Standing just a few steps from the Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, the Façade of Palazzo Bembo-Boldù is decorated with a very distinctive sculpture: a life-size figure of a hairy man holding a round shield adorned with the Sun. This pelt-covered figure us a rare depiction of Homo Silvanus,...
In 1921, a certain Vinicio Salvi was walking in the gardens near the site of the present-day Venice Biennale, when upon approaching the statue of Garibaldi, he felt a heavy blow on his arm which made him fall to the ground. As he stood up, he saw a “red...
Inside the entrance to the Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Castello, Venice you will find an altar dedicated to Marcantonio Bragadin, on which you can n urn bearing his portrait bust. However, it is the fresco above which is so disturbing as it portrays the horrible way in...
Walking along the north wall of St Mark’s Basilica, continue along Calle Canonica, then take the first street on your left. Follow it for 50 metres and you will come to the so-called Ponte dell’Angelo, from where you will get the best view of the angel sculpted on the...
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...
I’m an unabashed fan of Tessa Kiros’ cookbooks all of which are within easy reach in my library. If you haven’t discovered her, then you must and to assist you with an initial choice I decided I would share her glorious cookbook Venezia – food & dreams (published by Murdoch Books,...
On the floor of St Mark’s Basilica, just in front of the main doorway on the left, is a curious but beautiful mosaic of a starred dodecahedron. It is attributed to Paolo Uccello, the famous Florentine Renaissance artist (1397-1475), who here was perhpas influenced by Luca Bartolommeo de Pacioli...
At the transept crossing the Church of I Gesuiti (Santa Maria Assunta), the statues of four archangels sculpted by Giuseppe Torretti (c.1660-1743) are enthroned within specially created niches. Whilst the archangels Gabriel, Raphael and Michael are well-known, the fourth – Sealtiel – is much less so. In the choir...
With its fine polychrome marble façade, Ca’Dario is one of the most charming palazzo in Venice but it is also one of the most mysterious. It seems that purchasing the building can very quickly lead to the ruin or violent death of the owner. The earliest of such...
I recently shared with you my review of Tessa Kiros’s sumptuous cookbook Venezia, so I thought I would let you in on one of my favourite risotto recipes from her cookbook. This is a delicious vegetable risotto, creamy but fresh, easy to make and the ‘crowning-glory’ is the use of...
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.
