant, so be prepared. There’s little wonder why the Stelvio is one of the most snapped roads in the world. No less than 48 hairpin bends on its eastern face make it an icon like no other. Hence, be careful that this is one of the last Alpine passes to open to traffic each year, and it’s not unidentified for the road to stay closed until July if there’s been a late fall of snow.