Posted by: Debra Kolkka | March 15, 2020

Monk’s beard for lunch

Today was only day 6 of the lock down but I have been up at Casa Debbio for about 12 days. Apart from not being able to go to the bar for morning coffee,  is not a trial, but I do have to plan my days to keep occupied.

One way is to cook. On my last shopping trip before the lock down I found some barba di frate or monk’s beard, also called agretti. It looks a bit like chives and taste a bit like slightly bitter spinach. It grows in sandy seashores along the Mediterranean coast and particularly popular in Tuscany.

It is only available for about 6 weeks in spring. It is easy to prepare. The bottom part of the plant needs to be cut off and the rest well washed as it can have quite a lot of dirt attatched. I then boiled it for about 5 minutes in salted water and drained it.

I fried some spring onions, a few anchovies and a couple of chopped tomatoes in olive oil. Once these had softened I added the cooked agretti. At the same time I cooked the spaghetti. When it was ready I added the spaghetti to the pan and mixed it all together.

I still had half a bunch left so the next day I made some mini frittata…also delicious. I hope I can find some more agretti before the season is over..

The last couple of days were a bit overcast and miserable, so the gardening was limited.

Today we had sun, but there was a mean little wind. I did venture out to inspect the latest happenings in the garden. My peonies have grown millimeters and I found a few more baby acanthus to transplant. They seem to pop up overnight.

Despite the wind it was a beautiful day.

One of the new weeping cherries is doing well.

The quince tree has buds.

The kiwi on the fence I s covered in buds.

Ginestra is about to bloom.

One of Jim’s projects, the wall behind the house, is growing like mad. The descending rosemary is looking great under the bay trees. It is going to have to go on without him. He was supposed to arrive from Australia in about 10 days, but who knows when he will be able to come to Italy.

The blossoms on the older weeping cherry are growing daily.

 

The lavender under the chestnut trees didn’t do well last year. When we planted it the chestnut tree was ill and we cut it right back and the lavender had plenty of sun. Now that the tree is doing well it throws too much shade on the plants below it.

We pulled them all out and planted hydrangeas which are more shade tolerant. I’m hoping they grow quickly.

The major excitement today was a walk to the village to put some rubbish in the community bins. We have no rubbish collection at the house.

The track to the village is lined with primulas and hellebores.

 

The villages look even more sleepy than usual.

Normally on a Sunday afternoon people would be gathered in the piazza enjoying a coffee or a glass of wine outside the bar…not today. There were a couple of people about, but everyone kept their distance. It is very sad. Everyone is doing their best to beat this thing. There are lots of older people in the village. It would be devastating if the infection found its way here.

 

33 Comments

Posted in Casa Debbio, lockdown in Italy | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Debra Kolkka | March 12, 2020

Lock down in Italy

We have just had our second day of lock down in Italy. We are asked to stay a home and leave only for essential things like buying food and necessities.

We also have to carry a form with our details and why we are away from our houses. I didn’t have a form, but yesterday I wanted to go down to our apartment in Bagni di Lucca. I bought the flowers for the bridge on Monday before lock down and could not plant them because it was raining.

I fully expected to be stopped by police before I got to Bagni di Lucca, but there was no roadblock so I went to the apartment, gathered a few extra things and planted the pansies on the bridge.

I had a quick coffee at the empty Bar Italia. Annalisa had done a great job to make sure people didn’t have to be close to each other. All the tables were pushed back from the bar and many had been removed to give plenty of space. That was the last day it was allowed to open. All bars and restaurants are now closed.

I bought some supplies from the great little fruit and vegetable shop next door where only one person at a time was allowed in.

Then I headed to the nursery on the way back to Vergemoli. Just before the turnoff to the nursery I came to a road block and was stopped by police. I was asked for the form which I didn’t have and explained that I don’t have a printer at home and did not know where to get one.

I gave him my identification and he asked me why I was away from home.  I said I had been shopping and had bought petrol. He let me off with a warning and told me to find a form.

After a bit of asking around I found a couple of forms in the village, so I am all set if I have to venture down the mountain again for supplies.

Casa Debbio is a 10 minute walk outside Vergemoli so it is easy to keep apart from people. Filippo comes up most days to help in the garden but we stay a fair distance from each other.

It is really no trial at all to be isolated at Casa Debbio. The garden is a delight and is changing every day.

There are daffodils everywhere.

Violets are popping up.

We have 4 weeping cherries. The first one was planted about 6 years ago and is about to look gorgeous.

One of the new ones already has blossoms.

Wild daisies are coming up all over the paths. They are tiny and I want them to spread everywhere.

The magnolia stellata has flowers.

I don’t remember the name of this bush, but it is covered in tiny white flowers.


Some peonies have buds. The tree peonies are the first to get flowers and the others are just poking their pink heads out of the ground. I actually have some tiny plants that seem to have grown from seed…amazing!

The rosemary is covered in flowers.

The holly has bright yellow flowers.


I hope the wisteria will soon start to bloom and cover the pergola.


The roses have buds.

One of my camellias has avoided being eaten by wild goats.

Hellebores are thriving under the cherry tree.

Acanthus is zooming along. This year for the first time plants are popping up all over the garden. Seeds must have been spread about. Tiny plants are growing where they are not wanted so I have been digging them up and putting them where I want them.


There have been some pretty sunrises.

We were very excited to spot the first bee 🐝 in the garden today…life goes on regardless of this horrible virus.

Stay healthy everyone.

47 Comments

Posted in Casa Debbio, Italy, lockdown in Italy | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Debra Kolkka | March 9, 2020

Italy now

Right now, in Italy, I am sitting in my house on the side of a mountain, in a cloud.

The view from my terrace.

It changes constantly.

The rain means no gardening for the day. I am hopeful for tomorrow.

As in most of the rest of the world, the Corona virus is causing chaos all around me. Our area is unaffected right now, but that could change at any time. I’m pleased I went to Florence last week. I might be grounded for a while.

As the Italian government announced the area around Milan in Lombardy would be in lock down, thousands of people ‘scappata’, escaped, or fled…great word.

They ran for trains, causing chaos at Milan Central Station. They jumped in their cars and headed south. Many came down to the Versilia Coast and the nearby ski fields of Abetone. The slopes were crowded. So much for staying one metre apart.

This caused a ‘coda’, another delightful Italian word which means tail, or, in this case, a traffic jam lasting hours at the autostrada pay station in Pisa.

The upside is that the coastal towns had a boom weekend. The downside is that Tuscany, Lucca province, including the Garfagnana, where our house is, are now coming close to being locked down. If the escaping people have helped to spread the virus it may happen.

I am happily sitting in my mountain house. I have minimal contact with anyone. I went down the mountain briefly today to get supplies and now I will stay at home and hope it all calms down soon.

It is no trial to be at our lovely mountain house. Here is the evening sky a couple of nights ago.


If the sun comes out tomorrow I will have a happy day in the garden. Filippo has pruned most of the lavender and the enormous fig tree in front of the house. The lavender that was struggling under the chestnut trees has been replaced with hydrangeas and we have planted a few new things…life goes on.

 

42 Comments

Posted in Casa Debbio, Italy, lockdown in Italy, Tuscany | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Debra Kolkka | March 7, 2020

An Uffizzi visit

The Uffizzi Gallery or Galleria degli Uffizzi is Florence’s famous art museum right in the heart of the city, beside the magnificent Piazza della Signoria and overlooking the Arno river and the Ponte Vecchio.

The museum holds a large collection of priceless art, much of it from the Italian Renaissance. It is the most visited museum in Italy and one of the most popular in the world.

I would not even try to get in the busy seasons, but right now in winter and with the corona virus affecting tourism I was able to walk in with no wait at all.

The name means “offices” and the building was begun in 1560 by Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo 1 de’ Medici to accommodate the offices of the Florentine magistrates. It was completed in 1581. The top floor was made into a gallery for the family and their guests.

The gallery has been open to visitors by request since the 16th century and in 1765 it was officially open to the public…amazing!

I walked up the wide staircases to the top floor and was immediately entranced by the long corridor with exquisitely decorated ceilings. I am always tempted to rush home and paint all of my ceilings…if only I could paint!

 

The art is presented in individual rooms, one leading on to the next and occasionally taking you back to the corridor. There are some especially beautiful rooms.


The views of the rooftops of Florence from the windows are excellent.


Best of all is the view of the Ponte Vecchio and the Arno, even on a rainy day.

Of course the art is the main reason to visit the Uffizzi…there is much to see. Here is a tiny selection.

Expect to see the liberal use of gold.


This panel was painted for the altar of St Ansanus in Siena cathedral in 1333.

This one dates from 1414, commissioned for a monastery in Florence.


This altar piece is Gentile da Fabriano’s masterpiece created in 1423 for the Strozzi family chapel in the church of Santa Trinita.


These 2 portraits are particularly famous. They are the Duke and Duchess of Urbino painted by Piero della Francesca around 1472.


On the back of the panels the ducal couple is borne in triumph by Christian Virtues.

Botticelli’s Birth of Venus commands attention. It was painted in 1485.

These beauties were in the same room.

I liked this one for the vibrant colour.

…and this for the monster, Piero di Lorenzo illustrating the legend of Perseus in 1510 – 15.

This because I liked his face.

This Venus by Lorenzo di Credi in 1490 looks quite masculine. I wonder if the artist had ever seen a naked female.

An unusual monochrome from 1500 by Luca Signorelli, possibly a part of a bedstead in a nuptial bedchamber…sweet dreams.


One of Raphael’s best loved works, Madonna of the Goldfinch, painted in 1505.

I liked “Portia” painted by FRA Bartolommeo in 1495. Unfortunately she was about to kill herself by eating the hot coals at her feet.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation from 1472 – 5 is set in the garden of an elegant Renaissance palazzo. Archangel Gabriel’s robust wings owe a debt to Leonardo’s study of bird flight.

Michelangelo was commissioned by the merchant Agnolo Doni probably to mark his daughter’s birth in 1507.

Leonardo da Vinci never finished his large altarpiece Adoration of the Maji…1481 – 2. Some figures are barely sketched.

This quietly elegant, if somewhat dour, couple was painted in 1503 – 6. Elisabetta Gonzaga, wife of Guidubaldodo Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, was renowned for her humanist learning. The jewel on her forehead in the shape of a scorpion may allude to her interest in astrology.

Giuseppe Maria Crespi painted “Scullery Maid” in 1720 – 5. He rejected academic precepts in favour of a more direct interpretation of reality.

There are dozens of stunning sculptures lining the corridors.

 


“The torment of Marsyas” was one of the first to enter the Medici family’s collections. The body, carved in Pavonazzetto marble, is classical but the head was carved by Mino da Fiesole(1429-84), who added the sculpture’s missing parts.

The statue shows the Satyr Marsyas  just before he was flayed alive for losing a musical contest with Apollo. He looks quite cheerful. I have no idea why.

“Nereid on a sea-horse “ is Nereid Galatea, lover of Cyclops Polyphemus. It was taken to the Villa Medici in Rome in 1731 and may be attributed to a Roman workshop.

This lovely lady, the Virgin Annunciate, is by Domenico di Nicoli and dated 1425 – 35. There is a similar wooden statue in the San Frediano church in Lucca. I must take another look to see If they are by the same artist.

Hermaphrodite, Roman art from the 1st century BC, has its own room. The character comes from Greek mythology and was the child of Hermes and Aphrodite. The youth is lying on a lion pelt placed over a rocky surface. Half man and half woman, the bisexuality of Hermaphrodite is based on its union with the nymph Salmacis, who asked the gods to keep both their bodies in one in return for eternal love.

The Uffizzi is a must if you have an interest in Renaissance art. It is possible, and a good idea, to book online in advance to avoid the usual long lines to buy tickets.
I have been a couple of times in winter and have not had to queue, but for most of the year it can take hours to get to the ticket office. There are better things to do in Florence than wait to get into an art gallery, even one as remarkable as this one…be prepared.

 

14 Comments

Posted in Florence, Italy | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: Debra Kolkka | February 25, 2020

The joy of travel

Travelling doesn’t always go to plan. One of my flights to Italy was cancelled which meant I had 15 hours at Hong Kong airport. I paid to go to a lounge to wait in relative comfort, but it was a long wait!

My stop over in Helsinki was cut short as a result but I managed to have a great day despite the freezing wind and bursts of rain.

I left the hotel the next morning at 5.00am to take the bus to the airport. There was a bit of a delay at check in because of a luggage conveyor belt problem, but eventually all was resolved.

It seems it may not have been completely resolved as half of the luggage did not arrive in Milan. I waited in line for nearly 3 hours to leave a delivery address for my suitcase.

Because of a recent derailment some trains from Milan were cancelled and others were full. I waited 2 hours for a train. It came on time but managed to be 35 minutes late arriving in Bologna. Fortunately the train to Florence was also late so I didn’t have to change my ticket.

The delay meant I missed a connection in Florence for Lucca and had to wait for the next train. A lovely friend picked me up in Lucca for the last leg to Bagni di Lucca where I arrived at 9.00pm…a very long day.

Fortunately my suitcase has been delivered a few days later. The one good thing about the mishap was that I didn’t have to drag mysuitcase all the way here.

It is great to be back in this part of the world. Bagni di Lucca is wearing its winter coat and I love it!


The winter view from Casa Debbio is lovely.

Our garden has survived the winter and the daffodils are looking fabulous.

This may not look like much but I am excited to see my peonies beginning to appear.

The weeping cherry is about to blossom.

There are buds on the rhododendrons.

We have lots to do in the garden. First of all the areas dug up by the wild boar need to be smoothed over and the lavender needs pruning.

…bring on some sunny days.

 

21 Comments

Posted in Bagni di Lucca, Casa Debbio | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: Debra Kolkka | February 11, 2020

Tasmania, a short visit

We have just returned from a short trip to Tasmania to attend a party to celebrate the birthdays of some lovely friends. We began our visit in beautiful Binalong Bay on the north east coast where the weather seemed to forget it is summer.

Our first morning was overcast, but the beach still looked wonderful.

There are some stunning flowering trees.

The next morning the sun made a brief appearance.

We drove along the Bay of Fires to a place called The Gardens. The land is parched and dry…rain is needed badly.

I think the area should be named The Rocks. These gorgeous rock formations are the best feature.

After Binalong Bay we drove to Hobart, stopping along the way at Devil’s Corner winery. We were almost blown off our feet by a fierce wind on the way to the viewing tower.

The view made it worthwhile.

Our main reason for the Hobart visit was to go to MONA, the museum of old and new art. The museum is owned by David Walsh and is the largest privately funded museum in the Southern Hemisphere. The first version of the museum was founded in 2001. This closed In 2006 for renovations and was reopened in 2011.
We visited the first time before the renovations and were stunned by the size and stunning architecture of the new museum.

We took the ferry up the Derwent river to MONA. Tickets in the Posh Pit are $55 return. This includes, wine, coffee and snacks. The regular tickets are $22. We bought our tickets at the booth in the Brooke St Pier along with entry to MONA, $30.

The trip up river is just 30 minutes with excellent scenery all the way.

There is an enormous zinc refinery on the river bank. The Nyrstar Hobart refinery was established in 1916 and is one of the world’s largest zinc smelters. I imagine that when it was built it was quite a long way out of town, but now it occupies prime real estate on the river, surrounded by suburbs.

Soon we arrived at MONA and walked the 100 steps up to the museum.

 

The buildings and installations in the above ground part of the museum are fascinating and require as much time as the gallery exhibits.

The views from the museum are stunning.

The Moorilla Winery was on the site before the museum. It was established in 1958 by Claudio Alcorso and the first Moorilla wine was foot crushed and wild fermented in 1962. David Walsh bought the site in 1995.

 

Rain drove us into the gallery. There is a lift or spiral staircase down the 3 floors to the beginning of the exhibition.

The huge space has been carved out of the rock.

You can begin with refreshments at the bar.

…followed by a walk to the first exhibition.

A water wall with random words projected onto it.

Here is a selection of exhibits. You really need to visit to really appreciate what is on offer.

This one stood out. I think I need to make something similar as a scarecrow for our garden at Casa Debbio.

There are 3 floors to explore, allow plenty of time. The building is stunning, quite often more impressive than the art.

We had lunch at The Source, the on site restaurant. The food was delicious and the service excellent.

MONA is a great reason to visit Hobart.

We later drove to Frogmore Creek, a fabulous winery 20 minutes out of Hobart. The vineyard is spectacular and the winery and restaurant amazing. The winery shop is the best I have seen. What a pity we had already had lunch.

We called in briefly to Richmond, home of the oldest bridge in Australia. It was opened in 1825, 10 years before any similar structure in Australia. The bridge was built by convict labour to enable reliable transport of people and goods to the east coast and Port Arthur, the convict settlement.

The town is very pretty and full of lovely old houses. Unfortunately rain and wind chased us away before we could explore properly.

We don’t complain about rain after the horrific fires this summer. We have now had torrential rain in many parts of Australia. The good news is that the fires are out, but now we have floods causing damage. Let’s hope it settles down soon.

20 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Debra Kolkka | January 30, 2020

Where to go in 2020?

In a few weeks I will be returning to Italy for 4 months. We will be staying at our apartment in Bagni di Lucca and Casa Debbio, our house in the mountains nearby.

Between working in the garden and enjoying village life we will travel around Italy. We like to return to favourite places as well as explore new areas. Where to go this year?

Of course there will be several day trips to Florence. (Click the highlighted word to see a post on the subject)

Perhaps even an overnight stay. It is wonderful to be up early and walk across the Ponte Vecchio, have it almost to yourself and admire the view of the Arno River.

Pietrasanta is a lovely town on the Versilia coast I love to return to often. It is known for art and there is usually a spectacular installation in the piazza in the centre of town, as well as some great shops, galleries and restaurants.


Portovenere and Portofino are also on the list of day trips. This year maybe I will venture to nearby Tellaro and Lerici for the first time.

It is time to revisit Arezzo, one of my favourite towns in Umbria. The antique market held there each month is always fun.

We always drive through the gorgeous hills of Chianti and Val d’Orcia, visiting Siena, Montalcino and Pienza.

Last year we explored San Quirico d’Orcia for the first time and found it fascinating.


In autumn last year I visited Bergamo Alta and the winemaking areas of Franciacorta, and Langhe. It would be fun to go back in spring to see these gorgeous places in a different season.

Returning to Sicily is also on the cards. We went a few years ago but left before we could visit the western towns of Erice and Trapani when a fierce wind blew us home early.

 

A trip to Sicily would not be complete without a visit to Ortigia, the town I enjoyed the most on our last visit.

The Amalfi Coast is my favourite place in Italy and I go as often as possible. I have never been to Ponza, but it looks intriguing, so maybe it will call me.

Caffe Florian in St Mark’s square in Venice is celebrating its 300th birthday this year. It is the oldest caffe in Italy and a good reason to visit for a very expensive coffee.

Ravenna is not far from Venice and has the most amazing mosaics…time to go back, it has been at least 10 years since we were there.

Padova, Verona and Ferrara are also nearby and great towns to explore.

There are some spectacular festivals in Italy. We have been to Gubbio for the Corsa dei Ceri, the Race of the Candles. Click the link to Gubbio to see this incredible festival.

I love the donkey Palio in Torrita di Siena. 


Camogli holds a Sagra del Pesce in May. It is the world’s largest fish fry. A 28 ton frying pan cooks 25,000 serves of fish to the hoards of people who attend. We went to the fireworks the night before, but have not made it to the actual festival.

Spello holds an amazing festival in June where the streets are filled with art created from flower petals only to have them trampled the next day.

We could revisit a couple of these, but I think the Palio delle Rana in Urbino is a must this year in April. Who would want to miss the sight of young men in medieval costume push a wheelbarrow at speed, with a frog on top, down the street while trying to keep the frog in place? (Photos…official site)

There are many decisions to be made over the next few months.

32 Comments

Posted in Italy | Tags: ,

Posted by: Debra Kolkka | January 16, 2020

My Pop Up continues

I have been reluctant to write new posts on my blog while the terrible fires raged in Australia. It seems frivolous to be writing about roaming around Italy as my country burns.

The situation is still dire, but the firefighters, emergency workers, army and navy, wildlife rescuers and volunteers have been doing an excellent job saving homes and lives. Rain is falling in some of the fire areas and with a lot of work by many people life will go on. It will never be the same for those affected, but it will go on.

We have been giving regularly to the Rural Fire Service for years and will continue to do so long after this crisis is over.

While watching the events unfold I have been busy sewing for my Pop Up. I have just a few weeks left now until I return to Italy where different things occupy my days.

I have been sewing since I was a child and I like to make things. Having an outlet to sell them is excellent and I thank my good friend Savva for allowing me to use his shop, where he does made to measure and alterations, to display my wares.

 

I use natural fabrics, cotton and linen, to create wearable, cool clothing, suitable for our ridiculously hot summers. My biggest seller this summer has been a short jumpsuit. There are still some left…come on in!

I have been gathering fabric wherever I go for years and continue to find treasures lurking in my workroom waiting for the right moment to be turned into something.

The shop is open every Saturday from 10.00 – 2.00 and I am there. Lately I have been in the shop a few other mornings as well. At other times feel free to ring the doorbell. Savva is busy at the back creating, but will happily open the door for you.

SARVA

239 Boundary St, (Cnr Corbett St)

West End.

Brisbane.

 

 

17 Comments

Posted in Brisbane, Fashion, Shopping

Posted by: Debra Kolkka | December 26, 2019

Siena revisited

Siena is a Tuscan hilltop town first settled in the time of the Etruscans, an advanced people whose custom was to build easily defendable hill forts.

According to legend it was founded by Senius and Aschius, 2 sons of Remus. When they fled Rome, they took the statue of the She-wolf to Siena. It became a symbol of the town and you will find variations of the sculpture all over Siena.

Siena is also one of my favourite towns in Italy and in October I went to see the incredible floor of the cathedral. For most of the time some of the inlaid marble mosaics are covered to protect them, but twice a year from June 29 – July 31 and August 18 – October 26 they are uncovered and open to the public.

I found a car park on the edge of town and wandered in. I came upon a very cute house with gorgeous snail decorations. I find these small things delightful.

Each time I go to Siena I stop at this famous deli and buy a porchetta (roast pork) roll. Photos are not allowed in the shop, which is a pity as it is fabulous and full of delicious things to eat.

I then take this porchetta roll and walk to the nearby Piazza Del Campo, find a place to sit, eat my lunch and watch the passing parade.

Piazza del Campo is the famous heart of the town. It is home to the Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) with its magnificent Torre del Mangia, a 14th century tower.

From Campo the 17 contrade (districts) radiate into the town and it is here that the famous Palio race happens twice a year.

Each contrada is represented by an animal or symbol. It is fun to look for the sculptures all over town…caterpillar, eagle, snail, little owl, dragon, giraffe and more. This time I found only the panther.

The Siena cathedral is one of the most spectacular in Italy. I walked up the stairs beside the subterranean baptistery to come to the side of the cathedral.

The Romanesque-Gothic Duomo was begun in the 12th century.

The main facade covered with stunning sculptures was completed in 1380.

The first time I entered the cathedral was early one morning and I was the only person there. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I was stunned by the magnificence. Now you have to pay and line up with hundreds of other people, but it is still an incredible experience.

The mosaics cover the entire floor of the cathedral. The 56 panels were created between the 14th and 16th centuries by around 40 artists. The designs represent the sibyls, scenes from the Old Testament, allegories and virtues.

It is worth a trip to Siena just to see this. Not all of the floor is covered for the rest of the year. Some near the entrance are always able to be seen.

Not to be missed in the cathedral is the Piccolomini Library off to the side. (on the left after the entrance) It was commissioned by the archbishop of Siena, Cardinal Francesco Tadeschini Piccolomini around 1492.

In the centre is a Roman era copy of the Three Graces.

The magnificent frescoes that line the walls were painted by Pinturicchio (real name Bernadine di Betto) and his assistants between 1503 and 1508. There are scenes of allegorical figures, pastoral scenes and classical mythology. The detail in the paintings is stunning.

 

Look for a self portrait of Pinturicchio, which means little painter, standing beside his friend Raphael (in the red tights)

There are also some exquisite old books in glass cases.

Later I went back to the Campo, found a seat for aperitivo and settled back to watch the sunset.

I paid €5 for my Campari and soda and the accompanying snacks. After my enormous porchetta earlier these tasty morsels proved to be quite enough and I didn’t go to a restaurant for dinner…a pity, there are many great places to eat.

…a last look at the Campo on my way back to the hotel.

I must return soon.

For more on Siena click here, here and here.

 

 

 

 

23 Comments

Posted in Italy, Siena, Tuscany | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: Debra Kolkka | December 18, 2019

Dragons in Spello

On a recent visit to Spello in beautiful Umbria we wandered into an internal courtyard that houses the Comune offices.

Just inside the entrance we came upon a wonderful frescoed ceiling. It featured dragons and the light fittings and torch holders repeated the theme. I have no idea why dragons were used to decorate this place, but I love them!

I want that light fitting!

Does anyone know why dragons were a popular item in Italy a few centuries ago?

6 Comments

Posted in Italy | Tags: , ,

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories