Christmas Windows

Christmas has arrived in Lucca.

Throughout the historic center there are signs of the holiday everywhere. Piazzas large and small are home to Christmas trees, oversized ornaments, and beautiful light displays. The streets glow with overhead sparkle. It is just cold enough to feel like winter, but not too cold to be out at night enjoying the festive atmosphere.

And the shops!

Shopping is all the more fun for the whimsically decorated windows and elegant indoor displays. One of my favorite window displays is in the historic shop Taddeucci (below).

Instead of words, today I will let the photos do the talking with pictures of Lucca’s wonderful shop windows.

Christmas for grownups at bar Des Artes !

Elegant Christmas decorations from Casantica, Lucca

Babbo Natale even paid a visit to this shop, delighting all the kids that passed by.

Traditional Christmas Panettone in tins designed by Dolce & Gabbana decorate the window of a local butcher.

Ravenna Part Two: Basilica di San Vitale and the Galla Placidia Mausoleum

This week, more about Ravenna and another two of the city’s important historical sites. One is quite small and the other much larger.

First, the smaller of the two, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. Galla Placidia, born around 390 AD, was the daughter of a Roman Emperor (Theodosius I) and wife to both Ataulf, king of the Visigoths, and the Roman Emperor Constantius III. She was also the mother of an emperor. She was powerful in her own right, playing a major role in Roman life and politics. Her contributions to society included construction and restoration of churches, including the mausoleum named for her in Ravenna. Although it is called a mausoleum, the building was used as a chapel and it is not Galla Placidia’s final resting place.

The mausoleum is small and intimate, constructed in the shape of a cross. Plain on the outside, it is stunningly beautiful inside - full of mosaics in dazzling blues and greens, touches of red, and white robed prophets. All of the upper portions of the interior, including the dome, the vaults, and the arches, are filled with brilliant detail and symbolism. There are starry skies, flowers and vines, animals, and a host of religious figures.

So much beauty in such a small space is breathtaking. The intimate size is welcoming and It feels a bit like a spiritual hug.

Detail of one of the lunettes, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

I didn’t imagine anything could compare, and yet, just across the grassy field, lies the Basilica of San Vitale…..

The Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna

The much larger Basilica of San Vitale is different - less intimate, the building more angular outside with more distinct spaces inside. With decoration that goes from floor to ceiling it is hard to know where to look first.

Interior, Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna

The mosaics are somehow less soft and more crisp, the imagery more clear. Where the Galla Placidia enchants you in to a mystic spirituality the San Vito demands you step up and take note.

Is one more beautiful than the other? Absolutely not, the Basilica is just as amazing but in a different way.

The Basilica’s website says that “getting out of San Vitale is not getting out of a church, is like being torn from a mother’s womb. You have to close your eyes because the light blinds (even if it’s not sunny), the voices deafen (even if people are not there), the world pushes and impacts”. I cannot argue. Stepping inside is to be transported to another world and on leaving it is quite a shock to discover the same old cacophonous world outside. It is that beautiful and enveloping.

The exterior of the Basilica is octagonal, unusual for a basilica, with buttresses. Inside there are huge columns, a central dome, two stories filled with arches and smaller columns (with some of the arches with painted ceilings rather than mosaics), and several alcoves. Pale translucent windows filter the light. Mosaic floors (detail below) are filled with pattern and muted color.

And the mosaics! The dominant color here is a soft green, with plenty of gold too. And almost every surface is decorated in mosaic scenes, even the arched entrances into each alcove. Bible scenes, saints, angels and apostles are everywhere.

With all of the mosaic filled churches in Ravenna, it is impressive that each has its own character and beauty. I couldn’t begin to choose a favorite among them. Put them all together and it is easy to see why Ravenna is filled with UNESCO World Heritage sites. What a treasure!

Dante’s Train

A 4 person compartment in the vintage train’s 3rd class car. Today it is a wonderful spot for a ride on the Dante Train.

Dante, the most famous of all Italian poet philosophers, was born in Florence in the year 1265.  He lived in Florence, married, fathered 4 children, and became a person of importance in the city of his birth.  But by 1302 political rivalries and power struggles saw him banished from Florence.  He faced a terrible fate should he return - death by being burned alive. 

Leaving his family behind, he traveled throughout Italy and eventually settled in the city of Ravenna, where he wrote Paradiso.  He died there of malaria in 1321 and was buried in the city. Some years after his death the cities of Florence and Ravenna began fighting over his remains. 

Interior of Dante’s tomb in Varenna

Florence claimed that as Dante’s place of birth he should certainly rest there.  Ravenna argued that since Dante lived the last part of his life, died, and was buried in Ravenna, he should always remain in that city.  When the Florentines tried to reclaim the body some 200 years after his death (those Florentines just never give up!), they found his sarcophagus empty.  His body was most likely removed and then hidden by Franciscan monks to keep it away from those pesky Florentines. 

The monks never did reveal the hiding place and for more than 300 years Dante’s remains were lost.  They were rediscovered in 1885 and briefly exhibited to the public before being placed inside his tomb.  The remains have been moved several times to protect them during times of war, but thankfully never again misplaced. Today, Dante’s body lies once again in his peaceful small tomb near the Basilica of San Francesco in the center of Ravenna.  Each year the Florentine’s send the oil that lights the lamp above the monument.

During his exile, Dante crossed the territory between Florence and Ravenna.  The area, partly in Tuscany and partly in Emilia-Romagna, includes the Apennine hills, deep valleys, rivers, and forests full of chestnut trees.  One thing is certain though – Dante definitely did not travel by train!  The first trains didn’t arrive in Italy until 1839, about 500 years after his death.

 So, how is it that just last week I rode Dante’s very own train (Il Treno di Dante) from Florence, through the landscape of Dante’s wanderings, to Ravenna?   The train trip named for Dante was introduced in 2021, to celebrate the 700th anniversary of his death.  The route was offered again this summer and fall.

The centoporte train during a stop-over in Brisighella. Likely Dante didn’t wear a mask during his travels, but in late September Italy still required them on trains. Thanks to Diana Nason for this photo.

 The Treno di Dante is a restored “centoporte” (100 doors) train from the 1920’s.  The small cars have compartments of 4 seats, each with its own door and windows.  The interiors bring back an earlier, more gracious age of travel.  The seats are wooden benches as upholstery was only found in first class, the trim is polished wood.  The windows are curtained.  The wooden luggage racks above each seat are spacious (and far more useful than the narrow racks found on modern trains).  Many of the fittings are brass - door handles, curtain rods, window latches, vents above the windows, even the pull for the emergency brake.  All of these things combine to make the train elegant.  This is slow travel at its best. And if you are a train buff - well, this is a rare opportunity to ride a vintage Italian train.

The trip begins in Florence at Santa Maria Novella station.  On route to Ravenna it travels through several small villages including Borgo San Lorenzo, Marradi, Brisighella as well as the larger town of Faenza.   The trip includes one stop, sometimes in Faenza and other times in Brisighella. We had plenty of time to explore the medieval village of Brisighella on our trip during a 90 minute stop (photos below).  After leaving Florence at 8:50 am we arrived in Ravenna a little after 1:00pm.

 On board, a guide shares some Dante history along with information about the countryside through which the train travels and the small villages along the way.  The narration is mostly in Italian, but the guide did provide an abbreviated version in English.  The train moves just slow enough to appreciate the beautiful scenery along the route.

Dante himself made a surprise appearance, traveling through the cars in his red robes and talking with passengers.  Still in exile, he didn’t join the train until after we left Florence.

There is no need to be a Dante scholar to enjoy this activity.  It was a fun journey - a relaxing ride with lovely scenery, a beautiful historic train, a chance to explore Brisighella, and a dash of history too. 

A couple of days in Ravenna at the end of the trip provided a chance to explore the city and learn more about its Dante connections. It is an fascinating city and oh wow - those mosaics!  Look for more on Ravenna in upcoming blog posts.

The Dante Train runs this year through November 1st.  I found no current information about whether there will be a 2023 season of the Treno di Dante. 

 Website:  www.iltrenodidante.it

 Tickets can also be booked through Get Your Guide. Website:   getyourguide.com

A Fountain of Beauty in Lucca

I probably have more photos of her than of any other subject in Lucca - photos taken from every angle, in every light, in every season.  She is a fascinating subject and one of Lucca’s most graceful landmarks.  She is The Naiade or Water Nymph.

 The Naiade rests atop one of Lucca’s many fountains, built in the 1800’s to bring fresh water to the city via Nottolini’s aqueduct. 

Some of the fountains are simple utilitarian structures but are few are quite decorative, none more so than the Naiade fountain. 

She was sculpted by Luigi Camolli from a design by Nottolini, one of Lucca’s most famous architects and sculptors.  She turns an ordinary fountain into a work of art.

The fountain itself is a marvel.  At the base is a large bathtub-like marble basin resting on claw feet and decorated with lion’s heads.  Above the large basin is a rectangular marble column with water spigots on 3 sides, each one placed above a small basin.  This is where so many Lucchese come to fill containers with fresh water direct from the hills beyond Lucca.  Locals swear this water is much better, and much more tasty, than either tap or bottled water.  Some even have a preferred spigot, always filling their bottles from one side of the fountain.   More than just a place to get water, this is also a gathering spot and a place for social connections.

 Above the fountain sits the Naiade who is commonly known by a much less proper nickname.  To locals she is “La Pupporona” which loosely translates to “The Busty One”, so called because of her one exposed breast (in Tuscan dialect the word puppora means breast).  That breast so scandalized a long-ago bishop that he tried to have the statue removed.  Fortunately he did not succeed! 

 The Pupporona is elegant, with softly draped folds in her garments, curvy hips, and perfectly coiffed hair.  She is made even more striking by the backdrop offered by the surrounding buildings, including the oche colored Church of San Salvatore (also known as the Church of the Misericordia).  The piazza where she resides is also named Salvatore, but don’t be surprised to hear it called Piazza della Pupporona, such is her fame.    

 Much loved by locals, she is occasionally adorned with a red scarf, a symbol of support for female victims of domestic violence.  Once, back in 2017, she was vandalized when someone drew a mustache on her face during the night.  Che peccato! The damage was quickly repaired.  I don’t believe the culprits were ever caught, but the vandalism caused quite an uproar. 

 On one of my first visits to Lucca I snapped a photo of the Naiade long before I knew the story behind her creation.  I just knew that she was lovely and she quickly became the representative image of Lucca in my memory.  Today, that photo is one I use as the symbol for Two Parts Italy and which accompanies each Monday morning email to subscribers.  It is still one of my all time favorite photos.  Be sure to stop by this small piazza when you visit Lucca. And don’t forget to fill your water bottle!

The statue of the Pupporona at Christmas time

An Artist In Tuscany

Flowers are often a focus of Kat’s work. Bright reds, yellows, purples, and shades of green - all stunning.

Could there be a more perfect place for an artist to live than Tuscany ?  The light is magnificent, the sky a special shade of blue.  The green hills shimmer and flowers appear in waves of color.  There is something in the very air of Tuscany that inspires.  All these magical Tuscan qualities come to life in the brushstrokes on canvas of artist Katerina (Kat) Ring. 

 Originally from California, Kat has lived and studied in many places. All of them have influenced her art – from Coronado Island, to Europe and even a decade of living in Zambia where she was inspired by African wildlife and vistas.  

 Today, Kat lives just outside the Tuscan town of Lucca where she paints local scenes, landscapes, flowers spilling from windows or blooming in fields, and slices of everyday Tuscan life. 

Of course there is Italian magic well beyond the borders of Tuscany, and so Kat often ventures to other areas of Italy, especially to the seaside, capturing the essence of these places in paint.

Lerici, on the Bay of Poets, captured in an oil painting.

 Painting mostly in oils, Kat is an artist “en plein air” – which means you are likely to find her easel set up alongside a rustic building, a sparking bay filled with boats, a field of flowers, an old bridge, or a pretty street.  And she is sure to stop for a field of sunflowers or a tree heavy with ripe figs.  

Kat describes her style like this: She prefers painting-in-place and capturing the sights, scents, light, and feel of a place. Her paintings do not strive to be photographic snapshots. Rather her scenes unfold as she perceives them - the periphery abstract, adding to the total picture but a bit out of focus. Moving toward the central image things become more clear, less abstract, more impressionistic. Finally, there is clarity and detail towards the center as the eye focuses on an object or group of objects.

Windows are always fascinating and this one is captured perfectly.

 Kat’s paintings are compelling for anyone who loves Italy – the use of color, the gorgeous flowers, the windows, the countryside, the sea. They transport the viewer directly into the heart of Italy.  To see more examples of Kat’s work, her portfolio can be found at www.katring.com and on Facebook.

This Tuscan landscape by Kat Ring hangs in my apartment in Italy. It evokes everything I love about the Tuscan countryside

The gallery is open from Sept 1 - Oct 16, lots of lovely works to see.

If you happen to be in Lucca this fall, you’ll find Kat’s “pop up gallery” at the north end of Via Fillungo, near the medieval Porta dei Borghi gate, from September 1st through October 22nd.  Her recent works are on display and she is on hand for questions about the places and scenes in the paintings.

 Contact info: 

Instagram: katringpaints

Website: www. katring.com 

Email: ringkat2@gmail.com

 All images used with permission.