Completed in 1532, this palazzo in Piazza Santa Trinita, Florence would give rise to controversy. In his designs, the architect Baccio d’Agnolo had shown a certain nonchalant daring; as is clear from the details of the facade, he had been more than happy to indulge the new taste for...
The premises of the old Guild of Judges and Notaries in Piazza Della Signoria, Florence were restored in 2005, providing the opportunity not only for archaeological excavations in the basement but also for the creation of a museum on the first floor, and a restaurant on the ground floor. It...
I adore these crisp, delicious mouthfuls and they are a regular entertaining dish in my home. The recipe is from Silvena Rowe’s cookbook Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, a review of which is on my blog. I highly recommend you give these Falafel a try – they are seriously...
This is one of those rustic, simple, delicious dishes made for sharing. Served with Parmesan, ciabatta or Tuscan bread and a red like a Sangiovese, you have a dish made in heaven! This recipe will serve 4-6 and you need to allow around 1 hour 20 minutes cooking time....
On the façade of the house where Tintoretto spent the last 20 years of his life (he died in 1594) in Cannaregio, Venice, you will see the high-relief, probably of Roman origin, of Hercules holding a club. The reason why the artist chose to decorate his house with this...
There are many who have either viewed in person, watched a program on, or read something about the Sistine Chapel, and in particular about Michelangelo’s ceiling. To stand beneath this recently restored masterpiece is an experience like no other but to delve into the history around, the personalities involved...
On the façade opposite the Palzzo della Ragione, Milan, the capital of a column in the second arch bears a little noticed Roman bas-relief depicting a scrofa semilanuta (long-haired sow). Legend has it that the founder of Milan was the Celt Bellovesus, who crossed the Alps and then came...
The Veiled Christ statue in the Sansevero chapel in Naples, carved from a single block of marble by the Neopolitan Giuseppe Sanmartino (1720-1793), is considered the great masterpiece of 18th-century European sculpture. However, did you know that there is a theory that this sculpture was created through a process which...
In the ancient heart of Naples. where almost 3,000 years of stratified history is frozen in time, part of Via dei Tribunali (the main east-west axis crossing the Graeco-Roman city) is closely associated with stories of witchcraft. Here (before it was swept away by the wave of modernisation...
Even if their names are not immediately associated with the history of clockmaking, certain great Florentine artists did play an important role in the history of time measurement. After all, they lived in a city which was the birthplace of various master clockmaker, who would make Florence one...
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.
