Central Italy's hills

I've just come back from Umbria Region in Central Italy. The weather was not too hot and humidity level wasn't high in the hills

As promised to Mandy , I post some photos that I took there while I was visiting two historic walled hill towns in Umbria Region. 

I noticed that many people from Norther Europe are interested in visiting such medieval village located in the hills. Glad to see they enjoyed that special corner of Italy. 

From the 30th of July to the 19th of August a historical event involving the town's four districs takes place in Montefalco, Central Italy. 

This part of Italy located in the Umbria's hills is famous for medieval streets, reinessance frescoes, delicious red wine and good olive oil.

Today, August 15, is the Assumption of Mary, a major national public holiday here in Italy. 

I hope you'll have a lovely weekend 🍉☀🌻

The church of the heads of death in Naples

 

Located in the medieval center of Naples, the beautiful and small church of Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco is also known to the Neapolitan people as the church "de' e cape 'e morte" (the heads of death). When you cross the threshold of that hidden jem, you begin a real journey in the Neapolitan culture between art, faith, life and death. 

                 

If you visited Naples in South Italy, don't forget to cross the threshold of this beautiful 17-century baroque church and its atmospheric underground hypogeum.

Have a lovely weekend 🍉☀🌻

Shots fired at an Italian convoy in Lebanon.

Last week warning shots were fired by Israel's sodiers at an Italian convoy of Italian peacekeepers in South Lebanon. The attack caused no injuries, but this allows the opportunity to suspend defence cooperation deal with Tel Aviv. 

Consequently, the good news is that yesterday the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said that the government has decided to suspend its defence agreement with Israel.             

It seems the Italian Policy-makers are listening Italian civil society's willingness to end the Italian support and being part of the Israel's genocide in Palestine.  

The building in the above photo is the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and it is not located in Rome's historic centre. It was built in the 1930s and marked an important stage in Italy's achitectural and urban debate. Nowadays the monumental style of the building has also been perfect for hosting a collection of artworks. 

Have a lovely Wednedsay ☀

They are only protecting their oil and gas

Sorry to hear that some EU countries are still offering military bases to US killing machine. As it's known, Spain and Britain condemn the attack to Iran as illegal under international law, while Germany has chosen to support US & Israel. 

Most surprisingly, a few EU countries are also supporting Israel's chemical warfare, that poisoned the air of Teheran with toxic fire and black rain that will cause cancer for decades in a city of 10 million people. 

I've also noticed that EU journalists don't mention that a US Tomahawk missile hit an elementary school in Teheran, killing 167 victims in that school. In addition, Western journalists don't write that US & Israel bombs have been damaging Iran's century-old cultural heritage since March, 1st.   

Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria, Serbia: US bombs have never brought democracy and never will. They bring chaos, death, destruction, instability and the unberable silence of children who will never come home. Regimes can't be changed by missiles attack. All the attempt at "regime change" by the US since late 1990 have ended in major failures. 

The good news is that our Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has already said Italy will not join Iran war, while also beginning to withdraw Italy's troops from the Middle East.

May god protect the innocent people who are only protecting their oil and gas.

Naples' Angevin Castle

Just a quick post to say that I will stay in Naples this weekend. Naples is located in South Italy, 200 kilometers South from Rome.  

 

The 13th century fortress in the above photo is a significant medieval landmark located close to Naples' port. Naples' Angevin castle was not destroyed in WWII, though the city suffered extensive damage. It is now housing the Civic Museum of Naples.  

The special Italian variety of small tomatoes, in the above photo, is famous for their ability to be stored through the winter by hanging them in bunches. Those tomatoes are typical of Naples' Vesuvius volcano and its surroundings.

I know this is quite an "instagram-style" post 😃

Greetings 

Vatican's nativity scene

The above photo shows the Vatican's nativity scene that was unveiled on the 15th of  December in St. Peter Square.

The nativity scene is surrounded by Vatican police officers, who are responsible for public order and crime prevention. If someone wanted to visit Vatican square and St. Peter Basilica, he/she would  have to pass through Vatican police security checkpoints.

The Christmas tree set up in Vatican square comes from Norther Italy. It is 25 meters tall and weighing 8,000 Kilograms.

Happy Christmas 🎄🎀🎁

Old front door

Just trying to be back in touch with our lovely blogging community. Sorry for delay.  Thanks to all the blogger friends who have asked me to write down a post again. 

I'd like to show that man who was quietly painting his front door in the historic part of the town on a sunny Saturday, on the 1st of November.

Have a nice Weekend.

The birthplace of Margherita pizza

Naples' most famous pizza maker is located in a characteristic alley in the heart of the old part of the town. That lovely place has been in business since 1780.

The old pizzeria Brandi is the birthplace of the Margherita pizza. In 1889 the pizzeria owner concocted a patriotic pizza while Queen Margherita of Savoy was visiting Naples. The old pizza maker modeled a new pizza, which he named Margherita, after the colors of the country's new flag: white cheese, red tomato sauce and green basil.

An official plaque still is on the wall outside,  as the new pizza won the applause of the Queen.

The fresh white cheese is the main ingredient of the Margherita pizza. That typical white cheese is made from a combination between cow's milk and buffalo-milk. Its name is mozzarella. Most buffalo-milk mozzarella sold in the Unites States is imported from Italy and South America.

In early May I hosted two Canadian tourists from Nova Scotia, Juanita and Mike, who went to Naples after staying in Rome and its surroundings. While they were visiting Naples they learnt how to make pizza. They sent me two photos that they took while they were learning how to make pizza.

I am so glad to see they enjoyed both visiting my born place and making pizza.

One of the new seven wonders

Some years ago Rome's Colosseum was listed as one of the new seven wonders of the world. Located in the hearth of Rome, this important Rome's landmark is a popular tourist destination. 

The selection was made through a global vote by New7Wonders Foundation . 

This ancient amphiteather is the main symbol of Imperial Rome.

 

Yesterday I went to Rome for a visit to the ENT specialist. While I was walking on the way back home I saw that some old residential buildings were built close to the ancient Roman aqueduct dating back over 2000 years  😠

Unfortunately, in early 1900s, local administrators were not aware of the importance of achaelogical sites. Therefore, tourists see residential houses near ancient Roman ruins in some corners of Rome 🤬

Have a nice weekend ☀  

Nightlife in historic neighborhoods

Since the beginning of this winter many young people have been gathering in the historic centre of the town, every Friday and Saturday, on the night. As usual people meet to wind down, socialise, and sip away on cheap drinks. Consequently, historic centre's citizens call to protest against unchecked wild movida and the opening of new fast food shops in the old medieval squares and alleys. 

In the historic centre of many Italian towns, such as Turin, Rome, and Milan, the coexistence between nightlife and the rest's expectations of residents represents a very big issue to deal with.

The goods new is that on Sunday, in the early morning, the same square shown in the above photo was not polluted with rubbish, bottles and other waste. It was probably cleaned by the people who run fast food shops, coffees, and wine shops. 

Some people who love hanging out their underwear clothes live in the historic part of the town :-) LOL

Have a nice month of March!  

Gambrinus Coffeehouse

My first post of the new year is dedicated to the historic coffeehouse Gambrinus. 

Founded in 1860, the Gambrinus is a historic coffehouse in Naples (South Italy). It is located in the historical hearth of the town, close to one of the world's oldest opera houses. In addition to breakfast's coffee & pastry and ice cream, the Gambrinus Coffehouse also offers lunch.

That old coffee shop in Naples was named misteriously after the patron saint of beer. The Irish dramatist, Oscar Wilde, and the French writer, Guy de Maupassant, went to Gambrinus to taste coffee. 

If you were to go to Naples in South Italy, you could visit the oldest coffee shop of the town. As an alternative, you could have a spritz at a less popular place.

Thanks to the strocke of genius of two young entrepreneurs, locals and tourists can enjoy a spritz at the borough market.

I spent New Year's Eve in Naples, where I enjoyed its lovely atmosphere.

On the way back from Naples I met a cute dog while I was catching the train at the railway station. That beautiful creature was looking after the luggage. 

Have a great new year 🥂

Proceno castle

 

I took the above photo last month while I was visiting the old castle of Proceno. The family who own the castle have transformed their property in a guest house in an attempt to repopulate the old village of Proceno and its surroundings. 

The property and its ten apartments are in great location in the historical area. They also serve a delicious continental breakfast of bread, cheese, fruit, grain like barley or oats, butter and honey. Proceno castle's breakfast also consists of  coffee, milk, tea and fruit juice, obviously.                                   

I was glad to see some British tourists, who spent their holiday there at the castle. I saw them while they were enjoying the narrow alleys of the village surrounding the castle.

We decided to stay there at the Proceno castle guest house two days, as some friends of ours live in a village nearby. Each apartment has its front door and their furnishing style is combined with the architectural context and the site's prior use.

All Saints' day is both a public and religious holiday in Italy on the 1st  November.

Have a nice month of November 🍂

Still among "trulli"

 

Just a few words, once again, about South Italy's dry stone huts, which I already mentioned on 11 August. 

                                         

As it is known, the walls of these buildings are painted white. That colour would help to reflect, rather than absorb, the sunrays, hence moderating the temperature inside the dry stone structure.

In addition, the small spaces between the stones of these dry stone constructions' conical rooftops maintain a natural coolness during the summer months as well as they preserve the heat during the winter.

Those examples of dry stone construction were made of roughly worked limestone boulders collected from surroundings fields.

Some of these traditional architectural structures are still actively used as guesthouses, shops and groceries, etc.

The "trullo" in the above picture hosts a restaurant where I had a delicious typical dinner. 100 Metri Cubi, that its name.  

If you were to go South Italy, you could visit that hidden gem. It is worth it.