"Why is there a Communist symbol on the seal of the Italian Republic?" That was a recent question from a friend on the internet.
The Schoolkid's Shop, school supplies and more
in Celano (Abruzzo)
THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE (Siena)
Going to Siena is as near to an out-of-body experience that a Florentine can achieve - at least within the range of an easy hour's drive.
ITALY IS DIFFERENT (Pescara)
A typically cynical Florentine friend recently commented, "The Italians like the idea of liking culture" - followed by a shrug of the shoulders and a heavy silence. This was a direct response to the government's drastic cuts to the nation's arts budget - resulting in the near closure of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a celebrated international festival of theater and music that began operation in 1933.
EAR OF DIONYSUS (Syracuse)
ANCIENT MYSTERIES
...AND MODERN TOURISTS.
It only takes two or three people in Bermuda shorts and funny hats to make the Gobi Desert or the Great Dismal Swamp look like a parking lot at Disney World.
BACK TO NATURE? (Megara Hyblaea)
Why do we visit archeological sites?
For two main reasons, really...WHOSE HOLOCAUST? (Florence)
History, they say, is written by the winners.
But often prematurely, before they have actually won.
FLORENTINE STREET CREDS (Florence)
"Ridotti come siamo,
non riesco più a conoscere i turisti!"
"We've fallen apart so badly,
I can't even pick out the tourists anymore!"
MUSSOLINI (RE)WRITES HISTORY (Segesta/ Calatafimi)
The Italians have a name for this sort of ponderous effusion…
STILE DA LAPIDE
= MEMORIAL STONE STYLE
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