Il Ciclo di Mesi - Maggio

This is the last of the Ciclo di Mesi from the Castello del Buonconsiglo in Trento or at least this is last of the cycle that I began posting past June. And coming full circle - uno ciclo - it ends with the courting ritual that will give way to the bridal parties of June. Gallants make love to their ladies as garlands are woven, songs are sung and... yes the peasants continue their labours!

01 maggio - San Riccardo Pampuri

Il Ciclo di Mesi - Febbraio

Being the shortest month of the year, it may be only fitting that February is a smaller fresco over a doorway. In the Prince Archbishop's world it was the month for jousting and tournaments. Again the nobles are at play as the peasants mop up the blood and dung on the playing field.

01 febbraio - Santa Verdiana

Parlo del Piu e del Meno

As well as a few random thoughts and events I thought I'd post pictures of the doorways of the Renaissance palazzi that line Via Rodolfo Belerizani in Trento. These marvelous Renaissance buildings have been preserved and adapted to modern usage and the street, in fact the whole historic town centre, is reserved primarily for pedestrians. But then this is normal in most towns in Italy.

• When I complain or whine - yes I know its hard to imagine me doing either - about life here in Italy most people suggest I look at a few of my own pictures. And I must admit they do paint a rather romantic tourist view of la Bella Italia. And there is much to enjoy here - food, music, wine (yes I've broken down one or two times), history, beauty and people. But there is also much here that frustrates both the Ex-pats and, at times even, the Italians. And to prove the point Bruno Bossetto made this little film. It sums it all up perfectly.

• I've mentioned before that when you buy your subscription for the opera season here, except for the first night, you can never be sure what cast you're going to get. So far we've hit it lucky but I just knew our luck would run out eventually. Carmen is coming up later this month and three tenors - no not The Three Tenors Lorraine, this isn't that much like PBS - were announced to sing Don Jose. One of them is Andrea Bocelli. He will be singing on June 20th, our subscription night.
  
  Now first let me say I have nothing against Andrea Bocelli so I don't want all sorts of flames thrown. For what he is - a popular singer - I think he's just fine and I'm glad he has had a successful career. And I can forgive him for singing with Sarah Brightman and Celine Dion. But when he's hired as what he isn't, that bothers me. Sorry but he's not an opera singer - he is someone who sings operatic arias in concert. And performing in a concert setting as a solo performer is very different from a staged production with other soloists, chorus and full orchestra. And Don Jose is a killer role - dramatically and musically. And I honestly question if his voice is big enough to fill an opera house without amplification.
  Subscription tickets cannot be exchanged - a practice which I find strange and may be particular to Italy - and it was suggested that we just not go. However that would be condemning someone without giving them a chance. So we'll go, hopefully be able to put aside any prejudices or preconceived notions and report back honestly at some point.

• A week ago today two things changed in my life. Last Tuesday I received my Permeso di Soggiorno, which means I am finally legally in Italy. Don't even ask what I was before! Basically it means my presence is recognized by the Italian Government and that I can now work in Italy.
  
  Which brings us to the second change - coincidentally the same day I started getting up at 0615 so I could be to work on time. Yes I said work! I now have a job! I am no longer a man of leisure. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Its a short term contract working at the Embassy for the next two months - Monday to Friday - 0800 to 1700. I like to think of it as a summer job to pay for all those opera jaunts hither and yon - though my friend Jon Penner says it makes me an opera-whore????
  
  What ever effect it may have in my moral standing in the world, sadly it means I have a little less time to work on some of the postings I've been thinking about. But I'm still going to try and keep things up to date - if I don't collapse the minute I get home from the stress of - gasp, groan, shudder - working!

10 giugno - San Maurino

Il Ciclo dei Mesi - Giugno

Even in 1400 the month of June seemed to be the favoured time for weddings - May having been the month for courting. In the lower foreground an richly dressed wedding party sets off on its way accompanied by musicians. Two nobles leave their elaborate stone castle bearing gifts for the bridal pair. In the upper background the peasants dressed in their rough homespuns milk the cows, carry the milk, churn the butter and shape the cheese, all of which will no doubt appear on the tables at the wedding feast.

In the cycle there is never any direct contact between the two worlds - Liechtenstein's view of the perfect Medieval world.

01 giugno - San Giustino

Trento - the Months Pass By

In 1545 the first session of the Council of Trent was convened in the capital of the Trentino-Alte Adige region of Italy. An attempt by the Roman Catholic Church to institute reforms that would encourage breakaway groups - in particular German Protestants - to return to Mother Church, it was held in various venues throughout Trento over an 8 year period. That event still has resonance in modern day Trento, a charming city with a beautiful Romanesque Duomo, the richly decorated Castello del Buonconsiglio, streets lined with splendid Renaissance mansions, a fascinating Diocesan Museum and at least two great restaurants that we found in the two days we were there. Plus it is surrounded by the snow capped Dolomites.


You may have noticed the ceramic on the sidebar - or maybe not, I'm never sure if people notice that sort of thing - its one of a series depicting the months of the year hanging in the B&B - Maso Wallenburg - we stayed at just on the outskirts of the city. It is a working vineyard and winery and though ideally a car is needed we found taxis readily available and inexpensive. And on two occasions the very personable hosts - Eugene and Bruna - offered to drive us into town. The charming series of plates on the wall of the breakfast room present happy peasants engaged in the activities deemed appropriate for the month. A click on the little guy at the right shows he is harvesting the spring wheat crop - an activity you can still see on the train ride up though in a more modern form.

In the Months fesco cycle at Castello del Buonconsiglio small twisted columns separate the panels giving the impression of an open loggia allowing you to observe the peasants at work and the nobles at play in landscapes that changes as the seasons pass.

The months of the year was a reoccurring theme in Trento - perhaps reflecting the agrarian culture that has always been important to the area. The Torre Aquila of the Castello houses one of the most original and celebrated fresco cycles of the Months in Italy. Dating from 1400, it was commissioned by Prince-Bishop Georg von Liechtenstein probably from a Bohemian artist. It is an extremely idealised view of the Prince's feudal world depicting the activities of eleven months of the year (March was lost when a staircase was cut into the wall of the tower.) Always in the foreground nobles - large figures, slender, splendidly dressed - play, dance, sing, joust or court. In the background the smaller peasant figures toil endlessly at their tasks according to the months of the year.

I thought I would post a panel at the beginning of every month - what I'll do in March I'll worry about next February. The first panel will appear later today.

01 giugno - San Giustino