Year: 2011 (page 9 of 11)

Lorenzo Lotto retrospective in Rome

The Scuderie of the Quirinal Palace are hosting a retrospective dedicated to the Venetian artist Lorenzo Lotto.  A series of articles in Corriere della Sera discuss the show which gathers together some 60 of Lotto’s works.  Lotto was always overshadowed by Titian and Rafael – Vasari only dedicated one page of his history to this artist.  In fact, Lotto’s works are notable for their colors, the contrasts between light and shadow, the movement in the composition and the psychological insight into his subjects.  The show is sure to be a blockbuster given that over 25,000 reservations to see it had been made prior to its opening!

Assisi: excavation of a Roman house

A brief article with photographs in La Repubblica reports the excavation of an important Roman house from the first Century in Assisi.  The domus is located under Palazzo Giampe’ in the city center.  At this time the porticoed garden is visible as are five rooms.  The mosaic floors and the frescoed walls of the rooms are notable for their sophistication and are extremely well-preserved.

I Promessi Sposi, an Italian literary masterpiece

An essay in the Wall Street Journal discusses I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed).   Alessandro Manzoni’s work, which is often called the foremost Italian novel, was first published in 1827 and later revised in 1840.  It is a grand, sweeping, historical novel set in 17th Century Lombardy that follows the adventures and travails of Renzo and Lucia, the couple referred to in the title.  It is still an intrinsic part of Italian culture; many of its characters are often cited and most Italians can quote lines from the novel with some familiarity.

Cookie recipe for Valentine’s Day

This is an Italian recipe (see a version in English) for Baci di dama or “ladies’ kisses” – classic cookies originally from Piemonte.  Two cookies are sandwiched together with a chocolate filling, hence the name.  This delicious dolce is perfect with an espresso.

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