Sailboats at the marina of the Porto Mediceo.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Mistral
This strange boat is the “Mistral”, a tug converted in yacht built by the Benetti shipyard in 1962. On the background you can see the 52 meters tall “Fanale dei Pisani”.
The converted tug is quite an odd product for a boat builder world famous for its wonderful luxury yachts.Search labels: tug
Sunday, March 29, 2009
San Jacopo in Acquaviva
“Jacopo” is an arcaic form of “Giacomo”, the italian for James, closer to the spanish “Iago” and to the original Hebrew “Ya'akov”. San Jacopo is placed on a small cove along the “Lungomare”, between the “Terrazza Mascagni” and the Naval Academy. The first church was built on a 13th century crypt near a source of spring water called “acqua viva” (literally live water).
The original construction was enlarged between the 17th and the 18th centuries. The actual building dates to the end of the 19th century. In past times pilgrims sailed from a small pier for the Way of Saint James to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.See also: Terrazza Mascagni
External links: Way of Saint James - Santiago de Compostela (Wikipedia)
Search labels: postcard
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Modigliani's Heads
This is the “Fosso Reale”, just in front of where I live now, and exactly where 25 years ago took place one of the greatest hoaxes in the history of Italian art. Four high-school students and a dockworker started what was intended as a no more than a practical joke, ending with an earthquake that shattered the reputations of many art critics. If you do not know, or simply do not remember well what happened, please check this link: Modigliani’s Heads (“noresize”, October 25, 2007).
The art historian Federico Zeri, alone, proclaimed that the sculptures were so “immature” that even if they were authentic, Modigliani had been right about throwing them away. I don't know if one day someone will try to dredge the “Fosso” again, but I'm sure that they'll find dozens of heads. Here, in 1984, everybody who could handle a chisel or a power tool and was able to lay hands on a piece of stone, quickly made his personal “Modigliani's head” and threw it in those water.
(Fake heads image from: La “beffa” dell'estate 1984)Search labels: Modigliani
External links: Amedeo Modigliani (Wikipedia)
Friday, March 27, 2009
On the Road Again
On the road again to Montenero: this is not a mailbox of note, but the “complexity” of this composition seemed worthy of publication.Tomorrow's will be our hundredth post and we should like to celebrate this modest achievement with a very “Livornese” story.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Fortezza Nuova
“Fortezza Nuova” is New Fortress, where “new” means the year 1591. It was partly demolished in the 17th Century to make room for the new quarter of Venezia (Venice). The fortress is still completely surrounded by water and now is a public park or, better, it was until last January, when it was closed due to major acts of vandalism.
Probably it will reopen just in time, before the next local elections in June.See also: Fortezza Vecchia - Inside the Fortress - From the Fortress - Fortress with a Secret - Fortress from the Sky - The Fortress, at Last!
Search labels: Fortezza Nuova
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Three Sets of Eyes
Here is the “Moby Vincent”, another Moby Lines ferry, with her typical Looney Tunes livery: Bugs Bunny, Sylvester and Tweety are watching something...Search labels: Moby - ferry
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