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Italy

March - April 2022
A 37-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
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  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 7

    Succorpo

    March 9, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    The succorpo is an archaeological site and museum down to as much as 5 meters below the cathedral of Bari. This museum does as good a job as I've seen anywhere at showing the strata of history as one level is built upon an older one. Visible here are remnants of the Roman period, the early Christian through the early and later medieval to the modern periods.
    The 1st place one encounters in the succorpo is the remains of the 5th century basilica. The 1st picture is of the Timoteo mosaic, so called for the name in the inscription (white and black, a bit left of center). The 2nd picture is a bit of original fresco that shows part of a person dressed in bishops robes.
    The 3rd picture is of ruins from the early medieval period before the current cathedral was raised, beginning in the 12th century.
    The 4th picture looks through some medieval arches over ancient walls that date to Roman times.
    After the current cathedral was raised, these older spaces were used for burials. The 5th and 6th pictures are in such spaces. They are likely from different time periods of construction, given the differences in the structures    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 7

    Older Bari

    March 9, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Bari in southeastern Italy dates back about 4,000 years or so and was probably first settled by Greeks. It became much more important during Roman times as this was the end of one of the main roads from Rome, probably because of it's harbor. It became an important port for trade with the east and for transshipment of military forces and materiel. During the middle ages, Bari was an important slave depot.
    The 1st picture is the facade of the 12th century Basilica of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Bari. Those who have followed my travels know that St. Nicholas is from Turkey, and that people from Bari took his remains from there and brought them to Bari (see other posts). The 2nd picture is in the crypt of the Basilica and looks at the small chapel holding the remains of St. Nicholas.
    The 3rd and 4th pictures are streets in Barivecchia, the old city. The 3rd is at one of the gates in the old city wall on the harbor side. The 4th is s typical passage through the ancient buildings.
    The 5th picture is of ruins I couldn't find identified. They appear to be a basilica, given the columns and floor mosaic that are suggestive of a 3 nave church building. Notice that this structure is well below the modern street level. This is an example of urban archaeology showing how ground level rises over time as new construction overtops the old, often due to some form of destruction.
    The last picture is in the Romanesque Cathedral of San Sabinus. The original building was 11th century but was sacked. The current structure was built in the 12th century.
    See additional posts for more old Bari.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 7

    Castello Svevo

    March 9, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    The Swabian Castle was built in Bari by the Norman King Roger II in the 12 century. The original fortress was destroyed later in the 12th century. What exists today dates to the 13th century (with repairs and alterations made over the centuries by successive owners). The 13th century reconstruction was done by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Legend has it that Frederick II met St. Francis of Assisi here.
    The building is now mainly used as an exhibition space.
    The 1st picture is looking down on a model of the castle. The oldest part is the trapezoidal building with towers. This is the Norman- Swabian building. The outer walls were added about the time artillery developed.
    The 2nd picture looks at the outer walls and the moat that surrounds the castle on all sides except where it abuts the sea. The 3rd picture is one of the bastions, this one facing toward the city.
    The 4th picture is in one of the ground floor rooms, while the 5th and 6th are rooms on the 1st floor. All 3 give a sense of the structures, but the spaces, especially those upstairs, have been adapted to serve as modern exhibition space.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 7

    Not quite so old Bari

    March 9, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Barivecchia is on a peninsula between 2 harbors. The newer part of the city begins immediately south of there.
    The 1st picture is taken from a viewpoint on the edge of the Barivecchia, overlooking the old harbor. This was the active harbors, especially for the local fishing fleet. The red building to the right is the Teatro Margherita, now a museum. Directly across the street from the Teatro Margherita and in the 2nd picture is the former fish market where it is said you could watch the catch being handled and prepared as well as buy some fish. This is now being redeveloped into an arts/cultural complex.
    The 3rd picture is the Teatro Petruzzeli recently reopened after a long rest due to a fire. This is the current opera house and symphony hall.
    The 4th picture looks at a street scene to give a flavor of the visions types of architecture in Bari. The building on the corner is s Palazzo.
    The last picture is of part of the Piazza Umberto, the largest in the city. Behind the fountain is an equestrian statue of Umberto I, king of Italy in the late 19th century.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 8

    Lecce, Apulia

    March 10, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Lecce is located, if I can put it this way, in the "heel" of the "boot" shaped peninsula that Italy is. That is in the far southeast of the country. People have lived here since at least the time of the Trojan war.
    Much of the city is built with light colored limestone, called Lecce Stone, that is soft and easy to work. You can see it in most of the pictures taken outdoors.
    The 1st picture is of the Napoli Gate, sometimes call the triumphal arch, that dates to the 16th century. This is one of 3 gates that were built in the ancient city walls giving entrance to the historic city center
    The 2nd picture is of the facade of the Basilica of Santa Croce. Also dating to the 16th century, this facade is a prime example of the baroque. In fact, there is so much baroque architecture here that Lecce is sometimes call the Florence of the south. The basilica was closed, much to my chagrin.
    The 3rd picture is of the walls of the castle of Charles V, built in the 16th century. The 1st floor has been remodeled to serve as a museum. The lower level, which I understand is more interesting, was closed.
    There are 2 ancient theaters in Lecce. They are identified as the Teatro Romano and the Anfiteatro. The Anfiteatro is what we usually think of when Greco-Roman theaters come to mind. I've posted pictures of many. However, in the 4th picture I've chose to post the Teatro Romano. This is a small theater that is totally hemmed in by buildings and reached only by narrow alleyways. It probably dates to the 1st or 2nd century. Yet is is as good s condition as I've seen.
    The last 2 pictures are at the cathedral here that dates to the 12th century. It is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. The 5th picture looks across the Piazza del Duomo to the cathedral; the 6th is in the nave.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 9

    Matera, Basilicata

    March 11, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    Matera is a beautiful city that dates back as much as 11,000 years. It is said to be one of the oldest cites in the world. Settlement began with the caves in the side of the Gravina or canyon that were also gradually enlarged. The 1st picture looks across the Gravina to the cliffside where are the caves are located. This picture also gives a sense of the steepness and depth of the canyon by the footpath up the far side with the switchbacks.
    Over time they moved across the gravina. Into what bacame known as the stassi. Stassi means stones. The dwellings were in large part caves that were excavated plus a small constructed section in front, entirely built of stone. Another post gives a lot more about these cave houses. The 2nd and 3rd pictures look at a couple of the stassi. Even thought the stassi had no running water or plumbing, they were occupied until the middle of the 20th century when the Italian government built new dwellings for all the residents. The stassi were the abandoned. Now they are being restored and updated.
    The 4th picture is of a natural rock formation atop the cliff. It has been excavated to build not 1 but 2 complete churches inside.
    The 5th picture is a square in the upper city. The wealthy 1% lived up here, and there was minimal contact with the poor residents of the stassi. There was some, though (see another post).
    The last picture is one of the 141 churches in Matera that they know about. As archaeology continues, more churches just might be found. This picture is of the "purgatory" church with skulls and bones as the motif. I'm told these were built as part of the Counter- Reformation to try to lure protestants back to the Roman Catholic church.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 9

    Cave Housing, Matera

    March 11, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    These pictures were taken in a cave house that has been preserved to show what life was like at the time in the stassi (see another post). There is no plumbing or modern services that we're used to. Life was lived in a space like this for up to 12 people. The one room served all purpose.
    The 1st 2 pictures are different views of the same room. Sleeping, cooking, eating and life occurred here.
    The 3rd picture looks up the steps to where the animals were kept at night. To the left of the steps is the cistern shown in the 4th picture. The water source for the stassi was rain. So they developed this means to collect and store the resource. In fact, each residence had a cistern, and they were all interconnected. In addition, all public buildings had cisterns below the floor.
    The 5th picture is the top of the steps in the 3rd picture where the animals were kept. In the lower right is the sewage system: a clay pot with a lid that was emptied at least daily.
    The last picture is one of the last residents of the stassi. The young boy is excited about a gift of shoes. I hope his excitement conveys how little the residents had, but also how much they could enjoy life.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 9

    Matera Cathedral

    March 11, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    The cathedral in Matera is dedicated to Mary (as the Madonna della Bruna) and to St. Eustace, the ancient patron saint of Matera. The cathedral dates to the 13th century and is built upon the site of an older church that was also dedicated to St. Eustace. It is located on the hill between the 2 main Sassi (see another post).
    The cathedral is built in what is called Apulian Romanesque style. This style has the heavy walls of a Romanesque building, but minimal windows. I'm told this is an adaptation developed to minimize interior solar gain as this is an extremely hot region for most of the year.
    The 1st picture is of the central nave of this ornate church.
    The 2nd picture of the side chapel with the glass floor shows some frescoes from the predecessor church that had been excavated. The 3rd picture is of the baptistry at the rear of the church. The frescoes have been uncovered by removing a section of the marble cladding that had been added during a previous renovation.
    The 4th and 5th pictures are side chapels. The 4th is the chapel if the Annunciation, and the 5th is the chapel of the Holy Sacrament.
    The last picture looks diagonally across the main church space to show a bit more of the architecture and artwork.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 9

    Traditional music in Matera

    March 11, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    As I've mentioned on other posts, the wealthy 1% rarely Interacted with the rest of the people, most of whom lived in poverty or extreme poverty. One exception had to do with times, often holidays, when the wealthy slaughtered livestock for food. The poor would climb up to the wealthy street and sing their request to be given those parts of the animal that the wealthy usually didn't want-- basically, the innards.
    The video is an actual old and traditional song that was sung at those times, asking for that benefit. The singer is Eustachio. He is one of the last people who lived in the sassi (see another post) before it was evacuated. So even as a young boy, he lived this. The instrument is called a cupacupa. It is handmade, using a bamboo stick, a pigskin and a ceramic jar.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 10

    Napoli

    March 12, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Ah, Naples at night. What a magical place the old town is. Far more bohemian than my ill informed image held. I was on an evening food tour, and if you've been in Naples, you know how distracting that is! So these are pictures in the old town that has tremendous energy, not least because it's home to universities. So I'll mention what these photos are as much as I remember. (Not that Limoncello had anything to do with my memory.
    The 1st picture is the entrance to the Naples underground. This is an archaeological site that open up the original Greek streets and buildings from more than 2,000 years ago.
    The 2nd picture is an 11th century bell tower built for a former church that's been built over. So, the bottom several meters of the tower are buried from the previous street level up to the current level.
    The 3rd and 4th pictures are 2 of the main piazzas in the old town. They are central meeting points.
    The 5th picture looks over the Saturday night crowd along one of the main streets. And the last picture is in a small local limoncello factory. And yes, their products are top shelf.    Read more

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