Tag Archives: Tiber River

October 18, 2012 · 10:32 am

Italy’s Eurochocolate 2012 in Perugia Umbria

English: City gate Porta Perugina in Paciano, Province of Perugia, Umbria, Italy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

: Image by kiki follettosa via Flickr

In October, chocolate lovers will travel to Perugia in Umbria for the 19th annual international “Eurochocolate” Festival. Visit www.eurochocolate.com for more information.

Eurochocolate festival 2008, Perugia, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Get a Chococard at the website.

WHEN: The event is held between October 19th and October 28rd, 2012. The event attracts about 900,000 visitors to this gorgeous part of Italy.

Perugia by Night (Photo credit: Niccolò Caranti)

Stand Baci Perugina Eurochocolate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Italy’s most well-known chocolate company Perugina (a subsidiary of Nestlé), is known for their famous Baci (Kiss) chocolate and hazelnut product. Some of their other brands include Lindt and Caffarel. EuroChocolate offers yummy chocolate products including: chocolate covered bananas, chocolate liqueur, chocolate molds and chocolate bricks.

EuroChocolate offers a wide variety of chocolate activities including: chocolate art displays, experimental chocolate tastings, street performances and chocolate sculpting. There is even an opportunity to make a chocolate day spa appointment.

Orvieto, Umbria, Italia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sophisticated foodies should also make plans to attend the “Orvieto con Gusto” Food and Wine Festival. Check out the official website @ www.orvietocongusto.it. This festival is organized by the city of Orvieto in conjunction with the Association of Slow Food.

Umbria is considered the belly button of Italy because it’s located in the center of the peninsula. It is protected by the Apennines and has no outlet to the sea but the region is home to the Tiber River. Historically, the Etruscans, Romans and the Catholic Church have contributed to the architectural splendor of Umbria. Visit the magnificent cathedrals in Umbria: Orvieto and Spoleto. Make a pilgrimage to the UNESCO World Heritage Franciscan Basilica of Assisi.

The Perugia Jazz Festival, the Spoleto Festival, the Sagra Musicale Umbria in Perugia and the Festival della Nazioni are also annual events worth attending in Umbria. The culinary scene is dominated by the art of “norcino” and includes regional specialties like porchetta cooked on a spit, mazzafegato and capocollo. Umbrian wine options worth trying are Montefalco Sagrantino, Torgiano Rosso Riserva, Assisi and Orvieto.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Italy Travel Guides at www.vino-con-vista.com

Etruscan ‘Pyramids’ Beneath Orvieto?

Top 5 Chocolate Festivals Around the World (proflowers.com)

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Filed under Assisi, Eurochocolate 2011 in Italy, Italy, St. Francis of Assisi, Umbria, UNESCO, vino con vista, World Heritage Sites

Tagged as Caffarel, Catholic Church, Eurochocolate, Eurochocolate 2011 in Perugia Umbria, Italy, Orvieto, Perugia, Perugina, Tiber River, Umbria, Wine festival

May 7, 2012 · 10:56 am

The Beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome Italy

Façade with obelisk, Santa Maria sopra Minerva...

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Piazza della Minerva with Bernini’s Elephant

The Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva was built above the ruins of a temple to honor the goddess Minerva that was built by Gnaeus Pompey the Great around 50 B.C. to honor his Asian victories. The basilica is located in Piazza della Minerva. On the right side of the facade of the basilica look for inscriptions that mark the flooding of the Tiber River between 1422 and 1870 because this is the lowest point in Rome and was subject to frequent flooding. Some of the Tiber flood waters rose to as high as 65 feet.

Interior of the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the only Gothic church in Rome. The church houses the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Dominicans began construction on the gothic church in 1280 and used Santa Maria Novella in Florence as their model. Above the main doorway’s triangular pediment is the coat of arms of the Dominican Pope St. Pius V (1566-1572)

To the right of the neo-medieval church facade, admire the Palazzo Fonseca which is now the luxurious Grand Hotel Minerva. Stop in for a lovely Vino con Vista.

Lobby of the Grand Hotel Minerva

Grand Hotel Minerva in Rome ItalyInterior of the Grand Hotel Minerva in Rome Italy

Gian Lorenzo Bernini‘s famous smiling elephant called “Pulcino della Minerva” supports one of Rome’s smallest Egyptian obelisks that was escavated in the Domenican cloister and brought to Rome by Diocletian during his reign from 284-305. The Latin inscription at the base of the monument that was commissioned by Pope Alexander VII says “A strong mind is needed to support solid knowledge.”

see filename (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Detail of the vault (one of the 4 sibyls : Sibyl of Delphi) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bernini also has some interesting works inside the basilica including the funeral monument of Maria Raggi constructed in 1643. Before San Giovani dei Fiorentini was built, Minerva was the church of the Florentine nation and houses tombs of nobles and citizens from Florence including Pope Urban VII. Fra Angelico and Pope Paul IV. The tombs of two Medici popes Leo X and Clement VII are located in the choir area behind the altar.

Altar in Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bernini’s monument to Maria Raggi

Bernini

One of the fascinating aspects of sightseeing in Rome is visiting the churches to view an amazing spectrum of art.

There are over 900 churches in Rome Italy and they are the frequented by religious pilgrims and locals. These amazing churches are repositories of the relics of martyrs that are venerated within as well as priceless artistic treasures. The Gothic Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is located in Piazza della Minerva near the Pantheon.

Rear view of the Pantheon from Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome Italy

Look for the trusty map inside the church to help you identify the key artwork in the basilica. In front of the altar you will find a staue of St. John the Baptist by Giuseppe Obici (1858) on the right and Michelangelo’s ”Risen Christ the Redeemer” on the Left.

The churches of Rome (hotair.com)

Michelangelo’s statue of “Christ the Risen Redeemer” was started in 1519 and shipped unfinished from Florence in 1521. The bronze draping was added later.

Saint Catherine of Siena is also buried in the Basilica beneath the main altar; although her head is in the church of San Domenico in Siena. The monument was created by Isaia da Pisa in 1430. In 1939, Saint Catherine and Saint Francis of Assisi were proclaimed principal patrons of Italy and she was also proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1970.

The Chapel of Saint Dominic has a painting byPaolo de Matteis and Benedict XIII’s tomb is protected by a lovely statue of “Purity” by Pieto Brracci on the right side of the ornate tomb.

Visit the Carafa Chapel of Saint Thomas Aquinas with beautiful frescoes by Filippino Lippi. I love the scene that depicts St. Thomas presenting Cardinal Carafa to the Blessed Virgin. The relics of St. Thomas were kept in this chapel until 1511, when they were moved to Naples.

In the Chapel dedicated to the Annunciation you can admire the “Annunciation” painting by Antoniazzo Romano. The Virgin is shown giving dowries to young girls who are kneeling with Cardinal Juan de Torquemada. The cardinal is buried nearby.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides about Italy. To learn more about Rome visit www.vino-con-vista.com

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Tagged as Annunciation, Architecture, Art, Arts, Bernini, Bernini's elephant in Piazza della Minerva, Christ, Christian, Churches in Rome, Churches of Rome, Egyptian Obelisks in Rome, Florence, Fra Angelico, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Gnaeus Pompey the Great, Gothic architecture, Italy, Lazio, Michelangelo, Pantheon Rome, Piazza della Minerva, Pompey, Pope Alexander VII, Pope Paul IV, Pope Pius V, Pope Urban VII, Rome, Saint Peter, Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Santa Maria sopra Minerva Basilica in Rome Italy, St. Peter's Basilica, Tiber River, Travel Blogs, Vatican CIty, Vatican Museum, Vatican Museums

March 4, 2012 · 12:38 pm

Historic Rome: A UNESCO Site in Italy

: Image via Wikipedia

Romulus & Remus (Photo credit: laszlo-photo)

I love Rome. It’s a city that transcends time. It is imbued with sweeping views of majestic domes. Furthermore, it is one of my favorite Vino con Vista destinations!

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According to legend, Rome was founded by Romulus on April 21^st in 753 B.C. His mother was a vestal virgin who was raped by the warrior god of Mars. She allegedly abandoned her twins Romulus and Remus on the Tiber River and they floated to the foot of Palatine Hill. A benevolent she-wolf rescued and nursed them and she became the symbol of Rome.

Capitoline she-wolf, Romulus and Remus, Roman Forum, Rome (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Capitoline she-wolf with Romulus and Remus. Modern sculpture, added to the Ancient Roman allegory of Tiber River (originally, an allegory of River Tigri), re-used in modern times for the fountain in piazza del Campdoglio square, Rome, Italy. Picture by Giovanni Dall’Orto, April 7 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Augustus of Prima Porta, statue of the emperor...

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Rome was initially the seat of the Roman Republic. It ultimately became the hub of the powerful Roman Empire whose political and military power stretched from England to North Africa. The empire was the first wealthy transnational organization and reigned for 1000 years.

Rome later became the seat of Christianity in the 4th century and the fulcrum of Western spiritual life.

English: Scultpture of St. John Eudes at St. P...

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - DECEMBER 25: Two guar...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Rome is the largest open air museum on earth. Witness the remnants of the world’s greatest empire as well as the most exquisite art and architecture in the western hemisphere.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides to Italy and

Vino Con Vista Travel Guides can be purchased at these sites

Santa Maria in Traspontina sits on the site of an Ancient Pyramid in Rome (vinoconvistablog.me)
Silent Night Holy Night: A Vatican Christmas (vinoconvistablog.me)
Spend a Glorious Vino Con Vista Weekend in Rome: Non Basta una Vita (vinoconvistablog.me)
How to Decipher the Eternal City of Rome (vinoconvistablog.me)
Who built Rome’s Historic Pantheon? (vinoconvistablog.me)
Trinita dei Monti Church in Rome at the top of the Spanish Steps (vinoconvistablog.me)
Borromini’s Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome (vinoconvistablog.me)
San Marco is the Church of the Venetian Community in Rome (vinoconvistablog.me)
Insights into the Vatican in Italy: UNESCO’s Holy City (vinoconvistablog.me)

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Tagged as Africa, Ancient Rome, England, italy travel, Italy Travel Guide, Palatine Hill, Remus, Roman Empire, Roman History, Roman Republic, rome history, Rome Travel Guide, Romulus, Romulus and Remus, Tiber River, Travel and Tourism, unesco, vino con vista, World Heritage Site

September 2, 2011 · 6:27 am

Rome’s Fountain of the Moor in Piazza Navona

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It has just come to my attention that someone has vandalized the Fountain of the Moor with a large rock after I wrote this blog post. My heart is broken–why would anyone do this? Someone was doing research on the Fountains in Rome and notified me of this incident. I found this report on Google and wanted to share it with you. Fortunately they caught the vandal on tape. The objects that he damaged were actually copies instead of the original:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/8742348/Rome-fountain-vandal-caught-on-CCTV.html

I love the Fountains in Piazza Navona. The Fountain of the Moor or Fontana del Moro is located at the southern end of elliptical shaped Piazza Navona. It has a basin with four Tritons sculpted by Giacomo della Porta in 1575. In 1673, Bernini designed and added the statue of a Moor (African) with a spouting fish. The vigorously twisting Moor is standing on a conch and wrestling with a dolphin in the center of the fountain.

Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585) envisioned an ambitious plan to erect fountains in all of the main squares in Rome. Before Rome’s fountains were built, Roman’s drank water from the Tiber River. The river water was collected upstream and stored for a number of days by vendors called Aquarenari.

The fountains that were originally designed at the north and south end of the Piazza were separated by an enormous drinking trough for horses in the center of the square. Bernini‘s Fountain of the Four Rivers replaced this area. The fountain for the horses was subsequently moved to the Giardino del Lago in the Villa Borghese.

The Moro fountain was completed in 1575 and was originally adorned with decorations designed by Giacomo della Porta. These were transferred to a small square in Villa Borghese and the original masks and Triton figures were substituted with copies made by Luigi Amici in 1874.

The central figure in the fountain depicts a Moor wrestling with a dolphin by Antonio Mari. Mari sculpted this in 1654 using Bernini’s design. Bernini was responsible for the pool around the fountain basin using a plan designed by Borromini. Francesco Borromini was a leading figure in the emergence of Roman Baroque architecture.