Five days across Italy - Rome to Milan, Sorrento, and back home

After our stay in Rome we headed to Milan.
We can say we're quite skilled now when it comes about sleeping in cars!
Last time I saw Milan it was in 2009. The whole city has been revamped for the 2015 Expo but I cannot say if I liked these somehow radical changes or not.
But I was there for another reason...
We had a wonderful time with my sister and her boyfriend David, and I have been introduced to their puppets, Tummy and Grob. Follow their adventures on The Black Whateverare!

Courtesy of David C. Fragale for the picture

Sonia and David are true artists. It's in their blood.
They involve every kind of art, from writing to crafting to photography passing through music, creating everything from scratch and letting the passion flow through their works.

The day after we headed south and drove to Sorrento, passing through the Apennine mountains. It took us quite a long time, about 10 hours, but it was a real experience!

Albanian is the new black: they were the only language dictionaries in the shop :D

Mountains, mountains, and more mountains

We arrived in Sorrento around 10pm. Our friend Imma was a super guide and she introduced me to one of the typical desserts in the area, the delizia al limone;

in Sorrento you can find lemon trees with fruits as big as fists wherever you go, and they know how to use them!

Torquato Tasso was born in Sorrento and it was too exciting to see where he lived!

"Now I gain from this lofty cliff

Sirens, hear

The gay birds languish,

And their sweet sorrow

Vent with varied and vocal style

Calling the happy and delightful April."

(Bernardo Tasso, Torquato's father, knew his job when it came about sonnets!)

Unfortunately our time was running out so we couldn't stay any longer in this town...but we will get back for a proper visit as soon as we'll come back to Europe :)

Now we're recharging our batteries at home in Bari, setting the final details up for our great start on Monday the 27th.

We'll catch up then!

Five days across Italy - Bari to Rome

On Tuesday the 14th we left Bari for a quick tour across the country, picking the chance to see some of our dearest friends before the Big Leave.
Stefano drove incessantly for 2400 kilometers, so he definitely deserves an award :D

The first destination was Rome.
We spent two days there to see some friends and start our visa process, which we had to abort as we couldn't provide any exact dates for our stays. But we had a great time indeed with our friends Fabio, Giulia and Miranda, the "queen of Rome"!

I was personally quite disappointed noticing the presence of so-called "sightseeing buses" and "bike/Segway/chariot tours". I personally would not recommend this kind of tourism as they always cost a bunch of money and they end up showing you the same things you can easily find by yourself, walking, renting a bike or boarding a normal bus!
You will save money and enjoy the city even more as you will see everything at your own pace in your own time.
All you need is a good map and walking shoes. Be your own Lonely Planet guide!

We stayed most of our time between the Testaccio and Garbatella quarters.
Every area in Rome has its own story, habits, folklore, and their natives will always tell you that their quarter is the best. I do love every single corner of the city, so I'm afraid I have to agree and disagree with them at the same time.

The first surprise was the famous keyhole in Piazza Cavalieri di Malta.

(yeah, that's St. Peter's Cathedral. This picture sucks but I couldn't do anything better with my iPhone)

Then we had a walk through Piazza Navona, the Bramante cloister, just behind the Santa Maria della Pace church, and the tiny Pasquino square:

Entry of the Bramante Cloister and Pasquino "talking statue"

The story of Pasquino is really interesting: Pasquino was a tailor known for his wits, and also because he was one of the few who could write: common people would rely on him for writing protests in form of sonnets which would then be attached to the Menelaus' statue or other popular monuments during the night so everyone would read them in the early morning.

These sonnets aimed principally to the most important public personalities, shaming them publicly for their greed of power. The Popes and their entourage were really scary at the time, like in House of Cards, but worse!

After a touristy trip, we visited the Garbatella area.

Born in the 20s, originally an industrial area, Mussolini was inspired by the Garden City Movement and it was originally destined to the future workers in the river port.

"By the venerable hand of His Majesty, the King Vittorio Emanuele III, the Autonomous Authority for Maritime and Industrial Development and the Council Housing Insitute of Rome, with the collaboration of working cooperatives to offer a quiet and healthy stay to the creators of the Capital's economic renaissance. This sunny quarter is being founded today. 18th of February, 1920"

This can be found in Piazza Benedetto Brin, on the very walls of the oldest building in the area.

You can find fruit trees and bushes in almost every garden beside these buildings, and when the weather is good, you can just lose yourself between the scents of fruits and flowers.

Street artwork in memory of Piero Bruno, killed by the police in 1975 during a protest.

Garbatella has always been considered as a "red" area, and it hosted for decades the headquarters of the most important left-winged parties and cultural associations.

Their residents often host events and festivals dedicated to foreign countries, street art and emergent artists. There is always something to do!

And if you travel by bicycle, check for the My Bike Inside sign: you can bring your wheels inside the shop and be safe! It's a super clever project which I hope to see in other cities.

Before leaving Rome, we drove through the Castelli Romani hills down to the Albano lakeside: we were, literally, on a volcanic crater rim! 

Grazie Giulia for the improvised modeling :)

Before the end of the week we will tell you about the second part of our trip! :)

Castel del Monte

Castel del Monte

On Sunday we went to visit the Castel del Monte castle in the Apulian countryside, one of the greatest prides of this wonderful region, World Heritage Site since 1996.
This castle has been built in the 13th Century by the once King of Italy, then Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen (AKA Barbarossa, “Redbeard”).
The legend says he died before it was finished; its purposes and uses during the early centuries are still doubtful.

Neither a castle, nor a fortress

Despite its denomination (literally “Castle of the Mountain”), it cannot be considered as a proper castle.
The absence of moats, drawbridges, or military elements, the counter-clockwise spiral staircases (which would disadvantage who potentially lived there in case of defence against enemies, forcing them to hold their weapons with their left hand), the narrow loopholes, too small for potential archers, would exclude its use as a fortress.

The style and composition of the building, extremely detailed according to mathematical and astronomical rules, the light-and-shadow tricks during spring and autumn equinox, the octagonal shape and the recurrence of the number 8 in almost every detail, would suggest the utility as a temple, or a “knowledge temple” for those who wanted to make particular studies or researches in discretion and peace.

Eight is a magic number

Everything is geometrical; but some asymmetries and imperfections would give a hint that there was some kind of route which would force the visitor to follow a determined path through the eight towers and the courtyard.
The octagon used to be seen as a crossing between the square (representing the earth, the “concrete”) and the circle (representing the sky and spirituality); the building would be considered then as “something between the earth and the sky”.
But it was also the stylisation of the Emperor’s crown; its strategic position, on the top of the hill in the middle of Frederick’s most loved lands, would also be seen as another symbol of the Holy Roman Empire, preventing the inhabitants of the vassal towns from potential riots.
Imagine 1984 set in the Middle Age!

“Death” and rebirth

From the 17th century, Castel del Monte was abandoned in dreadful conditions.
First stripped of its decors, furnitures and marble decorations (some of the were “recycled” for the majestic Reggia di Caserta in Campania), then turned into a prison and shelter for shepherds, thieves and refugees.

But the Italian State bought the castle for the then-enormous sum of 25,000 Liras, setting the base for its refurbishing works which started in 1879.

These works lasted until the 1930s, when it found its place as one of the country’s most important monuments.

In 1996 UNESCO elected Castel del Monte World Heritage Site, for the harmonious blend of Classical, Islamic and Gothic styles and the precision of its shapes.

The fascinating symbolism of this place, not mentioning the relaxing views from the top of the hill at any time of the day, makes it a true must-see for a trip in the “Italian Heel”.

picture by Steve Genzo :)