Summer 2010: Spoleto, Verona and a weekend on Capri

On the scaffolding with Giotto; Shakespeare and Malkovitch in Spoleto; Zeffirelli and elephants in Verona, frocks in Como and a truly Italian summer on the Isle of Capri – we hope you enjoy the Hidden Italy Summer newsletter.

Events in Italy in Summer, 2010:

Verona Arena Opera season, www.arena.it, until 20 August.  Franco Zeffirelli will direct all five opera’s in the 88^th season of the Lyric Festival at the Verona Arena, including such classics as Turantdot, Madame Butterfly, Carmen, Il Trovatore and, of course, Aida, elephants and all.  Tickets cost from 27 to 127 euro.

Spoleto , the Festival of Two Worlds, www.festivaldispoleto.com until 4 July.  Shakespeare, John Malkovitch and choreographer John Neumeier, will be among the stars of the 53^rd edition of the Spoleto festival, which showcases a vast range of dance, theatre, music and singing, all performed in the magical setting of one of Umbria’s most beautiful cities.  The grand finale is the closing night concert held in the piazza in front of Spoleto’s spectacular Romanesque cathedral.

Museo Leonardiano, Vinci (Florence) www.museoleonardiano.it.  Vinci is a charming small town 30 minutes drive from Florence.  With the completion of the restoration of the Castle of the Counts of Giudi last month, one of the largest collection of machines and models the town’s most famous son, Leonardo, has been reopened to the public.  The collection includes war machines, mechanical clocks, models of helicopters and other flying machines and the famous bicycle, which some consider to be a fake from the 1800s.

Events in Italy in Summer, 2010:

The Colours of Giotto, Basilica di San Francesco and Palazzo del Monte Frumentario, www.icoloridigiotto.it, Assisi until 5 September  As part of the celebrations of the 800^th anniversary of the approval of the Rules of San Francis (formal recognition of the order of San Francis) visitors will have the extraordinary experience of climbing up onto the restoration scaffolding to view up close some of the most famous and influential paintings of European art, Giotto’s 13^th century frescos.  The viewing is complemented by a virtual before and after reconstruction of the controversial restorations.  A once in a life time opportunity.

Stanley Kubrick fotografo. Gli anni di Look (1945-1950). Photographs by Stanley Kubrick, Milano, Palazzo della Ragione, www.mostrakubrick.it, until 4 July.  For the first time in the world, an exhibition explores a hitherto little-known aspect of Stanley Kubrick's career. Until 4 July 2010, at the lovely medieval Palazzo della Ragione in the centre Milan, over 200 photographs will be presented, many of them unpublished and printed from the original negatives, shot by Stanley Kubrick from 1945 to 1950 when, at the age of only 17, he was hired by the American magazine Look.

The Age of Elegance – threads and textiles from Costa di Como in the 1950s, Villa del Grumello, Via per Cernobbio 11, Como, www.villadelgrumello.it, until 27 June.  Set in one of the most romantic villas on Lake Como, this fascinating exhibition celebrates the work of the house of Costa, one of the finest textiles producers of northern Italy.  Dresses by Dior, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Sully Dumas and Fath from the glory days of the 1950s, gathered from museums and collections in Rome, Paris and New York, are on display.

The Hidden Italy Weekend – Anacapri: summer time on the Isle of Capri.

Despite being a tourist destination since the times of the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius, Capri, a beautiful butterfly-shaped island off the tip of the Sorrento peninsula south of Naples, has lost none of its fascination.  It does get crowded and noisy in summer when the hordes descend, particularly day-trippers from Naples, but all this is part of the fun of a truly Italian summer holiday and, fortunately, quieter parts of the island do exist, including Anacapri the second town on the island, sitting on the western peak, where you can withdraw and relax after the hustle and colour of Capri town and its famous ‘piazzetta’.

How to get there:

Ferries and hydrofoils for Capri leave from the Molo Beverello in Naples, arriving at the Marina Grande on Capri.  From here you can take a cable car and then a bus to get to Anacapri or you can take a taxi directly there for around 15 euro.

Where to stay:

For an unforgettable treat, you can stay at either the Capri Palace, which has one of the first spa’s in Europe and an extraordinary collection of contemporary art (doubles start at 450 euro) or at the magnificent Caesar Augustus Hotel, perched 300 metres above the sea, with spectacular views of the island from the hotel’s terrace or from the rooms (doubles also starting at 450 euro).  For something a little more affordable, you could try the Hotel Orso Maggiore has 14 rooms with sea views starting at 170 euro or the b&b Il Tramonto, refined and comfortable rooms and with a splendid view over the sea from the terrace (rooms from 110 euro).

What to do:

Friday:

After settling into your accommodation, we’d suggest an aperitivo in the town square and then dinner at one of the excellent restaurants in Anacapri.  For another unforgettable treat try dinner at the Olivo del Capri Palace, a two starred Michelin restaurant where chef Oliver Glowig produces an exquisite array of Mediterranean dishes combining ingredients from the sea and land – the ‘traditional’ menu is 150 euro per person, the ‘degustation’ menu is 190 euro.  Among the alternatives, Ristorante Il Riccio, on the coast below Anacapri, near the Grotta Azzurra, much loved by Arisotle Onassis, a simple restaurants without pretensions that serves traditional cuisine for around 50 euro a person or the Trattoria Mamma Giovanna, surrounded by olive and lemon groves, serving typical Caprese dishes, for around 35 euro per person.

Saturday:

We’d suggest spending the first day exploring the art and stunning nature around Anacapri.  First stop is the Casa Rosa a fascinating villa, painted ‘Pompeii red’, in the centre of town that was the home of an eccentric American colonel for 30 years in the late 1800s, who gathered together an eclectic collection of antiquities, sculptures and paintings.  From here you can spend the rest of the morning exploring the traditional houses and lanes of the quarters of Boffe and Follicara, including a visit to the 17^th century church of San Michele.  From here you can visit the other historical residence of Anacapri, the famous Villa San Michele, home of the celebrated Swedish doctor and writer Axel Munthe, filled like the Casa Rossa, with a vast collection of archaeological pieces including busts, columns, mosaics and even a Greek tomb and a granite sphinx.  Beyond this is the Porta della Differenza (the Gate of Difference) at the head of the Phoenician Stairs, 921 stairs that lead down to Marina Grande and were the only link between Capri town and Anacapri until a road was built in 1877.An alternative to visiting Villa San Michele is to take the 12 minute chair lift ride up to the top of Monte Solaro and walk for 15 minutes through pine and chestnut forests to the hermitage of Santa Maria di Cetrella, the patron saint of fishermen.

Either way, returning to the centre of Anacapri to have lunch at the restaurant Il Cucciolo, enjoying its excellent seafood with wonderful views over the gulf from their terrace.

In the afternoon, you can walk down to the renowned Grotta Azzurra, which gave Capri its initial fame when ‘discovered’ by two German artists in 1826 (a vast cavern illuminated indirectly by sunlight, it was decorated in Roman times with 12 marble statues that were attached to the walls of the grotto) and then continue on from here to the ruins of Villa Damecuta, one of twelve imperial Roman villas that ringed the island.  From here you can walk (15 minutes) or take one of the regular local buses to the beginning of the ‘walk of the fortresses’, which follows a road linking a series of small fortifications that were built in 1799 by the English to defend the island from Napoleon’s invading forces.  At the end of the walk, at the Punta Carena, you can have dinner under the pergolas of restaurant Lido di Faro, before getting a bus back to Anacapri.

Sunday:

A day dedicated to the ‘lower’ part of Capri, starting with 15 minute bus ride down to the famous Piazzetta, the heart of Capri.  From here it is a short walk to one of the most relaxing and magical parts of the island, the Gardens of Augustus, laid out by the German industrialist Friedrich /Alfred Krupp in the 1930s, and from which point the engineering masterpiece, Via Krupp, starts, a dramatic narrow, twisting roads that descends to the Marina Piccola.  From here it is a short walk to the Certosa di San Giacomo, a beautiful ex-convent from the 13^th century, with gardens, cloisters and breathtaking views.  From here you can return to Capri via Via Tragara, which has grand views over the Marina Piccola.  For lunch we’d suggest a pizza or a delicious seafood spaghetti at the Villa Verde, not far from the Piazzetta.

In the afternoon it’s time to visit some of the archaeological highlights of the island, including the Villa Jovis, an hour’s easy walk from the Piazzetta, where the Roman emperor Tiberius built his vast palace, high above the sparkling sea.  Much of the villa remains, including cisterns and reservoirs, with different sections connected by stairs corridors and tunnels.  At the end of the road is the famous Tiberius’ Leap, from which. So the legend goes, Tiberius flung disobedient sevants and boring lovers.

To finish your weekend, a stroll along Via Capodimonte in the heart of Capri town:  local perfumes, fragrances and soaps from Carthusia;  local works of art at the Pop Gallery;  local gastronomic delights at il Mondo di Mariaantonia; and finally, a pair of Caprese sandals, made to measure at Antonio Viva, starting at 50 euros; and to finish your stay in style, dinner at the stylish Ristorante Antonio, where a meal based on a modern interpretation of the traditional cuisine will cost around 60 euro per person.