Posted November 21, 2011 at 5:44pm in Sophia Loren Guess Fashion Black and White Photography Advertisement Model Beautiful Actress Italia Rome Roma Italy By Melissa Ashley Melissima.
Posted October 13, 2011 at 9:58am in Lion Apple Office Candles Interior Design Desk Animal Italy Italia
I’m proud of my roots. I come from a place that’s genuinely b e a u t i f u l.
Posted October 12, 2011 at 5:11pm in Italy Basilicata Art Video Artists Italia South Sud Roots Culture People Scenery
Pure.»
I hope that my combining of these four short films into a single post doesn’t devalue any of them in any way, because they’re each absolutely beautiful. They were shot by Leonardi Dalessandri, an Italian cinematographer, I’m assuming, for pure fun.
The colors that come through in each shot are so vivid and so full of life, like the places and faces captured themselves. Each scene, a taste of Italy; the pure place that I call home.
{Visit his website by clicking here.}
‘An Autumn’s Tale’ | Shot in Parma, Emilia Romagna (Italy)
‘A Day Like Today’ | Shot in Parma, Emilia Romagna (Italy)
‘Suddenly, Last Summer’ | Shot in Moliterno, Basilicata (Italy)
‘Ghost Town’ | Shot in Val d’Agri, Lucania (Italy)
Posted July 25, 2011 at 11:27am in Italy Italia Leonardo Dalessandri Vimeo Colors Scenery Parma Autumn People Faces Emilia Romagna Moliterno Summer Seasons Nature Ghost Town Val d'Agri Lucania
Sunday’s With Nonna.»
It’s Sunday in southern Italy, and that means, that in the Abate Household, nonna’s working her magic in the kitchen.
Ever since I was a little bambina, summer Sundays consisted of church, an aperitif at a local cafè, and the kneading of dough to make home made gnocchi for our Sunday feast.
Today’s even more special, though, because it’s sprinkling rain outside, in pure sunlight…
And you can taste the magic.
H a p p y S u n d a y, from our home to yours!
Posted July 24, 2011 at 11:38am in Sundays Gnocchi Cooking Home Made Nonna Italy Southern Italy Italia Cucina Kitchen Food Recipe
JCU Exposure.»
Yeah, man! A handful of my photos are being featured on the John Cabot University website this month, plus, a link to one of my complete albums—-woot woot! Thank you, Multicultural Club, for a wonderful talent show, thank you Study-Abroads for another wild semester, and thank you JCU for making me feel like Rome is Home. Cheers! http://www.johncabot.edu/
Posted May 5, 2011 at 2:26pm in John Cabot University Rome Roma Talent Show Multicultural Club Italy Italia Trastevere College
The Departed | Photography.>>
[Click on the above link to view photos.]
Departed: yet another academic year.
This very morning: my last Victorian Novel lecture, held at the Protestant Cemetery of Rome.
Cemeteries aren’t supposed to be beautiful; they’re supposed to be lifeless.
But says who?
“THE MORTGAGED HEART”
The dead demand a double vision. A furthered zone,
Ghostly decision of apportionment. For the dead can claim
The lover’s senses, the mortgaged heart.
Watch twice the orchard blossoms in gray rain
And to the cold rose skies bring twin surprise.
Endure each summons once, and once again;
Experience multiplied by two—the duty recognized.
Instruct the quivering spirit, instant nerve
To schizophrenic master serve,
Or like a homeless Doppelgänger
Blind love might wander.
The mortgage of the dead is known.
Prepare the cherished wreath, the garland door.
But the secluded ash, the humble bone—
Do the dead know?
-Carson McCullers (1917-1967)
Posted April 29, 2011 at 3:28am in Photography Cemetery Spring Flowers Architecture Garden English Christ Catholicism Cats Dogs Animals Pets Statues Italy Italia Rome Roma Carson McCullers Poetry Death Black and White Photography
Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinale.»
“Marriage functions best when both partners remain somewhat unmarried.” -Claudia Cardinale
Posted April 26, 2011 at 7:10am in Claudia Cardinale Italia Black and White Photography Cinema Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinale
Resistenza e Liberazione: 66° Anniversario.»
Popolo Italiano, oggi è un giorno da festeggiare!
25 April 1945 | A day of great significance for the young Republic of Italy. It marks the anniversary of the armed revolt against German Nazi occupying troops, as well as their Fascists supporters of the Social Republic Party of Italy.
May freedom continue its reign in La Bella I T A L I A!
Posted April 25, 2011 at 6:02am in April 25 1945 Republic of Italy Republica Italiana Germany Nazis Troops Occupation Fascism Social Republic Part Italia Liberazione Resistenza Anniversario Old Newspapers
“L’Intoccabile:” ENNIO MORRICONE.»
I can’t put to words how I feel when I hear this song…a song that, quite frankly, I’m not really sure the name of. All I know is that the original was composed by the absolute one and only, Ennio Morricone (born in my neighborhood of Trastevere, and now living somewhere in Rome), and that a remastered version was recently perfected by Karl X Johan.
I’m pretty consistent when it comes to material that I love, so it should come as no surprise that I’m revisiting this masterpiece. It’s high up on my ”All-Time Favourite List of Everything”…But there’s no need to take away any more from the music; I’ll let it do the talking.
[You can hear Morricone’s score in the movie, “The Untouchables,” but really, Morricone is “L’Intoccabile,” (“The Untouchable”) if you ask me.]
Flames by Karl X Johan
Posted April 20, 2011 at 9:38am in Ennio Morricone Flames Gli Intoccabili Karl X Johan Music Remix Scores The Untouchables Rome Roma Italia Italy Trastevere
Posted April 13, 2011 at 3:22pm in Corruption Italia Jon Stewart La Douche Vita Political Humor Politics Scandals Silvio Berlusoni The Daily Show La Dolce Vita Italy
Santa Marinella, ITALIA | April 2, 2011
And so beach season begins, earlier than usual for me this year. Santa Marinella is a comfortable hour train ride north of the city center (Rome). A small escape form the hustle and bustle of “la vita quotidiana.”
Presto We Will Party.»
1861- 2011 | Buon Compleanno Italia
I know I’m early, but we’ll all be celebrating soon enough…and for good reason. March 17, 2011 will mark Italy’s 150th birthday, since its unification in 1861. It was recently determined that this year alone, seeing as 150 is a decently large number, this honorary day will be deemed a National Holiday. This means, it’s party time for Italia, and the rest will be for the books (knocked right off the academic/professional calendars of the season)! Cherry on the Cake: March 17th conveniently happens to fall on a Thursday this year —- [Extended Weekend In My Future]
This is a video that gave me goosebumps my first time viewing it, and one that evokes continued feelings of pride within me, with each additional screening. It’s clever, it’s cute, and the soccer team is (naturally) comprised of some of the most handsome Italian children that I’ve ever seen. If I’m lucky enough to experience motherhood one day, I hope to be blessed with enough little people to start my own team.
A U G U R I, Italia!
Simple Pleasures: Unexpected Edition.»
After a hectic day, I got into his car and we just drove. We zipped through Roman traffic, down streets I’d never been on before, and escaped the bustle of the city. It didn’t take long to get to the outskirts; “La Città Eterna” just kept getting smaller and smaller, and soon, it didn’t even feel like Rome anymore.
There’s a whole different energy here at night.
We stopped in a dark parking lot, where the only light came from the mansions of modern-day aristocrats…the villas of “Italian highborns.” Not far from where we parked: a locked garden, hidden by ancient walls. [It was beautiful in the dark, I tried imagining it sun-kissed…but more so, I tried imagining the reasons for my being there.]Two uniformed guards watched from afar; one man smiled.
He walked up to the door and called for me. Then he told me to look through the keyhole: the keyhole of the Gate of the Knights of Malta. Aventine Hill…that’s where we drove to. When Piranesi designed it in 1765, he had a goal for that keyhole—-And tonight, was I ever so grateful that his vision was able to come alive.
Through that hole, I saw the Vatican standing gallantly before me; perfectly framed, illuminating the city beneath. Enclosed by arches of overgrown vines from within the garden, there it stood…rooted…a bold face of the Italian culture and its people. It all made sense: I needed to fall back in love with Rome, far away from the rest of the world. And it came so simply; so naturally.
Just when you’re left with a sour taste in your mouth, and you’re forced to swallow hard against your will, the unexpected pays you a visit. And suddenly, things aren’t so bad anymore…they’re just…different. Thank you for surprising me, and for taking me there.
