Art & Architecture

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The Middle Ages can be seen in so many ways, and in Velletri the history of Via Francigena is seen from a truly unusual angle: that of medicinal herbs used by pilgrims.

A group of women has recreated in the heart of the historic centre of Velletri a vegetable garden that helps to retrace the history of European pilgrimage that, from 500 AD with Benedetto da Norcia, intersects that of the monasteries.

It is a journey of art, history, botanism and spirituality to the discovery of Via Francigena but also of one of the first mass phenomenon that united European peoples to the emblem of the path and to exploration of the territory.

In the historic centre of Velletri, in the shadow of the Torre del Trivio, the Vicolo del Pero brings the Pilgrim to a small inner courtyard overlooking an old doorway.

The stone staircase step by step climbs between tiles, roofs and terraces before arriving at the garden where the traveler can find remedies and medications to use on the way.

Chiara, one of the founders of the initiative, tells us:

"We have recuperated an old abandoned garden in the historic centre of Velletri (Rome) by planting the main medicinal herbs that pilgrims traveling along Via Francigena (which officially passes by Velletri) would use most frequently during the travel to solve the most common problems of hygiene and health ".

Thus, the Pilgrims’ Garden has arisen from the recovery of a small garden abandoned among the roofs of Velletri, among the Roman Castles. The all-female group who managed to give life to this forgotten urban space decided to plant in the Garden the main medicinal herbs which the pilgrims used - a sort of ready-made portable intervention could be on hand in order to prepare ad hoc medications.

The Pellegrino Garden keeps medicinal plants in small flowerbeds, maintaining water in its heart as the central element. Hundred year old vines and white camellias shade the sloping paths that accompany the visitors to discover the Via Francigena.

It is a real experiment of urban regeneration because they did not want to create new scenery or hide the realities of daily life of houses that overlook this space suspended between the past and the present, between symbolic suggestion and reality.

The Pilgrim's Garden during the week hosts animated guided tours and educational workshops, offering children and teenagers the chance to learn about herbs and their use for the preparation of the most common remedies.

During weekends you can take part in events such as the Butterfly Garden, the "Animal Pharmacy" or you can book a half-day tour that, in addition to the guided tour of the herb garden, includes a visit to the Diocesan Museum at the nearby Cathedral of San Clemente.

There, among the various works, there is a Madonna with Child (1426-27) by Gentile da Fabriano and the famous Velletri (Veliterna) Stauroteca Cross (because it is said to contain a piece of the Cross of Christ). The visit then concludes with the entry to the Crypt of the Cathedral that is opened only on these occasions.

For more information visit www.lortodelpellegrino.it

A few days ago, I visited the exhibition-show on Marc Chagall, which is being presented for the first time in Italy in Milan, in the Permanente Museum, where it will remain open until January 28, 2018.

Although I am not an art expert, I have always admired Marc Chagall's works. However, this exhibition has made me aware of the enormous variety of his artistic production. By use of multimedia technology, the life of the artist, which lasted for almost a century, is discovered. Born on July 7, 1887, he died on March 28, 1985.

Not everyone knows that he was born in Vitebsk, Belarus, and that his real name was Moishe Segal, a French nationalist of Jewish origin.
The exhibition is concentrated in two rooms, one large and the other small. After having listened to the interesting information at the entrance of the exhibition, the spectators enter a large room with blank white walls and a central light, during a moment of silence.

Along the walls are seats and there is a central turret, which is accessed via a ladder. From here you have the opportunity to look around from the top of the room: you find bare white walls and lots of unlit spotlights on the ceiling. In summary: an empty room.

When the central light shuts off, it is replaced by the lighting of spotlights that illuminate the walls and floor with a wide range of colours: it is the beginning of the show!

There are 12 short stories about the various aspects of the works of the artist that I personally did not know. It is a journey into the personal and work life of Marc Chagall, who had not only been the artist of paintings, but has also produced colourful stained glass windows for cathedrals, theatre scripts, and has experimented with sculptures, pottery and glass.

An eclectic artist who has expressed himself in various disciplines of contemporary art. All this is shown through the beautiful series of videos offered in the show.
Like all the artists, Chagall has had periods of his life characterized by different moods that have reflected on his work: some full of glittering colours to the joy of living others sadder and deeply nostalgic.

Chagall married for the first time in 1915 with Bella Rosenfeld, daughter of rich goldsmiths, and remained faithful until her death in 1944 from a viral infection.

Only in 1949 Chagall managed to escape the strong depression he had fallen into and in 1952 he remarried with Valentina Brodsky.
He died in 1985, at 98, without ever having interrupted his work. One of his later works seems to have been the stained-glass windows of St. Stephen's Church in Mainz in Germany.

The exhibition highlights all the eclecticism of this artist. The images that follow, enriched by lights and colours that almost hypnotize, are accompanied by very well-selected music, that make us immerse ourselves in a surreal world in which we become part of the presentation and participate in it visually, mentally and emotionally.

Personally I felt very satisfied, enthusiastic about having participated and very relaxed, despite a busy day of work. The beauty of art in all its manifestations is confirmed as a great and positive therapy for the soul and body.

It is not necessary to be a follower of the subject to experience strong emotions when confronted by the spectacular presented in this exhibition. Just let yourself be carried along by the wonderful succession of pictures, sounds and colours that are so cleverly combined.
 

Article written by Guglielmina Pepe and  Renato Colombai

Have you ever viewed one of the houses of Pompeii or shops of ancient Rome or Greece? They were all frescoed and colourful, as were the statues. The tomb of Philip II of Macedonians clearly shows how the temples of the past were coloured.

In the Middle Ages the walls of the castles were covered with tapestries and frescoes and in the Renaissance they freshened up the walls of all the villas and palaces with paintings and hangings. Then came the industrial revolution, the birth of the bourgeoisie and the need for colour extended to a large number of people who resorted to a new invention, 'wallpaper'. But when was it born and what is its history?

 
History of wallpaper

Paper first appeared in China in the second century BC and was produced from tree bark, hemp and other fibers. From China, it arrived in Korea, Japan, and then to Arabia from where it landed in Europe. In 1190, Sicily had the first document on paper and from 1233, Fabriano became one of the most important Italian production centres.

The use of wallpaper began in China in the 1st century AD where it became a true art form. It was used as a support for paintings and then for wall decorations, today as then.

In Europe, a document from 1481 lists a French Louis XI comic that refers to wallpaper. But it can be said that the first copies of wallpaper came from 1509 when the English printer Hugo Goes imprinted paper with flowers using a wooden mold. These sheets of paper were used to cover boxes, wardrobes and wall coverings and were miraculously found intact.

In 1600 one of the most sought-after producers was the Dutch Herman Schinkel, who made sheets decorated with woolen ribbons spread on paper previously decorated with coloured designs. This was the century of economic progress of the Netherlands and the bourgeoisie was growing rapidly: from this moment on, wallpaper became essential for every home of a certain prestige. The wallpaper was still being made with single sheets to be pasted onto the walls of the houses.

A real curiosity is the 'wall-paper tax' introduced in England by Queen Anne in 1712, which declared it a luxury good. The tax was circumvented by making the paper with designs but without colours as an artisan was able to fill these designs after applying paper onto the walls.

The true diffusion of this fashion came, however, with the technological advancement of the industry and the introduction of rotary processing, i.e. a paper production machine continuously with rollers. Decorators could then make more detailed and complex designs repeated at some distance on the roll.

In 1785 in France, Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf invented the first machine to print wallpaper and in 1839, in England, Charles Harold Potter created a four-colour printing machine, adapting it to the one used in textiles. In 1874 prints were made with 20 different colours.

With the new technology wallpaper had a golden age and began to be demanded by the high bourgeoisie and emerging prestigious businesses in England, France and Italy. Each country had its own fashion: classical and mythological landscapes, views of Roman and Greek ports and ruins.

In England, floral decorations were fashionable and they had to be so 'intrusive' that Oscar Wilde came to declare, 'Either leave that wallpaper or I'll go'!

One of the best examples of wallpaper in Italy is at Casa Massimi Berucci in Piglio, the famous land of Cesanese del Piglio DOCG wine not far from Frosinone. The wallpaper comes from France over 100 years ago and repeats scenes of countryside with pastures around classic ruins and in the background the sea with a ship entering a harbour.

In the twentieth century, the wallpaper had its own particular charm with modern style art designs such as cubist and futurist decorations. Many fashion names have started their career decorating wallpaper, remember Mary Quant, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Lucienne Day, Peter Hall, Laura Ashley, and Vivienne Westwood.

 
A curiosity: White House wallpaper

Few have noticed it, but the important White House Diplomatic Reception Room is adorned with marvelous wall decorations made by the famous Zuber Wallpaper Producer. The walls of this room tell the story of the "Conquest of the New World".

The room was furnished by Jackie Kennedy who wanted to turn a simple boiler room into a reception lounge. Jacqueline Lee Bouvier substantially renewed the interior style of the White House and, to give greater importance and solemnity to the environment, chose a card called "Vues d'Amérique Nord" - views of North America, on the recommendation of a historian.

The map reproduces monumental panoramas, it seems to be the travel journal of the conquerors who have created America and is based on sketches dating back to 1820. Thirty-two scenes are depicted, including the Natural Bridge of Virginia, Niagara Falls, the bay of New York and the port of Boston. At first glance it seems more like an artist's drawing than simple wallpaper.

Zuber was a famous wallpaper maker founded in 1797 in Rixheim, Alsace, and was the last to produce this kind of hand-made upholstery and to use traditional methods. It has an archive of over 100,000 carved motifs in wood and today this historical archive is protected by law.
 
Wallpaper Museum

The Wallpaper Museum is located in Rixheim, Alsace, the region of the three borders between France, Germany and Switzerland. Many of the original wallpapers and all the machinery and technologies that were created here are collected and exhibited here. There are two of these machines dating back to 1877 and 1881, practically among the first examples of industrialization of wallpaper.

The collection includes 130,000 documents and an exhibition in which in rotation are presented paper with scenic pictures and with landscape motifs printed since 1804 with scenes from all over the world.

MACA Fine Arts Academy linked to Frosinone

MACA is the Museum of Contemporary Art within the Fine Arts Academy in Frosinone.

It is the first example of integration between museums and institutes, and now all the academies of Italy follow this example by opening museums and becoming more and more integrated with the area where they are located. The academy becomes a pulsating place for students and citizens, a cultural centre.

But how did this simple and revolutionary idea arise at this time?

Three years ago, the academy moved to a new venue, a huge unification era schoolhouse that dominates a whole hill of Frosinone. Palazzo Tiravanti is impressive and bright and regular spaces make you want to break regularity with creative concepts.

Thus fantasy can be freed and on two of the long hallways an art gallery with almost 80 works was set up. Works interrupt regularity with provocative designs, shapes and colours. All have been donated by artists who have collaborated or had relationships with the Academy in its over 43 years of activity.

It will be the light of the valley that is reflected in the white walls of the institute, it may be the historical position or perhaps only the influence of the spirit of art, but since they moved to this palace, the academy appears as if it were integrated (or maybe 'befriended') by the city.

Cultural symbiosis began with subways of the railway station, where light games were built with an installation of panels called 'Dark in colour' and it is continued on the surface. After the construction of the new football stadium, students at the Academy have won the contest for the construction of the new Matusa Park.
Meanwhile, 'Thursday Get-Togethers' with characters and artists, are open to the more and more numerous people who hear stories or lessons about contemporary art.

The real 'engagement ceremony' with the city of Frosinone took place last June with the Open Day event, which will be repeated every year, transforming it into a Festival of Academies.

The palace has been the scene of a fashion show, exhibitions and concerts. In the evening, then, the facade became a large screen for a work of Mapping, the art of playing with the lights creating works with the power of suggestion and images accompanied by sounds. A giant installation that left people agape concerning the technical quality of the performance and the emotional intensity of the work.

With this Open Day, the academy has come to its most fulsome involvement in the life of the city, and not just by the students, as it makes Frosinone ever more alive and present. It is a city much loved by its citizens who enthusiastically participate in every cultural initiative.

And this is also a sign of re-opening of an entire territory where art has played a key role in the past and can once again be a force to attract tourists, especially youth.

The experience of visiting a place where ancient art is a cornerstone for today's creativity has a particular charm and the Frosinone Academy already has active collaborations with other academies in the world.

Trivigliano- Stemma by Bettiol

At a time when organic food produced according to traditional methods, which were often naturally biodynamic, is very sought after, do we know how they used to produce it?

The Trivigliano Museum of Peasant Life is one of the places where you can see the tools of the past and learn the ancient methods of cultivating the land and preparing food.

Set in a stately palace right at the entrance to the historic centre of Trivigliano overlooking the Piazza del Belvedere, the museum's content and layout is designed to strike the visitor's heart.

Along with the tools and utensils, portraits and tales by famous writers are displayed about the history of life in the fields. These poets and writers have underlined in their works the profound bond between man and the earth, between the life cycles of man and those of nature.

The tools are arranged according to the different seasons and different processes: from ploughing and sowing to harvesting. Finally, one part is devoted to the preservation and processing of products: production of flour, oil, jams and production of dried bread and biscuits.

The equipment and utensils for cooking, both for immediate consumption and preservation, are displayed in a kitchen setting and some names will bring back memories from stories told by your grandmothers.

Preserving vegetable and orchard products meant having food during the winter that could be long in Trivigliano, as in the snowfall of 2012 when the population was isolated for 4 days with 2 metres of snow.

Yet in the past, the cycles of nature and the rotations of crops were respected, and they knew what the plants were for fighting fungus and, for example, those that protected orchards and vineyards from parasites.

Getting closer to nature with respect and knowledge, with care and professionalism, is one of the new lifestyle paths that define the Italian approach to experiential tourism. In addition, the variety of garden fruit and vegetable species that Italy has thanks both to its microclimates and the rediscovery by agronomists and ‘new age peasants’ have reinforced ‘made in Italy’ among world famous food.

A small museum like this one in Trivigliano that combines stories of the peasant past and tools and utensils of that lifestyle is perfect for bringing to new generations of youth the love for cultivating fields in a natural and respectful environment.

For further information, please contact the Mayor, municipal administration or the Pro Loco.