[Life in Italy]

I had been internally grumbling and procrastinating for weeks, perhaps even months, and today I decided that "it was the day"! I needed to begin to take hold of my life.

Every document which I possess expires this year. In a normal, efficient-like country that would not present an enormous difficulty, but, I just happen to live in Italy where the smallest bureaucratic thing can become a catastrophe or vice versa. You always seem to be at the mercy of the gods. Chi sa, as we say in Italian (who knows)!

What a mugshot, eh?

I decided to begin the process by first renewing my passport. Without this document, I could not pursue the others. I took a non paid personal day off from school today, got my needed documentation together and gingerly headed toward the embassy this morning. Before leaving the house, I just happened to hear my horoscope on the radio and it warned me to "be aware". Great start to the day, right?

Little did I know that all of the major unions in Italy had decided to hold an enormous demonstration for worker's rights this morning just two blocks from where I was headed. I discovered that half of the city had been cordoned off for safety precautions in case of rioting in the streets!

© by Dennis Cigler

Being allowed onto the embassy grounds after being searched, sniffed and metal detectored, I felt "home and safe"! An exile had returned! I slipped my three euro coins into the photo machine in the courtyard, as the only thing I still needed were passport photos, and the ugliest of photos appeared from a little metal slot blowing hot air in the flash of a few minutes. I filled in the proper forms, smiled at the right places in my conversation with the burly guard, paid my $55 and I found myself back on the street again. That was quick and easy. I knew that it was the right day to renew my passport!

The question now was "which way to head"?

It was still relatively early. Flags were still waving, people were still screaming slogans and I had no desire to do the shopping nor to go straight back home. It wasn't the day for a museum or gallery either. I decided to head towards the Piazza di Spagna area and make my way to the jewellery shop of an ex-student of mine.

Alessandro is the son of one of Rome's better known jewellers of the Bulgari/Petocchi clan. He had recently opened a small shop on one of Rome's more picturesque streets, Via Margutta, a stone's throw from where his father's shop is. He had been after me for some time to pay him a visit and I decided that today was the day!

Meandering down Via Margutta, heading towards Alessandro's shop at the end of the street, I mused in a number of the shop windows. Via Margutta in the late 50's is where it was "all happening". "Roman Holiday" with Gregory Peck & Audrey Hepburn was filmed there. It is also known as the "street of the artists" for it is full of galleries and artist's workshops. Today, unfortunately, it has the air of "it's no longer happening here" look about it.

About two blocks away from Alessandro's shop, a gallery window full of Monet-like lush tropical plant paintings with strange lights filtering through exotic foliage, caught my eye. Should I enter and discover more or not?

I half heartedly opened the door to enter. I say half heartedly because I hate being accosted by pushy gallery clerks who either want to sell you everything in the shop or completely ignore you. Who give you the air that "they know it all" and if the moon is right, they may just give you a moment of their precious lives. I didn't want to deal with that today.

Instead, I found this little old man with the most beautiful of eyes. We smiled at each other and I asked if I could muse through his paintings. I exclaimed to him that the foliage in the paintings was exquisite and that I was captivated by the light and energy of the brush strokes. Many of the paintings were incredibly alive!

He smiled and said thank you and told me that they were all his. He began telling me the story of his incredible life lived between Rome and San Paolo, Brazil, where he has a beautiful glass enclosed home. The museum of San Paolo had recently published a book on it which he eagerly showed me.

We spoke for hours. I was spell bound. Gaetano Miani is an artist, art history professor and art dealer. He told me of how he discovered a number of Goya paintings, a Giorgione and even a Raphael which he is still trying to get back from the Italian government after they confiscated it. It looks like he is winning.

He also encouraged me tremendously to paint. I gave him my website address which I hope he will find time to look at and respond to. We spoke about painting and of being an artist and why we chose this road. We left each other with him saying to me as I left his small gallery... paint, paint, paint! Thank you Gaetano!

Continuing down the street I ran into Alessandro by accident who was returning to his shop. I was bubbling after my encounter with Miani and related the morning events to him. We spoke, shared emotions and feelings, had a coffee together after which I decided that it was finally time to go home!

What a great morning.

To see more paintings by Gaetano Miani, visit his web site.

To see a vast array of artwork by Dennis Cigler, visit his web site.