Storia di Bologna & Frida
April 8 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
Palazzo Pepoli Vecchio, our destination this morning, is a medieval fortress and noble residence in Bologna … constructed in 1344 by Taddeo Pepoli, the city’s first lord.
But that was then.
Today, the palace is home to the Museo della Storia di Bologna (the Museum of the History of Bologna) … with exhibits covering the city’s growth and transformation from its roots as the Etruscan city of Felsina (founded c. 510 BC), through the Roman era when it was known as Bononia (founded 189 BC), to medieval times, and more recent periods.
Within the 36 rooms of the museum, one finds stories of important events and notable people who left their mark in the pages of history books. Objects and art add interest … designed to visually enhance the written material on the panels.
With all the text in Italian, this is a museum where making use of the audio guide is essential. Since our visit today was intended as an overview, we decided to skip the audio this time and rely on the laminated cards for an overview of the theme of each room. Our attention focused on topics that we are more or less familiar with. When we return for a more in depth visit, we’ll get the audio guides and explore at a slower pace.
Before we wandered through the museum proper, we checked out the temporary photographic exhibition installed on the ground floor of the museum … “Frida Kahlo: The Gaze as Identity.”
The photos are all of Kahlo staring into the camera with her signature, unblinking gaze that became “… an integral part of her identity and, subsequently, of her legend.” The photographic portraits present “… a shifting and multifaceted image: there is the Frida captured by the gaze of her lover, the gallery owner, her closest friends, and the most renowned photographers; but also the one observed by reporters and her fellow Hispanic-Americans. …” The exhibit was an interesting glimpse into the woman and her life. Sorry … photography not allowed.
We wrapped up our outing with lunch at Trattoria da Giampi e Ciccio, described as a no frills place that serves traditional dishes. For a change, I ordered the whole wheat cordonetti pasta with julienned prosciutto and sautéed zucchini; Mui opted for the Cotoletto alla Bolognese … basically a breaded veal cutlet topped with a thin slice of prosciutto and drowned in a creamy cheese sauce. The presentation of the dishes was indeed no frills … the taste, however, was spot on.
Card Cultura Update: admission to the museum was free, thus saving us €7 each; the temporary exhibit wasn’t covered, but we did get a discount of €4 each. After today’s outing, I have €4 left to break even on the Card Cultura … Mui is €3 behind me.Read more