FOUNTAIN OF THE WEEK
PALAZZO PFANNER, LUCCA
The fountain itself is unremarkable, but its setting is unique: the garden of the Palazzo Pfanner, 17th century baroque residence now owned by a family of Austrian brewers in the centre of the beautiful Tuscan walled city of Lucca. Unique, because behind the garden runs the city wall, and so while strolling along in the evening passeggiata, one can look straight down on it. Around the basin stand statues of the four elements and the four seasons, along with rows of potted lemon trees, giving the garden a timeless air of decadent opulence. It’s not surprising that it has formed the backdrop to many a period drama. Famous names from Alberto Sordi to Nicole Kidman have strolled through the palazzo and its grounds, doubtless watched by a fair few spectators on the wall…
MUSEUM LADIN, SAN MARTINO IN BADIA, DOLOMITES, ITALY
You ascend through the clouds, round and round several tornanti, and then you see its outline. Shrouded in the mountain-top cloud fog looms the Ćiastel de Tor, 13th century castle, one of the most dramatic settings you could imagine for a museum. We’re in the Dolomites, close to the Austrian border, where Italian culture meets Germanic Alpine culture, home of around 30,000 Ladin people, to whom the castle’s museum is dedicated. It’s a remote place, slightly off the main ski and walking routes, but today it’s packed with summer holidaymakers looking for something to do on a wet Saturday morning. The museum itself has sections focusing on the history of the region, the geology of the Dolomites, the growth of tourism and the transformation of the area, and local arts and crafts. Like many contemporary museums, too much of it relies on audio commentary, standing on the right spot and facing in precisely the right direction, and there is a shortage of really interesting exhibits, but frankly there’s not a lot else to do in this part of the world when it rains. And the castle is worth a look, although most of the towers are closed off to the public.
Five-star attraction: We enjoyed the multimedia room that documented the sounds of the Ladin language. One program allows you to listen to the different pronunciation of Ladin words in various parts of the region, marking the gradual transition from German to Italian.
How to get there: Turn off the main road from Corvara to Brunico when you see the sign for San Martino (or St Martin)
Price: 6 euros
Open: Every afternoon 2-6, and some mornings.
Is this the only museum in the Dolomites? Let us know of any others…
BELLINI FESTIVAL, CATANIA, SICILY,
12-24 SEPTEMBER 2009
Catania’s finest musical export, the composer of bel canto opera Vincenzo Bellini, was born in 1801 and though he didn’t hang around long, is nevertheless warmly remembered by the city, who have inaugurated an annual festival dedicated largely to his music. Festivities this year spanned two rather soggy weeks in September, during which time a series of free concerts was organised around the city in various piazze, churches and other interesting spots. Each evening saw crowds milling around outside that night’s selected venue, clamouring for the best seats, the climax of the fortnight being a production of his most celebrated opera Norma at the city’s Teatro Massimo.
Most of the concerts featured Bellini arias in at least part of the programme, but the performance I caught, entitled ‘Soave Melodie’, restricted itself solely to his work – a selection of songs for voice and piano, some of them relatively obscure. The venue was the floodlit courtyard of the Castello Ursino, the mighty Mediaeval fort just to the south of the city centre. Happily the rain kept off, and the audience poured in, squatting round the edges of the courtyard and hanging over the stairway if necessary. The soprano, Francesca Mazza, somewhat overshadowed the tenor (Alfio Marletta), provoking gasps of delight from the crowd with her rendition of the gorgeous Vaga luna che inargenti, though both singers showed there’s more to Bellini than operatic arias: a magical hour-and-a-half on a Sicilian September night.
STATUE OF THE WEEK
Perseus holding the head of Medusa (Benvenuto Cellini), Florence
Commissioned in 1554 by Cosimo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, the founder of the Uffizi and other significant bits of Florence, this bronze masterpiece stands in front of the Loggia dei Lanzi in the Piazza della Signoria. Allegedly intended as a threat to the Sienese, but always more likely to offend the feminists, it’s nonetheless remarkable for its depiction of Perseus himself, whose sinewy musculature and vigorous posture, and provocatively angled sword (best appreciated by standing on the right) make this far more dynamic than Canova’s poncey version in the Vatican. Medusa here is indeed reduced to a mere jellyfish.
MOSTRA RADIO D’EPOCA (Exhibition of Antique Radios), CENTRO LE CIMINIERE, CATANIA, SICILY
One of the more unusual exhibitions I’ve stumbled across, in an out-of-the-way complex on Viale Africa, was this collection of antique radios put together by amateur enthusiast Francesco Romeo. I had an hour to kill, having missed the one bus of the day to the foothills of Mount Etna, largely due to a complete absence of information, printed or oral, at the bus station, and so I checked out Le Ciminiere, a former industrial complex converted into a cultural centre. An empty gallery full of old radio sets wasn’t the most inviting show in town, but on politely enquiring, I was warmly greeted by a man who turned out to be the curator himself and he gave me a personal guided tour. He had been collecting them since 12, he explained, saving up his pocket money and acquiring sets from all over Europe from the valve radios of the early 20th century through to 1950s transistors. And there’s no doubt about it: some of these contraptions are indeed things of beauty, constructed with all the elegance of the finest pieces of furniture, many of them stunning examples of art deco style. After all, they used up a lot of your living room. It seems that the exhibition is permanent, so, give the bus station a miss (even when I caught the thing it didn’t go where I wanted it to) and check this out, along with the Museo del Cinema next door.
Admission: Free
Open: Each morning except Monday, some afternoons
