Manciano and Environs
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| Manciano Sunset from the Monciano castle |
After the week in Rome, we pick up our rental car and drove two hours north to the sleepy hill-town
Manciano in Southern Tuscany.
Our traveling companions Tom and Melinda had successfully bid on a week in a "villa" there, which was the genesis of the whole Italian trip. Things had started going a bit sideways in Rome, and continued to do so here. Finding the actual unit was harder than it should have been because the written instructions were vague and alarmist, to wit:
" Don't follow the GPS, it will lead you the wrong way on a one way street, and then no one con help you!"
This caused undue stress as a simple clear map with instructions would have solved the problem. The weather worsened (as it did throughout the country, causing major flooding in Venice), with howling winds, heavy rain, and thundershowers, which was particularly intense on a hilltop. The accommodations were nice, with two BR two baths, but nothing too posh, a bit like a condo in Orlando.
I was able to make the most of things despite the inclement weather and managed to stay out of the way of major downpours and lightening bolts. Italy has no shortage of picturesque medieval hilltop towns, of which Manciano is a fine example.
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| The castle which has a small museum |
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| A gate in the old city wall |
A highlight of the week was a home-cooked gourmet feast prepared by a local chef, arranged by Melinda and Tom. There was course upon course of Italian specialties, with enough left-overs for several more meals.
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| Our Romanian chef and partner Preda Florin Bogdan |
The special meal was a suggestion found in the orientation information provided to us by the rental agency, as was a generous welcoming platter of local cheeses, breads, meats, and wine (thanks again to Melinda and Tom). Included in the suggestions was a list of nearby places of interest, like:
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| Saturnia town square- Piazza Vitorio Veneto |
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| Chiesa di S. Maria Maddalena |
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| Saturnia hotel |
Taking advantage of a brief break between showers, Fayne and I ventured off the the ancient town of Saturnia, occupied since pre-Roman days. The mail attraction is the nearby hot springs, the
Terme di Saturnia, a place for healing and relaxing in the cascading waters for 3,000 years. There is a fancy-shmanzy (read
"expensive") exclusive resort there (they didn't seem to want to let us in), or you can drop by the hippy-ish terraced cascades near the old mill building for a dip (we didn't bring our togs and were already wet enough).
Always on the lookout for the new-to-me concepts, I was intrigued by the hot pizza coin-op vending machine at the springs public parking lot (
Pronti in soli 3 minuti!).
Porto S. Stefano
The next day we had a brief respite from the storms, and enjoyed a perfect day to drive an hour down to the western coast of Tuscany and to Porto Santo Stefano. It lies at the foot of
Mount Argentario which forms a peninsula (practically an island except for two narrow strips of sand). It is alleged that celebrities like to hang out here. I don't know who or when, but if we passed any we didn't recognize them.
We strolled around the harbor on the bright sunny day and ended up at a recommended seaside restaurant. My seafood stew was particularly delicious.
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| Trattoria Il Moletto |
Pitigliano
The highlight was a visit to the undeniable jewel of the region,
Pitigliano. (Unfortunately the Blums couldn't join us as a family pet emergency abruptly and prematurely ended their vacation.) This unique village is carved out of soft volcanic tufa rock and dramatically appears to hang in air as you take the final turn along the twisty thirty minute excursion from Manciano. The town has a amber glow, especially when illuminated at dusk.
We spent the afternoon exploring the environs, taking in the wall and aqueduct and the cathedral in the heart of the town.
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| Pitigliano Cathedral |
Once home to a thriving Jewish community that fled here to escape persecution during the Counterreformation, it was known as
La Piccola Gerusalemme (Little Jerusalem). Well-integrated for 400 years, most of the Jews escaped with help of Christian neighbors during WWII, but few have returned. There are currently not enough locals to make a
minyan, the minimum 10 needed for religious services. Their presence remains, as the synagogue has been turned into a Museum of Jewish Culture.
Accessed through the former ghetto, the museum tour takes you by rooms carved into the tufa used for various Jewish functions, like the ritual Jewish bath (
tevila), Kosher cellar and butchery, and dye works as weaving was one of te few trades they were allowed to do. The "forno delle azzime", or ritual Passover matzoh bakery, looks ready to turn out fresh unleavened loaves.
The synagogue was the last stop, established in 1598 and rebuilt in 1995 after a landslide in the 1960's.
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| Pitigliano Synagogue |
Also worth a stop is the Palazzo and museum of the Orsini family, which contains a vast array of artworks and relics from the region spread through the 21 rooms.
In the basement is the oil oil press (
il frontonio), a source of great income to the family.
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| Il frantonio |
When on holiday one can easily lose track of the day and date. As dusk approached and we were refreshing ourselves with coffee and gelati we were frightened by a gathering coven of little streghe (witches). We had completely forgotten it was October 31, and unaware that Halloween and Trick-or-Treating was a thing in Italy.
Milano
The one-week idyll in Tuscany over, next on my list was some unfinished tourist business in northern Italy. Twice on previous visits I was not able to experience Leonardo's Last Supper (
Cenacolo Vinciano) as it was closed for many years of restoration. And although not really an opera buff, I wanted to experience a production at the world's most famous opera house,
La Scala. Both required months of advance planning and internet vigilance to procure the precious ducats, but I had done my homework and had tickets in hand. Now we had to get from Manciano to Milan on schedule, so we returned our rental car to Rome and flew north for three nights there. Our appointment with
Leonardo's masterpiece was late in the first afternoon and we made it in plenty of time.
The depiction of Christ's last meal is in the dining room of the Convent and
Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The church with its dome by Bramante is in itself quite lovely, but nobody comes for that.
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| Attribution:By Marcin Białek -here |
After extensive attempts at restoration, the work is still a ghost of the original concept as it literally began to deteriorate soon after it was finished in 1498. No photography is allowed as the room is hermetically sealed and temperature, humidity, and light tightly controlled. Visits are strictly timed. It is one of the world's most famous images, seared into our collective brains, and as such, much like the Mona Lisa, it was hard for me to have a unique and genuine reaction. Unlike Mona, which is surprisingly small to most observers, the
Cenecolo is surprisingly large, about 30x15 feet, one entire wall. A doorway was cut in the center in 1652 to allow the nuns to get to dinner. The list of insults include allied bombing in WWII. Despite all this, it was an honor to be in the company of this brilliant Renaissance icon. There is a luminescent beauty and I felt in the presence of genius. It was well worth the wait and planning. It was the least I could do.
We arrived on Friday, November 2. The opera tickets were for Sunday, November 4, so that gave us three nights in the city, time for a slightly deeper dive than when we visited one brief afternoon in 1985. We rented an Air B&B near the
Central Train Station, a gigantic monument mostly from Mussolini-era Italy. The largest train station in Europe (by volume), it is a convenient transportation hub.
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| This photo only hints at the vastness of the Stazione Milano Centrale |
The heart of the city is
Milan Cathedral and Piazza. The Gothic cathedral is a peculiar and singular structure. Started in 1386, it was completed a mere 579 years later in 1965. A riot of spires and statuary, it is the largest church in Italy (St. Peter's being in the Vatican City) and 4th largest on earth. The interior is an almost incomprehensibly immense 302 feet wide and 520 feet deep. It is a gorgeous monstrosity.
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| The Piazza seen from the Cathedral steps |
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| The Monument to King Victor Emmanuel II |
There were large crowds even in the "off season" and many do's and don'ts (mostly don'ts) listed cryptically outside the entrance.
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| 49 D&D's |
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| Just a guess: No masquerade parties, charging phones, or luging? |
Although not ornately decorated, one statue caught my eye because of the anatomical detail of the veins and muscles depicted. Later Wikipedia research showed I was not alone in my fascination.
To Quote Wikiman:
"At the left of the altar is located the most famous statue of all the
Cathedral, the Saint Bartholomew Flayed (1562), by Marco d'Agrate, the
saint shows his flayed skin thrown over his shoulders like a stole." Had I examined his backside more carefully I might have noticed his detached dermis, the saint having been skinned alive.
You can either wait in line a long time, or like me, get up early Sunday morning, pay a fee, and climb up on the roof amongst the spires,
flying buttresses, and statuary. It is recommended, if only for the view of the piazza.
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| A Gold Madonna on the top spire |
There was so much else to see and so little time. The Palazzo Reale is hosting
“Picasso Metamorphosis”, a major exhibit "in which works by the Spanish artist are presented side by side with
ceramics, vases, statues, votive objects, reliefs, and stelae which
influenced his art."
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| Ancient ceramic |
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| Picasso ceramic |
All this tramping around can really build an appetite. Unfortunately, food around the city center can be uneven and/or expensive. Fortunately, the internet steered me into a local treasure,
Panzerotti Luini. This hole-in-the-wall bakery has been turning out these hot and fresh and economical
panzerotti, balls of dough fried or baked and stuffed with savory or sweet fillings, since 1888. The line is around the block but moves very efficiently, and then tradition dictates they be eaten curbside, only a short block away from the Cathedral or
La Scala.
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| A small sampling of the many savory and sweet pastries sold |
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| Mangiare! |
After the hearty lunch it was off to another of the many fascinating museums of Milan, the
Pinoteca Ambrosiana. The library opened in 1609 and the art gallery 11 years later, the 24 rooms contain a hodge-podge of curiosities, manuscripts, and paintings, some quite extraordinary and others mostly odd. You can find a lock of Lucretia Borgia's hair and Napoleon's gloves worn at Waterloo. There are 50
ex voto paintings from the last 300 years. These are naive works brought in tribute to the church pleading for help from Mary or the Saints to heal specific injuries, like a fireworks injury,
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| Oops! |
or being run over by a carriage, or falling out of a tree. You can see some in Latin America too.
If you prefer a higher level of artistic strangeness, might I suggest
The Madonna Enthroned with Saint Ambrose and Saint Michael by Bramantino, where the virgin, patron saint of Milan, and an archangel share the frame with a human corpse and a dead frog. As explained in one article, "The frog lying dead on its back at his feet symbolises malignity defeated".
Perhaps depictions of Old Testament tales are your thing, then please consider Vermiglio's Giaele and Sisara, wherein our heroine (
Giaele, or Jael) drove a tent spike trough the head of the sleeping Canaanite general.
There are also some truly sublime offerings, such as this unusually peaceful and delicate still life by the tempestuous
Caravaggio (see last blog on Rome).
The real stars of the show include the original cartoon for The School of Athens by Raphael (unavailable due to restoration) and more creations of Leonardo da Vinci. These include two portraits below. Technically, they claim the Duchess is "by the hand of Leonardo", meaning he sketched the face but the painting may have been finished by one of his disciples.
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| Portrait of a Musician |
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| Portrait of the Duchess of Milan |
The library also possesses the
Codex Altanticus in twelve volumes, the largest collection of writings and drawings by the legendary genius. There are doodles and ideas and diagrams of musical instruments, war and flying machines, mathematics, botany, and geography. In the dimly lit cases, your can peer into the sepia pages and try to decipher the mirror-written notes and technical drawings.
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| Designs for musical instruments |
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| Plans for a stage and mechanical curtain raisers |
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| Idea for a drum machine |
Across town in
the MUDEC - (Museo delle Culture di Milano) I raced to see an extensive exhibition of another of my favorite artists,
Paul Klee, carefully documenting the evolution of his art.
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| Klee- Composition-1915 |
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| Beunruhigt (Troubled), 1934-tempera and charcoal on canvas |
In yet another corner of the city is
Sforza Castle, home of Milan's ruling clan in the Renaissance and patrons to artists such as Leonardo and
Donato Bramante. The castle also houses multiple museums featuring treasures like Michaelangelo's last sculpture and Leonardo's
Trivulzianus Codex.
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| Sforza Coat of Arms with a snake devouring a boy |
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Inner courtyard of the castle
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Out Milan sojourn ended with the opera,
Elektra by Richard Strauss at La Scala. I admit to being fairly ignorant of opera and German, but I do know the venerable theater has premiered many classic works with all the greatest singers and musicians since opening in 1778.
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La Scala opening night for Elektra
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The venue was perfect jewel, the orchestra was the finest I ever heard, the opera was starkly staged and simply costumed, the tunes were not particularly hummable, the performances were well-received, and it was in one-act and 100 minutes long. It was a memorable night.
After less than 72 hours in Milan, I had accomplished my two main goals and much more, clocking over 20,000 steps a day on pavement and concrete. There was still much more to see, but for another time, maybe.
Genova
In Part I of the Italian blog, I wrote that this trip did not always go so smoothly. I may have overdone it in Milan, and that perhaps contributed to two uncharacteristic glitches. From Milan we took the train to Genoa which had been on my radar since two of my sisters began a cruise from there a few years ago. I knew it was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, was once a very powerful and rich port and city-state, and still had a well-preserved medieval center. My plan was to spend the afternoon and evening exploring and then catch to ferry to Palermo in Sicily. What I didn't count on missing our stop (the main station was much smaller than expected, and I was facing the wrong way, but neither is a great excuse). The train was an express so we had to go 30 km south to Santa Margherita Ligure near the "jet-set" resort of Portofino. It was actually a rather pleasant side-trip but it shortened our Genoa time by two hours.
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| The view from the S. Maria Lingure station |
We didn't get back to Genoa until near dusk, and although we had several hours before boarding the ferry, we were not in the best mood for wandering through the tangled alleyways the old town. I could see its charms for sure and would have liked a more leisurely visit, but
c'est la vie! We did have a very nice dinner with a local specialty,
pasta alle noci, with its creamy walnut sauce.
The statue of Columbus did greet us and see us off from the Piazza Principe in front of the elusive train station. We never made it to his house, but I did read it wasn't very authentic without a lot to see and a bit of a ripoff, or so I tell myself.
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| Chris |
We arrived at the ferry building in plenty of time and embarked without difficulty. The next morning I discovered my second miscalculation. I thought we were to arrive in Sicily at 7am, but it was 7 pm instead. It turned out, that extra 12 hours of shipboard lethargy is just what the doctor ordered.
Coming soon: Our Italian Odyssey: Part III-Sicily
Accessed through the former ghetto, the museum tour takes you by rooms carved into the tufa used for various Jewish functions, like the ritual Jewish bath (tevila), Kosher cellar and butchery, and dye works as weaving was one of te few trades they were allowed to do. The "forno delle azzime", or ritual Passover matzoh bakery, looks ready to turn out fresh unleavened loaves.
