LA PIETRA CANTANTE – THE SINGING STONE

LA PIETRA CANTANTE – THE SINGING STONE

Sep 11, 2021 | BOOKS

I thank very much Laura who immediately fulfilled the wish I had expressed, making me discover The singing Stone. 

“Threepenny works for four cats” could I not immediately fall in love with this book necklace?

IMAGAENARIA is an old-fashioned bookshop, as less and less are found in Italy … the presentation looks like the beginning of a fairy tale and I honestly still am enchanted when I read these things and I feel grateful for the precious recovery of unjustly forgotten works of literature from every time and country.

Vilhelm Bergsøe who I discovered a frequenter of the Caffè Greco in Rome as a member of the Scandinavian Circle was a zoologist and in his book a meticulous and dedicated attention to Nature in all its aspects.

While I was reading, I never stopped imagining Laura intent on her translation work:  which must not have been easy at all and for which I can only congratulate her endlessly.

I don’t know about you, but very often, reading books by foreign authors, I do not dwell sufficiently on the scope of the work of those who translate, which undoubtedly plays an essential role.

It is far from simple in fact to recreate the same atmospheres that the author generates with his completely personal way of writing and to keep faith with the original writing style.

Writing is the painting of the voice.

I believe that this quote by Voltaire contains the essence of what level the necessary competence must reach to translate “painting” into another language.

Among other things, The singing Stone is very rich in detailed descriptions of the environment and vegetation, with names of plants that I, for example, did not even know.

A book that has the power to carry the reader on the same path to discover a part of the island of Ischia known only to those who were born there, and who have handed down the stories of their ancestors.

An exploration in nature, but also in time, among the legends that I particularly love and which reunite natural phenomena with the history experienced by the people, in a complete immersion in the magical atmosphere of the place.

Obviously I don’t want to completely reveal the identity of the singing Stone so as not to spoil the pleasure of discovery, which I advise you not to miss.

Rather, we will reconfirm my highest esteem to Laura.
Again and again thank you!

THE OLDEST CITY OF THE FUTURE

THE OLDEST CITY OF THE FUTURE

Mar 25, 2021 | CULTURE, CULTURE, ITALY, ITALY

1600 years! Happy birthday Venice! 

I have already written several times about my falling in love with Venice so obviously today I can’t help but celebrate this special birthday!

Even if my tribute is nothing compared to the greeting received from them:

aren’t they beautiful ?!

And I absolutely advise you not to miss this virtual tour as well. 

You will end the dreamy vision and with the desire to be able to breathe the atmosphere of the lagoon too, to walk through calli and campielli to discover the corners you don’t know, to wait for the sunset on the Canal Grande …

But no melancholy! Let’s take it as a destination to be able to reach soon!

A hundred deep solitudes taken together form the city of Venice – that is ber charm. An image for men of the future.
Friedrich Nietzsche

The future that Venice looks to, the very future that awaits us too.

SILENT DEATHS

SILENT DEATHS

Jan 23, 2021 | ENVIRONMENT

I have already talked about PM2.5 because frankly it is a topic that is very close to my heart and I find it absolutely important, despite continuing to pass more or less in silence.

The effects on health are hidden and manifest over time, there are no obvious infections or symptoms, but when the disease is noticed in many cases it is late.

The death tolls are terrible and yet they are rarely mentioned.

I find the latest publication from The Lancet Planetary Health absolutely frightening which indicates Brescia and Bergamo in first and second place among the European cities for mortality rate due to these damned particles.

And not only that: they are followed by Vicenza in fourth place and Saronno in eighth, meaning that out of ten cities, four are Italian, concentrated in the northern area, mainly in Lombardy.

But many other inhabited centers also have chilling levels of pollutants, available here. 

As if that were not enough, it should also be considered that despite everything there is also a hidden share: air pollution is a leading environmental cause of mortality around the world. Cities are generally hot spots for air pollution and disease. However, the exact extent of the health effects of city-wide air pollution is still largely unknown.

I have the hope of shaking some conscience, in the small, so that this theme is given an adequate echo, even if my voice falls into the same silence of all voices dull in the suffering among the indifference of most.

THE SUSPENDED TIME

THE SUSPENDED TIME

Jan 22, 2021 | ENVIRONMENT, FASHION, ITALY

As already happened for the Micam and for the Milan Fashion Week again the men’s fashion week in Milan showed us a PHYGITAL version.

In particular, I was struck by Walter Chiapponi’s work for Tod’s

why this presentation in particular?

For the places: the setting is Villa Crespi ai Ronchi built by the architect Giuseppe de Finetti, a pupil of Adolf Loos, as a residence for moments of leisure and for hunting trips.

Beyond the architecture, I would emphasize the context, that is, the way in which a connection with the surrounding landscape can also be felt from within.

It is no coincidence that the theme chosen was #SevenT: that is the concept of seven days spent in a sort of isolation that returns an expansion of time measured with reflective cadences of quiet awareness.

I admit to being biased by the affection I have for these places, but the atmosphere of these sunsets, which contains a stark contrast to the winter cold, for me materializes in a transmutation of space as an antidote to solitude, as completion, but also as an expansion of the spirit.

The quote that is offered to us “It is not the destination so much as the journey, and I know exactly where to go” in a certain sense has the power to overturn the perception of stillness, and it is almost as if immobility could be transfigured.

In fact, this is what we are all looking for in this period.

Unfortunately, the luck of being able to immerse yourself in a place so enchanted as to seem mystical is not for everyone, however.

And then the alternative: getting lost in words, getting lost in reading are perhaps the most effective representation of how time can expand or contract.

What is time suspension for you?

Is it really possible to go beyond oneself and know how to meet others even in complete solitude as suggested in the conclusion?

ACHETER CHEZ LES PETITS COMMERÇANTS C’EST FAIRE UN GRAND GESTE

ACHETER CHEZ LES PETITS COMMERÇANTS C’EST FAIRE UN GRAND GESTE

Nov 21, 2020 | ECONOMY, WORLD

On the long diatribe between us and the “cousins from beyond the Alps” it must be acknowledged that they know how to be more revolutionary, starting from the feeling of nationalism that they nurture in a strong and clear way.

The French have indeed obtained a result in favor of the campaign to help small traders in this difficult period.

Many personalities took sides by signing up and promoting the cause, starting with the first citizen of Paris Anne Hidalgo.

The main hashtag is #NoelSansAmazon after which Amazon France has decided to postpone Black Friday.

The now famous appointment that provides discounts and bargains corresponds to the Friday after Thanksgiving and celebrates the beginning of Christmas shopping, but in France it has been moved to the beginning of December, more precisely on the 4th, that is four days later than when it is the reopening of shops and commercial establishments, currently forcibly closed due to lockdown, is expected

A certainly correct initiative, to restore a minimum of competition against giants whose position is already fiscally favored at a European level in general.

Inevitably, the thought goes to some of the little shops that it was impossible not to fall in love with for those who were lucky enough to be able to visit Paris.

Do you have any particular memories?

Do you have a purchase of the heart linked to the Ville Lumière?

Otherwise I hope you can live this experience very soon because like Venice, even Paris has an inimitable atmosphere.

Allons enfant de la patrie then!

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