A Personal Map of Italy

La Storia d'Italia...
The History of Italy, Part I

To some, that might seem like an overblown title for a little pictorial map. I mean, just how much history can one illustrate on a map the size of a letterhead. Certainly I cannot claim to show the entire march of civilization through this amazing peninsula, but rather it is an example of some bits and pieces of Italy's cultural heritage that resonate with me. A personal history tour if you will.

Some of the icons shown on my illustration are destinations I have actually visited, others are places I might like to see someday, and yet other elements echo the rich design and artistic history of the country of my family.
 

Architettura

Italy's amazing wealth and diversity of architectural styles are in themselves a testament to the history of this part of the world. Here are a few of my favorites:

In the north, Venezia's Byzantine wonder, Basilica di San Marco, was begun in 1063. Situated on the island in the lagoon, the church forms one side of the Piazza San Marco along the Canal Grande. The Basilica itself is a glorious confection of delicately carved marble angels, gilded winged lions, the starry heavens mosaic depicted above the entrance and multicolored marble inlays everywhere. And that's just on the outside of the Basilica. Inside, the four original bronze horses reside, eternally posed in their high-stepping gate amid the stillness of San Marco. Overhead, golden domes cascade toward the Pala d'Oro, the Basilica's jewel encrusted golden altar. Heavenly indeed as the dark clouds gathered and rain pelted tourist and pigeon alike. Another day I shall wander the myriad winding streets of Venezia peering in the shop windows at the masks of Carnevale, the shimmering glass from Murano and the intricate lace created on the nearby island of Burano. Today it's all about the wonders of the Basilica. Late that evening, the rain clouds cleared and I danced in Piazza San Marco with the real stars glittering above.

Just west of Venezia, on the mainland, lies the historic city of Vicenza. Here, the surviving architecture of Palladio is on full display. Several beautiful examples of this Renaissance architect are sited in and around Vicenza. Palladio's elegant designs interpreted ancient classicism in a way that continues to influence architects to this day. His Villa Capra, called "La Rotonda" in reference to its central circular hall and dome, is sited on a little hill just outside of town. With four identical porticoes, each opening out to commanding vistas of the surrounding countryside, this ode to symmetry is truly one of Palladio's masterpieces. I can imagine living here. Looking east to the rising sun each morning, following the sun from room to room throughout the day, enjoying a Bellini cocktail in the evening as the sun sets beyond the western portico.

Roma...certainly a city with more examples of ancient and classical architecture than I could ever fit into one illustration. Il Foro Romano, the Roman Forum, contains many fascinating ruins, but one of the quirkiest has to be Arco di Settimio Severo. Known as a triumphal arch, this paen to the ego of Emperor Septimius Severus was constructed for no purpose other than to glorify himself, his two sons and his military victories. Built in 203 A.D., the arch is covered with marble slabs intricately carved with battle scenes, inscriptions and decorations. The odd historical tidbit: after Septimius died, his son, Caracalla, murdered his own brother, Geta, and then had all mention of Geta removed from the arch. Talk about dysfunctional families...

Later that afternoon I walked up the winding trails of the Palatine Hill adjacent to the Forum. The path was bordered by the crumbling chunks of marble columns, some incised with elegant serif letters. Here and there partially excavated ruins peeked out from the rocks and from behind the brilliant oleander blooms that lined my route. The sun was hot, the bees buzzed, and the scent of the pine was intense. With their narrow curved trunks crowned by deep green canopies, The Pines of Rome are a commanding presence above the Forum, elegant sentinels watching over the ruins. The hustle and hurry of modern Rome seemed a million miles away.

Heading down the back side of the boot that is the Italian peninsula, we arrive in Andria, located in Apulia. The Castel del Monte was built by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century. An exercise in geometry, its octagonal shape featuring eight additional octagonal towers gives it a very stark, almost modern, appearance. The fact that it has been looted of its marble panels and mosaics over the centuries also adds to its bare bones aesthetic. The castle combines architectural styles from classical antiquity, the Islamic Orient and European Gothic elements. A scholar as well as a linguist, Frederick II spent some time in the Middle East during the Crusades. Apparently his sojourn there was a great influence on him.

Sicilia, the island off the tip of Italy's boot, is home to many ancient structures, two of which appear in my illustration; and these two buildings couldn't be more different from each other. Along the sunny southwest coast of the island, surrounded by fields and groves of gnarled olive trees, lies Agrigento and its Valley of the Temples. Renowned as the site of several ruins dating from when the Greek culture flourished here, the temples are in various states of preservation and excavation. Standing on a rocky plateau, Tempio della Concordia, built around 430 B.C., is the epitome of classic Greek architectural proportion and style. Named for Concordia, the goddess of peace and harmony, this Doric temple is one of the most well preserved ancient Greek structures in the world.

At the western tip of Sicilia, high on a mountain, sits the tiny hamlet of Erice. Overlooking the Tyrrhenian coastline, this picturesque town of castles, stone walls, cobblestone streets and steep cliffs appears very Middle Ages, although it is much older. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Arabs, Normans and others all influenced the area over the centuries. On a craggy precipice sits Castello Pepoli. Built by the Normans in the 11th century, its foundation dates from even earlier Saracen times. Looking like a castle in a Grimm fairytale, the buildings had a dreamy, almost fantasy appearance when glimpsed through the thick fog that sometimes cloaks this mountain village. Alas, Pepoli Castle has recently been renovated (by the Pepoli family) and no longer appears as it does in my illustration when it sat for centuries as a mysteriously romantic, crumbling and forgotten ruin.

A subsequent posting about my History of Italy pictorial map will cover the mosaic icons and other design elements that are featured prominently in the illustration. Wishing you "buon giorno", good day, until then.