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.

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 ?