Tag: bellanapoli

The Fabulous Prince of Laughter

Posted on by alice

In this time of great challenges due to the outbreak of coronavirus disease, we of Naples Fabulous wanted to share a post about an extraordinary person who will hopefully bring some lightness to your days. We’ve been trying to keep our spirits high through reading, music, films and art about Naples and we thought: who better to represent Neapolitan resilience and spirit than this Neapolitan character?

Totò is one of the most beloved figures of the Neapolitan history, art and folklore. But though he has worked with some of the most iconic actors in the history of cinema like Anna Magnani, Vittorio de Sica, Sophia Loren, Mastroianni and movie directors such as Monicelli and Pasolini, many people outside of Italy do not know the work of one of the greatest Neapolitan figures of all time. However, to Italians, he is considered to be one of the most extraordinary comic geniuses of all time.


Totò and Anna Magnani

He went by Totò or simply Antonio de Curtis but actually has an incredibly long name. Starting out as Antonio Clemente, he was born in the heart of Naples – his beloved Sanità – in 1881 to Anna Clemente and the nobleman Giuseppe de Curtis, who never recognized him. He always knew of his noble blood but it wasn’t until he was 35 that he was formally adopted by the Marquis Francesco Maria Gagliardi Focas di Tertiveri. Therefore he inherited a long list of names and a noble title, from which comes the nickname “the prince of laughter”.

Walking the streets of Naples you’ll see icons of his image everywhere, not just in the Sanità. To Neapolitans, Totò represents honour and talent, pride and purpose; he was a champion for the poor and is a symbol of hope. His spirit is woven into the collective conscious of this city and that crooked nose and pointy chin, broken a youth, are as ubiquitous as the landscape of the Vesuvius or the image of the Pizza Margherita or the outline of Capri in the Gulf of Naples. Most bars have a photo or ceramic figure that might be placed alongside an image of the Madonna or Maradona.


Totò by Salvatore Scuotto 2017 – donated by Rober Lèon

To many he is considered to have achieved a uniqueness in comic-tragic style like that of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton or Stan Laurel. Comparisons have even been made with his physicality and the movement technique of Michael Jackson. He grew up poor with an unparalleled work ethic that would accompany him during his entire life. Long after he achieved fame and celebrity, living the bella vita in Rome, he never lost connection with his roots in Naples and was always committed to helping the poor not only in his beloved hometown but everywhere.
His characters in the over 100 films he performed in were often poor, clever people who would, through his iconic, often improvised puns philosophise on the current state of the world and the human condition. This way of living humour through tragedy is emblematic of the Neapolitan spirit and what makes his prolific career symbolic of the triumph of a man who started his life in utter poverty.
His work, rooted in the Commedia dell’Arte tradition, started in Naples at age 15 and would then take him to the stages of Rome where he’d marry his first wife Diana Bandini Rogliani. A few years prior to making his film debut, he’d have a daughter, Liliana whose name would be a source of speculation. Totò had had an affair with the actor Liliana Castagnola whose haunting suicide would remain a mystery for the duration of his life. Though his marriage was dissolved in 1940, Diana and Totò would remain connected until she met another man and Totò married the much younger Franca Faldini.

He’s considered a genius for his comic abilities but his career and art expanded to song writing, music and poetry which had a depth recognised by many and celebrated today. Toto’s most famous song is Malafemmena (Wayward Woman), dedicated to his ex wife Diana.
Often when walking the streets of Naples you’ll hear a trace of one of his songs or, even better, musicians or posteggiatori will serenade diners at the local trattorias which will almost always lead to a sing-a-long of his famous melody.
Here is one of his poems, also engraved in an inscription outside the historic Caffé Gambrinus:

‘A cunzegna

The exchange
In the evening when the sun goes back home
And changes shifts with the moon for the night,
The sun whispers in the moon’s ear
“I’m going home:
Take care of all the lovers!”

Totò is a link between two generations of Italy. People of all ages (and social strata) fluidly repeated his jokes, his gestures and entire phrases from his film by heart because his genius has just as much relevancy in today’s world.
Fifty years later Totò’s films still make people laugh, demonstrating the modernity of his humour and some of his characters. He grew up in the densely populated neighbourhood Sanità which was a source for much of his material. As a child he observed his neighbours and the most extravagant people who he would later incorporate into comical characters in his performances. This earned him the nickname of “ ’o spione ” (the spy).
In Sanità you can see representations of Totò on every wall and there are two large light installations dedicated to him, one of his outline and the other with an inscription in Neapolitan of his delicate love poem “Core analfabeta” (Illiterate heart). They both welcome those entering into Totò’s native neighbourhood.

Baroque churches, noble buildings, a bustling market with perfume of delicious food and the voices of the authentic Naples captivate and lead us to the discovery of the many faces of the prince of laughter.
Federico Fellini said “His capacity of making us laugh should make him a saint” and in actuality, our fabulous Naples has sanctified him!


Palazzo dello Spagnuolo

The tarallificio Poppella (taralli are typical Neapolitan savory snacks) celebrates Totò with a mosaic at the entrance to the shop as does the wine bar Sciò with a mural. All of the shops in the area have a photo of him and his cherished films.


taralli napoletani

The first “Vicolo della cultura” (cultural alley) in Italy, inaugurated in the Sanità in December 2019 honours him with a wall-painting amongst books free for whoever might want them. The non-profit organisation Opportunity seeks to challenge criminality with culture, colours, light and art. The portrait of Totò is found at the entrance of the itinerant library along with other celebrated Neapolitans such as Sophia Loren, Peppino De Filippo, Massimo Troisi and Pino Daniele.


Via Montesilvano

Yet it is at the Pizzeria e Trattoria Taverna di Totò where we would like to conclude our little homage to this artistic genius.
With happiness and a scrumptious pizza, a delicious potato crocchè and maybe a tasting of a fabulous side dishes of eggplant and friarielli, we will raise a glass to Totò’s wonderful legacy in the company of the kind server, always ready to entertain customers with a genuine smile, in the spirit of the immortal prince of laughter.


pizza Cosacca

caffè freddo, please!

Posted on by alice

Alice: Fiorella, I’m craving a fabulous coffee in the shade. Is it possible?
Fiorella: Bar Marino! Not trendy at all, but Salvatore makes an excellent, strong coffee and we can sit in the shade of Porta San Gennaro, the oldest door of the city.
Alice: I love Bar Marino. It’s just enough out of the bustle of the crowds and it a perfect postcard of a typical Neapolitan street scene. But it’s hot, it’s so hot… I don’t think I can manage to drink a hot espresso.
Fiorella: You can get a caffè freddo! It’s a perfect Neapolitan drink for the summer. Forget about Frapuccinos. It is just cold, iced espresso with sugar. Perfect for the nearly 100 degree heat. And Bar Marino has such a nice breeze under the arch of the great door of the city.
Alice: Yes, please!
In Naples coffee is the great connector. Wherever you go, in any situation, you’ll share a coffee. In tragedy, happiness, stress, in everyday life, there will be coffee. You can have it delivered anywhere -even just one coffee and even to my apartment with a five floor walk up. Most people have their favourite bar to start their day and Bar Marino is one of the places that carries on the Neapolitan tradition where the coffee is good, strong and served hot (or cold, if you prefer). Architects, teachers, tourists, students, artists and plumbers all crowd around the chrome of this old school establishment.
This not-so-swanky bar sits in front of one of the most historical pizzerias in Naples -Pizzeria Capasso- with the original marble doorway where many people have passed through, including the cast members of the acclaimed show “Gommorra”. Some of the staff were even featured in the series.
At the foot of Porta San Gennaro, which tells the story of the old Naples, the passing scooters, prams and groups of chattering people set the scene below.
Fiorella: If all the tables are occupied it might happen that an old lady with bags of food for Sunday lunch asks you to share the table with you… it doesn’t mean you have to have a conversation, it is only the fabulous Neapolitan humanity and friendly attitude.

Porta San Gennaro is the oldest gate of Naples, already documented in the 10th century. It was the only entrance in the city from the North, where the hill of Capodimonte and the catacombs of San Gennaro are…hence why it’s called Porta San Gennaro.
It was also known as the tufo gate because through it the tufa stones from the quarries of the Sanità entered the town.
It was originally next to the fabulous Baroque church of Gesù delle Monache (enter the church to admire the airy stuccoes by Lorenzo Vaccaro and Troise!!!). In 1537 because of the expansion of the walls under Don Pedro de Toledo Porta San Gennaro was moved to the nearby via Foria, it’s current location.
After the horrendous plague of 1656, Mattia Preti was commisioned to do the fresco including the Saints of Gennaro, Rosalia and Francesco Saverio imploring the end of the epidemic. The marble statue in front of the fresco represents San Gennaro and St Michele. Three years later the bust of San Gaetano was added inside the gate on specific request of the Theatini.
The niche with the Virgin surrounded by silver ex votoes was placed under the arch in 1887 in memory of the cholera outbreak in 1884 and is still worshipped by the locals.

A Fabulous Musical Street

Posted on by alice

Alice: I remember when I came to Naples eighteen years ago. It was a dark and rainy January and I would walk the historical centre, making friends with the people I’d meet at the shops and bars I spent time in to keep warm. One of the friends I made was working in a CD store on via Sebastiano I had stumbled upon because I was too shy to visit the stores, although I was fascinated by their instruments, especially their mandolins. He introduced me to local musicians like Pino Daniele, Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare, Almamegretta and 99 Posse. Along the street named after the once-present San Sebastiano Monastery and with its proximity to the Music Conservatory which has been visited by Rossini, Alessando Scarlatti, Bellini and Donizetti (among others), it is still the home to the biggest concentration of music instruments and equipment in Naples.

Fiorella: You are right! It is always nice to walk by the Conservatory and hear the musicians and singers practising.
Neapolitans are never tired of visiting this fabulous place.
The Royal Conservatory of San Sebastiano was established  in 1807 by King Giuseppe Bonaparte. In 1826 it was named Royal Conservatory of Music of San Pietro a Majella. It originated by fusing together three conservatories founded in the 16th century in the churches of Santa Maria di Loreto, Sant’Onofrio in Capuana and Pietà dei Turchini. The aim of the three institutions was to rescue children from the streets of Naples by housing them and educating them through music.
The conservatory and the adjacent church are part of the 14th century monastery of San Pietro a Majella, built at the end of the 13th century and dedicated to Pietro Angeleri, who became Pope as Celestine V in 1294.

The church is also a must-see! The transept is decorated with valuable frescoes dating from the 14th century, baroque marble inlays and a cycle of paintings by Mattia Preti, amongst the others. The fabulous 17 th century cloister with palm and banana trees and a monument to Beethoven by Francesco Jerace, leads to a second cloister and to the Conservatory.
The Conservatory library houses important manuscripts of the numerous composers  who lived and worked in Naples.

Alice: Also Neapolitan-by-adoption like me love to walk down the narrow, tree-lined street and hear notes from guitars, violins and mandolins waft in and out of the doors of the stores. Music lovers will truly appreciate this corner of Neapolitan history. Don’t be shy like I was initially!We visited Giuseppe Miletti store as well as others the other day to buy a speaker and a mixer for upcoming concerts. Two hours and an impromptu concert later, we walked out smiling and in appreciation of Manuela’s patience for all the models she happily let us try!

When you leave via San Sebastiano, turn left at Spaccanapoli to check out the artisan street vendors and street musicians performing for the throngs of people walking by. If you’re looking for something to please your sweet tooth, there is Gay Odin which has some of the best chocolate and gelato in town.
In the late 19 th c. Isidoro Odin, a young chocolatier from Alba, come to Naples, one of the most important and populated European capitals. Naples was a melting pot where artists, aristocrats, scholars and food-lovers from all over Europe spent their time in the already colorful and busy streets of the city. The first classy and wonderfully smelling factory was opened in Chiaia, the area where it is still today. Isidoro worked day and night to create delicious new delicacies and surprise the Neapolitan fine palates. Gay Odin chocolate was and is still today considered one of the best in town. All phases of production are handmade, from chocolate roasting to packaging. Packaging is still the original from paper with vintage images to fabulous boxes representing Naples’ vedutas and guaches. One of the reasons why it is in the registry of Italy’s historical places.
Fiorella: Hungry for something more substantial? Try out the pizza at historical Pizzeria Lombardi.
Pizzeria Lombardi a Santa Chiara is a 5 th generation pizzeria, decorated with majolica tiles inspired from the next door cloister of Santa Chiara. The first pizzaiolo in the family started in 1892 in his bare basso (street level home) in vico Limoncello where calzoni with ricotta and maybe cicoli or simply tomato sauce were coming out from a frying pan and sold for few liras to the neighbours. Four generations have made pizzas every day in the historical center.
A coffee is also mandatory in 70s original style Settebello bar, a bohemian spot where whoever desire to play the piano is welcome…be advised though that the owner, Pino, is an expert in classical music. Also, his fabulous nephew is a musician who studies music and plays piano between serving one espresso after another. Intellectuals, street artists, old professors, street vendors and students are all sitting at the tables of this welcoming corner, where table service is not charged.

 

Fabulous Festival in the Sanita’

Posted on by alice

We’ve written about the Sanità before because it is near and dear to our hearts. It’s a thriving market in the middle of street art and historical landmarks. It’s a place where people call you by name and it has an uncontaminated charm full of artists wanting to be off the radar, families, tourists and students. Naples is a very unique city in many respects as it is a city which welcomes people in the same way that a small town might do so. The Vergini, an area of the Sanità right off of Piazza Cavour is seems like a town within a city and since 2016 they’ve been hosting bi-annual street parties which the whole city (and tourists) love to go to. Although many neighborhoods in Naples have their own form of festivals, often connected to food, the parties at the Vergini is something a bit out of the ordinary. It feels like a sort of Homecoming party/Carnival where the normal shops host budding DJs, stages are set up where normally market stalls would be to host actors, dancers and singers

 

and food shops cook fresh fish and fried pizza outside of their doors for all the passersby. You might find yourself in the middle of a spontaneous street karaoke session or a dance party in front of a church or a wine bar.

 

On your way to the party, you cannot miss the famous Porta San Gennaro. Look up to the arch whose fresco by Mattia Preti represents the Immaculate Conception holding the baby and surrounded by angels. At the sides of the Madonna we see a kneeling St. Francis Xavier and St. Gennaro offering her his blood, a haggard woman on the steps in the lower section of the fresco symbolizes the plague and the two marble statues represent St. Gennaro and Michael. The artist  was charged with painting tributes to the Madonna on all the city gates after the plague epidemic in 1656 and this is the only fresco that has survived.

On the other side of the gate is a bust of St Gaetano and under the arch we see a shrine showing the Virgin, located here since 1887 to remind us of salvation from another epidemic (Asiatic disease) that shook Naples in 1884.

Originally located in proximity of via Settembrini, at the beginning of the 16th c, under the Vice-Kingdom of Don Pedro de Toledo, the city walls were enlarged and the gate was moved to is present location. The name remained the same as the gate gave access to both the catacombs of San Gennaro and the church of San Gennaro extra moenia (outside the city walls).

Porta San Gennaro and the permanent light installation dedicated to Totò the famous actor who was born in the Sanità district

Take in the art of this historic part of the city wall before getting your fill of food and music in The Vergini at today’s much-anticipated event of The Sanità Ta Ta featuring many artists such as Galera De Rua, Tartaglia Aneuro and Tommaso Primo.

If it’s late enough when  you finish celebrating, you can return to right below Porta San Gennaro to check out the all night stands along Via Foria who are open for the Epiphany tradition of candy-filled stockings that the children will find in the morning.

 

A Fabulous Night Among the Artichokes

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Alice: Fiorella, we have to tell the readers about our Friday night in the Vergini!

Fiorella: Who would’ve thought that we would be at a party around pineapples, art students, families and one of the funniest DJs I have heard in a long time!

Alice: When you told me about a party at Ciro, our favorite vegetable seller, I had to go to see what a night dancing to Neapolitan 90’s pop while buying vegetables for Saturday’s lunch looked like.

Fiorella: And it looked FABULOUS.

Alice: Every day this bustling market street hosting Palazzo dello Spagnolo and the famous Ciro Oliva pizzeria is full of cars and mopeds and baby strollers and people going every which way to buy fish, socks, oranges, a newspaper or mozzarella but Friday night it was magical. There was a new energy where the stands used to be which connected artists from around the city, locals, tourists and two of the best up-and-coming bloggers in the area to relax, sip wine, dance and eat delectable, homemade sandwiches filled with ingredients from Ciro’s mom like meatballs, friarielli and eggplant Parmesan.

Fiorella: It was unforgettable! I loved how Ciro, still dressed in his work clothes, was dancing next to the DJ while he continued to sell his fruit and vegetables.

Alice: That is Naples for you…a surprise around every corner. Where else can you find this kind of spontaneous creativity?

 

 

 

RIA ROSA: A FABULOUS NEAPOLITAN CHARACTER

Posted on by alice
Fiorella: Alice I know that you are a big fan of varietà theatre and that you also studied all of the theatres of Naples. Haven’t you also done researches on cafè chantant which inspired your performances? It is a world which isn’t that well known as an important facet of the life and culture of Naples.
You, an American in Naples, you made me fall in love with my compatriot Ria Rosa!
Alice: It is seriously a joy to share with those reading a little about the biography of a woman so revolutionary and ironic!
Historically, Naples is a city of  theatre, music and film: it has the oldest Opera House in Europe which was opened here in 1737. Did you know that Enrico Caruso was from Naples?
More recently Pino Daniele, beloved in all of Italy composed blues songs in Neapolitan dialect. You cannot forget about the actors such as Vittorio De Sica, Totò, Sofia Loren among others who are etched in the fabric of this dramatic city.
Many say that Naples is a stage. You hear the notes it in the voices of those selling fish in the morning, in the calls of the lemon granita vendors on Via Dei Tribunali, on the street corners with buskers playing music from all over the world, in the piazzas full of performances of every type and the way people tell a story to their best friend over coffee.
A few years ago I had an opportunity to spend a summer researching women in theatre and music during Naples heyday at the Fondo De Mura in Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino).
The Belle Epoque with the Festival of Piedigrotta, Salone Margherita and a pervasive culture of performance produced exceptional writers, actors, dancers and musicians but there was one woman who I came across, Ria Rosa (Maria Rosaria Liberti), who changed the
face of the traditional Neapolitan song. I had to put her song “Preferisco il ‘900” (I prefere the 20th century) in my show which she wrote in Neapolitan the early 30’s in New York.
New York is the city where she settled after doing a tour there in her early 20’s:
My boyfriend is not modern, he prefers the 19 th century. Instead, I like the 20 th century
Every day I get so angry!
This girdle needs to be loosened, it is such a waste of time
Lipstick, cigarettes, men’s trousers… he doesn’t want to see any of it, he would rather die!
Instead, I want to do all of those things just to spite him
I want to smoke, I want to wear lipstick on my lips!  What’s wrong with that?
I want to go walking in the sand of Coroglio Beach, I love the smell of the beach there!

Coroglio Beach     

Il mio fidanzato non é moderno, gli piace l’Ottocento, a me invece piace il Novecento e tutti i giorni mi devo intossicare (arrabbiare).
Il corpetto va allacciato, questo spreco non mi piace. Il rossetto, la sigaretta, i pantaloni alla maschietto… non vuole vedere nulla di questo. Che lo possano ammazzare!
E io invece per dispetto lo voglio fare. Voglio fumare e il rosso sulle labbra voglio vedere! Che male c’è?
Sulla spiaggia di Coroglio mene vado a passeggiare. Sulla sabbia, sugli scogli ma che odore che ci sta.
She went to New York and never looked back. In a world dominated by male composers, agents and producers, she was one of the only women to write and perform her own songs. In contrast to the other songs of immigration, love and family being performed by others who had left the home country, she chose not to adhere to the traditional themes of that time and penned lyrics with social and political importance.
One of the best things about her music is that she never lost the roots of her native Napoli. Not only are the songs in the Neapolitan dialect, they are full of details about the streets, the people and the landscape of the city. Fabulous!
Today when I perform the song, charged with irony and humor but the honesty of having to fight for the freedom of expression, I try to think of all of the courage it took to leave her country and blaze a path for other female performs to come after her.
When Igo to Coroglio beach, a place where music echoes on the water all night at the clubs dotting the coastline, I think of Ria Rosa in New York, imagining herself in trousers, walking unaccompanied in the sand, cigarette in hand and the reddest of lipstick on her.

The Miracle of San Gennaro

Posted on by alice

Three Days of the Feast

The Feast of the Patron Saint Gennaro falls on September 19 in memory of the the martyrdom of San Gennaro which presumably occurred in 305 AD.

There are two other feasts of note during the year:

On the Saturday before the first Sunday of May (in memory of the transport of the remains of the body of the Saint from Montevergine to Naples) a similar celebration is held. Followers crowd the Cathedral and pray that the miracle of the liquefaction of San Gennaro’s blood is repeated. The first known occurrence of the blood phenomenon was in 1389.

Both in May and September, the celebration is followed by the “octave”: a period of eight days during which the casing container of the blood is exposed to the public for the traditional kiss.

The third celebration is on December 16th which dates back from 1632, the year following the terrible eruption of Vesuvius. According to tradition, San Gennaro saved his beloved Naples from the eminent tragedy.

The Spectacle of the Miracle

The ceremony of San Gennaro is a perfect snapshot of Naples with its contrast and social complexities that coexist and come together for this unique event. The cathedral is filled to the brim with believers, onlookers and tourists while the highest ecclesiastic authorities, the mayor, the noble Delegation of San Gennaro and representatives made up of illustrious descendants of the Bourbons and San Gennaro’s ancestors are there to directly witness the miracle.

 

The Parenti di San Gennaro (Relatives of St. Gennaro), seated on the first pews soberly and somberly recite their rituals and prayers in the Neapolitan dialect. This congregation of women exalt the saint, praying in a respectful but also personal and familiar way:

San Gennaro mio fa tu ca io nun ne pozzo proprio cchiù and arrimmierece chisti guaje (I cannot take it anymore..fix my troubles…). Naples is forever in a state of emergency or in disarray so the ritual is always relevant, unfortunately!

The cardinal holds the vial with the blood and shows how it is still coagulated.

For the relatives waiting is not a good sign so the prayers become even more insistent as if they were yelling from their balconies to call to their child playing ball in the street below. San Gennà… Facci ‘a grazia…Faccia gialla fa ‘o miracolo.

San Gennaro…have mercy on us, Yellow Face give us a miracle. Faccia gialluta-Yellow Face is the nickname of the saint, referencing the golden bust representing him. Even if the sound of the nickname might be offensive, it is also is quite personal and informal.

When the blood liquifies a distiguished member of the Delegation waves a white handkerchief towards the applauding crowd.

Naples-New York

On the same day Little Italy in New York celebrates San Gennaro as well. How did it begin? The Neapolitan immigrants who were owners of a bar on Mulberry Street built a small chapel dedicated to San Gennaro where they collected offers for the poor people of the neighborhood. This is where the celebration began. Now the celebration lasts 11 days where the main theme is food: the zeppole pastries which remind the descendants of the immigrants of the sweet Neapolitan flavor.

In Naples, in addition to the torroni nougats sold on the stands between Via Duomo and Via Foria, in the last few years a pasticceria has invented a new pastry: the hat of San Gennaro!

 

 

If you are not able to be in Naples on one of the three days but you would like to witness the miracle of the liquefying blood in a streamlined way, every Tuesday morning at San Gregorio Ameno church you can observe the liquefying of Saint Patrizia. Believe it or not, it is a great excuses to visit a fabulous late Baroque style church.

 

The story continues … The day after the miracle of San Gennaro people play numbers at the lotto.

Fabulous San Giovanni a Carbonara

Posted on by alice

Fiorella: Apart from pizza and pastries, Naples is famous for archaeology and lots of Baroque…one of the many interesting contrasts of this city. And if you look hard enough, you can find gems of the Renaissance in this fabulous città d’arte.

Alice: I love the Baroque in Naples but it is so great to find those rare places that are examples of other styles. Do you have some favorite spots?

Fiorella: The church of Sant Anna dei Lombardi, the sepulcher for Cardinal Brancaccio by Donatello and Michelozzo in the church of Sant’Angelo al Nilo, the Succorpo in the Duomo and the marble arch of Castel Nuovo are some of the best but I think one of the most notable examples of the local Renaissance is the church of San Giovanni a Carbonara.

Only a few minutes walking from the Duomo and the MADRE museum, in via San Giovanni a Carbonara you find this amazing site where I lead tours to visitors who want to stay away from the typical tourists routes.

Alice: Sometimes off-the-beaten path is the best! I want to know more about Napoli Renaissance. Can we walk there together for a short guided tour? We should also specify that Carbonara has nothing to do with the famous Italian pasta dish that I love so much. However, let’s promise our readers that after the visit they can have a break at the close-by Rescigno bakery, a gluten (and not only) paradise.

Fiorella: Exactly! Carbonarius, indeed, was a place outside the city walls where refuse was collected and burned…not inviting at all.

Alice: By refuse, do you mean trash? But San Giovanni is so pretty!

Fiorella: The complex of San Giovanni was built in the 1340s in this restyled area and dedicated to St. John the Baptist. During the reign of King Ladislao di Durazzo it became the Royal cemetery. Damaged during the earthquake of 1688, it was restructured in the 18th c. by Ferdinando Sanfelice, our beloved Neapolitan architect famous for its spectacular double flight staircases.  Remember our post about the 5 Fabulous Things of Naples?

Climbing the stairs, half way up, we see the Chapel of Saint Monica with its 15 entrances. Continue up the steps-

Alice: Wait, how many steps exactly?

Fiorella: Do not complain-a fabulous surprise is waiting for you. Plus, you are a pro at stairs, I know you live on the fifth floor with no elevator! Anyway, after a little bit of a walk upstairs, you will finally reach the church of San Giovanni. So worth it. And remember we are going to Rescigno afterwards for some of the most delicious snacks ever!

The courtyard is also the entrance to the Cappella Seripando, called the chapel of Crucifix after Giorgio Vasari painted the Crucified Christ (1545) now in the presbytery of the church of San Giovanni.

Suppressed as religious order, the complex was used by military and then bombed in WWII. It was later restored and returned to its origin. The XV century portal, once a side entrance, leads into the church.

Alice: This place is fascinating. Another example of the layers of history around every corner of this city.

Fiorella: The first monument we see is the Miroballo Altar (second half of the15th c.) that reminds us of the arch of Castel Nuovo.

 

Alice: That arch is another one of my favorites as well…anyway, go on!

Fiorella: The Sepulchre of Giovanni Miroballo is a round arch, decorated with statues of saints ending with a tympanum on which St. Michael stands. The central niche, in the arch shows St. John the Evangelist by Giovanni da Nola, and the virtues: Temperance, Strength, Prudence and Justice.

In the tympanum you see the founders of the chapel with the Virgin Mary, Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. The chapel, is considered to be the work of Lombard artists. Probability Jacopo della Pila, Tommaso Malvito, G.T.Malvito and may be Pietro da Milano, in Naples to work for King Alfonso of Aragon at the Arch of Castel Nuovo which is the triumphal arch celebrating his accession to the throne.

Walking towards the altar, amongst sculptures and paintings, you reach the 15th c. Chapel of Caracciolo di Vico (to the left of the presbytery) with a concentric square marble floor and a white cupola which repeats the same geometric motif. The chapel shows the work of the most important sculptors working in Naples between the 15th and 17th c. Giovanni da Nola, Girolamo D’Auria and Annibale Caccavello amongst the others.

Bartolomé Ordóñez and Diego de Siloe are the two foreign artists who realized the altar in around 1516. Active also in Rome, they were familiar with classical sculpture and Raphael’s work. More decisive and dynamic is Ordóñez style, fluid and softer de Siloe’s. The Epiphany in the center, indeed, is attributed to Ordóñez. Here the draperies and the features of the Magi and the other characters are well defined. While Saint George who kills the dragon and the other figures dressed in light fluid drapes would seem to be by de Siloe as well as the flat sculpted Christ on the frontal altar.

Leaving this exquisite space we reach the apse where the impressive Sepulcher of King Ladislao di Durazzo dominates the scene. It was commissioned by his sister who inherited the throne as Giovanna II and it is dated 1428. On the first level of the gigantic monument are the frescoes by Leonardo da Besozzo and statues representing the Virtues with their iconographic elements: Temperance, who pours water into wine; Strength with the column of Samson; Prudence with the snake; Magnanimity who holds a shell with a cherub.

On the second level we see Ladislao and Giovanna II on the throne. At the side of them we can see Military Virtue with the globe and Hope with cupped hands and Charity with a horn of plenty and two maidens and Faith with a goblet.

There is also Giovanna the Queen who descends from a valorous brother and royalty continues on top of the arch where Ladislao’s parents, Carlo III and Margherita di Durazzo are found. Can you see the bishop blessing the king, the Madonna and child together with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Augustine, protecting him?

An opening between the statues of the Virtues leads onto the Chapel of the Caracciolo del Sole family, commissioned by Sergianni Caracciolo, lover of Queen Giovanna II.

 

Alice: Wait, a lover? Scandalous! I guess that is nothing new.

 

 

Fiorella: Yes, he was not a very faithful lover however. Appointed by the Queen as Great Seneschal, he was an ambitious man, ready to do anything in order to obtain office and riches, he betrayed even Giovanna and this eventually led to his murder in 1432.

The chapel is circular and completely frescoed (15th c.) with Stories of the Virgin’s life. Look at the scene in which St. Anna gave birth to Mary: there is a woman looking out of the window with washing hung up outside; another, on the ground floor, is cleaning a chicken.

Alice: Not much has changed in Naples in terms of the washing hanging outside although I don’t think I have ever seen anyone cleaning a chicken! Yet.

 

 

Fiorella: The fabulous floor of this chapel dates back to early 15th c. Local craftsmen created these zoomorphic motifs, vegetable elements and portraits. In some tiles, you see a sun, symbol of the Caracciolo del Sole (Caracciolo of the Sun) family.

Sergianni’s sepulcher was commissioned by his son about ten years after his assassination to celebrate the power of the Seneschal.

 

Alice: There is so much here to take in. A perfect place to wander, explore and take in art and architecture without the hustle and bustle of throngs of tourists. I am getting hungry, though…

Fiorella: Ok, ok, I know just the place to take you. But before you leave the church, take in what remains of the 15th c. fresco of the Annunciation and if it’s sunny don’t miss the little balconies next to the church with washing and a Naples-style panaro (basket) hung up outside.

 

 

Are you ready for a coffee and a Naples-style snack? You know we are not  yogurt-and-an-apple type snackers and the near-by Rescigno bakery offers a wide selection of savory and sweet treats to commit an understandable sin!

 

Alice: I mean, didn’t we earn it? All those stairs! I will take two taralli, please!

Fiorella: Just two taralli? They are so delicious but there are so many choices of wonderful things to go for. You can taste a frittatina di maccheroni (pasta and béchamel which is breaded and fried), a focaccia with so many perfect toppings to choose from. But have you tried their primi piatti?

Alice: Yes, of course! You know I love my carbs and this place has so many choices. One of my favorites first dishes at Rescigno is sartù di riso which takes a while to make but only minutes to devour. Sartù is the Neapolitan elaboration of the French word sur tout (above all). Sartù comes from when chefs created this fusion dish to please the Bourbon nobility. It is a perfect blend of ragù meat sauce, rice, and tiny meatballs (sometimes salami) and then baked with breadcrumbs to perfection. I think I will take one tarallo for the road and enjoy this amazing dish.

 

 

p.s. Thanks to Raffaele Lello Mastroianni for the photo of the Crucifix by Vasari

 

 

 

A Night At The Museum

Posted on by alice

Alice: Hey, Fiorella! What did you do yesterday?

Fiorella: Well, Alice, I was in Pompeii and Herculaneum. I think Vesuvius might have been cooler than at the Villa Dei Misteri in 98 degree heat. And you?

Alice: I also spent some time among antiquity…singing at the Archaeological Museum of Naples for their fabulous weekly summer concert series. https://www.museoarcheologiconapoli.it/it/2018/07/una-sera-al-museo-giovedi-destate-al-mann/

It was  a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to perform with Sergio Esposito in the courtyard surrounded by masterpieces of ancient art.

Fiorella: I can understand …how fabulous it must have been to have had important spectators in the crowd like the Zeus from Cuma, the Doriforo from Pompei, Afrodite from Capua and Nonio Balbo from Herculaneum….

Alice: And let’s not forget singing the blues into the eyes of the giant frog next to the the Star Wars spaceship. Ah…fabulous Naples!

Fiorella: Do you want to know something about some of the spectators from your concert?

Alice: Please! They were such a great audience!

ZEUS

The bust was found in the Forum of Cuma and dates from the 2nd c. AD. It depicts a colossal Zeus with long hair and a curly beard.
It was discovered in the Capitolium of Cuma together with the statues of Juno and Minerva.
Being an acrolith, it has no arms as the originals would have been in wood or another perishable material.

NONIO BALBO

The imposing equestrian statue of Marcus Nonius Balbus was donated by the inhabitants of Herculaneum to honour this illustrious man, who was also a benefactor and patron of the Vesuvian town. M. Nonius Balbus was praetor and proconsul of the provinces of Crete and Cyrene, tribune of the plebes in 32 BC and partisan of Ottaviano (Augustus). The head is an early-19th century work.

DORYPHOROS

During my tours at the museum, I introduce the Doryphoros to my nicest clients as my boyfriend…
This Doryphoros, possibly dating from the 1st century BC, is considered to be the best copy of the Greek bronze original by Polykleitos. It was found in Pompeii in the so-called Palestra Sannitica (Samnite Gymnasium). It most likely reminded young aristocrats of the importance of Greek culture and it represents a naked spear-bearer although the spear held by his left hand has been lost. His harmonious body follows the Greek letter X, chi, and the chiastic scheme (literary tecnique) that Polykleitos represents is noted in the body whose parts are in reciprocal opposition. Observe this symmetric body and you’ll see the X: the right arm is tensed and corresponds to the left leg which is bent, while the left bent arm corresponds to the tensed right leg.

Alice: Fabulous! I knew there was something special about him. He caught my eye as I was singing. Definitely the most handsome guy in the audience.

Fiorella: But did you notice Aphrodite?

APHRODITE

The sculpture of this graceful woman was found in Capua where it used to decorate the summa cavea (top seats) of the amphitheater which is the second largest amphitheater after the Colosseum, dating back to the beginning of the 2nd century AD. The fabulous Venus is half-naked, and her left foot stands on Ares’ helmet.
The arms are perhaps raised  to hold Ares’ shield to use it as a mirror. This beautiful lady was restored by Augusto Brunelli in 1820.

 

 

Singing The Beatles to a beautiful crowd interspersed with antiquities was nothing less than…fabulous!

 

 

Limoncello Fabulous

Posted on by alice

Recently I was staying in Procida for a few days and there was a lemon tree just begging to be picked. I added those lemons to ones from Capri my student had given me and voilà! After a few weeks I had a delicious liquer that now I need to make a second batch of because it was such a success (and quite strong). This time maybe I can use lemons from Ischia as well!

You have probably heard about limoncello, the after dinner drink that leaves your palate feeling fresh and your mood a little lighter!

How about impressing your friends with your own homemade version?

Before you fill up your house with the refreshing fragrance of the lemons, remember to only use organic, locally grown lemons (best if picked right from the tree).

In the heart of the Naples historical centre, at piazza San Gaetano you can find the Limonè factory. This family run business is a well-kept secret and you can even see how it is made while you are tasting it!

Fiorella: it is a place where I always go with my clients. I love it!

Why it is so fabulous? Apart from smelling the freshly peeled lemons by the lovely Roberta, the location of this small factory is unique. It was built on the site of the Church of San Gaetano, once the 1st-century temple of the Dioscuri in the Roman forum (formerly Greek agorà). The façade of the church shows two of the six Corinthian columns, at one time on the front of the temple and the basement of the church highlights a section of an opus reticulatum wall.

A similar structure can be seen in the factory, behind boxes, corks and glass bottles while an even older Roman well is visible in a corner of the room where the limoncello with lemons from the Phlegrean Fields is made. This place is a true gem to discover.

Alice: Fiorella, do you want to share your recipe? I am dying to try another way of making my favorite local digestive.

Fiorella: I can share my friend’s Enrico and Donatella recipe as I don’t make limoncello, I only drink it!

1 litre of pure cane alcohol

1100 ml water

600 gr sugar

You will need a large glass jar.

Peel 10 still green lemons (or 7 big ones) with a potato peeler and place them into the jar.

Avoid the white pith of the lemon skin under the yellow zest as it will make your limoncello bitter.

Add the alcohol to the jar with the lemon zest.

Cover the jar with plastic wrap and store it in a cool and dark place for 10 days

After 10 days add the sugar to the water by mixing it with a wooden or steel spoon until the sugar is fully dissolved. Strain the lemon peels from the alcohol and eliminate the peels.

Mix the sugar syrup into the glass jar with the alcohol.

Before serving your masterpiece, chill it in the freezer. Drink it. And feel fabulous.