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Judy Witts (Florence/Certaldo)

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First Person: Real Life In Italy

Each month we introduce you to someone who has made the dream of picking up and moving to the Bel Paese a reality. In their own words they share the good parts, the bad parts and the just plain absurd moments of day-to-day life in Italy.

Looking to move to Italy? Try the reader-recommended Survivor Package

ID Card: Cooking teacher (www.divinacucina.com) and Italian life coach is what I have put on my business card!
In Florence since 1984, organizing culinary programs, walking tours and wine tastings for one day or one week.
The life coach part started as a joke as so many of my ex-clients have moved here with my help.

Besides teaching and taking people on tours, I have a dining guide for Florence and Chianti. This satisfies my art desires since I do all the photos for the site and the research. I continue to study art here in Florence whenever I can and do marbleized paper, bookbinding and ceramics. Continue reading →

Celia Abernethy (Lecco)

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First Person: Real Life In Italy

Each month we introduce you to someone who has made the dream of picking up and moving to the Bel Paese a reality. In their own words they share the good parts, the bad parts and the just plain absurd moments of day-to-day life in Italy.

Looking to move to Italy? Try the reader-recommended Survivor Package

ID Card: Celia Abernethy, self-employed website developer and Internet consultant.
Age: 33 Continue reading →

Italy opens archeology sites to night crawlers

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Stunning, not-to-be missed but unfortunately impossible to air condition: two famous Italian archaeological sites are trying to convince tourists to visit during hot summer months by opening at night.

Nocturnal tours of Pompeii, arguably one of the most decadent cities of Roman times, start at the ‘pleasure baths’ (terme suburbane) to the accompaniment of music written for the tours by spaghetti-western soundtrack maestro Ennio Morricone.
These 2,000 year-old thermal baths feature a series of frescoes with graphic scenes of various sex acts, thought to be a kind of sex menu for visitors.

Officials reckon that visitors to Pompeii doubled last summer due to nighttime visitors; neighboring site Paestum hopes to bring tourists to its dusty ruins featuring some of the best-preserved Doric temples in existence by staying open after sunset.
It may bring new life to the often deserted site, previously closed one hour before sunset, where the temple of fertility goddess Hera was said to be a fortunate spot for would-be parents to make love at night.

*image courtesy Soprintendeza archeologica di Pompei

@1999-2008 zoomata.com This is an original news story. Please use contact form for reprint info.

Related resources:

Pompeii: the Inside Story

Reservations are suggested for Pompeii visits. Tickets can be purchased in Pompeii, at the Porta Marina ticket office from 7 – 9 p.m., at least 20 minutes before the tour.
Or get them online:
www.arethusa.net

Details for Paestum visits are available at the tourist office: Via Magna Grecia 887 (tel. 0828-811016)

Parking lot of love for Italians opens

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by Nicole Martinelli It’s tough being a young Italian in love: there’s just no privacy. Ask the 90 percent of Italians between the ages of 20 and 24 who still live at home. As a result, Italians will do it anywhere, especially in the car.

But while surveys say 88 percent of Italians have car-copulated at least once, back-seat sex has continued to come under fire from officials.

In 1999, one Italian court even ruled that unless the car windows are covered up it can be considered an obscene act. (Italy’s sexier streets and parking lots have since seen a huge rise in ad hoc entrepreneurs selling newspapers to drape over the windshield.)
Finally, it seems some local governments are coming around, too. The town of Vinci in Tuscany has just become home to Italy’s first “Love Park.” The town’s mayor, Giancarlo Faenzi, appropriately announced the plans on Valentine’s Day 2003 but in true Italian fashion only managed to get things ready for the summer lovin’ season.

“There’s nothing revolutionary here,” mayor Faenzi told zoomata. “It’s a practical consideration, we’re simply trying to keep in mind the way the space is used. This is the city of Leonardo da Vinci’s birthplace, after all. We are very rational — there’s no point moralizing or trying to discourage people simply looking for privacy.”

Whether Italians will flock to the park is another question. Call it the Love Park, but it’s basically a re-furbed sports-center parking lot on the outskirts of town. That’s 172 (compact) parking spaces for the amorous, with soft lighting, extra trash cans within easy reach, flower pots and condom dispensers for a love haven away from home.

Still, Italians may come to appreciate their new getaway when they remember the alternatives: either the local polizia looking over their shoulder as they sneak their lover a kiss, or Mama watching every move as she makes more manicotti.

Vinci isn’t the first Italian city where proposals to legitimize these alcoves for lovers have been bandied about, but this is the first time local government has given it the green light. Making official this basic necessity may also help improve safety — smooching couples are regularly prey to robberies or worse, as in the still unsolved murders of nine young couples parked in lover’s lanes in the Monster of Florence case. This story first appeared in Newsweek.

Environmental group names Italy’s top beaches

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Wed. May 19 13:19 p.m. zoomata

Tourists looking for pristine beaches in Italy would be wise to head south this year.
Italian environmental group Legambiente’s beach guide, which uses 128 parameters to comb 243 coastal spots in a yearly quality test, again gave Southern Italy or the Mezzogiorno top marks. Not all of Italy’s extensive coastline — 1,850 kilometers or circa 1,150 miles — makes the grade, but figures are improving.

The list can be used to decide where to go, but also where to expect crowds — in a recent poll 41% of Italians said they plan to vacation by sunning on Bel Paese beaches.There has been some jostling over the previous years’ top ten, but Southern Italian beaches continue to dominate better-known locales in Liguria and Tuscany. Famous beach spots Rimini and Riccione on the Adriatic coast were towards the bottom of these ratings, scoring two and three out of a possible five respectively.

These 10 spots received a perfect five out of five “sails” rating: Otranto (Puglia), Buoso (Sardinia), Cinque Terre (Liguria), Orosei (Sardinia) , Pollica Acciaroli e Pioppi (Campania), Tropea (Calabria), Castiglione della Pescaia (Tuscany), Arbus (Sardinia) and Tremiti Islands (Puglia).

Ratings also take into account natural beauty, contamination but also tourist structures, noise levels and environment-friendly waste systems. Sandy spots with a “four-sail” rating (30 total) include: Sirolo (Marches), Isola del Giglio (Tuscany), Positano and Anacapri.

This is an original news story. Please play nice. Contact for reprint info.

Related resources:
www.legambiente.com
Here’s the online free searchable guide to Italian beaches, in Italian only. Can be searched by ‘rating’ (‘punteggio’), province or region. Among the other symbols rating beaches are stars for environmental soundness and petals for tourist amenities.

The Rough Guide to Italy

www.multimania.com/natur/ita/#en
Map of Italy’s nudist camps & beaches (with terse descriptions in in English, Italian & French) in collaboration with FENAIT, Italy’s largest ‘naturist’ association. Keep in mind these are places where nudity is tolerated — associations are still awaiting a law to make nude bathing legal.

RJ Aguila (Naples)

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First Person: Real Life In Italy

Each month we introduce you to someone who has made the dream of picking up and moving to the Bel Paese a reality. In their own words they share the good parts, the bad parts and the just plain absurd moments of day-to-day life in Italy.

Looking to move to Italy? Try the reader-recommended Survivor Package
For more on expat life in Italy, First Person Interview Archive

If you live in Italy, we would love to hear your story–Contact form

ID Card: R.J. Aguila, university student, five months in Italy, 21 years old, nationality
Filipino-American.

Currently living in:
A military base in Aversa, about a 20-minute drive
from Naples.

By way of:
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii=>Putuxet River, Maryland=>Gulfport,
Mississippi=>Okinawa, Japan=>Beaufort, South Carolina=>Okinawa, Japan=>Santa
Cruz, California (whew!)

How (or why) did you get here from there?
I’m a military brat (an affectionate term for children brought up by
parents that happen to work in the military). While I was in college in
Santa Cruz, CA my family moved from Japan to Italy. I decided to move with them to have a chance at experiencing Italy while I finish a degree.

What role did language skills play in your experience?
Language skills were one of my primary reasons for me wanting to come to
Italy. I’d lived in Japan for many years, yet I could only speak very little
Japanese. I didn’t see the value or importance and was a little lazy. I
didn’t make the effort. I really regretted that once I went to college in
Santa Cruz because I met lots of students that adore Japan and try really
hard just so they can live there for a year. So in a way I’m trying to make
up for not taking advantage of improving my language skills in Japan by
coming to Italy. Right now I know basic phrases and can carry a VERY limited
conversation.

Your biggest challenge:
I really want to improve my ability in Italian. Speaking, writing, listening.
One day I would like to be able to read Italian literature. Right now my
main hurdle is just getting out there and putting myself into social
situations where I must speak Italian. It’s very easy just to stay on base,
which is in effect a little American bubble. Many people here do just that —
stay on base most of their time in Italy. I’m planning to volunteer at a
nearby orphanage and also am looking for tutoring opportunities for
students that want to practice or learn English.

What did you do to feel at home or adapt here?
Actually since I spent a lot of time growing up on bases, I feel home on overseas bases much more than I feel at home in the States. I adapted to the Neapolitan driving pretty quickly, even learned stickshift here. Like I mentioned, the bases are in a way small American bubbles, so it’s not hard to feel at “home.” The challenge for me is to step out of the bubble and adapt to that.

What do you still have to get used to/learn?
I still want to keep progressing in my Italian. One thing I noticed is that if I want to do something with a friend, it helps to plan it out. Lots of times an ATM might not be working, or we’ll drive around forever looking for a tabbachi (ed. note: caf?s that sell cigarettes). Not too many 24-hr services.

Compare an aspect of your home town (or other place you’ve lived) to current town.
I love how European cities generally have much better public transport systems than most American cities. One thing I hated about California is the car culture. Having to drive five minutes to get some food. I love how some main streets are blocked off from cars, and you can get around most of the city easily without a car. One of the things I dread is living in my car, in the sense that it’s normal for some people in California to have 1-2 hour commutes. Which I think is crazy! Less hippies here than in Santa Cruz. 😉 I love the idea of everyone going for a Saturday or Sunday night walk.

Latest pursuits:
Finishing a degree in English, practicing Italian with a language buddy I met online, and looking for work as an English language tutor. If I can get the money I’d like to take an immersion course too.

A preconceived notion about Italians/Italy that is true:
The pizza is the best, especially Naples. I love the fashion — we Americans tend to be pretty casual and I think it’s cool how you won’t see too many Italians walking around in a T-shirt and some sweats. Also the constant beauty that surrounds you. From the weather, art and architecture — and especially the women.

Your response to the following question: “I really want to live here, but I don’t speak Italian or have a job. What do you think?”
I would say go for it, but remember that visiting and living in a place are two very different things. Try and find a local that you can email/interview before you make the plunge. Do your homework!

How would you sum up your Italian. experience in a word (and why)?
Invigorating, it’s a challenge for me to get the most out of my time here and I enjoy discovering the pleasant (and sometimes unpleasant) nuances of another culture. To have your first real shot of espresso or to haggle at the local market is something that I’d probably never do if I lived my whole life in a typical American suburb. (Sorry all you suburbanites, I hate the suburbs!!)

Italy’s best kept secret (music, culture, food, way to get round things)
I’m not sure if it’s a secret, but the mozzarella di bufala of
Naples is the best cheese in the world. Insalata caprese is great too.

Italian politician Prodi offers bubbly for votes

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zoomata staff: Saturday May 8 12:37 a.m.
Romano Prodi, currently European Union Commission President, is drumming up party support by offering bottles of mineral water.

“A sip of optimism,” promises the orange label promoting the Ulivo party, available in still or sparkling water. Gadgets are rare in Italian political campaigns — the revolving door of 59 governments put together since 1946 hasn’t allowed for much more than a few quickly printed posters and buttons.

Things have changed now that Prodi’s rival current Premier Silvio Berlusconi, with 1,060 days in office, broke the record May 5 for the longest time in office. It’s a strong statement since Prodi is merely the poster boy in June elections — he is not expected to return to the Italian political scene until October when his term is up Brussels.

It is a reassuringly quirky note in what has so far been a tame electoral season — instead of off-the-wall candidates like porn-star Cicciolina, a gaggle of TV presenters are lining up to become politicians.

This isn’t the first time that Prodi’s center-left coalition makes an appeal to health-conscious voters. In 1996 the economist campaigned by bus instead of the usual glam Italian motorcade and is known to bicycle around his native Bologna.

And the idea of water isn’t all wet — Italy is third world wide in consumption of bottled water and, according to ISTAT statistics, about half the population prefers to drink bottled water over tap for safety concerns.@1999-2007 zoomata.com


Italy’s Art Vandal Strikes Again

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posted Wed. April 28 12:13 pm zoomata staff

Piero Cannata, who broke a toe of Michelangelo’s David, scribbled on a Jackson Pollock painting and took a black marker to a Filippo Lippi fresco, has struck again.

The only consolation is that this time Cannata, a failed artist, did not pick anything particularly valuable but he did try to make a political statement. Cannata took brown spray paint to a monument for WWII heroes in Prato, Tuscany.

Prato, 10 miles north-west of Florence, is the hometown of Maurizio Agliana, one of three Italian hostages in Iraq.

“For me a monument to fallen soldiers represents a suicide,” Cannata told newspapers. “It’s like artwork where Isaac is about to be sacrificed by his father Abraham, it consecrates death and war.”

Cannata probably thought his gesture would get him into the spotlight at a moment when the city is crowded with reporters following the hostage crisis, but his marking up of the marble angel statue failed to get him any attention from passersby. Cannata waited, then turned himself in only to find the police didn’t take him seriously.

He was eventually fined for defacing public property and released.
Why can’t Cannata be stopped? His gesture is bound to fuel more discussion about a bill reforming a 1978 law on psychiatric care in Italy, currently being debated in parliament. The Basaglia law abolished state-run mental hospitals in favor of short-term hospitalization in small general hospitals.

Cannata, who said he had given up defacing art for studying grammar and reproductive rights’ laws, was hospitalized following his other exploits and subsequently released. 1999-2004 zoomata.com

This is an original news story, please play nice.

Under the Tuscan Budget Crisis: Florence’s Churches at Risk

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updated Thu. April 15 10:07 am
by Nicole Martinelli

Down the street from Michelangelo’s David but just far enough out of the public eye to be neglected, one of Italy’s most beautiful Renaissance churches, Santissima Annunziata, is being heavily damaged by a leaky roof, art historian James Beck denounced.

Italian media reported that it is ‘raining’ inside the church, but city council member Simone Siliani said there is no money for repairs. The city government is responsible for 12 churches; repairing the damage to this church would eat up 25% of the 2004 maintenance budget.

This is the latest alarm over the cost of keeping up the art-laden capital of Tuscany, though the cash crunch for maintaining art is felt by cities throughout Italy. In 2003, Monsignor Timothy Verdon, who works in the main Cathedral, denounced lack of upkeep as the “suicide” of Florence; in 2002 a bureaucratic snafu over an unpaid electricity bill threatened to turn lights off on works by Michelangelo, Botticelli and Leonardo in the Uffizi Gallery.

Architect Dario Notari, who visited the church to eye the damage, said the key can be found in the all-too-ordinary proportions of leaky patches visible in a chapel.

“What’s visible right now is not that serious,” Notari told zoomata. “That’s exactly the problem: we’re talking about damage that may be considerably more serious but not in a place that a sponsor is going to get much satisfaction from financing it.” Florence’s most recent restoration project, announced March 17, will be a one-of-a-kind fresco fixed up with Italian state lottery funds.

Beck has long protested over both methods and the media circus surrounding restorations in Italy. His website, ArtWatch International, shows photos of heavy water damage in Santissima Annunziata dated 2002. In an article titled ‘Where are the Friends of Florence Now?” Beck maintains that timely maintenance would have kept costs down and prevented further damage.

Built by architect Michelozzo in 1444, the church is not one of the city’s most famous but contains art treasures spanning the Renaissance including murals by Pontormo and Andrea del Sarto and paintings by Perugino and Andrea dal Castagno.

The church of Santissima Annunziata (Holy Annunciation) is especially important to Florentines. It is home to celebrations of the Annunciation, a church festival in commemoration of the announcement of the Incarnation to the Virgin Mary, that also marks the beginning of the local New Year. Florentines celebrated March 25 as the beginning of the year until 1749 and revived it as an historic commemoration in 2000. This year’s celebration, which featured a concert in the church and an art exhibit in the cloister, was a bittersweet one. @text/photos 1999-2007 zoomata.com

This is an original news story. Play nice. Use contact form for reuse/reprint info.

Related resources:
Florence: a Delicate Case

artwatchinternational.org

Italian Onion is ‘Poor Man’s Viagra’

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posted Tue. April 13 18:25 pm zoomata staff

Men in Southern Italy have long claimed the red Tropea onion makes lovemaking easy, a scientist has now proved it is a natural form of Viagra.

Pasquale Potenza, who emigrated to Argentina as a youth, may have remembered whispered tales about the amorous side effects of the sweet onion of his native Calabria. After years of research, the biochemist at the University of Buenos Aires discovered that the Tropea onion contains nitric oxide, the active ingredient used in the little blue pill to regulate blood vessels and sustain erections.

“I’m not exactly sure what the implications may be,” said the researcher, whose last name happens to mean “potency” in Italian. “It will take complex studies to see whether it could be used on a pharmaceutical level — the connection is there though.”

Brought to Italy over two thousand years ago most likely by the Phoenicians, this type of onion has long been known to have excellent medicinal qualities. Pliny the Elder famously sung its praises — claiming these onions could cure vision, induce sleep, heal mouth sores, dog bites, toothaches and rheumatism.
Modern Italians are more likely to use a small amount to flavor an omelet or soup, but they have convinced the EU the Tropea onion is worthy of Protected Geographical Indication (I.G.P.) food status.
If Potenza’s research turns out to be commercially viable, they may find all sorts of new uses for it. @1999-2009 zoomata.com Related resoures:
Cucina Di Calabria: Treasured Recipes and Family Traditions from Southern Italy