Welcome to The Painted Palazzo and welcome back to 50yearsinItaly!

As many of  you know, or perhaps suspected due to the  prolonged silence, my award-winning blog about lifestyle and happenings in  central Italy was hacked or blocked for over a year. 
Now the problem  seems to be resolved and I will be back with information about happenings,  travel tips and tales of life in our wonderful part of central Italy. 

This forced suspension  gave me time to dedicate to a new book, The Painted Palazzo/Il Palazzo Dipinto which came out at the end of May.   This is the 7th  book  I have published  about  this area known as Etruria and its fascinating history. 
 Here is the painting commissioned to Kelly Medford  which graces the cover. 

 It is in both English and Italian so a great help  for those wishing to improve their  second language.

Here is what the Palazzo Piatti looks like today.  You can read reviews and order copies  directly from the Books page of  my website  .

The book was unofficially presented during the 2 day conference  "Fascinazione Etrusca"  which took place at the end of May  in Capranica and Vetralla. 

Here are the organizers of the successful conference: myself, Luciano Dottarelli, Francesca Ceci and Stephan Steingraber. The photo  was taken in front of the double funerary monument of the Anguillara counts, in Capranica's  San Francesco church. 

Thanks to many talented friends, photographers, artists, translators and  contributors  who helped to make this new book a beautiful reality.  Here is one of the many photos by Venice-based photographer Eva Ohtonen showing the gardens of the painted palazzo, known as the Secret Garden and Opera Extravaganza which holds concerts there. 

 The book tells the story of the Piatti family  who had the painted palazzo built  and the many  connections with  the famous sculptor Pietro Canonica.  Here  is a self-portrait of the artist,  taken in his studio, a  castle like structure located  in Rome's Villa Borghese.

 A painting by Pietro Canonica, showing Vetralla on the skyline.

 Read  about  both books  on  the BOOKS  page  of my website .  Spread  the word  by liking and sharing on social media.

Latest Discoveries: Etruscan tombs and Renaissance Frescoes



The area of Northern Lazio  continues to  surprise with the  recovery  of  treasures lost for  hundreds  and even  thousands  of years. Thanks to the determination, generosity  and professionalism  of local art historians, archeologists and  private groups who  give financial  and technical support,  many ancient sites and lost works of art have been  recently recuperated adding to  Italy's wealth of  art. 



entrance  dromos  Etruscan tomb Norchia

excavating  Norchia

   This week   Norchia (Vetralla)  and Soriano nel Cimino  are in  the spotlight. 

At the ancient Etruscan  necropolis of Norchia, in Vetralla,  an  equipe  of archeologists    and volunteers with financial support from Trust Sostratos   of  Lorenzo  Benini  completed a second  campaign of  excavations  bringing  to light  about   11 pieces  of funerary art including  painted vases and bucchero ware  datable from  the 4^th to the 3^rd centuries BC. 



one of the vases found in Norchia

That these treasures have escaped the pick axes  of tomb robbers  for two thousand years  is incredible in itself. The  area on which the necropolis of Norchia  sits  is privately owned (a certain Signor Stelliferi) and  will probably   become a future archeological park similar  to the nearby  privately owned Sacro Bosco of Bomarzo.    

These ceramic treasures are now being  cleaned and   restored  before   being  presented   to the public  on September  13^th in the Sala Regia of Viterbo’s  Palazzo dei Priori.

Simona Sterpa  at the Soriano presentation

Simona Sterpa  is one of the  archeologists   coordinating   the  group  of  volunteers, including Luciano Proietti, Rudolfo Neri  and Mario Sanna of  Archeotuscia   who were on site  digging  by  6 a.m.  before the August sun and heat  made work impossible.

Francesca Ceci and Emanuele Ioppolo

 In Soriano nel Cimino’s historic  center   another equipe of local  art historians and  restorers  have brought back  to light part of a 16^th century fresco  which had  been hidden under layers  of  white paint  in the tiny  Misericordia  church  located  in  the shadow of the imposing  Orsini Castle. A word of warning for Soriano: arrival and parking  are   difficult  due to  numerous narrow one-way streets  and hidden parking lots.   

 explaining  the newly found fresco

unveiling the fresco

crammed in to the tiny chapel

fresco fragment  of Last Judgement



sitting on the  altar

The presentation  took place yesterday in  a nearby church, then  the crowd moved over to the tiny Misericordia  chapel to watch the unveiling of the  long lost fresco.

spindle fountain where tyrant DiVico was decapitated

16th century organ still needs repair



view from Soriano over the Tiber valley



peeking inside  the Misericordia chapel



The fresco is  a represtation of the Last Judgement
 

 Noisy fireworks   announced the unveiling  and causing a  bit of panic (one woman  threw herself on the ground) but the rest of late afternoon  went on seamlessly with a delicious   buffet offered  to  guests  in a series of ancient  rooms with   low  beams  reminiscent of  a Venetian sottoportego. 

rich buffet

low ceiling with  ancient beams

 

 

For more information  about  Northern Lazio and its pleasures and happenings check out my award winning website.
 Copies  of my books about the area are available  in most museums and bookshops in the area. I mail out signed copies worldwide  every week.
Check the books page on the website  for  reviews .

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Coming up:
In September - series of Enrichment lectures for  passengers  sailing on Silverseas luxury cruise  from Venice to Dubronik and return
Visits in  USA- Buffalo, NY  and Boston areas

In October-  "I nostri castelli-veri gioelli"  illustrated presentation about the castles of N. Lazio  for Archeotuscia in Viterbo's Prefecture.
Date to be announced.   Copies  of my books will be available  at all these  happenings.




Roman palazzo and town hall book presentations

entrance conference room, Fondazione Besso 

Rome’s Fondazione Besso, located in  a 19^th century Art Nouveau palazzo in the heart of busy downtown Rome, was the prestigious venue for  this week’s first  presentation of Etruria Storie e Segreti.  

Luca Pesante, Cristina Carosi , MJ, Francesco Aliperti, Francesca Ceci 

The Foundation’s  magnificent libraries and study rooms are  dedicated  to research on  Dante  and  Roman  history, making it the perfect  venue for the book presentation.  Francesca Ceci, Cristina Carosi and Luca Pesante  joined me at the conference table to  speak about  my newest  book, in Italian.  

at the speakers' table 

at Feltrinelli bookshop where the book can be purchased  

Later in the week it was  Francesca’s turn to give a talk at the Scuderie of Palazzo Chigi Albani in Soriano nel Cimino. 

entrance Scuderie  Palazzo Chigi Albani

It was a chance to meet other history scholars and admire the former stables of one of Northern Lazio’s princely buildings which has been beautifully restored. 

Soriano's  castle  

Stephan Steingraber, Francesca Ceci, Paolo Giannini 

Yesterday ‘s venue  was a simple hall in the town of  Canale Monterano  in the province of Rome, amidst  rolling green hills of the nature reserve.  This time we were guests of  Cristina Carosi, curator of  Etruria Storie e Segreti Italian text and Daniele Natili,  who told the audience about the book. 

Canale Monterano, Sala Natili 

Cristina, MJ, Assuntina Antonacci 

with Daniele Natili , our host at Canale Monterano

Next Saturday it is Fulvio Ferri’s turn to present his “evergreen” cookbook Olio e Ricordi in Cucina at the Libroteca bookshop in Civita Castellana. The presentation  will be  followed by  wine tasting  offered by Le Lase  vineyards of Orte.   Why not stop by  at 5:30 p.m.  to meet the author and have a glass of wine with us ?

Change of Date: Promoting Etruria: what today's tourists want to know

Presentation of  Etruria Storie e Segreti  to be held in Rome
March   25th  

Change of Date !! Due  to President Obama's scheduled  visit to Rome  on March  27th  we have changed the date for the  upcoming presentation to be held in Rome at the prestigious Fondazione Besso in Largo Argentina. 
Mark your calendars  for  Tuesday, March  25^th at 5 p.m. and come to hear  three distinguished scholars Francesca Ceci,  Luca Pesante  and Cristina Carosi discuss my latest book, in Italian ETRURIA Storie  e Segreti. 

entrance of  Fondazione Besso 

Since  selling copies of the book at the Fondazione is not allowed, purchase  your copy  beforehand and bring it along to be signed by the author. Or pick up a copy at our exclusive  distributor in Rome- the Anglo American bookshop on Via della Vite, near the Spanish Steps. 

The easiest way to get your copy is to order  the book directly  and have it sent to your Italian address free of charge.   

This week marks the   beginning of the 4^th year  of  life for  50yearsinItaly  published weekly  in the  town of Vetralla, an  hour  north of Rome. We are proud to announce that  the town has been chosen  by ThazItalia  to take part in an important tourism project backed  by Terravision. 

announcing  ThazItalia's arrival in Vetralla 

 Now, more than ever,  information and promotion of the  area has become of vital importance, and   Elegant Etruria, Etruria Editions and  50yearsinItaly  are happy to be of service.

audience  at  Vetralla's Library 

   After   4 books in English and  20 years   living   in central Italy, I finally gave in to the insistence of  Italian friends  and published  my first book in Italian about the area known as Etruria or Tuscia.  Thanks to   the help of a  highly qualified  team of collaborators,  illustrators,  photographers and translators,  the book  is enjoying  a huge  success.

presentation in Vetralla

Now the hard part of publicizing and distributing   to the general public,  especially those working in  tourism and cultural fields, who  need  to know about the area’s  unique  past  in order to protect and  promote  the  territory   on an international level.

with Francesco Aliperti of Edizioni Archeoares

Since   the publication of Etruria Storie e Segreti there has been a  whirlwind of activity  and promotion and Edizioni Archeoares  is helping me with the coordination.   

Vetralla  presentation 

Regardless  of the   pouring rain  the book was   presented  at   Vetralla’s library to a  full house. Thanks to   culture  councilman Michele Vittori and  Fulvio Ferri.

With Francesca Ceci at Viterbo's Prefettura 

The next weekend we were  guests of Archeotuscia  in the  prestigious hall  of  Viterbo’s  Prefettura, again  with a full house  and lots of book sales.  As archeologist   Francesca Ceci   of  Rome’s  Capitoline Museums  introduced  the book,   the  audience  viewed  the  book trailer with music by Kay McCarthy  and a panorama of  the book’s  many  illustrations.    

Viterbo Archeotuscia presentation 

Yesterday,  a sunny Saturday, we were   at  Libroteca   bookshop  in the center of Civita Castellana.  Among the guests were  Franco Giorgi, dean of the city’s ceramic artists  and  noted artisan Mastro Cencio, Vincenzo Dobbloni.

with Mastro Cencio  at Libroteca 

Libroteca, Via Garibaldi, Civita Castellana

   For more information  about  the book,  where to find it , how to order  signed copies, check this page.  Multiple  copies at discounted price are available   for schools, hotels and  groups .  

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