Sorrento and Naples

Sorrento is a Treat

Living anywhere can be an adventure. But living away from home is one, for sure. 

In Italy. Today was another reminder of the dramatic contrasts of Italy.  Sorrento was our reward after our grueling stay in Matera during an unexpected snowfall (see blogpost). Nothing could be more of a contrast than our experience of this morning in Matera and this evening in Sorrento. 

We continue to think of Sorrento as a "reward" city when we want a respite from more challenging travels.  What a lovely and welcome site it is, even in winter, to come from harsher weather to this sunny seaside town filled with orange trees. 

A bit broken by our recent adventures in Matera, we decided to rest in the luxury of La Minervetta a  little boutique hotel in Sorrento. Here's looking out our huge window at Vesuvius. 

Vesuvius through hotel window (Janet Strayer photo)

                                     

                                      View of Vesuvius, Naples and Seagull over bay (from our window) 

             

The  Minervetta is a small and beautifully architected modern white house standing several stories along the slope lining the sea. The interior and all rooms are individually decorated with professional but also delightfully eclectic care, with wonderful art pieces and good books and magazines in all private rooms and in the hugely comfortable lounge and corridors. It's a feast for eyes and senses.

Unruly Naples: I Like It! 

We stayed in Sorrento but took the train daily into Naples --a city that eats cars, among other things. Every guide-book screams NOT to take your car into Naples if  you expect to get it back intact. Driving in the city is lawless. Every guide-book, as well as some city notices, also warns of pickpockets. We know: we'd been hacked by nimble fingers on previous trips.

But I like Naples. It's an overwhelmingly noisy and grungy city that has too much of everything unrefined. Since reading Elena Ferrante's books, starting with My Brilliant Friend,  which conveys the often brutal but very human life there, I felt a bit more of a  personal connection to Naples . Not that I'd take anything for granted as a visitor here.

Touring the Sights in Naples

It was just going to be a "look-around and make it easy" kind of day.  We ended up just strolling busy old streets, with construction repairs going on all over the city center. It was fun window-shopping along the main streets from the train station, no visible signs to guide us. 

Each of the main streets branched into many little side-streets, each devoted to different products. One was filled with presepi, originally Christmas manger scenes in miniature, now extended to include whole village populations, political commentary, and activities involving moving parts. The sculptural quality of some of the work depicted was really quite good. Another little street was fitted with lovely old chocolate shops, another with embroidery and sewing shops. Outside stalls sold varieties of small items from keys to candy.  Probably anything could be found, if you knew where to look. Except maybe your car.

Santa Chiara

                Cloister, Sta. Chiara, Naples (photos Janet Strayer)

We ended up at the massive complex of Santa Chiara (monastery, church, tombs, archaeological museum, cloisters), built in early 1300's by the Queen of Majorca and her husband, King Robert of Naples. Too much, too big, and the architecture, well, just too heavy .... so we settled for a visit only to its famed cloisters. 

The cloister, transformed in 18th C. grand Rococo style, has a brashly colourful floral decor. The  huge frescoes that remain visible (damaged by time and war) are religious in theme , but the tiles decorating the perimeter foundations of the pillared cloisters show bucolic scenes of  country life beside the sea (see above). You'd think the nuns who strolled there might have come from the Follies Bergère. The decorations seem so gay and frivolous.  Every inch of unplanted area is filled with decorated majolica tiles. What kinds of contemplative thoughts did this lavish decor inspire in cloistered nuns? 

photos Janet Strayer

Pizza Napolitana

Walking down from Santa Chiara we came to our final destination of the day in Naples: one of six top-rated pizzerias (by Michelin) in a city famous for its great pies. We ate in the last room of the plain, white-tiled L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. This place serves just two types of wood-fired pizza (red sauce, white sauce), but there's no need for more. We had one of each.

We walked back to the train station, having walked about 6 miles in Naples that day.  It was winter but the orange trees bloomed. The train was packed with commuters. It was dark outside by now, with the train travelling through tunnels and above ground. Every now and then the train doors opened and, though you could not see them, you could smell the scent of oranges in winter.  

It was a good trip. Car and wallets intact, and so much more to adventure to bring home with us.

More Creative Life News

You can read and see more recent posts about Italy, plus other travels and creative adventures by this itinerant artist at my  Creative Life News site here.

Ever Want to Hug a House? You Will in Puglia

Unusual Houses in Puglia

I mean it. Really. Have you ever seen a house you wanted to hug? 

That's exactly what I wanted to do upon first seeing a trullo:  I wanted to hug it!

 

Trulli in Alberobello (photo Janet Strayer)

Structures Called Trulli

These unusual stone houses are called Trulli. Their conical stone structure is so distinct, diminutive and charming that it forms a category unto itself. I'd even say these houses are adorable, easily skipping into the world of fantasy hobbits and elves, except for the fact that they are quite real. And inhabited by real people. 

The name, trulo,  derives from the Greek word for dome. In contast to hobbitland, they are, and have been for centuries, functional houses serving the needs of their inhabitants ...  as well as bringing delight to visitors. They merit a whole area of Puglia devoted to them.

Alborobello is a World Heritage Site

Travelling  a bit more than hour from our home-base in Lecce (Puglia) is Alborobello, a UNESCO world heritage cite. It is a city put on the map by its trulli. All around this area, you can find trulli scattered throughout the countryside. In Alborobello, one finds their densest concentration.

a congregation of trulli  (photo by Janet Strayer)

The Scenic Drive

The route to Alborobello from Lecce is interesting, presenting a change from flat to hilly to steeper and greener terrain, with winding mountain passes that get snow (I saw road signs warning of its eventuality). The area is a distinct change of scenery from further south, and  it is home to many nature walks in the woods. It was taking this drive that I realised how much I missed large masses of green and trees. Seems the ancient Romans de-natured the once-forested south of Italy (and Sicily), uprooting the trees to build ships. Ah yes, the lessons of history...

streets of trulli, Arborobello (Janet Strayer photos)

It makes one smile to see a cluster of trulli from a distance. I imagined a whole village of small persons with pointed hats. Not so, of course. The trullo is a unique example of ancient architecture that survives and functions in today's world. Nowadays, several trulli can be seen joined into quite fantastic, castle-like residences with charmingly curved courtyards. There are trulli hotels, though you can also stay in a small trulli B&B. Their conical roofs are are made of horizonatal slabs of limestone, positioned in a series of diminishing concentric circles, and often mounted by a decorative feature.

trullo roof stones (Janet Strayer photo)

Inside a Trullo

I wanted to get a feeling for the more modest trullo, as it might have been in the past. One was open for vistors, allowing us to see  how remarkable it was inside as well as out. I was amazed by how compact and comfortable it was. The structure's interior is distributed around its central space without any additional elements of support -- like the modern concept of open-space interior, but with arched ceilings separating modular units in this space. The "rooms"  (without doors) are identified by changing curves in the wall, each one mounted by a high coned ceiling. Standing was comfortable and, though each room was tiny, each was sufficient to its purpose, explained to me as the central living area,  kitchen-dining-area, adult bedroom, children's bedroom. The walls' thickness and the scarcity of windows functions to promote thermal regulation: warm in winter, cool in summer.
 

History of Trulli Structures

Trulli have been recorded in archaeological finds as preshistoric burial sites, among other things, and their construction is not complex--- but building them to endure stably is a skill (link to read more). Made of limestone rocks built up concentrically into ever smaller circles, their bases are now grafted with limestone masonry.

But why should they have remained distinctly prominent in this region? Their historical origins as a settlement of houses in Alborobello date back to the 14th century. The story is that this form of construction, known from earliest times, was used because it is free-standing dry wall  (no mortar) that can be readily constructed (and dismantled). Those qualities, plus the abundance of white limestone in the area, could serve the needs of hasty settlers, eager to take advantage of land grants while evading building taxes. 

Locorotondo

Leaving Alborobello, we made a brief stop in nearly Locorotondo ("round place"), heralded as one of the most beautiful small cities in Italy... and one of the whitest. Some of Italy's fine wines can be found in this area.

Although trulli can also been seen here, my lasting impression of this city is of well cared-for, simple white houses, calmly positioned in a circular city plan. 

We stopped for a machiatto at an fine little coffee bar facing the little park atop the city, taking a look down at the scenic valley before continuing "home" to Lecce.

I'm eager to see what comes next. Until then...

 More Creative Life News

You can read and see more recent posts about Italy plus other travels and creative adventures by this itinerant artist at my  Creative Life News site here.

A River Runs Through It: How an Ordinary House in Puglia Became a Treasure Trove

The House a River Ran Through 

Walking within the walls of the old city of Lecce, we come to a house. From the outside it looks like the other old stone houses lining this street. Perhaps not as fancy on its exterior as some others we've seen on our walks in this gracious city, but a solidly constructed part of this ancient street. Its door is open... and we enter.

Wow!

terracota artifacts, found at Faggiano house

 The Faggiano Legacy

The house is named after the Faggiano family who own it. By accident, it was found to be a treasure trove of archaeological finds, all coming from beneath its floors and within in its walls. And it's true: a river runs through it!

Tuffa deposits underground, Faggiano house/museum

peek trough walls, Faggiano museum (Janet Strayer photos)

The story of this house and the remarkable findings under it was written about in the New Yorks Times in 2015.  Even more remarkable when the story is told to you, first-hand, from one of the boys (now an adult) who did the digging... seven years of it! 

Andrea Faggiano told us the story that brought history to light. He had worked with his father and brothers to fix the water problem, and ended up bringing this "museum" into being. His enthusiasm and respect for the archaeology and history of his house are infectious.

Andreas Faggiano (standing on one of the glass supports allowing you to see below (Janet Strayer photo

Is Dampness a Problem in Your Home?

The story begins with those who occupied the house repeatedly complaining of dampness. Some years ago, Luciano Faggiano (the father) decided to take a shovel to the situation and explore the piping and sewage system below the house. He had intended to make the house a trattoria when he started digging to repair the pipes.  He and his young sons encountered far more than wet dirt, (though there were masses of that). In fact, they discovered an underground river that runs eventually into the Adriatic. More than this: as they dug, successive layers of tunnels were found, each deeper than the next, with artifacts of different civilizations found at each levels.The finds go back at least to 2,000 B.C. The family just had to stop digging by this time!

looking down into cistern (Janet Strayer photos)

one level Faggiano museum, stone steps up

It was just Mr. Faggiano and his sons doing the work until the State archaeologists were called in. One archaeologist was sent to supervise, but the digging remained a family affair, with most of the artifacts carted off to museums to be analysed. I've included some photos that may give you a feeling for it, from my eyes, anyway.

reclining female, Faggiano Museum (Janet Strayer photo)

Museo Archaeologico

What is now called the Museo Archaeologico Faggiano is a wonderful tribute both to the Faggiano family's efforts and to the civilizations that lived here before them. Visit this website link and make it a unique  part of any visit to southern Italy. In this ordinary-from-the-outside house setting, you feel like an explorer, yourself. Spiral metal staircases lead down to the lowest chambers. You can walk on sturdy mirrored floor coverings to see historical excavations beneath the current floor and, in other places, walk the stone steps yourself.

jumble of terracotta remains found in Fabbiano house (Janet Strayer photo)

A World of Cultural History Beneath an Ordinary House

It is the surprise of this apparently "ordinary house" setting that makes everything unique. Within it, you walk through layers upon layers of history -- made very accessible through years of work. You are walking upon this region's earliest settlements, Greek Messapian culture, ancient Roman, Medieval to Byzantine cultures, and onward. Serving as places of worship, ancient burial rites, convents, hiding secrets within it. There is an underground system of caves clearly visible and partly open to exploration, which continues in different directions, including one ending at the ancient Roman amphitheatre in the center of Lecce.

The Knights Templar are a most active presence in the hidden tunnels and cisterns (now unearthed) that go down farther than I wished to. Templar  etchings are visible on the walls, and the tower they used to scan for trouble remains intact.The chambers unearthed and other discoveries are numbered, along with informative explanations. Climbing to the top of the tower of the house, you would once have spotted possible invaders from the east (Ottoman invasions occurred). Now the view it is surrounded by the rooftops of other houses.

Though it is now called a 'museum' (for all the museum-quality artifacts and architectural remains in it), the outstanding feature of the Faggiano is that is was, and remains, a living house. It just happens to be a house that goes down to reveal layers upon layers of human history. It is an extraordinary experience to wander within it and through time. It was a great afternoon's adventure to travel thousands of years within this one private house. The invitation remains open. Thank you for our visit!

More Creative Life News

You can read and see more recent posts about Italy plus other travels and creative adventures by this itinerant artist at my  Creative Life News site here.

Regards, Janet @ https://www.janetstrayer.com

Living in Lecce (Puglia) Part 1

In the Heel of the Boot of Italy

photo credits

Arrival in Lecce, a city of modest size at the center of Italy's Salento Peninsula, occurred at night after a long and uninteresting drive southeast from the Rome airport. We came to this special city , touted by guidebooks as one of the most beautiful in Italy.   Located on the stiletto heel of Italy's boot, it's a fine place from which to explore Puglia one the economically poorer regions of Italy. But not poorer in historical or, as I've come to see, in scenic and  cultural interests.

It is very different here from mid and northern Italy, which we've lived in previously, and will again. Here we are at the heel's tip of Italy, set narrowly between  the Ionian and the Adriatic Seas. This is a land marked by its flatness in all directions. It might be compared  to the prairies back home, but it is so different in its vegetation, colours, and scenic outlook that you know you are living elsewhere.

And living elsewhere is exactly the point of these travels: changing perspectives, experiencing life a bit differently, eyes open to the familiar because it has become unfamiliar. Even the sky here is different, spreading itself closer to the ground and sea. This region is a haven for sea-lovers. It's too cold now to swim at its beaches, and the winds can be strong ones, as the rainstorms have been this winter season.

 The land outside the cities can be fairly bleak, though the nearness of both its seas makes for some lush watering holes and interesting old ports. As you travel, the land is filled with acres of olive groves, many close enough to the highways to see the characteristic silvery-green of the leaves and the gnarled, thick trunks of the ancient trees, pruned since before Roman times. In fact, the culturally influential origins of this region are Greek, with pre-historic settlers coming across the Ionian Sea, and the early artifacts found across this area typical of ancient Greece. I'm looking forward to visiting some museum sites to see and learn more.

An Apartment Just Outside the Old Walled City  

We're renting  a large and comfortable apartment, conveniently located a walk away from the historical walled city of Lecce, with its famously Baroque architecture and beautifully gold-yellow stone that is characteristic of this location. Winter it is ...and it does feels like it, but still there are cacti and some flowers in bloom on the terrace. Ah, the eternal hope this gives! 

Our apartment has a genteel, retro feel to it, a feeling of having been well lived-in .... as witnessed by this old radio console and accoutrements atop it.

original artwork by T.F., photo by J.Strayer

There is also some charming art on its walls, some of it done by the original owner, a physician who also painted.
 
Along with the paintings is this interesting ceramic piece from Calabria. Altogether a very pleasant place to reside, with pleasant memories still alive.

photo by Janet Strayer

From the terrace of our apartment, you can see the campanile of the Duomo in the center of the old walled city. It's just a brief walk from here.
 

photo by Janet Strayer

Campanile, photo credits --a blog I recommend

Looking Not Painting

I've tried to do a bit of sketching and painting here myself. I put plastic on a table and cardboard on the floor, to keep all clean and tidy. But I feel constrained in the space and limited to small studies and experiments. Maybe that's all I'll do while here. But it's all worth just being here and absorbing what I can. It's always been the case that travels and living in different parts of the world have influenced what and how I paint, though it's not always obvious (to me or to others) at the time. We'll see, I guess.

Piazza del Duomo in Lecce

The main piazza of historic Lecce is a surprise to come upon as you walk through the old walled part of the city's diverging streets and  pathways. The 12th century Duomo was restored in mid 18th century by the architect G. Zimbalo, regarded as the master of what has become known as the Leccese Baroque style so typical of this area.The Duomo has an impressive facade facing the piazza and a very tall campanile beside it. It's the campanile I notice most, its structure so compact yet directed so high you can barely see the bell as you look up from the groundstones. But it is  the combined impact of all that constitutes this piazza that impresses most -- especially as you surprisingly come upon it, tucked away, as it were, amidst the angling streets.

The Piazza del Duomo strangely has always been sunlit, even on cloudy days. It's a calm and pleasing rectangular space with interestingly  proportioned buildings and decorated stonework. The yellowish Leccese stonework and decorative architectural touches are typical of much the old city, giving it all a harmonious feeling.  

Lecce is not particularly known for its painters: none in Italy's south rival those nurtured from the pre-Renaissance, with its prosperous patrons living further north. But a tradition of rather fanciful Baroque architecture did develop, and the area is rich in historic Roman, medieval and Renaissance structures and monuments.

Ancient Roman Amphitheatre

Notably, at the beginning of the 20th century, a Roman amphitheatre of the Augustan age was unearthed beneath Lecce's streets. It remains the main feature of Piazza Sant'Oronzo, a large central piazza in the heart of the old city, surrounded by outdoor cafés and shops, in some of which Lecce's skilled artisans still practice the ancient craft of papier-maché, notable in this locale.

Roman amphitheater in Lecce (Janet Strayer photo)

For me, the main artistic interests in Lecce are architectural ones, in contrast to the splendid paintings and frescoes seen further north in Italy. But there ismuch to delight in, especially while walking upon ancient pavements, some filled with amazing mosaics, or looking up at finely decorated wooden ceilings and Norman arches, or at cathedral columns festooned with an incredible number of angel-cupids and other fabulously plentiful creations. Even in the less palatial houses in Lecce's historic center, you can often look up to balconies supported by caryatids and to cornices filled with faces created centuries ago. 

As for the people-watching, there aren't many tourists this time of year, and we try to blend in as much as possible.. as you can see in this photo:

photo by Janet Strayer

Street Music

Now is definitely not tourist season here, and foreigners are easy to spot. But the folk here are very friendly (except when driving!). There is an off-season sense of reality in contrast to the showiness that seems to accompany any city at tourism's heights. But there's also still a good sense of show here. Take, for example, this distinguished and appropriately well  attired busker with his dulcimer. He played beautifully in Lecce's old streets, and was most gracious to his admirers.

 

Costumed busker with dulcimer in Lecce (Janet Strayer photos

 

There's still very much to explore and learn in Lecce. But we also want to see other remarkable places in Puglia. Thankfully,  we have some time to do it.  And hopefully, I'll find the  time to keep you posted. 

Happy trails to you as well!

More Creative Life News

You can read and see more about Italy plus other travels and creative adventures by this itinerant artist at Creative Life News here.