The Sansevero Chapel, built in 1590, was enlarged and embellished by Raimondo di Sangro in 1744 with an extensive collection of statues all dedicated to Mary, the mother of jesus. Beyond the religious orthodoxy of the statuary, there are a series of symbols of hermetic heterodoxy that characterized the...
I have previously posted a piece about the painting by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel of the story of the drunkenness of Noah, but there is another image of this story on the Ducal Palace in Venice which deserves a mention. Filippo Calendario, a local stonecutter, building contractor and...
Next time you take a visit to Madrid I suggest that you visit an unusual museum – the Museo De Famacia Militar at Calle Embajadores, 75. This little known museum contains a wonderful collection of military materials all related to medicine. The museum was founded in 1928 with the aim...
Perhaps it is because it is located on the outskirts of the city of Milan that most Milanese have never heard of – and almost certainly have never visited – the old Charterhouse which Bishop Giovanni Visconti had built in 1349. This lack of knowledge is a shame, as...
I love homemade tomato sauce and passata and there are always several bottles in my pantry. This is one of my favourite recipes and it can be used as both a sauce and a passata. Try it with homemade sausage rolls, on a burger or stirred through some homemade...
It is said that when Mary Magdalene and the other saints landed in Provence at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, they were accompanied By St Trophime. He bought with him the severed head of his cousin, St Étienne
I have recently been reading The Venetian Painters of the Renaissance by Bernhard Berenson published in 1894 and I thought I would share his thoughts on Tiepolo with a comparison to Longhi, Canale, Guardi and Veronese. I hope you find these words interesting and that they encourage you to revisit...
Just a short walk from the central railway station, a Renaissance chapel has miraculously survived. Its arched portico, squeezed in between the large buildings, is reminiscent og the Ponticella del Bramante at Castello Sforzesco. Long neglected – and thus a victim of vandals, the elements and repeated cleaning with...
Emperor Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was an introvert, a lover of life and the ladies, an erudite scholar of the arts, and a supporter and protector of the occult – as well as a manic depressive. In 1563, the young Rudolf was sent with...
If you are a lover of poetry, then the next time you are in Paris you should seek out a unique and precious venue, where for the time of your visit you feel as if you are stepping outside of time. Club des Poètes can be found at 30,...
Welcome to my love affair with the food, wine, history and culture of the Mediterranean, past and present. Here you will find not only recipes, drinks and fabulous products, but the history of the food and culture of the Mediterranean.
My purpose is to get you to explore and experience new tastes and along the way to immerse yourself in the wonderful history of this diverse and wonderful region – from Venice to Istanbul, Rome to Dubrovnik, Athens to Crete and all places in between and in the surrounds. Be prepared to be surprised, delighted and enthralled as you take this trip with me.
