The House of Dante

With all the amazing sites to see in Florence, it’s hard to find time to visit some of the lesser-known museums. During my spring trip to Italy, I took an hour or so to visit the Museo Casa di Dante (Museum House of Dante) because how could I pass up the chance to learn more about the man considered the father of the language I love so much?

A bust of Dante hangs on the outside wall of the Museo Casa di Dante.

Dante Alighieri was born in Florence in 1265 and the Museo Casa di Dante is said to be where he and his family lived. The museum is housed on three floors of a historic building in the heart of Florence. It was established in 1965 and offers a peek into the various aspects of Dante’s life. Dante, after all, wasn’t just the man credited with establishing the national language of Italy. He also was a politician and epic poet, whose “Divine Comedy” is one of world literature’s masterpieces.

Museo Casa di Dante in Florence

In addition to providing information about Dante, the museum looks at what was happening in Italy at different periods of Dante’s life. There’s a reproduction, for example, of what Italian soldiers wore way back when, as well as weapons from the Battle of Campaldino, in which Dante fought.

Reproductions such as this one of a soldier offer a glimpse into what life was like in Florence in the 14th century.

One of the most moving parts of the museum is the second floor, which includes information about Dante’s exile from Florence. One display case includes a reproduction of the “Libro del Chiodo,” or “Book of the Nail.” The book is a record of sentences handed down in Florence during the 14th century. It is called the “Book of the Nail” because it was bound in wooden covers and hung from a nail in the courtroom. Among the sentences in the book is Dante’s – if he ever returned to Florence, he was to be burned at the stake.

The "Libro del Chiodo," or "Book of the Nail"

The top floor of the museum is devoted to the “Divine Comedy” - a topic I could write about for days (but I won’t). It doesn’t take long to visit the Museo Casa di Dante, although most first-time visitors to Florence with limited time will no doubt choose to gaze at the David and try to conquer the Uffizi instead. But language and literature lovers should definitely stop by this small museum, which is located not far from the Duomo.                                                                             -post by JG

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Aperitivo

Aperitivo - one of my favorite Italian words. There really isn't a perfect English equivalent because aperitivo is more than just a drink, less than a meal, and fundamentally different than the American happy hour. Aperitivo is a wonderful part of the Italian culture - a social interlude between late afternoon and the evening meal (which typically isn't eaten until around 8 or 9 p.m.). 

Aperitivo at Bar San Michele, Lucca

Aperitivo time is around 6:30 or 7 p.m. and serves as a transition - a relaxing end to the day, a chance to connect with friends, and a slow meander toward dinner. We are not talking about a drink ordered at dinner and sipped while waiting for the meal to arrive. The aperitivo is an event all its own that most often occurs al bar (at the bar) before going to a restaurant to eat or before heading home for dinner. Italian bars are chameleons - the same bar that serves morning coffee becomes the perfect place for the evening aperitivo. How practical!

Piazza Cittadella, Lucca.

The Italian aperitivo consists of a glass of wine or a mixed drink plus a small appetizer. Traditional aperitivo drinks are on the lighter side - a prosecco or a glass of wine, a negroni (campari, vermouth, soda) or an aperol spritz. Most of the time small snacks arrive alongside the drinks. These may be as simple as a dish of peanuts or potato chips or may be as complex as a small buffet with bruschetta, miniature panini, or other savories. I've noticed the heartier offerings tend to start later in the evening, though this varies from bar to bar. 

 The bright orange drinks that everyone seems to be sipping on warm summer evenings in Italy are called aperol spritz. Aperol is a bitter made from oranges, herbs, and roots. It has a relatively low alcohol content (11 percent) which makes it perfect as an early evening drink. While the recipe for aperol itself is a secret, the spritz recipe is well known - mix 2 parts aperol with 3 parts prosecco and a splash of soda. Pour over ice and add a slice of orange. Simple! The slight bitterness may take a bit of getting used to, but after the first sip a spritz has a pleasing and refreshing taste. It's a typical aperitivo drink, made even better when sitting outside in a beautiful Italian piazza, with the sound of Italian chatter in the background, talking with friends or watching the theater of daily life in Italy.

Aperitivo in Piazza San Francesco, Lucca.

Luckily, aperitivo is an Italian tradition that can easily be recreated at home. If you come to my house on a summer evening I'll be serving aperol spritz on the back patio, along with my favorite marinated cheese. There may even be Italian music playing in the background. Head on over - let's have an aperitivo insieme (together).                                -post by JMB

I Portici di Bologna

Portico - the word is the same in Italian and English; portici is the Italian plural. The dictionary definition, "a porch or walkway with a roof supported by columns" (thefreedictionary.com), does not begin to describe the grandeur of Bologna's portico-lined walkways.

Bologna's earliest porticos date to the 11th century (with modifications and additions in later centuries) and are found throughout the historic center of town. They are as practical as they are beautiful. Originally, they allowed for additional living space to be built on upper floors, an important housing consideration in a town with a large student population. This was accomplished by extending living space above the areas used by the people passing underneath, creating both living space and covered walkways. The ceilings of the porticos are quite high - legend has it that they are a standard height, designed to accommodate a man on horseback.

The porticos open to the streets through a series of arches. 

Some of the earliest porticos were made of wooden beams and coverings, later banned and mostly removed. Today the porticos have brick or stone columns, arched openings, vaulted ceilings, and stone or marble pavements. As an additional practicality, the porticos offer protection from both rain and direct sun, making the streets of Bologna perhaps the most pleasant place to stroll in all of Europe.

This length of portico has beautiful columns and ceilings as well as marble flooring. 

​There are 38 kilometers (nearly 24 miles) of porticos in the historic center of Bologna, beneath which are a variety of shops, markets, cafes, and restaurants.

Under the portico along Via Ugo Bassi. 

A pretty flower market under the portico. 

The charming cafe Gamerini sits under a pretty stretch of portico along Via Ugo Bassi and Via S. Gervasio

A morning coffee or an afternoon tea at a cafe sotto il portico (beneath the portico) is a real treat!

Outside of the historic center is perhaps the most remarkable of all the porticos - the world's longest covered walkway, which leads to the Santuario di San Luca. This four-kilometer (roughly 2.5 miles) uphill portico has a total of 666 arches. It begins with a gentle rise from the Porta Saragozza and becomes progressively steeper as it climbs the hill toward the church. A massive and costly undertaking when it was built (late 1600s - mid 1700s), the arches were funded privately, many by families who built small shrines or chapels along the walkway (most now destroyed, only a few remain). Completing this walk really is a pilgrimage - and beautiful views and a lovely church await at the top (it's also possible to drive to the Santuario or take a tourist bus).

The all uphill portico leading to the Santuario di San Luca, Bologna. 

The Santuario end of the portal is un'ascesa ripida (a steep climb)!  

Bologna is a beautiful city, full of architectural, cultural, historic, and artistic interest. It's also a very walkable city - made all the more pleasant when strolling underneath i portici di Bologna.

                                                          -post by JMB

Italian Emigration

As a granddaughter of Italian immigrants, I was intrigued to recently visit a small museum in Lucca dedicated to telling the story of Italian emigration. It was in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the greatest number of Italians left their homeland in search of better lives. The majority – like my grandparents – came from southern Italy. That part of the country was mostly agricultural and impoverished. Italians from the south headed west – to North and South America - and to other parts of Europe as well.

The Museo Paolo Cresci in Lucca tells the story of Italian immigration from 1860 to 1960.

Italian emigration is like that of many other ethnic groups – in their new countries, immigrants largely had to take on jobs involving manual labor. Many traveled across the Atlantic by themselves, with few possessions other than their hopes for a better life. Once settled, they would send money home to help the family left behind.

The Museo Paolo Cresci in Lucca hosts photos and documents from some of those who made the transition. The items on display are taken from some 15,000 photographs and documents that Cresci collected from the families of those who emigrated.

Paolo Cresci collected more than 15,000 photos and documents from the families of Italians who emigrated.

Passports, transportation invoices and guides to new countries are among the items, as are black and white photos that starkly show the strain of the journey on the faces of those traveling. I found myself awed and humbled by their courage. People laden with all their belongings crowded onto ships for the voyage. Once they arrived, those who came to America sent postcards of the Statue of Liberty home to their families; it is fascinating to read the ones on display at the museum.

Family photos taken in the new country

The photos taken of these Italians after they resettled resemble many of my family’s old photos: children dressed for their First Holy Communion, families standing in their own homes. This time, the faces show pride for having “made it.” Wandering around the museum gave me time to think about what my forefathers sacrificed for their families. And it made me wish I had asked a lot more questions about the “old country” when I had the chance. I’m grateful that Lucca has this museum to help me find some answers.

The ceiling of Museo Paolo Cresci

The Museo Paolo Cresci looks at Italian emigration from 1860 to 1960 and admission is free. The building that houses the museum is worth a look all its own: it is a former chapel with a beautifully frescoed ceiling.

-post by JG

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An Antiques Market in Tuscany

Market days are part of the culture in cities and small towns throughout Tuscany. The general markets, featuring a variety of foods and household goods, travel from town to town visiting each on a rotating schedule. There are also arts and crafts markets filled with work by local artisans (read more about this type of market in the post Sunday in Lucca) and specialty markets associated with holidays, including the famous Christmas markets.

Mercato Antiquario, Lucca

My favorite of all the specialty markets is the Mercato Antiquario (Antiques Market), which comes to Lucca once a month on the weekend that includes the third Sunday. This market is huge, with more than 250 bancarelle (booths), which seem to spill from one pretty square to the next in and around the Piazze San Martino, San Giovanni, and San Giusto. Wandering the markets is a treat that combines the beauty of the squares, the sounds of spoken Italian, an amazing variety of antiques and collectibles, and ample opportunities to stop for a mid-morning cappuccino, people watch, and to soak in all the activity. 

Wouldn't these pieces look great in my (imaginary) apartment?

The mercato in Lucca is especially known for its beautiful furniture, ranging from rustic to elegant and polished. I wander these booths, mentally furnishing my Lucca apartment. As I wander, I pick out kitchen tables and china cabinets, bookshelves and reading chairs, and the perfect outdoor furniture for my imaginary terrace.

My apartment also needs dishware, lighting fixtures, art, and decorative items, all of which are found in abundance at this market. Sadly, my apartment is just imaginary and I can't buy any of these wonderful finds. But it's still fun to pick out the treasures I would like to have.

There are also booths selling interesting collectibles, everything from antique lock and key sets, to medical instruments, silverware, war memorabilia, vintage cameras, glassware, and linens. It's tempting to take some of these smaller items home with me, but there is simply no room in my suitcase. So I must leave these lovely things behind and plan to "shop" again on my next trip.                       -post by JB