Throughout history the fascination with The Templars has carried many an imagination from Crusades, to the Holy Grail, to their final demise and the circumstances of their persecution. It would be hard to estimate the amount of literature – academic, popular, historical – that has been written about them,...
Giovanni Pontano (1458-1530) was a key figure in the court of Alfonso ‘the Magnanimous’ in Naples, and amongst the many early works he wrote for his patron was the long poem Parthenopeus (c.1450) which was a eulogy of sort to Bacchus and the restorative powers of wine. This was one of the first...
It is said in Catalonia that a master confectioner called Pablo Turrons invented the almond nougat (turrón) in Barcelona at the beginning of the 18th century, at the time of the War of the Spanish Succession. Using the only available foodstuffs, almonds and honey, he made a survivial ration...
Saint Teresa of Avila was called the “girl with the fiery spirit – an inspired blend of mystical power with down-to-earth common sense and quick wit. She is one of the most striking figures in the Roman Catholic Church. Together with Saint John of the Cross she gave Avila...
Do you know the story behind the black cat with the arched back that appears on the label above? Well here it is….. In the town of Zell, which is nestled on the upper Mosel River in Germany, there is a story told of a black cat and a superstitious...
Inaugurated in the 17th century, the sanctuary of Notre-Dame-de-Laghet at La Trinité near Menton has an exceptional collection of over 4,000 ex-votos distributed between the cloister, the church and, for the most precious among them, the museum. Unfortunately, the sanctuary was pillaged during the Revolution and since the the...
The gallery of Villa Clerici is little known, although it has been open since 1955, primarily because it is some way from the city centre of Milan. Few in fact know that it has recently reopened after being long closed for maintenance work. This museum is one of the...
One painting that has long fascinated me and to which I return to view often is The Chess Players by Paris Bordone (1550-1555, Oil on canvas, 1.1 x 1.8m). There are several aspects about this work which fascinate me and I will try to explain this fascination in...
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...
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.
