Monday, December 14, 2015

Coffee break

Let's have a rest before going to the next point of our journey through Rome.
In Rome there a lot of charming caffeterie where we can have a cup of coffee. This drink is extremely important for all Italians.


First of all, we have to consider that around the world there are different manners of making coffee. However, Italians made for us two crucial items for coffee industry: mokka and the coffee machine.

Mokka was made by a man called Bialetti in 1933 but it became a real icon in the fifties. The symbol of the factory was a little man with moustaches. The mokka pot is a stove-top item that produces coffee by passing boiling water pressurized by steam through ground coffee. The innovative idea meet the needs of Italians and we can say that all nation has one at home. Many other companies imitate Bialetti but we have to remember that the original is only one. First model was silver and had a lot of angles. Now we have different shapes, colours and also types. For example, there is Mukka - a mokka which makes a delicious cappuccino.


The other important invention which everybody knows is espresso. This little, strong coffee could not exist if not for the brilliant idea of Luigi Bezzera who in 1901 made a coffee machine for bars. All began when the man wanted to prepare coffee very quickly. That’s why now we say espresso. The name emphasize the velocity of preparation and consuming. Additionally espresso is a past participate of the verb to express (it. esprimere) which refers to the intense taste of each cup.

Besides the manner of preparation, the names of drinks are worth also knowing. For example, latte macchiato means stained milk. It is simply a lot of milk with a little stain, spot  (It. macchia) of coffee. Another curious story refers to cappuccino. It took its name from the colour of the habits of Capuchin (It. cappuccini) who had invented this type of coffee.
There are plenty of different absorbing coffee stories which can make time pass more pleasantly with a cup of coffee in your hand near Vaticano but one of the oldest and the most famous one is without doubts Antico Caffè Greco in Via Condotti. It is worth knowing that in Via Condotti  there are the most expensive and luxiourious shops in Rome. This cafeteria is also very elegant and always full of people. It was like that also in the past when writers were coming here to talk in a pleasant atmosphere. So, your turn now? :)


 

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Vatican stories 3


In the St. Peter's Basilica there is a very famous sculpture made by a very significant man. We are talking about the Pietà of Michelangelo Buonarotti. Everyone has heard of it at least once in a lifetime. It's absolutely beautiful, mostly because of its naturalness. When Michelangelo made Pietà in 1497-1499 he was only 22 years old, so he wasn't very famous yet but had a huge talent.

Michelangelo didn't use to sign his masterpieces. Everyone knew and knows which were made by this Italian maestro because of its undisputed and personalized artistry . However there was one exception - the Pietà. 
What's the reason?
One day Michelangelo saw two man who were looking at the sculpture. They were amazed and charmed by its beauty. Then one of them said that the author had to be Cristoforo Solari, a Lombard sculptor. Young artist decided to sign his work in the night. Today we can see the signature on the slink which holds the mantel of the Virgin Mary.

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Later, the author regretted that act and decided not to sign ever again. And he did like he had promised.

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Friday, November 13, 2015

Vatican stories 2

In previous post I wrote how we can get to the St. Peter's Square. Now let's enter the Basilica. There are a lot of special monuments, sculptures and paintings worth seeing. But today I would like to present you only one of them.

In the end of the right nave of the basilica there is a tomb of the pope Clement XIII made by famous sculptor of Neoclassicism - Antonio Canova.

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The tomb wouldn't have anything special if.......

Usually all of the maestros had a team of collaborators who worked in shadow of their bosses.  Also Canova had his team. One of his assistants was really upset and disappointed because of the fact that only the "main sculptor" (in this case Canova) would be remembered for ages. The man had a particular surname - Elephant. He was responsible for making the lion. He wanted to write his name on his piece of work or left any special signature. He decided to beg Canova for a permission and he achieved his goal. Mr. Elephant left his signature in the back part of the animal.He made a rump of an elephant :) Let's take a look:

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I suppose it's one of the most original signatures in the world!

Monday, November 2, 2015

Vatican stories


In the next few posts I'll write about Vatican. I've chosen some stories which I find very interesting.

First of all we have to arrive to the Saint Peter's Square. There are a few possibilities but usually people choose the biggest street. We are talking about Via della Conciliazione which means the Conciliation street. 

The street is very wide and thanks to this, while we are walking, we can see closer and closer the breathtaking St Peter's Square. But, was it always like that?

As you can guess, no, it wasn't. The street was planned by two architects: Spaccarelli and Piacentini. They were asked by the Prime Minister Benito Mussolini to create a street which would connect symbolically Vatican and Rome. Vatican, as he said, should be opened to Rome. Mussolini wanted to do this because of the Lateran Pacts signed 11 February 1929. It was an agreement between the Italian State and Vatican which considered various aspects such as: concordat marriage or the financial support from Italy in return for public support from the Pope.
Unfortunately, the architectures decided to destroy, to raze the area called Spina di Borgo. It was a very old "cottage" of fishermen, even with many historical monuments. They didn't care also for the people who were living there for centuries.
On the photos below, you can see how this area has changed.



Sunday, October 18, 2015

OBELISKS IN ROME

Rome has the biggest number of obelisks in the world. The reason is quite simple, the Roman Emperors, especially Augustus, decided to bring them to Rome. Almost all of the obelisks are from Egypt. This monuments, as you can as on the photos below, are very high and narrow, built with one big stone. Sometimes the Egyptians put on the obelisks a lot of inscriptions and hieroglyphics. The obelisks of Rome were always located in very important places: squares, near churches, etc. 
The obelisks are the part of the Eternal City also today. But, which obelisk is the tallest one?
Without any doubts the one located in the square of St. John Lateran. It is 32 meters high and comes from Assuan in Egypt. It was made fifteen centuries B.C. and it was transported to Rome in 360 A.C. by Constantine. For two centuries it was standing at the Circo Massimo until it was damaged by barbarians in the fifth century. From this moment many archaeologists were trying to find it. Finally, they did it in 1587. The monument spent ten centuries being four meters under the ground. The obelisk was renovated and placed in the square in front of the Lateran Basilica. Why there? The Lateran Basilica was the seat of pope and the archaeologist worked for the pope Sixtus V.


Other famous obelisk is in Vatican. Now it is in the central part of the square but many centuries ago it was situated behind the Basilica, exactly where Saint Peter was crucified.



In Rome there is also another obelisk with an interesting history. It stands in front of the beautiful medieval church Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. It's worth seeing because in Rome we have very few medieval churches. Some of them were damaged, other ones were rebuilt in a different architectural style.
Bernini was asked to made a special base for the monument. When he started his work in 1667, many monks of the order of Dominicans were coming and saying what they didn't like or what they would change in the sculpture, particularly in the head of the elephant . The author definitely didn't like it and decided to put the obelisk back to the windows of monks. Thanks to this they didn't have to see the sculpture they hadn't liked. Instead of that they could see the rump of the elephant.




Bernini made also the famous fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona which contains an obelisk.


The other famous ones stand in Piazza del Popolo and in front of the Pantheon.


In Rome there are much more obelisks and everyone has its own history. 
Just think that for Ancient Romans obelisks were very very old. 
These monuments were for theme the same age as the Arc of Constantine for us today!

Friday, October 16, 2015


Hi!

I'm Hanna and I'm a Rome lover. That's why my blog is called so. Rome, the Eternal City, is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Thanks to its special atmosphere many people have already fallen in love with Rome, and so have I. I will write about some interesting facts and legends about Rome.

I hope you will enjoy it! 


Just fall in love with Rome!