coffee, shoes and chinese food in Verona
Ciao, ragazzi!
it poured today in Verona; just in the AM though. this made for a fun morning of me having left the hotel without my parka, and instead relying on my velvet blazer. my tights were a great barrier for my legs though. so i hopped from 16th century building to 16th century building, looking for an umbrella in a store.
instead, i ran into a Chinese food place to grab something non-Italian. The Italians love their food so much, that finding anything else is like stumbling across a rainbow at this point. Since ive had it to here with pasta, panini, veal, beef with rosemary, pizza, more pizza and yet more pizza, Chinese sounded delightful. and it really wasnt half bad. and the owners fell in love with me because i asked for chopsticks and since THEY HAD NONE for patrons to use, they ran upstairs to get some out of their own kitchen. im telling you, Italians really dont stray far from the meat of their earth. so i had some ok spring rolls (non cooked, i might add...like little burritos...sigh. burritos), chicken with chili sauce and wonton soup, and read my Verona book.
on my way to Castelvecchio, i swung through several shoe stores, trying to find Skip some sneakers that he doesnt have. so scared to buy him ones that suck. saw some great shoes for me, but im at the point in my trip where i need to buy another suitcase or something. if i do THAT, then ill buy like 3 pairs of shoes. Verona is full of shoes. and men singing operettas in the street to you for change.
Castelvecchio was built by Cangrande II della Scala, somewhere after 1355. he built it like a fortress to keep out the citizens of Verona, who were very pissed about the rising taxes. It is complete with moat and the gorgeous Ponte Scaligero, a bridge he used a couple times as an escape route from the city. In the 1960's, the very cool Italian architect Carlo Scarpa was asked to turn Castelvecchio into a museum. the building is now this gorgeous blend of early Renaissance architecture mixed with modernist 60s stairways, halls, overhead walkways that filter light in from the views of the river, and little mid century flourishes. Some paintings stand in the center of the room on old easels. The artwork is mostly Veronese, between 14th and 18th century, with some highlights from the mannerism period (since northern Italy was the birthplace of the Lombardy school, home to Caravaggio and Mantegna etc). A Titian and a couple of Tintorettos, a couple Bellinis (not the champagne) and some Canalettos round out the museum.
What really blew me away, however, was the first floor religious statuary. you can really see that the Veronese style comes from the dirtier and far more raw styles of the North, especially Germany, rather then the plush prettier styles of Tuscany. The Crucifixion with Saints was downright early 1920's Expressionist realized in a 15th century sculpture, with Christ howling in pain, his arms the size of toothpicks. Gorgeous.
found this site....for more on Museo di Castelvecchio, click this link.
also today: three espressos, a morning cappuchino, and a machiatto con panna and one gelato...coffee flavored.
oh and also: i went to an art store to buy a bigger sketch pad and some conte pencils.
tomorrow: Della Scala family tombs (they all nicknamed each other after DOGS), the Duomo to see Titian's Assumption (one of them), and the exciting San Zeno Maggiore, which houses the tomb of San Zeno, Verona's beloved first Bishop, and now patron saint of the city, who came from Africa. apparetnly some beautiful Romanesque architecture is there, as well as a nice creepy crypt, encasing San Zeno himself.
Buona Sera!
it poured today in Verona; just in the AM though. this made for a fun morning of me having left the hotel without my parka, and instead relying on my velvet blazer. my tights were a great barrier for my legs though. so i hopped from 16th century building to 16th century building, looking for an umbrella in a store.
instead, i ran into a Chinese food place to grab something non-Italian. The Italians love their food so much, that finding anything else is like stumbling across a rainbow at this point. Since ive had it to here with pasta, panini, veal, beef with rosemary, pizza, more pizza and yet more pizza, Chinese sounded delightful. and it really wasnt half bad. and the owners fell in love with me because i asked for chopsticks and since THEY HAD NONE for patrons to use, they ran upstairs to get some out of their own kitchen. im telling you, Italians really dont stray far from the meat of their earth. so i had some ok spring rolls (non cooked, i might add...like little burritos...sigh. burritos), chicken with chili sauce and wonton soup, and read my Verona book.
on my way to Castelvecchio, i swung through several shoe stores, trying to find Skip some sneakers that he doesnt have. so scared to buy him ones that suck. saw some great shoes for me, but im at the point in my trip where i need to buy another suitcase or something. if i do THAT, then ill buy like 3 pairs of shoes. Verona is full of shoes. and men singing operettas in the street to you for change.
Castelvecchio was built by Cangrande II della Scala, somewhere after 1355. he built it like a fortress to keep out the citizens of Verona, who were very pissed about the rising taxes. It is complete with moat and the gorgeous Ponte Scaligero, a bridge he used a couple times as an escape route from the city. In the 1960's, the very cool Italian architect Carlo Scarpa was asked to turn Castelvecchio into a museum. the building is now this gorgeous blend of early Renaissance architecture mixed with modernist 60s stairways, halls, overhead walkways that filter light in from the views of the river, and little mid century flourishes. Some paintings stand in the center of the room on old easels. The artwork is mostly Veronese, between 14th and 18th century, with some highlights from the mannerism period (since northern Italy was the birthplace of the Lombardy school, home to Caravaggio and Mantegna etc). A Titian and a couple of Tintorettos, a couple Bellinis (not the champagne) and some Canalettos round out the museum.
What really blew me away, however, was the first floor religious statuary. you can really see that the Veronese style comes from the dirtier and far more raw styles of the North, especially Germany, rather then the plush prettier styles of Tuscany. The Crucifixion with Saints was downright early 1920's Expressionist realized in a 15th century sculpture, with Christ howling in pain, his arms the size of toothpicks. Gorgeous.
found this site....for more on Museo di Castelvecchio, click this link.
also today: three espressos, a morning cappuchino, and a machiatto con panna and one gelato...coffee flavored.
oh and also: i went to an art store to buy a bigger sketch pad and some conte pencils.
tomorrow: Della Scala family tombs (they all nicknamed each other after DOGS), the Duomo to see Titian's Assumption (one of them), and the exciting San Zeno Maggiore, which houses the tomb of San Zeno, Verona's beloved first Bishop, and now patron saint of the city, who came from Africa. apparetnly some beautiful Romanesque architecture is there, as well as a nice creepy crypt, encasing San Zeno himself.
Buona Sera!