Bizarre art and artichoke salad
Energy, women's day and a promise of spring
Projects unfolding
Hello my friends, how have you been?
It’s a mellow weekend here in Rome, with a promise of spring 💐💐💐. The renovations of our new home are still in full swing. The new windows and airco units will be installed within the next 10 days. The apartment is painted and the new electric system is fully functional. It’s a relief, after months of dust and cables running on the floors to provide light from a single socket.
Dare I hope to be moving in April?
Here below is a view from the rooftop of our present apartment towards the street of the new home, which is literally 3 minutes away from here.
I will be missing the views from here, as the new place is on a low floor. However, I can be here in a heartbeat, which will be super-handy once this place becomes a medium term rental.
Have you been dreaming to live in Rome for a while? I can’t recommend our Appio Latino neighborhood enough: it’s authentic - virtually tourist free - , friendly, quiet, well connected.
Besides the splendid views, we have a magnificent market, a miriad of mostly family-run shops and restaurants, the huge Caffarella park that extends to the Appia antica as well as Piazza di Spagna at 20 minutes metro ride from here. Please let me know if you are interested, I hope to be able to start in the early summer.
Gypsum on steroids
Yesterday, to celebrate international Women’s day, I decided to take a break from the renovation battle and take advantage of the open day offered by several museum to celebrate the occasion. I picked the smaller one in the list, and probably the least famous.
As I made my way to beautiful Villa Helene, located near Piazza del popolo, I did not know I was in for a surprise. The palazzo is the former home and art studio of Norwegian artist Hendrick Hans Christian Andersen, now a Museum on his name.
I don’t know if I can effectively describe the bizarre experience of entering the art studio.
The room is crowded by gigantic statues of men, women, mythological figures and horses, made in great detail and conveying a sense of movement and wild energy that is almost disorienting.
All statues are white except the enormous Angel of Eternal life, which was realized by the artist for his brother Andreas’ tomb in Rome. Sadly, the work was refused by the cemetery administration on moral grounds: too big and too naked!
There is a second room with more statues, albeit not all as wild, plus a display of Mr. Andersen’s paintings and graphic works. Most of these focus on the utopian idea, pursued throughout the artist’s life, of a great "World City". This creation was designed to be the international headquarters of a sort of think tank in the field of arts, sciences, philosophy, religion, and physical culture to foster world peace and international harmony.
In sharp contrast with the forest of statues, the artist’s apartment upstairs is a place of serene beauty, which you will definitely need after the experience downstairs. The gorgeous living room is decorated with languid portraits painted by Andreas and original furniture, all in perfect state. There is even a pretty bathroom with lovely tiles.
Please don’t ask me if I liked the art, go to see it for yourself the next time you visit Rome. I promise, whatever you think of it, it will be worth it.
Celebrating invisible women
On International Women’s day, mimosa flowers (Acacia) and Torta mimosa (above) are offered in Italy to celebrate women’s achievements and to commemorates women's fight for equality.
My heart goes especially to all women who take care of family members who have an illness or severe disabilities. So many women abandon their career, their dreams, the possibility to socialize, to travel, even to work, for this ultimate act of love for their fellow humans. Their life is lonely, especially if they don’t have a network of close friends, other family or the means to take a break from their sacrifice.
If you know someone in this situation, please don’t forget to bring them flowers or a cooked meal, to invite them for a cup of coffee or to just call if there is a special day. Holidays and celebrations are the most difficult and even a simple gesture counts so much. 🥰
My way to give you flowers for this special day, no matter if you are a man, woman or anything you wish to be, is the recipe of this wonderful artichoke salad from Festa Italiana:
After all, artichokes also are flowers, right? If don’t have access to fresh artichokes, it is ok to use frozen or canned ones, but not preserved in olive oil. To intensify the flavor, braise them briefly in a little olive oil and garlic.
For the recipe, please download the PDF below:
For the occasion, I made this quick video of a version of the same salad with candied citron instead of fresh orange. You could also use candied orange peel, it is an unusual and delightful combination.
All for now,
Enjoy!
Letizia- The idea of "art and artichoke" is really singing to me. How wonderful. My personal bias on places immediately drew me to the red-peach structure you posted here--"gypsum on steroids." I'd say art added to artichoke (or vice versa), is itself on steroids indeed! But in a good way. I'll have to make my way to Rome again sometime soon. Always breathtaking. Hope you're well this week, Letizia? :)
I am very intrigued by the Anderson museum.... it didnt exist when I lived in the center of Rome and since then I learned that he had a special relation with the writer Henry James - makes them both more interesting.