In 79 AD, the people of Pompeii had everything going for them. They lived in a prosperous town of 10,000 outside of Naples, with a view of the Mediterranean about a mile away. They had houses and baths, gyms, bakeries, artwork, and even a system of raised crosswalks to avoid the sewage flowing down their … Continue reading 19. Environmental disaster
I was surprised to learn that only three-quarters of Italians are Roman Catholic, and only a quarter are observant in any way. But somehow, there are tangible symbols of the faith everywhere, from the churches on every corner, to the little shrines on the streets. Here are some examples seen in a 15-minute stroll through … Continue reading 18. Devotion
If an American is in charge of leading a group of sixteen on a three-hour excursion and feeding them lunch, he or she will pull into the nearest Subway, buy a few foot-longs and get a mess of paper plates and napkins, and call it mission accomplished. Not in Italy, however. Today, the entire group … Continue reading 17. A picnic lunch
Scrape, scrape, scrape. Seven hours of scraping. In the morning, we worked on Jesce, a farmhouse structure filled with frescoes from the 1600's. Our job was to scrape away the "improvements," where people had applied layers of whitewash and plaster over the original frescoes. One of our group uncovered a painting of an angel hidden … Continue reading 16. Scrape Diem
We went on an excursion to Bernalda to see Palazzo Margherita, the estate that director Francis Ford Coppola bought in his ancestral village and restored to be a luxury hotel. According to Tonio, who was involved in the three-year restoration, no expense was spared, from the Murano glass chandeliers to the special movie screening room … Continue reading 15. Mob Money
I am lucky to be both an early riser and a runner. When I travel, I have the joint pleasures of getting in some exercise before anyone else is up and ready to go, and most especially, having the joy of getting to know a foreign town as it wakes up and starts its day, … Continue reading 14. Morning run
When we left our restoration work yesterday, we noticed that they were setting up a large stage in the town piazza. After dinner, the streets were packed with people of all ages, all a little dressed up to see and be seen. The occasion? It turned out to be a dance recital of local kids, … Continue reading 13. Dancin’ in the Street
It is well-known that you cannot get a bad cup of coffee in Italy. There are virtual temples to coffee, like Gambrinus in Napoli, with gleaming equipment and baristas in tuxedos. Less well-known is that this includes 24-hour coffee vending machines that can be found all over Gravina. For the equivalent of 55 cents, you … Continue reading 12. Coffee Talk
I was on a team that was working on restoring four badly damaged old paintings that were found in the basement of a villa. Job one was to thoroughly clean them, including what had been accumulating under the frames for 400 years. So we brushed away dead insects and worms, scrubbed away mold, ironed the … Continue reading 11. 400-year old crud
Italy is known for its reverence for its children, often seen in restaurants and out walking with their parents well after American children would have been strong-armed into bed. Judging from the shop windows in Naples, there is a similar appreciation for brides, or at least the dress. We were lucky to stumble on a … Continue reading 10. Brides and bambini
Gigi's Italia 