A story about my personal journey has just been published in this book which is very exciting… …so I thought I would write about some of the places in Italy where I sought the Sibyls that feature in my short story. (The story published is more of a soul searching journey I undertook to find… Read More Seeking the Sibyls in Italy
Catholic church law forbids Protestants to be buried in Catholic churches or on consecrated ground. In Rome, non-Catholics, at least as far back as 1716, were allotted a place of their own by the Pope of the time. A patch outside the Aurelian walls and in front of the Pyramid of Cestius was set aside by… Read More The non-Catholic Dead in Rome
What a pleasure to be in Rome in spring. The Rose gardens on Aventine Hill are open and in full bloom. The international judging was just last Saturday so I feel pleased to be able to be here when they are looking their best. And what medicine to get out of the madding crowds and… Read More Roman Roses
In the forum in Rome, at the foot of Palatine hill, is the remains of the Atrium Vestiae. In front is the Temple of Vesta, to honor the goddess of the hearth. There, in the cella of the temple is the hearth upon which the Vestal Virgins kept the sacred fire of Rome burning. The… Read More Keeping the Home Fires Burning
Shoulder to shoulder, I jostle for position in a small crowd. I take my photo. The well meaning, do-gooder beside me with an ‘oh dear’ smile looks at me and points to the other wall, …that is the Caravaggio. Slightly indignant I give a little nod. I want to convey I know that,… I just like… Read More Knowing your Caravaggio from your Carracci (or your Elbow).
After Romulus, the founding father of Rome, there were a series of Kings until the time of the republic. These men are part flesh and blood and part myth; having lived too long ago for there to be enough evidence for their existence and the achievements attributed to them. The bulk of what we know of… Read More The 7 Kings of Rome
She was sitting at a small table in the afternoon sun reading the newspaper and sipping a Crodino at a cafe outside of Rome. She was the embodiment of elegance even in this semi-rural setting on the Appia Antica. http://www.appiaanticacaffe.it/new/index.php/en/ Her long grey hair was beautifully pinned back in a french roll, her legs in… Read More A non alcoholic bitter aperitif on the Appia Antica.
I didn’t enjoy Rome so much this time. For all sorts of reasons it wasn’t flowing. I was jet-lagged, overheated and irritated. Instead of enjoying the places that in the past have given me the most profound sense of joy, I felt not much. I was noticing details I didn’t want to notice. The poor… Read More A Little Story: My Secret Sabaudia Visit.
Italy is brimming with religious iconry, churches, crosses and monuments to faith. I have no real Catholic background to draw from so much of it all is mysterious and novel for me. I am deeply moved by Italians connection to Mary. I have been to many churches from Palermo to Milan and places in between.… Read More Finding the veiled Christ in Italy
(il terremoto is where my heart & mind really are but words fail me here, mando il mio amore e le preghiere). My head is single mindedly, doggedly even, focused on the going. It was last trip too. I no longer can, or want, to consider the after. I want to think about packing, the door closing… Read More A Full Stop at Going
Classics, Ancient History, Linguistics, Academia and more
Life in small-town central Italy
