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,...
The fountain on the wall of the church of Santa Caterina della Spinacorona in Naples has a curious and interesting story. The fountain was installed on the orders of Viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo in 1498 and is the least known of the three Naples fountains representing the Siren...
The remarkable frescoes that decorate the Chiostro del Platano in the former Benedictine monastery of Saints Severino and Sossio – now the State Archives – are attributed to Antonio Solario, nicknamed Lo Zingara (The Gypsy) but this attribution cannot be verified as the artist is shrouded in a mystery...
On show at the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (National Museum of Ancient Art) in Lisbon, Nuno Gonçalves’ polyptych (comprising two large panels and four narrower ones) is a masterpiece of Portuguese painting from the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance. It’s creator, Nuno Gonçalves, royal...
Sebastiano del Piombo (c.1485-1547) was a Venetian painter who completed his early artistic training in the company of his contemporaries. Titian and Jacopo Palma di Vecchio. A fortunate encounter with Agostino Chigi, resulted in a trip to Rome to assist him in the decoration of the Farnesina villa. Chigi...
On the façade of the Church of San Giuliano, San Marco, you will find a statue by Alessandro Vittoria of Tommaso Rangone, a rather curious but interesting Renaissance figure. Tommaso Rangone was born in 18 August 1493, in Ravenna and died in 1577, aged 84. He was...
I find making my own spice mixes is just so rewarding. I especially love the way that as the ingredients combine the individual aromas almost melt into one another and you are left with ‘spice heaven’. One of the staple spices that I make and keep on hand is...
I have just finished ‘consuming’ John Dickie’s wonderful book Delizia – The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food and I was almost sad to have finished it, much like a fine bottle of wine or a meal in a special location that you don’t want to end....
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.
