Casa Stabili

The park of Monsters of Bomarzo was devised by the architect Pirro Ligorio (he completed the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Rome after the death of Michelangelo and built Villa d'Este in Tivoli) on commision of Prince Pier Francesco Orsini (1523-1585), called Vicino, only to vent the heart broken at the death of is wife Giulia Farnese (+1560).
The park was born in 1552 as "Villa of Wonders" to be the only one of it's kind in the world.

The Park of Monsters remained in oblivion till 1954 when it was bought by Mr. Giovanni Bettini who with loving care has managed it.

A visit to the park will unfold in a series of stages ranging between mythology and fantasy.

We have individuated 24 works of art even though many more are contained in the park.



We thank Mr. Giovanni Bettini, author of the "guide to the Park of Monsters" by us used, firstly to visit the park and then to write this site.

Let us start the visit to the fabulous and oneric ...

Ninfa: the ancient town
The town of Ninfa takes its name from a little temple dedicated to the nymphs during the Roman period, built on one of the most abundant springs at the foot of the Lepini Hills. These waters gave life to the original river Nymphaeus. Of the abandoned medieval town there remain today an imposing double wall and the ruins of a castle, churches, municipal buildings and many private dwellings. As in the past, water is still the key to Ninfa's survival.

Ninfa had a significant economic and strategic identity as early as the 8th century. This came about due to the flooding and impassability of a stretch of the Appian Way between Cisterna and Terracina and the consequent spread of malaria. A water dam, seen to this day at Ninfa, is an example of advanced engineering from early times. The resulting lake enabled waterpower to be used to turn rudimentary machinery such as mills, olive presses, bellows and hammers for the working of metal - making a fortune for the little settlement. By the beginning of the 11th century, Ninfa had grown to the status of a small town. It continued to expand and prosper. In 1159, Rolando Bandinelli was consecrated as Pope Alexander III in S. Maria Maggiore, the largest of Ninfa's seven churches. Several papal families - among them the Tuscolo, Frangipani, Conti, and Anibaldi - fought over Ninfa which was at various times destroyed and rebuilt before passing finally to the Caetani family in 1298. 100 years of prosperity followed. As the result of papal wars and inter-family disputes, however, the town was substantially destroyed in 1382 leading to an exodus of the population and an unstoppable decay that lasted until the 20th century. In the 17th century, Ninfa was for a time used for commercial activity, for example iron-works and a tannery, or as a recreational retreat for the Caetani who then commissioned Francesco da Volterra to design the Hortus Conclusus (enclosed garden). In the 18th and 19th centuries artists and travellers regularly visited the ruined town, after failed attempts to repopulate it. Their various depictions of it left an important record of how it then was. Notable among them were Carlo and Enrico Coleman, Edward Lear, Gregorovius, Ettore Roesler Franz; and Giulio Aristide Sartorio in the 20th century.

For more information: Garden of Ninfa

For the Blue Planet Museum of Fregene we let in the first instance, are the numbers and the history talk.

1989 is the year of foundation: In That year the sculptor Alba Gonzales and her husband Giuseppe Pietrantonio, a chartered accountant but especially talented tenor, open Their villa on the seafront Ponente Fregene, having partially Transformed Into the Museum of Contemporary Sculpture with works scattered inside the building and the garden. The opening was consecrated by two events, a prize and an exhibition, both of international scope. The timing of These concurrent events, initially annual (from the 1989 edition to XII of 2000), has become biennial in 2002 and 2004 (XIII and XIV edition), was finally Resumed in annual form from 2016. The long interval, determined by painful circumstances, Seemed to have stopped the flow of positive energy emanates That the place,but love for art pushed Alba Gonzales to reopen the museum, in what stimulated not only by His creativity in continuous turmoil but Also by the success of His sculptures in the international arena, through a number of exhibitions in various parts of Europe and in the USA . Therefore in 2016 it reopened the Museum with a retrospective exhibition of Alba (with Silvana Lazzarino text) by adding some of the works created during the closing decade.

The "Blue Planet" award is given to a shortlist of personality (the number has varied over the years from 5 to 15), active in various fields of culture (cinema, theater, art criticism, journalism, poetry, painting, sculpture, dance ... and Also economy and medicine). The exhibition of contemporary sculpture Has Been coordinated, for each of the 15 previous editions, by an art critic together with Alba Gonzales. But it Should be Noted That only in the fifteenth edition of 2016 Alba has set-up its own anthology, driven by the need to "reappear" to the public in Fregene, but Already in this edition has taken the stimulant dialogue with His fellow sculptors.And this attitude, Which emphasizes the generosity and the open nature and arranged to typical Alba comparison, it Should be emphasized positively,

Moreover, the generosity of Alba has led over the years many artists, including international (from Belgium, Romania, Lithuania, Iran, Syria), to make a gift of Their Work for the Museum That, Because of this rich heritage, is now in reference point for contemporary art.

46 are sculptors and painters who donated 5 Their Work, Although unfortunately many as 8 of These works were stolen over time. A few names? Amerigo Tot, Angelo Canevari, Fausto Melotti, Simon Benetton, Tito, Ugo Attardi, Vittorio Da Colbertaldo, Corrado Cagli ...

But let's leave the numbers and history and give room for creativity.

We are Therefore at the XVI edition, in cui Alba Gonzales welcomes a group of friends sculptors, most of them coming from delle Venezie, in a dialogue That is first of all the dialectic of visions, techniques and routes, with the benefit not only mutual Also so THAT but the visitor as well to reflect, and maybe even enjoy, in the face of recent landings of contemporary figurative.

These "friends" have Undoubtedly an element of affinity with the work of Alba Gonzales, they too have embraced the figurative vein, Although of course we talk about a very contemporary figuration, Which takes into account the outcome of abstraction and Therefore not It has never linked either to naturalism or realism in the strict sense. For All These artists the figures is a fair Because it can cause emotions, thanks to the inevitable reflection That OCCURS in the mind of the beholder. Alongside Alba Gonzales are Sergio Capellini, Giorgio Conta, Livio Conta, Sabrina Ferrari, Leonardo Lucchi and David Raddi, essentially two generations.

The emotion Becomes Matter In These fascinating sculptures on display at the Blue Planet, sculptures Which, in turn, give rise to the most diverse reflections in the observer, Also Involved harmony and pleasantness of the beautiful space, with the wind carrying scents of pine and sea.

Source: Alba Gonzales
Official website: Pianeta Azzurro

As the saying goes, when in Rome do as the Romans do. Of course, as a visitor, you don’t have to subvert yourself completely to assimilate into the local way of things. However, you might have a smoother trip if you keep a few basic do’s and don’ts in mind. Rubbing a Roman the wrong way might invite a dreaded sneer, trigger a “Mama mia” or inspire a nasty hand gesture. If you want to avoid some awkward social gaffs, cultural faux pas (passo falso) or tourist traps while in the Eternal City, here are 10 things not to do when in Rome.


1. Don’t Go to the Vatican in a Tank Top
2. Don’t Order Cappuccino After Noon
3. Don’t Say “Ciao” To Everyone
4. Don’t Expect Tap Water at a Restaurant
5. Don’t Splash in the Fountains
6. Don’t Snap Selfies in the Sistine Chapel
7. Don’t Drive
8. Don’t Diss Football
9. Don’t Take a Photo With a Fake Gladiator
10. Don’t Ask for Parmesan Cheese

full post and all details: Destination Tips

Wondering what to wear in Rome? We've got the do's and don'ts of what to add to your Italy packing list when visiting this fabulous city. Keep reading to learn more!

When in Rome, do as the Romans! The best way to dress appropriately when visiting a new city is by taking a lokk at what the locals are wearing. Rome native Lucia is here to offer Travel Fashion Girls advice on what to wear in Rome when you visit her beautiful city during the summer.

To enjoy your stay in the Eternal city, you need to pack the right clothes so you can comfortably enjoy all the beautiful italian sights.

If you want more information, please visit the TRAVEL FASHION GIRLS webstite

Fregenae (Greek: Φρεγήνα; Italian: Fregene), was a maritime town of ancient Etruria, situated between Alsium and the mouth of the Tiber. The modern Fregene is an Italian hamlet (frazione) of Fiumicino, in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio. As of 2012 its population was of 6,445.

Ancient Fregenae
Livy mentions Fregenae among the coloniae maritimae (xxxvi. 3); and there is every reason to suppose that it was established at the same time with Alsium, in 245 BCE, and that we should read Fregenae for Fregellae in Velleius Paterculus,[4] where he speaks of the foundation of these two colonies.[5] This is confirmed by the Epitome of the 19th book of Livy, where, though Alsium is not mentioned, the foundation of Fregenae is coupled with that of Brundusium, which Velleius refers to the following year.[6] No subsequent notice of it occurs in history: its marshy and unhealthy situation[7] probably prevented its rising to prosperity; and, after the construction of the Portus Augusti on the right bank of the Tiber, it seems to have gradually sunk into insignificance. Hence, though its name is found in Strabo, Pliny, and the Itineraries, it is not noticed by Rutilius in his description of the coast of Etruria, and no ruins now mark the site. But the distances given in the Itinerary of 9 M.P. from Alsium, and the same from Portus Augusti at the mouth of the Tiber, enable us to fix its position with certainty at a spot now called Fregene in the comune of Fiumicino.

Modern Fregene
The modern town was created in 1928 as part of a large drainage project along the coasts of Lazio, near Maccarese, to create a sea resort. From the 1970s Fregene grew as part of the urban expansion of Rome metropolitan area. Until 1992 It was part of the municipality of Rome, when Fiumicino was created as an independent municipality.
Wikipedia 

IN the 1960's and 70's, when he was at the height of his influence, Federico Fellini often retreated to his vacation villa in Fregene, a sun-swept town on the Tyrrhenian coast, to escape the bustle and commotion of Rome. Others came as well: his wife, the actress Giulietta Masina, of course; the filmmaker and writer Pier Paolo Pasolini; the novelist Alberto Moravia; and a dashing actor named Marcello Mastroianni, to name a few. In this golden age, Fregene, once a simple fishing village, became an oasis for Italian intellectuals and Rome's fashionable Via Veneto crowd.

Fellini, Pasolini and Mastroianni are all gone, and the glamour associated with Fregene faded over the years. But now a new group of celebrities and glamorous young people have rediscovered the town for the same reasons it drew sun seekers 40 years ago: it is a quick getaway from Rome and an upscale alternative to the congested beaches of nearby Ostia. Throughout the summer, actors, soccer stars and the Roman gentry come here to feast in waterfront restaurants, to dance until the wee hours and, most of all, to tan themselves on the beaches.

"Before, it was a place of artists," said Claudia Campagnola, a 29-year-old actress from Rome whose family has a villa in Fregene. "Now, it's something of an in place."

Continue reading.....NY TIMES

Cacio e pepe is made with pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper, along with starchy pasta water, which creates a creamy sauce. The classic recipe uses tonnarelli pasta. You’ll see cacio e pepe on nearly every Roman menu, but we list the best the city has to offer.



Da Enzo al 29 who is Enzo? When our patrons ask us who Enzo is we show them a photo of his portrait hanging on one of the walls of our trattoria. He, the previous owner, can’t be present for he passed away in the late 80’s and our family bought his trattoria after his passing.
Enzo’s presence is still felt very much; he is in the memory of patrons that hung out in the trattoria when himself ran it. Everybody remembers him fondly and thus we imagine him walking through the tables, playful, boisterous and snarky in times when the trattoria was the best place not only to drink and eat but to meet friends too and socialize. Everybody portrays Enzo, an avid A.S. Roma supporter who used to bet on horse racing, as a kind and generous host. If he’s watching us from above I hope he’s happy with the way his tavern has remained the same as decades ago, basically.

Da Felice in Testaccio is the most famous old-school restaurant for cacio e pepe. Serving up classic Roman dishes since 1936, it’s an institution in the city and beloved by locals for its hearty, honest fare. Actor Roberto Benigni was a fan of Felice, the restaurant’s original owner, and is just one of the restaurant’s well-known patrons. The draw of the cacio e pepe here is that the waiter whips up this dish in front of you, tossing the pasta at your plate with an adept hand ensuring the ingredients are combined to perfection.

Flavio al Velavevodetto never disappoints. Chef De Maio originally worked at iconic restaurant Da Felice meaning he learned from the best and has since shifted his expertise to this restaurant which means “Flavio, I told you so”. Built upon Monte Testaccio, a man-made hill comprised of discarded amphora, the restaurant has a main dining area with plenty of outdoor seating on two patios. Everything on the menu is fantastic and the cacio e pepe is well-balanced and creamy.

Just steps away from buzzing Piazza Trilussa lies one of Rome’s hidden treasures: Osteria Zi Umberto. With classic Roman service (read: brusque), high quality and low prices, its always bustling for good reason. The rotating daily specials are always excellent as are the staples. The cacio e pepe here is mild but flavorful; we recommend pairing with a side dish of cicoria.

Roma Sparita has one of the most lauded bowls of cacio e pepe in the city. This restaurant in Trastevere rose to fame after being featured on Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Rome on No Reservations back in 2011 because of its unique way of serving cacio e pepe: here, the coated tonnarelli noodles arrive on your plate served in a parmesan cheese bowl.

repost from....The culture trip