Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Amalfi Again

On our previous Amalfi coast ride, we had skipped Positano and Ravello, two of the major attractions. So, with a day left on our 3-day transportation pass, we again took the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento, then the bus to Amalfi, stopping off for a while at Positano, and then, after lunch in Amalfi, the bus up to Ravello. For lunch, we went to Il Pari again. I know it sounds pretensious, but we do have our favorite restaurant in Amalfi. Same dish and wine, too. And, for once, just as good as the first time. Plus the waiter got the recipe for us.
Near Positano














In Positano; a terraced world














Imagine carrying these 80 lb puppies up or down five or six
(or 10) levels















From the beach at Positano














Ditto














Ditto again














One of the anti-Saracen-pirate lookout towers














A typical abode; everything in bloom















Beautiful place


















Looking distantly back up the coast














More Mediterranean blue


















Saturday fish market at Amalfi














Tour bus portrait; note the local rascals about to join in














Fountain at Amalfi harbor

Capodimonte 2

Although it was mostly the paintings, and the great building itself, Capodimonte also holds many other items of interest. All in all an impressive collection in an impressive setting.
E. g., this sarcophogal sculpture, half-skeleton
















Yes, but are they diswasher-safe? The royal family's good dishes and solid-gold 
table ornaments
















Capodimonte as well as Caserta Royal Palace (which we'll 
see in a couple days) are really what I would characterize 
as double-barrel shot-gun houses: two parallel 400 foot long 
halls, between which are the main chambers/halls/etc., and 
off which are a variety of other chambers; here you can see 
down one hall at Capodimonte; there are of course three 
floors of this


























Family dining room















Ball room or somesuch















We-actually-know-what-this-is department: a beautiful scale model of the Temple 
of Isis at Pompei (the one donated by the six year old), as it would have looked 
with all its marble and paint (table-top size; well, a large table)


















Court-painter was actually a major industry in by-gone days, 
as each monarch would send likenesses of him/herself to all 
his/her fellow divine-righters; "Your pal always, Napoleon"






















Plus this nice vase




















Some of the tapestries; yes, all Flemish, 17th-18th century,
large enough each to play hand-ball on
















Detail of a battle scene















And more rooms of paintings, large ones too



Saturday, April 2, 2011

Capodimonte 1

Capodimonte is another palace of the Bourbon Kings of Naples, much great art and architecture, on the outskirts of Naples. Another pleasant ride on the Circumvesuviana, a less pleasant bus-ride (poor signage), but we made it and had another day of Art History 101 in person.
A huge building















From the Capodimonte Gardens, looking across a bit of Naples to Vesuvius
















Masaccio's Crucifixion, 1426




















Giovanni Bellini's Circumcision, 1500; the Capodimonte had several circumcisions, 
notably, but I'll spare you the others
















Lorenzo Lotto's, Madonna and Bambino and St. Peter, Martyr; note the clever 
foreshadowing of St. Peter's martyrdom

















A very, very early El Greco, Soflon



















Coreggio's St. Anthony, early 16th




















Lanfranco's Assumption, 1605




















Guido Reni's Le quattro stagione















Moving right along, a Claude Lorrain, 1669















And stepping back, Simone Martini, St.
Ludovic of Toulouse, 1317

Last Day of Pompei

While at Paestrum we bought a couple of Campagna 365 Arte cards, which give you access to all the cultural and historical sites in Campagna--hundreds, seemingly; it is one of Italy's largest provinces--two visits each, actually. We have been using these cards for a month, indeed visiting a couple of places more than once. Thus, our second visit to Pompei, to see the Villa of the Mysteries, a few more of the houses that require reservations, and the Surburban Baths. Another full but edifying day.
At the Villa of the Mysteries, a working farm/villa just
outside Pompei's walls on the north; the (reconstructed)
wine press

















What the Villa of the Mysteries is named for is a large room
with frescoes recording the initiation rite, for a young bride,
into the Dionysan mystery; it is one of the more beautiful
and complete frescoes in situ

















More















The bride being prepared for the wedding















Detail, reading the rites















Us at the Villa of the Mysteries















In another house














Another large home, peristyle atrium, et cetera















Plaster casts in the Garden of the Fugitives




















A particularly large old umbrella pine in a grove at Pompei















Another house, another fresco




















Ditto















In the Suburban Baths, privately owned, one room has three
kamasutra-style wall panels; only one survives, but here
it is (of course, closer-ups are available on request); just
outside the walls, near the Porta Marina

















Beautiful water-fall feature in another room















Detail















Another; happily, we saved one of the best places for last