Cool Italian and Russian gardens and pools

keeping cool in Pza. S. Egidio 

 The summer heat wave is again upon us... and since we are no longer  youngsters we have had to say "no" to the many invitations and  happenings  this weekend.

When its this hot we get up early (6 a.m.) like the local farmers do then by  10:30 a.m. its time to  stay indoors, behind the wooden shutters (persiane) which along with the  ancient, thick walls keep  the heat out.  

no need for air conditioning 

  A plus  during these hot days is that there are finally  lots of parking spaces, for the town is almost deserted.  Most people head for a  one of the nearby  lakes (Lake Vico, Bolsena  or  Bracciano)  or   perhaps the grassy lawns at this ancient Roman swimming hole.   

This  circular  pool is actually  a frigidarium   dating  from Roman times at  Le Pozze  di San Sisto half way between  Viterbo  and  Vetralla. Its  icy  waters are  balanced  by an  adjacent  hot  pool  caldarium  and another   luke warm  one.   

For    tourists and visitors  here are some  more of  the  coolest places  around: 

• If you  are a cruiser   docking  at  Civitavecchia you  could   trade  a hot, exhausting  day in Rome  for  a visit  to Tarquinia  where the  Etruscan tombs  and   quiet churches  such as  S. Maria in Castello provide  welcome respite.  For  a  glance of  this magnificent church  see  Dietmeyer's website.

fountain in front of Tarquinia's city hall

fountain of  the Moors, Villa Lante, Bagnaia 

River  god  fountain, Villa Lante, Bagnaia
(photo  by John Ferro Sims) 

• Garden lovers  will love   the historic gardens of Villa Lante  where  the  trickle of  fountains  and  mossy pools  give  welcome  relief from the heat. 

grotto , Villa Lante 

water gurgles  down the rope fountain, Villa Lante

 In  the hill town of  Soriano nel Cimino another   fountain comes  complete with a   waterfall. Perfect  for  a cool walk  is  the   Faggetta, the mountain top  forest located   above  Soriano.

Papacqua   waterfall, Soriano nel Cimino

 Here are a few of the  romantic, cool spots I have enjoyed  discovering  in these past  years while lecturing aboard cruise ships.  

• in Montenegro the fiord   (Bocche  di Cattaro) leading  up to  the  port of  Kotor. 

•  The gardens of Peterhof,  outside the city  of  St. Petersburg , Russia are another perfect  place to catch some coolness. 

  

  Grand Cascade and canal to  the gulf of Finland, Peterhof, St. Petersburg, Russia

  The majestic fountains and gardens  overwhelm visitors
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Peterhof fountain, St. Petersburg , Russia 

  
  

  

  the Pyramid fountain, Peterhof gardens, St. Petersburg, Russia

• Oia on the  Greek  island  of Santorini is famed for its  whitewashed  houses  and blue domed churches 

The  same  turquoise color  can be found here  in Vetralla in a   romantic  pool  inside  a grotto. 

a private pool half in, half out of  a grotto 

 Read more about our local wash house on  my article on  Italian Notebook 

Ferragosto with Mozart and layer cake of history

 Its Ferragosto,  the  mid-summer holiday  that closes  down most of Italy. 

Unlike many  Italians  we chose  to stay close to home  away from the  beach, the crowds and  the  traffic.

American  musicians   participate in the Ferragosto concert 

H.Kim from Manhattan warms up

musicians before the concert  and Fulvio 's balcony seat 

warming up   in the town hall

Concerts featuring  the Vetralla  town band and an evening of Mozart   by  the Tuscia OperaFestival   were all the entertainment needed. 

A special  lunch in  our neighbor’s garden with a few good friends followed  by a stroll  around   town, camera  in hand,   made for  a perfect  holiday   at home  -“a kilometro zero” .   

Photographers  have discovered  that  doorways  and  cats  are  icons of  picturesque Italy  that   sell  calendars and  postcards.

 But  with cats, as well as doorways, there is more than meets the eye. 

During   our  afternoon walk  I noted dozens of doorways  worthy of  a photo and  also some interesting insight  into  the  town’s  history.

 Our town's old doors and  ancient  walls remind us that  Italy is a layer cake of history  which allows  intimate glimpses into  the past, how  previous  inhabitants lived and what was  important to  them.

terracotta "plumbing" solution of a medieval house

Time  goes slowly  in central Italy's  Etruria  area where  the past  is naturally  recycled and reused .  

Where else  can you see  Roman paving stones  inserted  into 17^th century buildings? 

Roman paving stone  basolo inserted  in 17th century wall

And   what about  the  primitive  plumbing  which consisted  of  a terracotta pot inserted  just  beneath the window, making  it  easy to empty  the chamber pots.

Instead of doorbells, there are  gorgeously detailed  bronze batocchi  to decorate the  doors .

door knocker   batocchio   of  18th century 

 Besides the practical use of resounding a hearty knock , they  reflected  contemporary  fashion  and family  status.

different  door knockers reflect a past theft

my front door 

 The sphinx-like heads from this door in Viterbo’s center dates  back to  the Napoleonic  invasion of Egypt, 1798-1801,while the Renaissance- style  bronze  batocchi on my front door reflects their Tuscan provenance.

Egyptian style  batocchi date this door   in Viterbo

The problem  is that  not every solution is  compatible  with  aesthetics.

Renaissance doorway  with   industrial  shutters

Take for example this  magnificent  doorway  decorated  with angels. It  was once  the seat of  a 17th century confraternity before being  converted into a soft drinks factory .  Nowadays  it is  empty and for sale but  the metal industrial shutter definitely  has  destroyed   its charm.

This narrow  alley  holds  another example of  "speaking  walls"  where   blocked up doors and  insertions  show the passage of time.
What a shame that  the electricity  and gas companies had to add their  contributions.

Dante to Dianne Hales -love poetry and popular sayings

    Years ago  while I  was a young teacher  at one of Rome’s prestigious  international schools,  I  found myself  teaching   Beginning Italian to a  class of  adolescents.   As newcomers to Italy, they were  learning the language by osmosis and not  just in the classroom.

 Juicy, descriptive  expletives were learned daily on the soccer field while dialogues  pertaining  to  food  and transport  were  next  in order of importance  as these  teenagers  went out to  explore  the Eternal City and interact with   their Italian counterparts, especially those of  the genteel sex.

 But what about   “la bella lingua”  Dianne Hales describes  in her  bestseller ? What about  a bit of culture and history?  

  Italian actor  Roberto Benigni ‘s successful  theatrical  readings  of  La Divina Commedia  are proving  to modern audiences  that  la lingua di  Dante  has  never  gone  out of  fashion.  Hopefully  my former  students  are  still  using   this poem they learned    to impress  the ladies.  

Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare
la donna mia, quand'ella altrui saluta,
ch'ogne lingua devèn, tremando, muta,
e li occhi no l'ardiscon di guardare.

Ella si va, sentendosi laudare,
benignamente d'umiltà vestuta,
e par che sia una cosa venuta

da cielo in terra a miracol mostrare

Mostrasi sì piacente a chi la mira

che dà per li occhi una dolcezza al core,
che 'ntender no la può chi no la prova;

e par che de la sua labbia si mova
un spirito soave pien d'amore,
che va dicendo a l'anima: Sospira.

 If  you  are not up to memorizing  a quatrain   or two  in the   13th century Tuscan dialect  which later became   Italian,  you can settle  for   a few of these   simple   rhyming   quotations  to impress your friends  with  your knowledge  of  Italian language  and culture.

Here are  a few popular sayings   still  in daily use among  my neighbors here in central Italy.  Perhaps  few city dwellers  remember  or use  these  snippets of country wisdom, but  in  the Viterbo   province also known as Etruria or Tuscia, they are still understood and used…for  country wisdom  is   graphic and  funny  as well as  being  time-less.   

·         Quando Montefogliano mette il cappello, non uscire senza l’ombrello

When  Montefogliano  (local  hill)  puts on  its hat (clouds), don’t go out  without an umbrella.

·         Il gatto nella dispensa quello che non fa, pensa

What  the cat  doesn’t do in  the larder, he thinks about.

·         Il letto è una rosa, chi non dorme si riposa

The bed is  a rose  (comfy),  if you don’t  sleep, you  rest.

·         Latte e vino, veleno fino

Milk  together  with wine  is  a fine poison.

(in other words, no cappuccino  after  a meal with wine)

·         La scolatura alla più bella di natura

The last drop of wine   - to the most beautiful

(in  homage  to  a beautiful dinner companion, while emptying   the wine bottle )

·         Il mondo  è fatto a scale: chi li scende e chi li sale

The world is   like a staircase,  some  go down and some go up.

·         Monache, preti e polli non sono mai satolli

Nuns,  priests  and chickens are  never  full  /satiated.

And, since  it  is August,  

·         Ad agosto, moglia mia non ti conosco

Summer Time Eating Out Around Viterbo

Otello on the  lakefront, Marta, Lake Bolsena

 Summer  time and  the living  is  easy...and everyday lunch is usually  indoors for  the thick walls  of  our  ancient palazzi  provide  natural   air conditioning .
 Evenings mean  dinner time  on the terrace watching  the  swallows  dipping  and diving and  listening  to the  noisy crackling of the  crows  as they fly  off  in  formation towards  Norchia, the nearby  Etruscan necropolis,  and the setting sun.

anniversary lunch  Otello, Marta

For  a special  lunch we usually  head  for  the lake of Bolsena where  the lakefront  of  Marta  is dotted  with fish  trattorie.  Otello  is  a third generation  trattoria that  has been  recently  spruced  up  and a small  B&B  added  for   overnight visitors.  The speciality  is   their  multi -dish  spread  of  fish antipasti and for  the main dish,  roasted fish or  coregone al forno . A special bottle of wine  followed  by caffe and  digestivi  brought the bill to  100 euro  for   three.

Russian icons    

post pranzo passeggiata  along the lake , Marta

one man's junk is another's treasure  

musical instruments and old radios

L'Archetto, Viterbo  Photo by F. Pignatale

 In central Italy life goes  slower and living cost less compared to  the  tourist magnets of  Rome, Florence  and Venice.
This makes  a stay in  a smaller town or agriturismo  in Lazio, Umbria or Tuscany a good way to balance a family trip ....and the budget.

funghi  porcini  from road side stand

 One thing that strikes first time visitors to  our area  is  the importance given to  food with   shopping  done on a daily basis and menus change according to what's available at the market that day. The time spent preparing  and sharing  meals  becomes the best memory of a visit, long after  names  and  dates of churches and monuments  have been forgotten. 

Here are  some of our favorite places to eat in and around Viterbo. Most  are family-run and "senza pretese", not fancy and not expensive. Looking  at  the " conti "   from  recent visits  I notice that we  usually spend an average of 15-22 euro  each  including  a litre of  the always excellent house wine.  

In  the historic center of Viterbo  the tiny  L'Archetto on Via S. Cristoforo (hidden under an arch on Via Saffi)  is the place to find typical Viterbese dishes cooked up  by Enrico Bagnaia  and his staff. It becomes  crowded  on  Saturdays for  lunch with groups of Romans  who remain surprised at the prices, so much lower than the capital. 

Try the  bar attached to Libreria del Teatro, Piazza Verdi, near Viterbo's  Unione Theatre for  a quick one dish lunch at the  fixed price  of  8 euro,  or for just a cup of  tea, cappuccino  or ginseng with  a home made sweet such as this  apple crumble.

The local Montefiascone Est,est,est   is the house wine  which Nathaniel and Sophie  Hawthorne  enjoyed when visiting  the area in the 1840s , as you  will read in  "Early Americans in Etruria"  , from  my latest  book  that can be purchased  directly   from www.elegantetruria.com  . 

Another   lake town, Montefiascone, is home  to a trattoria  with excellent  food -Trattoria Al Buongusto snuggled  under the  Papal Rocca  in the historic center, Via XXIV Maggio. Its tiny, romantic and has excellent pasta. 

A visit to Civita di Bagnoregio   means having  lunch at Hostaria del Ponte, just before the bridge over  the calanchi .    Inside its snug and has interesting art work but the panoramic terrace  is the place  to get the best view of the "dying city"www.hostariadelponte.it  A few more  of these restaurants  now have websites which you  will find  in a later comment. So leave a comment  below as you  check the websites.

Across the  calanchi  in Lubriano  another good  place is the pizzeria Il Frantoio carved out of an ancient olive mill.  Magical cave atmosphere   and genuine good food. 

Fulvio and Sabrina cooking -the best restaurant is always home

Our  local trattorie  in Vetralla all  have excellent  value for  money and are almost  like extensions of  our own kitchen.  When we go to  La Lanterna  on Via Roma   we have to have the nuvolette, light balls of fried whitebait . 

Da Benedetta  at the traffic lights  has been  run by several enerations of  Benedetta's family since  the 1950s. Today you will find nonna Benedetta  and mamma Ornella  in the kitchen while the  grandkids  serve or  prepare steaks over the open fire.   

L'Oliveto ,  located on a panaoramic  hillside  half way between Vetralla and Viterbo  is known for  its fresh fish and we often take friends there. If  you  get a  table in front of the  fireplace  you  may be bothered  by the  television which is always on. 

The Maltese Connection-capers and Caravaggio

Azamara Journey docked at  La Valletta, Malta

 I recently  gave the  sail-in commentary  as  we arrived  in the magnificent harbor of  La Valletta aboard my favorite luxury cruise ship.

mysterious doorway in the  Palazzo 

 Although  Malta  is  far away, an English island  halfway between Sicily and Africa,  it  felt like a homecoming for  the   harbor  and  the entire  city  were  dotted with  connections to central Italy.

courtyard  Grand Masters Palace
There were  capers covering  the walls of  the fortresses with  Italian names and Caravaggio paintings decorated  the  main church, St. John's Co-Cathedral .

entrance  to Grand Masters Palace 

piano nobile  in the palace

Caravaggio  was  a novitiate in the order of the Knights  in 1607 and  his huge  "Beheading of St. John"   is the  drawing card  for  tourists who flock  to the Cathedral today.

  The Cathedral's   marble  inlaid   floors  record  the numerous  knights who lived and died here, while  the mortal remains  of   Michelangelo Merisi ( Caravaggio's real name)    have recently been discovered in   the crypt  of S. Erasmo  church in Porto Ercole.
 For more on  the Spanish  past  of  the Tuscan promontory see  my latest book "Etruria-travel, history and itineraries  in central Italy".Copies can be ordered  directly through the website using paypal. 

armor  belonging to Ranuccio Farnese

The Palazzo  of the Grand Masters  holds memories of the Knights  who made it their headquarters  between   1530  and  the arrival of  Napoleon.

Another  local lad, Ranuccio Farnese,  is  rememebered in the  Armory  museum, where numerous   magnificent coats of armor  are displayed.

portrait  of  one of the  Grand Masters

Renovated  waterfront 

bus   La Valletta    to Naxxar .42 cents

 The pubs and shops  were still closed  along the newly restored  waterfront    as  we  boarded  a local bus  to reach the central square with its  huge fountain.

 From there   an even  more  ancient bus  took  us for  a 30 minute  ride through the  suburbs past  the   Mostar   church    where  an unexploded  bomb from the  Second World War  siege is  remembered.

Cathedral  Mostar  with unexploded  bomb

 We arrived to  the village of Naxxar  and Palazzo Parisio,  a magnificent  private palace where  a film   shoot was underway.

garden entrance 

facade Palazzo Parisio

entrance and family  portrait

Ballroom Palazzo Parisio, Malta

reception  in the Palazzo  garden

carriage, Palazzo Parisio

  The gardens are similar to   those of Villa Lante  or  Castello Ruspoli  with parterres, bougainville and  elegant rance ways.

Have you  been to Malta?  What is your favorite thing to do in Malta ?