Romans` Holiday: Visiting the Alban Hills

Italian Government Tourism Board
INSIDE:
Ferdinand IV’s Silk Mills 3
Antico Ristorante
Pagnanelli 5
An Italophile’s
Holiday Gift Guide 6
Ancient Capua 8
The Pope’s Palace in Castel Gandolfo
dream of
ITALY
Volume 3, Issue 10
www.dreamofitaly.com
November 2004
Romans’ Holiday:
Visiting the Alban Hills
W
hen last in Rome I raised
my eyes from the city’s
eternal monuments to the
hills on the southern horizon and, as if
seeing them for the first time, was
struck by their conical shape. Extinct
for about 700,000 years, it turns out
these benign volcanoes, the Alban Hills
or Colli Albani, gave birth to legendary
Alba Longa, a town already
ancient when Romulus and
Remus left it to found rival
Rome in 753 B.C.
For about that long the Alban
Hills have been the Romans’ weekend
retreat. They’re less than an hour from
central Rome, and wrapped by the
requisite olive groves and vineyards.
Of the 15 towns perched on them,
several are famed for their wines
(Frascati, Marino and Velletri), one for
strawberries (Nemi) and another for the
Pope’s sumptuous summer residence
(Castel Gandolfo). Filling the craters
below are two startlingly blue lakes.
The commuter train from Roma Termini
to Albano provides 30 minutes’ viewing
of slouching aqueducts, vines and
farmland, dotted with equal numbers
of hideous and handsome villas.
If legends are to be believed,
in 1150 B.C. Alba Longa
stretched for several
miles along the volcano’s rim from today’s
Castel Gandolfo to
Albano. It was evil Alban king
Amulius who sent his nephews
Romulus and Remus down the Tiber
in a leaky wicker basket.
The rest is history, and unsurprisingly
of pre-Roman Alba Longa only words
survive. I read them as I walked
Albano’s weathered streets flanking
continued on page 4
REGAL
CASERTA
Deserves a Detour
ou can be forgiven if you have
never heard of Caserta — or if
you feel like you have, but
aren’t quite sure why. Its Campanian
cousins — Pompeii, Sorrento, Amalfi —
have long overshadowed this small
city 20 miles north of Naples. While
Italian tourists provide a steady
stream of visitors, foreigners have yet
to take full notice of this historic gem.
Y
Caserta’s relative fame comes from a
palace known as “the Versailles of
Italy” — the 1200-room Reggia di
Caserta. And the nickname isn’t an
exaggeration. Some who have visited
both world-famous palaces argue that
the Royal Palace of Caserta’s opulent
décor and expansive gardens surpass
those of the extravagant French
palace.
Indeed, Versailles was what the
Bourbon Charles IV of Naples had in
mind when he bought the village of
Caserta from the noble Caetani family
of Sermonta. He said he wanted to
build a palace rivaling that of his
grandfather’s — who happened to be
Louis XIV, the creator of Versailles.
Charles chose Caserta for its fertile
soil, fresh air and a location decidedly
away from the sea. Naples proved too
vulnerable a capital as the English
navy had bombed the city in 1743.
Charles IV worked closely with architect Luigi Vanvitelli to create a design
for the palace and construction began
on the king’s 36th birthday, January
20, 1752. Up to 2681 people worked
on the building simultaneously. Five
stories tall, the palace contains 243
windows, 43 staircases and four giant
continued on page 2
The Pope’s palace was designed by Carlo Maderno in 1624.
The 1200-room Reggia di Caserta
Italian Government Tourism Board
Italian Government Tourism Board
Italian Government Tourism Board
Regal Caserta continued from page 1
Fountains in the park
Aerial view of the great cascade
2
courtyards. No wonder it wasn’t considered even somewhat complete until
1774, during the reign of Ferdinand IV,
the son of Charles IV. Vanvitelli died in
1773, but his son Carlo took over the
supervision of construction. It wasn’t
until 1847 that the palace’s throne
room was finished.
Allot plenty of time to visit the royal
apartments, because they are worth
viewing in detail. Tours start at the
state staircase where the stairways are
so immense, that apparently (cringe)
American troops drove jeeps up and
down them during World War II.
The Reggia di Caserta served as a rest
area, headquarters for the American
5th Army and 15th Army and the
center for Allied Command at various
times during the war. In fact, on
April 29, 1945, German forces in Italy
surrendered to the Supreme Allied
Commander in the Mediterranean in
a 17-minute ceremony at the palace.
Across from the top of the stairs is the
palatine chapel, which the king wanted
to resemble the chapel at Versailles.
Unfortunately, this gilded place of worship is often closed. If you get in, look
for the masterpiece, The Immaculate
Conception by Giuseppe Bonito, hanging
over the altar. Several other paintings
Reggia di Caserta…
by Bonito, Conca and Mengs, were
destroyed when the palace was
bombed on September 23, 1943.
Damage to several of the chapel’s
columns has remained unfixed as a
reminder of the war.
from the Bourbons to the French and
back to the Bourbons. (Joachim Murat
of the Bonapartes ruled from 1808 to
1815.) Murat is conveniently left out
of the room’s frieze containing
medallions of the kings of Naples.
The royal apartments feature the finest
paintings, frescoes, woodwork, tapestries, fabrics and furniture imaginable.
Five antechambers lead to the golden
throne room, the largest room in the
palace, which remained undecorated
for its first five decades, during the
time the Kingdom of Naples passed
The private apartments of the kingdom’s rulers provide unique views of
court life, with far too many attributes
than can be described here. For example, Francis II’s bedroom contains the
first known example of a roll-top desk.
Alexander’s rooms are decorated with
colorful allegories of the Four Seasons
by Antonio de Dominici and Fedele
Fischetti. The library, containing 10,000
volumes, also houses a conical turning
bookshelf, designed so that Queen
Maria Carolina could read several books
without getting out of her seat.
Worth a Stop
Enoteca La Botte
Via Nazionale Appia,
168/180
Casagiove Caserta
(39) 0823 468130
www.enotecalabotte.it
With 2000 labels representing wines
from Campania to California, this specialty
wine and food shop located within walking
distance of the palace, is considered one
of southern Italy’s best.The Ricciardi family
can lead you in tasting local products, such
as Fiano di Avellino wine, fresh mozzarella
di buffala and one of the region’s more
recent delicacies, buffalo meat.
Back to the ground floor, the palace
theater, a smaller replica of Teatro San
Carlo in Naples, is the only part of the
palace completed entirely under the
direction of Luigi Vanvitelli. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium was inaugurated in 1769 by Ferdinand IV and
has been painstakingly restored to its
original form.
On a sunny day especially, the beauty
of the palace’s exterior may rival that
Several scenes in Star Wars Episode I wer
Alban Hills contd. from page 5
Getting There
Caserta’s train station is a stone’s
throw from the palace, making a
visit an attractive day trip from
Naples.The journey takes about
30 minutes. Caserta is also a stop
on the Rome to Naples intercity
train line (about a 2-hour ride).
For more information, visit
www.trenitalia.com
Front of Belvedere San Leucio
a palace known as “the Versailles of Italy”
of its interior. The 300 lush acres of
parkland (designed by Martin
Blancour) feature waterworks and fountains among various gardens. The highlight of Caserta’s park is the great cascade, a waterfall 225 feet high flowing
towards the palace from the
opposite
end of
the
park.
If your
stay permits,
visit Belvedere
San Leucio, a
former hunting
lodge turned
social experiFront of Belvedere San Leucio ment, founded
by Ferdinand IV in 1789. Ferdinand
hired Vanvitelli student Francesco
Collecini to widen San Leucio and to
turn it predominantly into a royal silk
mill (although maintaining a royal
apartment, complete with an indoor
swimming pool) and establish an
industry for the locals.
By 1823, the neo-classic structure contained silk mills, a cocoon warehouse,
housing for the mill manager and
parish priest, spinning rooms and a
school. Workers were housed across
the street. Ferdinand established rules
for how his subjects should live and
work together. San Leucio became
famous around the world as one of the
first attempts at Enlightenmentinspired rural socialism. Even today,
local workshops continue to produce
some of the world’s finest silk, which
has been used to decorate the White
House and Buckingham Palace.
From the terrace of San Leucio,
visitors can look out over to the city of
Caserta and see the royal palace.
These two buildings have so many
stories to tell. History lovers won’t be
disappointed. ◆
For more information, visit
www.commune.caserta.it and
www.realcasadiborbone.it
For highlights near the city of Caserta, see page 8.
.
Where to Stay
Jolly Hotel Caserta
Viale Vittorio Veneto, 9
(39) 0823 325222
www.jollyhotels.com
Many of the rooms in this 4-star property
have views over the palace and park.
Rates: 110 to 150€ per room, per night.
1 € = $1.30 at press time
I couldn’t resist gorging on several
baskets of tiny, creamy strawberries
sold by a grinning granny. And then
came the highlight of my journey, a
Nemi-only specialty: strawberrytopped pizza. I thought the pizzamaker was pulling my leg, but his
delicacy was a revelation, a true
culinary curiosity. My tongue was
still red from it, and my eyes from
the Alban Hills’ many sights, when
I got back to Rome less than an hour
later. ◆
—David D. Downie
David Downie wrote about shopping
for ceramics in Vietri sul Mare in the
October 2004 issue of Dream of Italy.
dream of
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e filmed at the Royal Palace of Caserta.
3
Visiting the Alban Hills continued from page 1
4
…the Alban Hills are less than
level corresponds to Albano in
the modern Via Appia, and
Imperial times, or about 15 feet
soon came across the so-called
lower than today’s town.
tomb of Orazi e Curiazi, alias
Horaces and Curiaces, who
My map showed a Roman
fought their epic battle here.
Marino
amphitheater above Albano,
A large central cone and four
with Castel Gandolfo just a halfsmaller ones once topped the
inch away on a ridge-top back
impressive tomb’s conglomroad. I decided to cross the
erate stone base. Only two
town’s main square, Piazza
corner cones remain,
Sabatini, then zigzag to the crest
exuding antiquity, though
and follow the road. The streets
spoil-sport archaeologists
were alive with an open market,
now insist the site is a mere
where locals busily washed
2,000 years old and therefore
Tomb of Orazi e Curiazi, Albano
down porchetta with chilled
misnamed.
white wine, and this time I joined
them. Distrust anyone who tells you
The scent of roasting meat dragged me
Frascati is to be dismissed, especially
to Piazza San Pietro, where a woman
on a warm day. It and the rosemarywearing cowboy boots was slicing a
seasoned, garlicky pork were divine.
crisp, spitted pig and selling porchetta
sandwiches, a local specialty, in front of
Cobble by cobble, I scaled through
the church. With admirable economy,
piazzas and up tilting alleys to the
this squat Romanesque jumble, embelruined amphitheater where a sign
lished with recycled marble cornices,
blithely states that to enter, visitors
fills a ruined Roman bathhouse. Other
must be accompanied by staff from
fragments and sarcophagi are now
Albano’s history museum. The musealtars. The bell tower’s shiny, embedum lies about a mile below. I expect the
ded ceramic plates, “heathen trophies”
director could hear my roar of frustrabrought back from the Middle East by
tion. However, the road above the
Crusaders, were banned from the
amphitheater provides
church’s interior, and are some of the
ample rewards. I gazed hapearliest and most exquisite to have
pily into the weedy, oval pit.
reached Italy.
See-forever vistas reach over
the cyclopean walls to the
On Albano’s main street road workplains and Mediterranean
ers were replacing the pitted tarmac
with cobbles, and boasted that cars
Torso of Hercules from below. This is the stuff of
Albano’s Museum dreams — and blisters.
would soon be banished. Gentrification was on its way, they announced,
A chummy dog-walker I met on the
and none too soon, as World War II
crest above the amphitheater warned
damage has yet to be repaired in many
me away from my original itinerary —
spots. Getting inside the round, 5thtoo much traffic — and confirmed that
century church of Santa Maria della
a forest lane on my map loops around
Rotonda, shoehorned into a garden
Lake Albano’s crater to a remote
rotunda of Emperor Domitian’s vanished
monastery. I might shelter there, he
villa, proved challenging but worthsuggested, or double back to Castel
while. A steep staircase near the
Gandolfo. “It’s a lovely little walk,” he
campanile led to the sanctuary’s
added with a wink. I soldiered on to a
subterranean floor, which is covered
trailhead near a nightclub-trattoria
with whimsical Roman mosaics. The
called Blue Moon, where arrows pointed down a dirt track to Palazzolo, the
dog-lover’s monastery.
For perhaps a mile, a mossy Roman
aqueduct snakes alongside under
chestnut trees so old Romulus and
Remus probably climbed them.
Keyhole views reveal the lake’s blue
depths too far below for vertigo
sufferers to contemplate. After picking
through caverns in the eroded tufa
cliffs, I reached Palazzolo’s forbidding
walls, some 1,800 feet above sea level.
My lungs have rarely gasped so
satisfyingly.
Palazzolo is not open to
casual visitors, it transpires, but I was thirsty
enough to ignore all
written warnings and
ring the doorbell. An
Palazzolo Monastery energetic nun shook her
head then admitted me to a cloister
and Renaissance gardens. There were
rooms to rent, she confirmed in a brisk
Scottish accent, but only for seekers of
spiritual R&R. I did not look the
pilgrim, and was shown the door.
My thirst and curiosity quenched,
I retraced my steps then wound down
a mushroom-scented forest footpath
to the lake about 1,000 feet below.
Remains of Roman piers stud a
shoreline rimmed by age-bearded
Brobdignagian chestnuts and lime
trees. A sailboat skimmed by, barely
breaking the silence.
Knowing I would be
ready for secular
R&R by the time I
reached aerial Castel
Lago Albano
Gandolfo, I buttonholed a passing jogger and used his
mobile to book a table and room at the
town’s celebrated hostelry, Antico
Ristorante Pagnanelli. Several hours and
An underground tunnel built in the 4th c
an hour from central Rome…wrapped by olive groves and vineyards…
Four weddings and a breakfast later,
many miles later my
I rolled through Albano on a bus to
legs were quaking as I
abutting Ariccia and a neighboring and
rounded the eerily blue,
equally sun-bleached town, Genzano.
seemingly depthless
Romans waddle to Ariccia for the best
lake, past tempting
porchetta of all, and to Genzano for
beaches and outdoor
restaurants, and made a Antico Ristorante Pagnanelli rustic breads baked in wood-burning
ovens. I bought a hot, fresh loaf and
final push back up the 1,000 feet’s
nibbled it while marching to a vantage
worth of switchbacks to a soaring
point overlooking Lake Nemi, Italy’s
church on the crater’s lip.
strawberry capital.
Where Albano is soulful Castel
Nemi’s crater is smaller than Albano’s
Gandolfo appears almost obscenely
and ringed by greenhouses and
rich and perfectly preserved, with
terraces, with the village hedging an
Rococo stuccowork on historic houses,
airborne castle at the lake’s far end. I
views from every corner, splashing
strolled the three roller-coaster miles to
fountains and a piazza and church
it on a lakeside two-lane road blessedly
designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini, no
free of traffic. Apparently Emperors
stranger to the Vatican.
Tiberius and Caligula were so wild
about Nemi’s fragoline that they
Under the Pope’s balcony spread
brought in a fleet of luxury ships and
refreshingly profane cafes. As I gulped
supped, on deck, on the thimble-sized
mineral water then a glass of chilled
berries. When Caligula’s fortunes
white wine at one of them, a proceswaned in A.D. 41, the ships were sunk.
sion of Rolls Royces bore brides and
They were rediscovered in 1929,
grooms to Bernini’s cupola-topped
restored and displayed in a lakeside
wonder. In half an hour I witnessed
museum. Retreating Nazis burned the
three jubilant ceremonies. But my sarmuseum and ships in 1944 (rebuilt
donic waiter had counted 15 so far that
since), but they couldn’t destroy
day. “It’s not over yet,” he snorted.
Nemi’s real claim to fame.
Castel Gandolfo, it seems, is a wedding
factory.
Ignoring my
bunions I practiAt Antico Ristorante Pagnanelli, overcally skipped
looking the lake, the homemade
from the lake up a
fettuccine with local wild mushdozen hairpins to
rooms, and herbed lamb braised in
Nemi
the village floatvinegar, were criminally succulent
ing above. Like Castel Gandolfo, Nemi
and dangerously abundant. Once I’d
prospers. Wall-to-wall cafes and restautoured the tiered wine cellars hewn
rants selling pig conjugated in a dozen
from the mountainside I was barely
ways — ham, sausages, jowl bacon or
able to levitate myself to my room, and
wild boar prosciutto — line winding
didn’t notice the spectacular view until
stone alleys. Unwittingly I entered
dawn. The lake glowed pink. Above it,
town with a religious procession.
the convent at Palazzolo glowered,
Bands blared, children scampered and
with the peak of Monte Cavo, the volI followed them through medieval
cano’s snaggle-toothed summit, thrustlabyrinths, out of harm’s way.
ing another 1,300 feet over its campanile. No, I told myself, I will not
continued on page 3
attempt to scale you today.
The Details
Getting There
Direct trains from Rome’s Termini station to Albano and
Castel Gandolfo take 25 to 50 minutes. From Rome’s
Anagnina Metropolitana station local buses run daily every
20 to 40 minutes to (and between) most Alban Hills towns,
including Nemi. Tickets cost a few € each way.
Where to Stay
Castel Gandolfo:
Hotel Lucia Pagnanelli
Via Antonio Gramsci, 4
(39) 06 9361422
www.pagnanelli.it
Tidy and comfortable, atop Antico Ristorante Pagnanelli.
Rates: Doubles from 80€.
Hotel Bucci
Via de’ Zecchini, 27
(39) 06 936 0018
Small and old-fashioned, with lake views
and a good restaurant.
Rates: Doubles from 70€.
5
Palazzolo:
Monastero di Palazzolo
(39) 06 94749178
Spartan lodgings in medieval monastery with
Renaissance gardens. Guests must be seeking “spiritual
rest and relaxation.” Three-night minimum.
Rates: About 50€ (varies with length of stay),
including meals.
Where to Eat
Antico Ristorante Pagnanelli (see above).
Panoramic, century-old and family-run.
Exquisite regional food. 25,000-bottle cellar.
Closed Tuesday
Dinner for two with wine, 80€ and up.
For More Information
Albano Tourist Office
Viale Risorgimento, 1
(39) 06 9324081
Parco Regionale dei
Castelli Romani
(regional park district), in Rocca di Papa
Via Cesare Battisti, 5
(39) 06 9495253
www.parks.it/parco.castelli.romani/index.html
1 € = $1.30 at press time
c entury B.C. is Lake Albano’s only outlet.
Give the Gift of Italy:
In the spirit of holiday gift giving, here’s a special selection of Italy-inspired g
perché non (why not)? There are fewer pleasures greater than immersing ones
6
Books and Music
➥ Vino Italiano Buying Guide: The
Ultimate Quick Reference to the
Great Wines of Italy by Joseph
Bastianich and David Lynch (Clarkson
Potter, $12.95). This slender reference
book features only Italian wines that
are available in the U.S., and includes
information about the vintners as well
as descriptions of the wines, which are
rated as elite, premier or rising star. As
the authors state, “there’s never been a
better time than now to get into Italian
wine.” For a true gift package, include
the authors’ previous book, the hefty,
award-winning Vino Italiano and a
bottle of one of the recommended
Italian wines.
➥ The Arthur Avenue Cookbook:
Recipes and Memories from the Real
Little Italy by Ann Volkwein (Regan
Books, $34.95). With Little Italy neighborhoods in many American cities,
Italophiles need not always look to
Italia for a dose of Italian culture, and,
as Mario Batali notes in the foreword to
this mouthwatering book, “Arthur
Avenue is indisputably Italian, and
indisputably American.” Arthur
Avenue, in the Bronx, may not be
familiar to readers far from New York
City; it is remarkable not only for its
culinary excellence but because within
its three-block radius exists the largest
number of businesses in the country
still run by the same families that ran
them 60 years ago. This book is filled
with the kind of recipes home cooks
can master, but it’s also a valuable
record of Italian-American history and
a travel guide — the maps and
descriptive shopping and restaurant
index provide a veritable walking tour
of the neighborhood. Consult the Web
site www.arthuravenuebronx.com for a
culinary specialty to accompany the
book. Teitel Brothers, on the Avenue
since 1915 and known for its competitive prices, does a brisk mail order
business (Parmigiano-Reggiano is
$8.99/pound; but hurry — due to
heavy holiday requests, no orders will
be shipped between December 18 and
January 1).
➥ A Guide to Jewish Italy by Annie
Sacerdoti (Rizzoli, $24.95). Rome is
home to the second oldest, continuous
Jewish community in the world, after
Jerusalem. But many other Italian
cities and towns, in every region of
the country except Basilicata, Calabria
and Umbria, have had historic Jewish
communities. This beautifully illustrated paperback, the only guidebook of
its kind, is a city by city survey of the
art, artifacts and architecture in every
Italian Jewish community. With an
excellent glossary and six pages of useful addresses, this is a great Chanukah
gift. This year, the holiday begins on
December 7.
➥ Italian music, always nice for holidays, or anytime. Just a few good
selections to keep you, family, and
friends entertained are Quadro Nuevo:
Canzone della Strada (Justin Time
Records), Italia Nova (Rough Guides),
Italian Hits of the ‘50s (Mint Records),
Bella Tuscany: Music Inspired by
Tuscany (Telarc) and Lounge Italian
Style (Sunswept). I found all of these
and many more at Rizzoli (31 West 57th
Street, New York; 212-759-2424;
www.rizzoliusa.com), the only U.S.
outlet of the prestigious Italian
publisher. Visit Rizzoli for a large
selection of Italian-language books.
Stationery
➥ Tuscany stationery collection created
by Mudlark Papers, Inc. of Bolingbrook, Illinois. Bearing images of an
antique map of Italy, an olive branch,
Tuscan cypresses, a botanical drawing
of lemons and the Italian proverb
Affrettati adagio (make haste slowly) on
the lid, this attractive box includes 25
matching note
cards and
envelopes,
fine quality
message sheets
and a silver
pen. The set,
about $27, is
available at better gift, stationery, and
art shops nationwide, and to find a
retail outlet nearest you, log onto
www.mudlark.com.
In Italy, the main exchange of presents takes p
A Guide for the Holidays
gifts, at least a few of which you may be tempted to keep for yourself…and
eself in all things Italian, not just at the holidays but throughout the year.
Beauty Products
➥ Anything from Aedes de Venustas
(Latin for Temple of Beauty), New York
City. This pretty, intimate shop in the
West Village (9 Christopher Street,
between 6th and 7th Avenues) has not
only charmed locals and celebrities but
mail order customers who live
futher afield as
well. And it’s no
surprise: among
its lines of scents,
candles, soaps,
lotions and bath salts for men and
women, 11 are Italian, including
Carthusia, Blu Mediterraneo, Acqua
di Parma, Lorenzo Villoresi, Antica
Farmacista and Santa Maria Novella.
And best of all, whatever gift you
choose, no matter how small, is treated
as a treasure: each box is wrapped in a
satin ribbon and embellished with a
gorgeous fresh flower arrangement
(overnight service recommended for
mail orders). Recipients will be
wowed, and think you spent a million
bucks. And if you can’t decide, glass
vials of samples may be ordered — up
to seven for $12.50. (888) AEDES-15;
www.aedes.com
➥ Home fragrances by Antica
Farmacista, Florence. If you have been
frustrated by the short life span of
other room fresheners, you will be as
crazy as I am for these fresh, light
scents crafted in Florence by Paolo
Vranjes. These fragrances are in simple,
clear bottles and come with a set of
bamboo reeds that you rotate every
two or three days (after the reeds have
soaked, take them out and reverse
them). As the wet reeds dry out, their
fragrance is absorbed into the air. The
fragrances are all made from natural
and essential oils, and the entire collection (which also includes eau de toilettes and lotions) is inspired by the
marine scents of the Mediterranean
and the four elements: water, air, fire
and earth. A good selection is available in the U.S. at Takashimaya in
New York (four are also available at
Aedes de Venustas above) and
include such scents as Terra, Aria,
Fuoco and Acqua. It’s difficult to
describe how unique these are —
the scents are very clean, not at all
cloying — and to me they represent
Italy in a bottle. Any one of them
would make a thoughtful holiday,
housewarming or hostess
gift. A small bottle is $56
and a large is $84.
Takashimaya: 693 5th
Avenue; (800)753-2038. If
you’re in Florence this winter, visit one
of the Antica shops at 44/r via Borgo
La Croce and 63/r via S. Gallo (near
the Accademia).
Memberships and
Subscriptions
➥ A gift membership in Slow Food,
based in Bra. The Slow Food movement, founded in 1989, active in 40
countries with about 60,000 members,
is for culinary enthusiasts who care
about and promote traditional foodstuffs from around the world and who
“share the snail’s wise slowitude” (the
snail, appropriately, is the organization’s symbol). Carlo Petrini, president
of Slow Food, has stated that “food
history is as important as a baroque
church. Governments should recognize
cultural heritage and protect traditional foods. A
cheese is as
worthy of
preserving as
a 16th-century building.”
Personally, I
think Slow
Food may
save the planet, and is one of the more
worthwhile groups to support.
Memberships are available for individuals ($60), couples ($75) and students
($30), and all include subscriptions to
various periodicals and discounts on
publications and merchandise (I’m
hooked on the snail pins and aprons).
(212) 965-5640; www.slowfood.com
7
➥ And finally, a Dream of Italy gift
subscription (and I’m not being
coaxed!). Seriously, you probably, like
me, eagerly await the arrival of DOI
and value its content. Share this unique
and wonderful resource with friends,
family, and colleagues who already
love Italy or soon
will. For a limited
time, gift subscriptions also include a
FREE 2-DVD
Collector’s Edition of
the movie La Dolce
Vita. (877) OF-ITALY;
www.dreamofitaly.com
—Barrie Kerper
Barrie Kerper is the author of The Collected
Traveler series which includes volumes on
Venice and Central Italy. Each book is a captivating
compilation of essays, articles and travelogues
describing a particular area.
lace on January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany.
Highlights Near Caserta
The Remains of Ancient Capua
Augustus, in the first century. Only two
stories of the original four still exist,
but underneath the structure, four
covered galleries and six vaulted passages make for adventurous exploration. A new museum next to the
amphitheater explores the history of
gladiators.
At the amphitheater, ask for someone
to escort you to one of the
Mediterranean’s best examples of a
Le Olive de Nedda
Provides a Peaceful Retreat
8
here are few better reasons to
venture into the countryside
around the city of Caserta than to
stay at the peaceful and
serene agriturismo Le Olive
de Nedda (the name comes
from a Sicilian folk tale) in
the tiny town of Ruviano, 16
miles away. A Neapolitan
attorney and his wife have
rebuilt a 19th century farmhouse into a cozy hideaway,
offering the best of
Campanian hospitality.
The owners should charge
admission just to sit on the
terrace, which boasts expansive views over the lush
valley surrounding the
Volturno River. The only
way to improve on the panorama is
to take it in while eating a fresh and
flavorful meal created from the
produce of the farm below. The guest
rooms are simple, yet comfortable
with impressive ceramic light
fixtures sculpted by the owner’s
daughter.
T
While Le Olive de Nedda has been
popular among weekend visitors
from nearby Naples, it offers the
perfect opportunity for
foreigners to experience
this under-visited area.
Owner Gigi speaks English
and can help visitors plan
excursions to the interesting villages surrounding
towns.
The agriturismo sells olive
oil among other products,
but be sure to try or take
home a bottle of finochetto,
a liqueur made out of
fennel. Rates range from
40 to 72€ per person, per
night with the higher
number reflecting three meals a
day (hint: they are well worth it).
Via Crocelle Superiore, 14
Frazione Alvignanello
81010 Ruviano
(39) 081 7643291
www.olinedda.it
Italian Government Tourism Board
or a journey far back in time, head
to Santa Maria Capua Vetere, once
the site of the ancient city of Capua,
once the richest city in southern Italy.
(Modern Capua was founded nearby
in 857 by inhabitants forced out by the
Saracens.) This is where Spartacus, a
Thracian slave, launched a two-year
long revolt of gladiators in 73 B.C.
Just outside the town is an imposing
Roman amphitheater, second in size
only to the one in Rome, built under
F
Mithraeum, an underground cave used
to initiate men into the bloody cult of
Mithras. Popular in ancient Rome,
Mithraism emphasized the view of a
world divided between good and evil
and darkness and light. Its followers
joined Mithras in his militant fight
against evil. Discovered in 1923,
Capua’s Mithraeum contains incredibly well-preserved frescoes such as one
of Mithras slaying a white bull.
To enhance your visit to this area, head
over to modern Capua and visit the
Museo Provinciale Campano, housing a
fascinating collection of
Deae matres, earth goddesses, from the 6th
century to the first century B.C. These small
stone sculptures depict
women holding or
suckling babies and
were used to ensure a
fruitful harvest. The museum also
holds inscriptions from the ancient
amphitheater as well as sculptures and
paintings from various centuries.
Capua is about six miles from Caserta.
There’s also direct train service from
Naples, 30 miles away. For more
information on these sites, visit
www.museocampano.it and
www.archeona.arti.beniculturali.it ◆
1 € = $1.30 at press time
The Capuan Plain is home to the extinct volcano Monte Roccamonfina.
Take a Culinary
Vacation in Italy
Experience the real Italy!
Gourmet Getaways
888 95 ITALY
www.gourmetget.com
La Bella Toscana
‘Specialists for 15 years’
Carefully selected villas, farmhouses
and apartments for weekly rental
in and around enchanting medieval
San Gimignano between Florence and
Siena. Local English speaking office.
For further information:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.labellatoscana.net
Tel. 011 39 0577 926768 • Fax. 011 39 0577 999023
Please tell our advertisers that you saw them in
THE
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ITALY
BINDER IS HERE!
A place to keep all of your back issues of
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The Dream of Italy Binder includes:
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restaurants • shopping • villas • art • books • cooking • cultural events • hotels • museums • music • restaurants • shopping • villas • art • books • music
art • books • cooking • cultural events • hotels • museums • music • restaurants • shopping • villas • art • books • cooking • cultural events • hotels •
museums • music • restaurants • shopping • villas • art • books • cooking • cultural events • hotels • museums • music •
cooking • cultural events • hotels • museums • music • restaurants • shopping • villas • art• books • cooking •hotels