The Massive Castel Nuovo in Napoli, Italy Endures and Impresses Heading south from Rome 29 years ago, my first stop is Naples where I cannot help but notice a certain domineering building on the waterfront: the Castel Nuovo, which seems an impenetrable fortress against any enemy that might arrive, in any way, and not…
Category: Italy
Appreciating the Riace Warriors
Reminiscing about my first trip to Italy, I think about my brief, hot stay in Reggio di Calabria one August. I am making my way by train from Sicily back up to Rome to meet a friend, but I have a few days open, so why not stop? I soon learn that a prime attraction…
‘We Represent the Fritter-Makers’ Guild’
What is the fritter-makers guild? A painting in Venice gives chief pancake flippers some credibility
A Hint of Home in Rome
Why would a tourist bother to visit McDonald’s Rome? The Bashful Adventurer finds out.
Stasis in Sculpture
David Stands, but Unique Forms of Continuity in Space Rocks As much as I love Michelangelo’s David (that stone! that body!), it’s a work of art that’s made to be adored. And indeed it is. David just stands there, commanding our attention. But what I love about more contemporary sculpture is its potential for action….
Spooning in Florence
Discovering Contemporary Art in a City of Masterpieces Taking the scenic route from the Ponte Vecchio back to the Soggiorno Battistero in Florence, the Brawny Sherpa and I become a little lost. Wandering a bit aimlessly, we try to work off cappuccinos and gelato and our overwhelm from the art in the city generally and…
Upstairs at San Marco
Glimpse the world as a Venetian: Go upstairs to the Loggia dei Cavalli at the San Marco Basilica.
Beyond Saint Peter’s Chains
Of course, visitors to the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in Rome are drawn to the story of how Peter escaped those chains while a prisoner. But are there other reasons to visit? The Bashful Adventurer finds out.
The Master Works of the Opera Duomo Museum
Beyond the Uffizi in Florence So much airspace is taken up by the Uffizi Gallery in Florence that a visitor there might overlook a newer museum sited just behind the Duomo. Although the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiori, which runs this new museum, has been around since 1296 when it became responsible for managing…
Romance, Good Food, and History at Ristorante da Raffaele
Eat Like a Local in Venice In a town full of tourists, service at a restaurant can sometimes be a bit aloof, a tad uncaring. After all, everyone knows that you are unlikely to be back after this current meal anytime soon, if ever. Why put a lot into it? Year in, year out, dealing…