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As I write this, we are in the throes of the “giorni del merlo” (days
of the blackbird). All very gripping stuff because, if it is warm on a certain
day, that means the spring is on its way. If, on the other hand, it is cold
on that same certain day, it is going to be cold for a long time to come. And
is it ever cold! Sunny at this end of the country. Which is nice, but heavy
snow in the south, with hundreds of unfortunate motorists stuck on the Salerno-Reggio
Calabria highway for days because the snow plows and the salting trucks were
not alerted on time. So, I have no idea whether the winter has just begun,
or if it is just ending. I hope the latter, but I fear the former.
What we did have in mid-January were those ten days or so of
lovely pale sunshine and mild temperatures that I always think of as the Halcyon
Days. Officially
these are supposed to be in December, and are the result of some meteorological
phenomenon the details of which I forget, but I have it on reasonably good
authority that the dates change according to where you are. Another of those
subjects I must check up on one of these days.
One
thing I was checking up on this afternoon in one of my favorite bars was the
latest issue of a magazine called Visto which, for the grand sum of 1 Euro,
gives you the low-down on Charlize Theron’s beach holiday with whatever-his-name-is,
and so on. And what has that to do with Italy? Well, it seems that, hot on
the heels of George Clooney, someone else in that same line of business has
bought a villa on Lake Como. And that someone would appear to be none other
than Brad Pitt. Located at Lenno, which is on the road from Laglio – where
George has his little pad – to Menaggio, the property in question is
allegedly called Villa Cassinella and is also rumored to be in the eye of Formula
One divo Michael Schumacher. Actually, talking about the road could be slightly
misleading since the house, like many others on this magical lake-shore, is
only accessible by water. From the Lavedo peninsula and from Campo Ossuccio,
since you ask. Provide your own boat, of course. For this 37-room house, with
its own landing stage (obviously), a porter’s lodge, a guesthouse (I
know what you’re thinking), and various other outbuildings, as well as
extensive grounds, Mr. Pitt is said to have paid 18 million Euro. If you have
your eye on that guesthouse, you have plenty of time to get your ideas together,
because the purchase is going to take at least a year. If you can’t wait
and want to see what awaits Brad when he does move in, then know that the stretch
of shore from Lenno to Menaggio is known as La Tremezzina or the Riviera
delle azalee. That’s because its balmy microclimate brings forth splendid camelias
and azaleas. Lenno may also have been the site of Commedia, a villa belonging
to the Plinys, Elder and Younger: the one where they – clearly ardent
fishermen – wrote, “You can quite simply cast your line out of
the window without getting out of bed.”
The jetty at Lenno, meanwhile, is the departure point – every 30 minutes
from 9.45am to 3.45pm -- for 
boats to the beautiful Villa del Balbianello.
Built on a headland that protrudes into the lake, the grounds presented a major
challenge to the original designers. No chance of a formal, Italian garden,
nor for what the Italians call un giardino all'inglese, but all the better
for that. As it is, the gardens interact with the lake and shoreline, as opposed
to following a set design or concept. Famed for plane trees clipped into "candle
shapes,” the gardens follow a steep slope. Statues alternate with wisteria,
while azaleas and rhododendrons provide exhilarating bursts of color throughout
the spring and early summer. That the gardens are approached by water makes
the experience all the more exciting. You can feel what it was like to arrive
as a guest of the various owners over the centuries: the Cardinal Durini, the
families Porro Lambertenghi and Arconati Visconti, as well as the Butler Ames
family from the United States, and count Guido Monzino, a famous explorer.
Since I doubt many of us are going to get that fabled invite to visit Mr. Pitt
when he moves in, I guess we should console ourselves with a stay at Albergo
Lenno and a visit to Villa Balbianello, which these days belongs to the FAI
(Fondo Ambiente Italiano). The Villa, itself, built in the 16th century, and
extended in the 18th, may be visited by appointment only.
Just a spot more news about Lake Como, villas, and famous owners, then we’ll move on. I read in the Corriere della Sera that the Versace family may be planning to repurpose Gianni's villa at Moltrasio on Lake Como as a luxury hotel at some point in the future. I guess they realize that they would have some tough competition. On the doorstep, to boot. For the magnificent Villa d'Este, at Cernobbio, is just a few kilometers away.
Originally known as Villa Garrovo, this was one of a set of
three commissioned in 1565 from Pellegrino Tibaldi (1527-1596) by Tolomeo Gallio
when he was
appointed a cardinal. In 1814, the villa became the home of Princess Caroline
of Brunswick, the estranged wife of Britain’s Prince Regent. She it
was who decided to rename it Villa d'Este. Because it had a certain ring
to it, I presume. For there is, in fact, no connection whatsoever to the
famous family from Ferrara. Caroline had the house and gardens remodeled,
then moved on.
In 1873, Villa d'Este became a luxury hotel. These days, there are 54 junior suites, 13 suites, 85 doubles and 7 single rooms, with prices starting at 675 Euro for a double room. (Including breakfast, in case you were wondering). Over and above the sheer luxury and the thrill of knowing that you are in the presence of the great and the good, the garden at Villa d'Este is a must see. Although much of the original 16th-century Italian garden has been lost, the double water staircase survives. You walk up the grass-covered steps with the sight and sound of falling water to either side. Framing the staircase are theatrical shell-and pebble-mosaic wings, topped with obelisks. If you want to sample this experience, you can, for the price of a 10-euro drink at the bar. Get a ticket at the entrance. Oh, and another thing. You know they say that all good things come to those who wait? Well, you will have to pazientare (as the Italians say), just a month. For the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este is closed from mid-November till the end of February.
Coming back to Moltrasio, if you want to check out what else would be there, should the Versace plans come to fruition, then know that Gianni's Villa le Fontanelle was not the only villa in this diminutive town. Indeed, next door (in a manner of speaking) to Villa Fontanelle is Villa Le Rose, which has a handsome garden. Apparently, Winston Churchill stayed here in 1945 for a painting holiday.
But the most important villa in Moltrasio is Villa Passalacqua. Originally
commissioned by the Odescalchi family, it was bought by Andrea Passalacqua
in 1787, who had it extensively redesigned by Felice Soave -- and changed
its name to his. While Elton John accepted Versace's invitation to stay,
the composer Vincenzo Bellini graced Passalacqua's home with his presence
between 1829 and 1833. Indeed, it was here that Mr. B wrote La sonnambula.
Open to view on Thursdays between 9am and 12noon, and then 3pm to 6pm, Villa
Passalacqua is also known as the Palazzo di Moltrasio.
If, as someone whose name I forget, said that writing about
music is like dancing about architecture, then writing about the architecture
of wine cellars must
be like … I am not quite sure what. However, at least one person has
done so, and the outcome is Cantine, which has recently been published by Milan-based
Federico Motta Editore. Designing environmentally-compatible places where wine
can be produced in an efficient and effective manner is indeed a task to which,
in recent years, many top-name architects have put their time and energy – and
the winegrowers their money. Not content with having worked at length on the
refurbishment of the Scala Theatre in Milan, Mario Botta has also dedicated
his attention to wine cellars in Italy. Another outstanding example of innovative
design commissioned by a forward-thinking wine-producer is Gianni Arnaudo’s
design for Terre da Vino in the Barolo area of the Piedmont (which you can
visit: click here for information). The other wine cellars include the Tenuta
di Coltibuono at Gaiole in Chianti, the Ca' Marcanda a Castagneto Carducci,
and the Cantina Perusini near Udine. I have also just had word that the Terre
da Vino premises have been selected for inclusion in the publication Wineries
With Style by Peter Richards. Click here for more information.
I saw a piece in the newspaper the other day about how the
crisis in the 
Italian advertising industry means that exotic locations have
had to be abandoned in
favor of -- views of Milan. Why? Nothing strange or startling. It’s just
that, quite simply, that’s where most of Italy’s ad agencies are
based. That got me pondering about films that used Milan as a backdrop. The
ones I managed to come up with included Miracle in Milan (Miracolo
a Milano),
directed by Vittorio de Sica in 1951. There’s also Luchino Visconti’s
Rocco e i suoi fratelli (Rocco and his brothers, 1960), which starred Alain
Delon as well as Annie Girardot and Claudia Cardinale. Meanwhile, Michelangelo
Antonioni’s La notte, which starred Marcello Mastroianni, dates from
1961. One of my faves, though, is Theorema by Pasolini. This 1968 movie stars
Terence Stamp, Silvana Mangano, Laura Betti, and Massimo Girotti, as well as
some places that I walk past every day. Indeed, every time I am on the 27 tram
and I go past the perimeter of the park where Silvana cruises along in her
Mini Cooper looking to find Terence again, I take a peek – just in case
I spot him. She didn’t. And neither have I. Yet.
Figuring that Rome must surely be one of the most frequently-used
locations for movies – Roman Holiday for starters – I checked out Google
for more. And what was the first page that came up? Why, this
one at In Italy
Online, of course. Isn’t that always the way? Do take a look, it is
well worthwhile. You will be glued to your DvD player for weeks. The Rome-based
films I can think of – in no particular order – include Ladro
di biciclette (The Bicycle Thief, 1949, Lamberto Maggiorani), La Dolce
Vita (1960, Fellini), Una giornata particolare (A Special Day, 1971, Ettore Scola),
Il Disprezzo (Contempt, 1963, Jean-Luc Goddard), Luna (1979, Bernardo Bertolucci)
as well as the wonderful C’eravamo tanto amati (We All Loved Each Other
so Much, 1974, Ettore Scola). If I’ve managed to entice you at all
with these titles, you can purchase most of them by clicking
here.
In mid-January, I had an invitation to the inauguration of
the exhibition of the work 
of the painter Giovanni Boldini at Palazzo Zabarella
in Padua. Consisting
of nearly 120 works, this is the first exhibition since 1963 of this Ferrara-born
painter who is famed for his portraits of beautiful women, and who is considered
the Italian John Singer Sergeant. Long overlooked, Boldini has come into
his own in the art market in the last twenty years. In November 1995, his
portrait of Luisa Casati – executed in 1908 – was sold for 1.5
million dollars at Christie’s in New York. And just last October, his
1892 painting of Miss Errazuriz went for 1.35 million dollars at Sotheby’s,
again the New York branch. If these are not the sorts of figures you can
aspire to, then 10 Euro will offer you the chance to see works of Boldini’s
that usually spend their time in places as diverse as the Galleria Nazionale
di Arte Moderna in Rome, the Museé d’Orsay in Paris, the Metropolitan
Museum in New York, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as well as many private
collections worldwide. Until May 29, open Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30am – 7:30
pm. Click here for more information.
As you know, I am a great fan of Padua, and I highly recommend a visit. You
must not miss the Scrovegni Chapel, the Palazzo della Ragione with its lovely
little food shops on the ground floor, or the Botanical Gardens. Make time
to walk about, and have a coffee in the Caffé Pedrocchi. Designed by
Giuseppe Japelli in a style that brings together Venetian Gothic and English
neo-Gothic, this was where the intellectuals and the bourgeoisie spent their
leisure time in the 19th century. Do not think it was not all idle chatter,
for the Caffé Pedrocchi was where, in 1848, students and academics from
the city’s ancient university met to plot against their Austrian overlords.
One of the consequences of the riots that followed was the First War of Independence,
which eventually led to the creation of the nation of Italy.
That just about wraps it up for this time but in closing I will just let you know that, if you have been wondering why your friends in Italy whose email address ended @planet.it have not replied, then there is a simple answer: they did not get your message. Planet, one of Italy’s first ISPs, went out of business at the end of January. And how do I know this? Three guesses!
By Roberta Kedzierski, Milan
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