Grazie Felice, Sono Felice Ma Non Felice!

I had a post almost finished for yesterday but then something wonderful happened in the morning that I felt I wanted to share.

The title of this post is a little play on names and words - Felice is, of course, a Christian name here in Italy but it also means "happy". So the title is three pronged.  My friend and colleague Felice did something yesterday morning that made me both happy (felice) but also sad (non felice).  Over the past few weeks and in the next few weeks these are emotions that I am finding, and given my slightly emotional nature will find, constantly overlapping. 

Over a year ago I put up a post about Felice and his remarkable gift as a woodcarver. It has proven an often read item.  In the last paragraph I promised that I would do something more about the artist and his work.  Somehow time crept up and I never did get around to it until now just as I am saying goodbye to Felice, his wife Anna and friends and at the Embassy.

He asked if I would be free for coffee in the morning as he would like to meet before he left on vacation and I left the country.  So yesterday morning we met and headed over to the Australian Bar (dont' ask!) for a capucc.  He was carrying something enshrouded in a pair of long winter socks and when we sat down he gave it to me and said very quietly, as is his nature,  "I made this for you, I hope you will like it?" 

Like it?  I love it!

What I unwrapped was this beautiful hand carved olive wood walking stick.  Felice had worked it from a piece of wood from a tree that had been cut down in the gardens of Villa Grandi, the residence of our Ambassador.  It is over a hundred years old and what I can't convey about it either in pictures or words is the feel and scent of this incredible wood.  Running my hands over it I could feel the age and strength of the wood and the work that went into it.  And the oils in my hands seemed to release the subtle scent of olive. And as I am writing this it sits on the table in front of me ever so slightly perfuming the summer air.

I can honestly say that as moved as I was by the feel and the scent of the wood and remarkable artistry that had gone into the piece what touched me most was the warmth of the gift and the person giving it.

Caro Felice mille grazie for the happiness that you have given me with this present.  I know that I join a small group of fortunate people who have been gifted with the work of your hands and heart.  It will remind me of the beauty of both this place and more importantly the beauty of the people I have come to know here.

 06 luglio - Santa Maria Goretti

Sicilian Ceramics

It seems that no matter where you go here in Italy there is a regional style of ceramics: though many of the items - particularly those made for mass consumption in locations far removed from Italy - bear striking similarities there are colour, themes and designs that are specific to Umbria, Tuscany, the Veneto, Napoli or Sicilia.  Its hard to avoid the shops crammed with wall plaques, holy water stoops, pots, Christmas ornaments, jars, urns or table wear of dubious provenance.  However it is still possible to find the work of local artists that reflect the tradition of the region but with a twist that also reflects the approach of the creator.

Though, god knows, we don't really need more things in the past four years the household inventory has been augmented by a few items, particularly the Christmas ornaments - yes I know as if we really need more Christmas ornaments.  However a wall plate, a Beaulieu-Hobbs name plaque and a large jar, all created by Valentina Pietrosanti in Sermoneta, will also be making their way back to Canada come July.

I'm pretty sure that Nicky thinks the sunshine that he loves so much comes out of this ceramic pot - and Nora is willing to let him do the ground work and she'll just bask in the rays afterwards.  The pot itself shows the distinct style of ceramics from the Lazio region - particularly the lemon branches.  It was created by the very talented Valentina Pietrosanti at Labratorio Uscio e Bottega in Sermoneta.

And they will be kept company by a few little items that were picked up on the trip to Sicilia. The style there seems to be a bit more naive and colours at times more primary than in many of the other regions.  Having said that I saw a plate in Erice and a platter in Ragusa -  though both are the work of artists in Caltagirone, a town famous for its ceramics, on the east side of the island - that had subtle colourings and simple almost primitive designs but still, I find, had echos of some of the antique patterns of Siciliana.  

I bought this plate in Erice however it was produced by Giacomo Alessi in his workshop in Caltagirone near Catania.  The town is renowned for its ceramics and Alessi is one of the better known artists in the field.  What attracted me was those pomegranates - they are as exuberant and as light hearted as the island itself.

This piece is also from a studio in Caltagirone though again bought in another part of the island.  Francesco Boria is perhaps better known for his pieces in the antique baroque style so this subtle use of the green and simple line drawing is surprising when compared to much of his work.

Equally fascinating are the ceramics of Agosto Fiorito who works in miniatures as part of an artisan collective on Via Bara all’Olivella in Palermo. His ceramics have a charming naivety and his creation of presepi has led him to adapted the multitude of small items that fill the scenes of these traditional Nativity scenes and turned them into, of all things, fridge magnets.  Taking his inspiration from the rich world of the Sicilian kitchen he has platters of sea food, pasteria trays of dolci and paper cones of the fresh vegetable on the shelves of his clutter corner of this wonderfully atmospheric shop.

Agosto Fiorito's miniature ceramics - a left click will show them in actual size - are tiny representations of the riches of the farms, seas and pastry shops of Sicilia.  Those vegetabls would made a wonderful caponata and the casatte and canoli look good enough to eat.

Fortunately Fiorito's little gems will pack easy and may well find their way into various Christmas stockings as a reminder of the time spent here  The other pieces are going to require some special handling so I'll have a few words with the movers and Sant'Anna, their patron saint, to make sure they arrive back in Canada in one piece.


28 maggio - San Just