It all starded almost 20 years ago, when a collection of statues from the Musei Capitolini in Rome was moved on a temporary basis, to allow refurbishment works, to the halls of a former power plant in the Ostiense area no longer in use for its original purpose. The marble works of art actually never left since, and the Centrale Montemartini represents a unique place where, as opposite to Tate Modern, the original machinery is still present and well preserved, so you can walk on the original tile mosaic floors, through boilers, turbines and engines, and spot here and there pieces of the Roman and Italian heritage. Certainly one of my favourite “secret” places in Rome.
Category: Italy
Fragments of beauty in the night of the light
As part of the initiatives included in the programme of La Notte della Luce (the Night of the Light), an event organized by the students of the University of Genova to celebrate the summer solstice, guided visits to Palazzo Balbi-Senarega, which hosts the Department of Humanistic Studies, were offered to the general public, while in the courtyard acting performances were taking place. The beauty of the place and the magic atmosphere made it a special night.
I happened to be there by chance so I unfortunately didn’t have my camera with me, but I had my phone, and is it not true that the best camera is always the one you have with you? 🙂
Lift to Heaven
«Quando mi sarò deciso d’andarci, in Paradiso ci andrò con l’ascensore di Castelletto – When I’ll decide to go there, I’ll travel to Paradise with the Castelletto lift». This is the verse, composed by the poet Giorgio Caproni, which welcomes the passengers at the lower entrance of the Castelletto lift. A few weeks ago I took part in the Genova Photo Marathon (if you are curious, here you can check out the photos which I have eventually submitted for the contest) and, while walking in the rain from place to place looking for inspiration, I thought that the place in question was definitely worth a visit. Originally built in 1910, the Castelletto lift is one of the 11 urban lifts which are part of the public transport network in Genova and allow people to move across a multi-layered territory with reduced effort. In order to get to the actual lift doors it is necessary to walk through a tunnel dug straight into the hill; the journey ends about 57 meters above. As you leave the original Art Nouveau upper station building, you find yourself in the middle of the beautiful Castelletto belvedere, from where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the town. If Jimmy Page and Robert Plant had discovered this place in the early seventies, that would have probably changed the history of Rock 😉
Decalogue III
Can Spirituality still fit in contemporary life? Perhaps yes, as witnessed during a quick visit to the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio on a Sunday morning.
A walk in Vernazza
A walk in Vernazza, ending in the XIV century church, where someone is praying and someone else is making love promises.
Raging waves
In Vernazza, sometimes the sea, also during the summer, can get very stormy not getting rest for a few days, despite the sun shining hot in the sky. Only a bunch of locals dare to dive into the raging waves, while tourists play safer games on the pier and wise old people tell stories about when they used to be young and brave.
the boring lens 