Fit For A King

It's nearly the end of May now. Two months of warm sun. One month of hot sun. This month has seen only two days of rain. Yes rain; warm  refreshing Mediterranean rain- the type you can have a  pleasant cycle in. Maybe enjoy a cappuccino or wild apricot along the way. The apricots may need another week or two of sun but the cherries have been ready for some time.

And what better to do in this early season of mellow fruitfulness than to make jam or  marmellata ; the Italians distinguish only the fruit ;ie Marmellata di arancia. But in this case, marmellata di ciliegia.

So I'm up early boiling the jars and stoning the cherries. The birds are singing frantically outside. Sounds idyllic? A problema, however, has arisen. My beautiful cake stand is empty. I start to rank all  the afternoon teas  I've ever  had. My best - to date- being in an English orchard. I think there were 5 varieties of scones. It's time to hit the local stately homes and palazzos.


Today the Italian government have announced that 50 million people have visited their museums in 3 years- an increase of 7 million. So clearly there's plenty of them! In fact there's  one is just down the road. I  can smell the jam already!


I'm joking? Right? Versailles Palace in the centre of Italy? Well, almost!  This is Caserta Royal Palace, which was modelled on its French predecessor. Italy, world leader in all the major arts, wasn't going to be outdone in palaces. Begun in 1752, the vision took 50 years to realise. As G D'Annuzio stated: 'La fortuna d'Italia e' inseparable dalle sorti della bellezza di cui ella e' madre'.

Yes. Only  8  miles from Capua and 12 miles from Naples. We have the largest royal residence in the world. A palace on five floors, boasting 1,200 rooms. Although it has appeared in a variety of films ranging from Anzio (1967) with Robert Mitchum to  the Star Wars series, few outside the  Caserta area know it even exists. I didn't! Built for the Bourbon kings of Naples, in April 1945 it saw the signing of the unconditional surrender of the German forces in Italy and in 1997 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It was built for Charles VII in 1752 and completed in the reign of his son, Ferdinand IV. It was designed by  the architect, Luigi Vanvitelli. Vanvitelli's design so impressed his royal patron that he stated that he was filled with emotion 'fit to tear his heart from his breast'. It would provide accommodation for the king, his court and his government. It would  include 24 state apartments, a large library and a theatre modelled on the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. It was located inland to be safe from possible attack by sea and away from the troublesome masses of Naples. It was large enough to house the royal garrison. 
 

Today only a few of the 1,200 rooms have been restored and are accessible for visitors. But don't worry, there's more than enough to dazzle! The throne room, adjoining waiting rooms ,royal apartments including the king's and queen's private libraries intact with their original book collections provide more than enough.
And then there's the original
precipices, with the largest number of nativity characters you could ever imagine. Look at the individual expressions on the face of each of the people and each of the animals. Believer or not, you're there!







And yet I believe that the
best is still to come! And I'm not alone! The gardens have been voted the most beautiful in the world in 2010. They consist of hundreds of rare and precious botanical plants. They cover 120 hectares and have a length of 3.3 km. The canal stretches the whole 3.3 km and ends in an amazing waterfall.

From the palace the gardens extend as far as the eye can see, using a' telescopic effect' introduced by Vanvitelli himself.  He designed the Carolino aqueduct to bring the water required from Monte Taburno over 40 km away! This alone led to the development of the whole area as the water was not only used for ornamental purposes in the pools and magnificent fountains but also supplied agricultural fields and eventually buffalo farms- this making buffalo mozzarella the major export the area is known for today!

The gardens are divided into two parts: formal and informal.

The formal gardens are the Parco Van Vitelliano and cover 66 hectares and include the 'Peschiera grande' a pool of 800m used for the Naval battles of the prince and the breath-taking collection of Classical fountains, each taking its name from the   stunning statues depicted: Diana and Actaeon, Venus and Adonis, Aeolus and Ceres and the Fountain of the Dolphins.

The informal garden is the English garden designed by the botanist, John Andrew Graefer and covering 22 hectares. It is situated in the eastern part of the park and was begun in 1786. It was the first example of an informal garden in Italy. It was the idea of Queen Maria Carolina, wife of Ferdinand IV, who was the sister of Marie Antionette. It was to be the  ideal of spontaneous and wild nature, a total contrast to the rest of the formal park.

It includes Roman monuments brought from Pompeii, a pyramid,  a pool of vibrant water lilies and  the bath of Venus- a huge tunnel and waterfall, a Greek theatre on an island. It is filled with an amazing variety of  trees and provides cool shade on even the hottest summer day. Some corner of a foreign field that's forever England and all that! Personally it's my favourite part of the whole place! I bet it will be yours too!

So now with all that walking you can need a little refreshment. We've come for the afternoon tea after all. And what a setting to indulge. You come around a corner in the English garden and see a beautiful huge  the neo-Classical home of the gardener. You expect to hear classical music mingling with birdsong in the trees. We've found the tea room, the orangery at last. But as you approach the mirage a sinking feeling fills your stomach. The beautiful  house is derelict.


The orange-scented currant scones you dreamed about for the last five hours, aren't there.   Are Ryanair still doing cheap direct flights home??? Has the absence of English torte brought the Italian dream  to an end???

Almost!  But not quite. We  Scots are made of stronger stuff. We were raised on Iron Bru after all!  My vision is so much smaller than Van Vittitelli's.  The Bourbon reign was a golden age of gastronomy. It saw the blending of French, Italian and Austrian Cuisine. Many dishes developed in that era are still  served in the best Italian restaurants today. Ferdinand himself popularised the eating of pasta, previously the food of the lower classes in Italy. His chamberlain was commissioned with the task of finding a dignified way to eat spaghetti. The modern fork was born!  Personally I think he'd have loved the royal afternoon tea currently served in the Orangery in Kensington Palace- see below. So let's have it! A tearoom fit for a king! Or indeed a queen!

                                              

                                                                Royal Afternoon Tea

A selection of afternoon tea sandwiches; Egg mayonnaise and cress, smoked salmon and cream cheese,
Coronation chicken, roast ham and English mustard sandwich, cucumber and fresh mint

Orange-scented and currant scones served with Cornish clotted cream,
English strawberry jam and an assortment of tea pastries

Served with a range of loose teas, tisanes or coffee

Sing a Song of Sixpence

                                                   

April is almost over. Blossoms have become fruit. A stronger sun  shines through  new leaves. It has the power to burn the skin. And yes- dear readers -I've neglected you!

It's early evening and I'm on the train home from Maddoloni. 

The sky is pale grey and the reaming sunlight filters through clouds. We're passing through the poorer suburbs of Caserta . 

Old ugly apartments have replaced bright fields of olives and vegetables.Tall poorly constructed apartment blocks shut out the light.  Washing hangs down from  rusty balcony rails. It's a depressing place many would be glad to escape from. Nowadays education may provide a few with a passport out  but how many poor Italians got the golden ticket - the lucky sixpence-  in the past? 

 

Very few we can suppose! And yet 250 years ago  only 3.5 km NW of Caserta there was a flourishing new community with model houses and plenty of work for both agricultural workers and craftsmen.

It was San Leucio founded by the Borbon king, Ferdinand IV.

Ferdinand sought a quieter residence away from his palace in Caserta to pursue hunting and meditation. Consequently he restored and remodelled a hunting lodge, the Belvedere, to become his country retreat. He imported cows from Sardinia in 1773 to begin a vaccheria and expanded the existing vineyard to supply the needs of his court.

And that would have been that, had tragedy not struck the royal household. On December 17th 1778 the king's eldest son and heir, Carlo Tito, died of smallpox. Aware of the lack of medical assistance available to the poor , the king decided to build a charitable hospital. Soon after  a silk factory was constructed to provide them with work.

Silk worms were imported from China and young people were sent to France to learn the art of weaving. Serious money was wisely invested. It was not long before silk orders were coming in from all over the world. Today we can see San Leucio silk in the Vatican, White House and Buckingham Palace.

 

They were certainly raking in the money and their employees reaped good rewards. They were assigned a house within the colony. Free education was provided for their children from the age of six. At 15 they could work in the silk factory, working fewer hours than the rest of Europe at that time.You were also given the option of working from home, weaving silk on a smaller home loom. 

These houses  were equipped with running water and toilets built in accordance with the urban planning rules of the time to ensured they would stand the test of time. Indeed they still inhabited today. Productivity was guaranteed by a cash bonus based on the level of expertise they had achieved. Various opportunities were also available for the disabled.

You were free to leave at any time. My guess is: few would have done. Most of us know when we are on to a good thing. A lucky sixpence? More like a golden sovereign! Indeed when one of these workers' houses came up for sale , it was well beyond our humble means. The only sixpence worth of heaven I can enjoy outside of San Leucio comes in chocolate form!

                

The Stones Still Speak

It's early March now. Already I can walk to work in a summer coat.The almond and peach trees have been in blossom for some time now. On the streets of Naples you can see flower sellers selling the bright yellow branches of Mimosa blossom. Winter seems to be well and truly over!

I'm on my way home from work. In the narrow cobbled streets of Capua it's very quiet. There are the smells of washing powder and ragu sauce. People are inside, about to settle down for the evening. The streets are almost deserted. On the cobbles below my feet are the brightly coloured strands of coriandoli or confetti. Evidence of a different scene. Evidence of Carnival.






This is the festival that many Roman Catholic countries celebrate in the days before Lent. The origin of the word is uncertain but it probably comes from Medieval Latin Carnem Levare or Carnelevarium, which means to take away or remove meat.Traditionally the 40 days of Lent, leading up to the celebration of Easter, was a time when people fasted or abstained from the eating of meat. The origins of the festival itself are equally unclear but probably come from a primitive festival marking the beginning of spring and the rebirth of nature.

In Italy carnival seems to be descended directly from the Saturnalia. This was an ancient Roman festival celebrated from the 17th to the 23rd of December, dedicated to the Roman god, Saturn. It was celebrated with great banquets, sacrifices and an overturning of the social order.


A slave was elected as Princeps or governor. He was assigned all power and dressed in a funny mask and brightly coloured clothes, caricaturing the dress of the noble class. He was supposedly a personification of the gods Saturn and Pluto, in charge of all the souls of the underworld but also a protector of the crops and nature.
The Romans believed that these gods wandered the earth in winter and had to be placated with gifts and celebrations in order to persuade them to return to the the underworld and ensure the fertility of the new crops. The carnival parade seems to be a direct descendant of this practice.



The  modern celebration of the carnival in Capua dates from 1886. It is orgaanised by the pro-Loco and city council. It lasts for four days; from Thursday until Shrove Tuesday. Children are given these days off school to allow them to join in the festivities.






It begins with an amazing procession of floats, marching bands,stilt walkers,  masqued people in colourful period and Halloween costumes, smoke, balloons, dancers and the dramatic arrival of the king and queen of carnival in a royal horse-drawn
carriage. You've seen nothing like it!

 

On one float you see a fantastic model of smoking Mount Vesuvius. You look again and you see a woman cooking and selling pizza on the same float. Yes! You'll never see anything like this again!




The opening ceremony takes place in the square in the evening and involves the mayor of the city publicly handing over the keys of the city to the king of the carnival. It begins a succession of shows,masked balls and performances by school groups that lasts for four days. It comes to a dramatic conclusion with the funeral procession of the king of the carnival with the burning of the bier and a dramatic firework show.



The king of Carnival has been put to rest. We can all get down to the serious business of Lent.


As I walk home it is King Carnival's speech to the people of Capua  that I remember. It is a long satire or 'Cicuzze'-  that takes its name from  the sharp bebbles that can wound.

In the Judges Square, in front of many of the town's inhabitants, he boldly gave forth on the problems  that it  faces in the present day,highlighting the weaknesses of the recent administration in governing the town. Castigat ridendo mores in a very clever and amusing manner.



 He recounts the attractions of the town: its intriguing history, impressive architecture and its rich culture heritage. 'The stones still speak' he concluded.

As my modern court shoes slip between the town's old cobbles yet again, I am forced to agree.
Modern fashion must give way to ancient traditions. I must buy another pair of shoes.

A Home Fit For Heroes To Live In- Part Two

Who was their leader? Historians believe he was a Thracian, born in 111BC in Strymon, near the Sturma river in Bulgaria. He seems to have once been a Roman soldier, before deserting and being sold as a gladiator. Many people now picture him as Kirk Douglas. Yes he was the legendary hero, Spartacus.




This incredible escape alone from such a place is surely more than enough to make Spartacus a true hero in anyone's eyes.

But there's more. Spartacus' band defeated the Roman legions sent after them, enlisting many other slaves into their group. They camped on Mount Vesuvius- probably after Mount Tifata. They escaped being starved out by descending the mountain on vine ropes and raiding the Roman camp. They then went on to defeat a second legion sent against them, persuading many locals to join them, to increase their army to about 70,000.


A skilled military strategist, he went on to have a number of other victories against the Roman legions.Finally the Rome senate was so alarmed by the threat to Rome posed by Spartacus' forces that they enlisted the help of the wealthiest Roman of the time, Crassus, to come to their aid. It took the combined forces of  Pompey and Crassus to finally defeat him in 71BC. Spartacus, we are told, died in battle ; whilst the survivors of his army were crucified along the Via Appia from Capua to Rome. Heroes every one of them.

 Back in the museum cafe. Another coffee. It's dark now. I can no longer see the amphitheatre outside so clearly now. But it is no longer remote. It's strangely part of my new home.A home that was fit for heroes to live in.

A Home Fit For Heroes To Live In - Part One

It's mid February already! Preparations for the Carnival in Capua have already begun.I've been here for 6 weeks now. After two interviews seems like I have two jobs! Like a plant I seem to have absorbed enough sunshine and food to want to put down roots. Or maybe I've absorbed something stronger?
Something in the air? It's difficult to say. It's difficult to be clear. It's already difficult to contemplate leaving.

I's sitting in the museum cafe of the Roman
amphitheatre at Santa Maria Capua Vetere
This is the second largest amphitheatre after the colosseum. Orginally a four-tiered structure able to seat 60,000 people, decorated with elaborate columns and sculpture; some of which remain. It was begun by the emperor Nerva and completed by Trajan and Hadrian in 138AD. The huge arches glisten in the late afternoon sunshine. You sip your coffee. You are remote from it all.


That changes when you enter the building. You climb the red brick steps and gaze down at the huge arena below.

You begin to imagine the gruesome scenes that the spectators witnessed 2000 years before. You begin to feel uneasy. Yet you want to find out more.










You descend similar red brick steps below the ground. Now its almost dark. There are occasional square holes in the roof above you that allow natural light to enter.There's grooves in the walls that maybe held flaming torches. A well built water channel runs along the floor. The passages extend outwards, well beyond the perimeter of the amphitheatre. To where? The cages that held the half-starved wild animals? To the Ludus,  the gladiator school?

Suddenly you are startled. You come across a small door leading out onto the arena. Then a larger door, one larger enough for wild animals. Even now, 2000 years on, this place has the power to shock. I have never before experienced what it is to be caught in a deadly trap. These walls still seem to contain the sheer terror felt by both men and animals.Who could possibly escape?








And yet 70 gladiators did! In 73BC they seized kitchen tools and fought their way out of the place, with several wagons of gladiatorial weapons and armour.

Calling All The Heroes

It's mid-afternoon. I'm standing on the terrace of the temple of Diana Tifatina.
Remember it from my last blog?

If you ever stand here you'll never forget the view of the valley for  about 40 miles, from the left to the right, the Vesuvius, Caserta, the isle of Capri, St. Maria Capua Vetere (the ancient Capua), Capua and the Aurunci mountains sloping toward the sea.


Did a great general stand in this same place to survey his vast army camped in the plain below?
Non vedete che la luoga di heroi? A place for heroes?
I ask the question but the answer already hangs in the air:
'Si piu di uno'.

So its back to the History books. Am I right? Will I find any proof? Or am have I just watched too many war films? Time to forget about sixth sense and come to my senses I tell myself.



Yet I'm right! Quite soon I find the name of a general who I'm reliably informed stood in just this place to plan his campaign as he watched his forces below. A name that has been endured for over 2000 years. And will endure for some more. A name that you will be familar with. Hannibal. One of the greatest military strategists in history. He has been called 'the father of strategy' by the military historian, Theodore Ayrault Dodge.. He became Rome's greatest enemy and to defeat him, Rome was forced to adopt many of his tactics. He stands alongside Alexander The Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Rommel and Eisenhower.


Hannibal (247-183/181 BC) was indeed one of Rome's deadliest enemies. He was born in the great ancient city of Carthage in north Africa. At the time theses great empires were battling for control of the Mediterranean sea and the lucrative trade that was conducted there. He had surprised the Romans by crossing the Alps into Italy with 36 elephants in the depths of winter. He went on to win huge victories at Trebia, Lake Traasiene and Cannae. During the latter battle he distinguished himself as the great strategist, displaying his knowledge of both the strengths and weaknesses of his opponent and employing his unique strengths to achieve victory. This enabled him to win over many former allies of Rome. He occupied Italy for over 15 years before being defeated on the plains of Zama in 202BC. But this was not in Italy, but back in  h is homeland of Africa.


So how did this  great general come to be in Capua?
The great Roman historian, Livy, tells us that he 'had marched the Campanian district towards the lower sea with the view of attacking Neapolis (Naples) so that he might have a city accessing the sea'.
{'The History of Rome, Book 23}
Capua had defected to Hannibal after his famous victory at Cannae in 216BC and he had made Capua his winter quarters in 215 BC and conducted his campaign from there. During this campaign he had camped on Mount Tifata,, east of Capua. Yes!

So how long was he up there?
Only three days it seems. After this short pause he challenged the Romans to fight him, although outnumbered by them 2:1. Although the battle did not produce any decisive results, the Romans withdrew from Campania.

Research done. Books closed. Its early morning. I want to return to the temple of Diana Tifatina. To tell the spirits that they were right: more than one great general stood there.Who was it? Well that's another story another day.