SELF MOMENTS
SELF MOMENTS
Euroflora and Nervi Parks
The traditional Euroflora leaves the fair in Genoa to choose the suggestive Nervi parks! Falls of plants in flower, cut flowers, installations, restaurants and childen playgrounds in one of the most beautiful parks in Italy and Europe, that unfortunately has been suffering several damages caused by last years' tornadoes.
Leaned out on the sea and surrounded by green hills, the Parks enumerate three historical villas -Villa Groppallo, Villa Saluzzo Serra and Villa Grimaldi - each adorned by romantic gardens, at times expressign the English style, at times the Italian one.
Between pines and araucarias, nearby to olive trees, cedars, pepper trees and oleanders, the spectacular kermesse takes place, this year inspired by the four natural elements, and also, on the example of the Milanese Design Week, it will also stir among the streets with numerous appointments, special openings, shows and laboratories. We particularly underline the homage to painter Maria Giulia Drago, who is from Nervi, at the Gallery of Modern Art and "Flora's Garden" at Strada Nuova Museums, a path to discover the meaning of plants and flowers in the collections of art.
No excuses to discover this magic spot of Italy!
NERVI PARKS
Euroflora Festival
21th April-6th May
tickets (23 euros) available on www.euroflora2018.it
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MUDEC -Museo delle Culture
Placed in the hearth of the Design District, MUDEC is the meeting point between cultures and the community. The project of the “Cultures’ Museum” was born in the 1990s when the Municipality of Milan purchased the former Ansaldo industrial area to use it for cultural activities. In the architectural scenario of disused factories, the Municipality of Milan designs a multidisciplinary center dedicated to the different testimonies and cultures of the world.
The exhibition area of the Museum, on the first floor, develops around a large covered central square and houses the section dedicated to the permanent collection and the rooms dedicated to large temporary exhibitions. The auditorium, a theater dedicated to performance and visual arts, completes the space. On the ground floor there are a bistrot, a design store, the Forum delle Culture hall, and workshop spaces. Finally, the MUDEC Lab is a place entirely dedicated to children, offering guided tours and entertaining thematic workshops linked to the museum path and the current exhibitions.
In perfect dialogue with Frida Kahlo’s exhibition and consistently with the Mudec project, the exhibition "The ancestors’ dream. The archeology of Mexico in the imagination of Frida Kahlo" is an articulated story made of Mexican archaeological and ethnographic objects from MUDEC’s permanent collection, historical photos and images of works by Frida Kahlo, which show how the indigenous world and the pre-Columbian past constituted fundamental elements of the artistic work of the Mexican artist.
Mudec is worth a visit even just for the beauty of the structure, designed by architect David Chipperfield, whose striking feature is the contrast between the curved lines of the central transit space and the geometric and regular volumes of the individual exhibition rooms, further accentuated by the various gradations of light and color of different environments. Enjoy your visit!
Mudec
Museo delle Culture di Milano
Via Tortona 56
Milan
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GAM - Gallery of Modern Art of Milan
The Gallery of Modern Art -Milan is the greatest collection of 19th century artworks and is located in the first two floors of the Royal Palace of Milan, whose visit is worth as much as the works, for the beauty and for the history that it represents, across the history and evolution of the city. Villa Belgiojoso has been built on a project by Leopoldo Pollack between 1790 and 1796 as the home of the count Lodovico Barbiano of Belgiojoso, who was returning to Milan after an important career in the European diplomacy, serving Austria. The English garden of the Villa, which he wanted, is the first one in Milan and it is highly admired by the contemporary visitors. The palace passed then in French hands, becoming the house of the military governor of Milan, Gioacchino Murat, and sumptuous scenery of many lunches and dance parties.
In 1804 Melzi of Eril purchased the Villa from Belgiojoso’s heirs to give it to Napoleon, during that time it took the name of “Villa Bonaparte." In 1806, after having welcomed illustrious guests as Camillo and Paolina Borghese and Letitia Ramolino, the emperor's mother, the Villa became home of the royal couple Eugene of Beauharnais, Napoleon’s adoptive child, and the princess Amalia of Baviera, who promoted a great decorative intervention in the upper floor.
After the kingdom of Italy was united, the Villa was assigned to the Crown of Italy and it suffered a long period of relative abandonment. It is only thanks to the transfer as a property of the City, in 1920, that it turned into the current Gallery of Modern art.
The exposition starts illustrating themes and characters of the Neoclassicism, among which there are some masterpieces by Canova. Two whole rooms are dedicated to portraits, with particular attention to the works of Hayez . The Romantic period moves through the most important artists (Faruffini, Mosè Bianchi, Induno, Piccio), while there is a monographic room devoted to the Scapigliatura movement. The divisionist moevement is recalled finally in a series of thematic rooms: Segantini, Grubicy, Longoni, up to the paintings with social subjects by Morbelli, Sottocornola and Nomellini. After the section with the masterpieces by Medardo Rosso, the first floor concludes with Previati and Segantini’s symbolist paintings.
The visit continues at the second floor with the Grasso Collection, composed by Italian and foreign masterpieces from the XIV to the XX century and by a nucleus of oriental artworks. Among the exhibited works there are unique pieces by Manet, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin. In the end, there is the Vismara Collection, picking up paintings and sculptures belonging to the XX century from the Italian Carrà, De Pisis, Modigliani, Morandi, Sironi to the foreigner Picasso, Matisse, Renoir, Vuillard, Rouault, Dufy. Take your time to admire these eternal works, which enrich us so deeply.
GAM - GALLERIA D’ARTE MODERNA
Via Palestro 16
20121 Milano
Telefono 02 884.459.47
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Milano Design Film Festival
The fifth edition of Milano Design Film Festival is about to start, with the special participation of guest curator Patricia Urquiola. A bridge between design, art and architecture, through an expressive language that celebrates creativity, this year is focused on "Portraits of Our Time" theme, also through the poster of Illustrator Noma Bar.
Quoting the introduction of the catalog "Today and yesterday walk in parallel now as never before. We move like Janus: focused on the immediate, aware that tomorrow with its load of innovations is the direction, attracted by the past as a refuge, sometimes as a source of inspiration. Time is our obsession: it is difficult to slow down. What we are missing is the depth of field. That is knowledge, emotion, astonishment. What we know is that it takes time to take care of beauty. Time to design, keep, understand, safeguard. Time to do, understand, innovate, learn and teach. Time to see. And review ".
Among the different screenings in program we suggest the world premiere of Valeria Parisi's film "Franco Albini: uno sguardo leggero", based on the life of the designer, on screen on Saturday October 21 at 12pm, Astra room. A portrait that honors his lightness, so personal, inquisitive, curious, weightless. A floating universe: the dream of a world without gravity, free of any possession. Which other best expression of “Rebirth philosophy”? Enjoy his imaginary world.
MILANO DESIGN FILM FESTIVAL
19 - 22 October 2017
Anteo - Palazzo del cinema
Milan
Official Program
"Franco Albini, uno sguardo leggero"
SELF MOMENTS
VENICE EDITION: Granai della Giudecca
At the end of the island called Giudecca, which is located south of the historic center of Venice and overlooking the homonymous Giudecca Canal, there are three large buildings, built on the ruins of the Dandolo Palace, known as the Granai della Repubblica.
Once used to store wheat, grain and cereals for periods of war and famine, today the ancient Republic’s Granaries, thanks to the three connecting naves (Longhi, Canaletto and Carpaccio), the 8-meter-high ceilings and paved floors have become a place of interest for unique occasions, such as the recent Italian retrospective dedicated to David Montgomery during the 74th Venice Film Festival.
The exhibition, organized by Vanity Fair and powered by Tendercapital, celebrated the legendary photographer of the Swinging London with a spectacular show of iconic figures, from Queen Mother to Jimi Hendrix, from Alfred Hitchcook to Twiggy, from Sofia Loren to Monica Vitti. Unique emotions, with an unforgettable view of Piazza San Marco: moments of true Rebirth.
Photo ©Giovanni Battista Righetti
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Winter Gardens in Bordighera
The wonders of our land never stop toenchant, especially when they catch us in times of distraction, awakening our sensesand intellect. In Liguria’s Riviera di Ponente, just a few kilometers away fromthe French border, there is the town of Bordighera, which is renowned for itsbeautiful flowering gardens.
The specificity of these gardens is that theywelcome both the typical species of the Mediterranean bush and the tropicalones, which can adapt to a diferent territory thanks to the warm and windyclimate of this corner of the world. Created by the German botanist LudwigWinter, these magnificent Gardens are protected by the Superintendence forArchitectural and Landscape Properties of Liguria.
The Gardens were developedon a large pre-existing palm forest, that stretched between the beach and theVallone del Sasso: they were born as a nursery but soon they gained greatnaturalistic interest because of the large variety of native and tropicalplants there present.
Winter also gave great impetus to the cultivation offlowers and plants for cosmetic use, particularly in perfumery, providing rawmaterials to fragrance creators who are still operating in Italy and France.This place is surely worth a trip to Liguria.
Have a nice & blossomingrebirth!
Giardini Winter
via Ludovico Winter 6 - 18012 Bordighera (IM)
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HELICHRYSUM: IT’S HARVESTING TIME!
It's harvesting time in Sardinia, a wild and amazing land region, homeland of the Helichrysum Italicum.
This small fragrant shrub is indeed a Sardinian native endemic plant from the Orgosolo area and it can be found also on the mountains of Oliena, Dorgali, Urzulei and Southern Gennargentu.
The blooming shrubs reach full ripening after the third week of June: the cut symbolically starts on the night of June 24, celebrating St. John, when in Oliena women wear their traditional clothes which have been embroidered by very skilled tailors, go to the wild helichrysum fields and begin harvesting by hand.
During the same night, the "fogaroni" of Saint John take place: it is an ancient rite in which people striked a deal of eternal friendship. Holding a rod or wooden stick to the ends, the “mate-to-be” jumped the fire singing songs or rhymes together, and at the end of the rite they shook their hands exchanging wishes. Becoming a companion through this promise meant, in the ancient peasant world, to be linked to reciprocity, or promise favors and availability through the exchange of gifts.
Also called "Immortelle", this flower is a precious friend of our skin, as its essential oil has renowned antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Often, entire families are involved in this extraordinary activity, which binds man and environment through ancient gestures that have remained unchanged over the centuries. Helichrysum is a protected species and grows wildly even next to beaches, so it is not unusual to come across the local population picking up the flowers.
An open-air gold mine, a great source of income thanks to the high demand of the cosmetic-pharmaceutical industry, a gift of nature for the eyes and the skin. Besides, flowers can also be used in the kitchen, for infusions or as powder to flavor various dishes. Thanks, Immortelle!
SELF MOMENTS
The wonderful Kolymbethra Garden in Agrigento
Called by the ancient Greeks the "Pool of Gods", it is said that Kolymbethra was a large tub-nursery containing sophisticated vegetation and a large variety of aquatic fauna, inside which the waters of the garden’s aqueducts were flowing.
The Garden was initially a relaxing stop for the Akragantines tyrants and then became a meeting point for the inhabitants of the ancient city: women went there to wash clothes and people used to cool down in fresh water of the clear pool.
After more than a century the pool was covered with land and transformed into a garden. After years of abandonment, the five acres of the Kolymbethra today offer a remarkable variety of trees and plants typical of the Mediterranean scrub like myrtle, lentiscus, terebinth, fillirea, euphorbia and broom: this result was possible thanks to the care of FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano – Italian Environment Fund).
A citrus garden stretches in the flatland of the valley floor with ancient varieties of lemons, mandarins and oranges, and it is irrigated according to Arabian traditional techniques. In the land not touched by water, mulberries, carobs, figs, almond trees and gigantic "Saracens" olive trees are born.
As it is written on FAI’s website:
"Kolymbethra represents, by its perceptive, environmental and productive features, the most excellent landscape of Sicilian arboriculture, or the irrigated one of citrus fruits cultivation. In Sicily, citrus plants are called "gardens" to emphasize their beauty, as well as the productive purpose. The smell of the zagara (orange blossoms) thus assumes the sense of a tree presence that is never linked to production only but also to pleasure.
According to local farmers'words, until the last decades of the Twentieth Century Kolymbethra was cultivated as a citrus and vegetable garden and maintained the appearance of a wonderful garden full of lemons and oranges but also rich in almonds, olive trees, mulberries, pomegranates and prickly pears.
Here is another authentic wonder of The Valley of the Temples, not only archaeological but also botanical and landscaping treasure. Have a good stay!
Kolymbethra GardenValle dei Templi (Agrigento)
Tel. 335 1229042 - Fax 0922 416787
E-mail: faikolymbethra@fondoambiente.itvisitfai.it/giardinodellakolymbethra
Opening hours:
From Monday to Sunday 10am-6pm from April to June, 10am-7pm from July to September, 10am-5pm from October to March
Closed from 7 January to 31 January.
immagine: fondoambiente.it
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#15 Madonna delle Pieve Sanctuary
Some places are perfect to enjoy regenerating and absolutely peaceful moments, because of the beauty of the surrounding landscape, the history and the mystical silence that envelops them.
Today we present you the Sanctuary of Cavriana, in the province of Mantua, a well preserved architectural jewel which dates back to Romanesque.
The church, built in the Twelfth Century using only bricks, stands isolated on a hill and it is surrounded by a lovely flower garden, which houses some memorial stones dedicated to some Risorgimento battles.
There is a bell tower which helps giving a sense of organic unity to the entire building. Why don't you spend a weekend laying on the lawn in contemplation of this place's magic, smelling the floral scents in the air?
It's a guaranteed moment of pure rebirth.
Let the contemplation begin!
Madonna delle Pieve Sanctuary
Via Pieve, 46040 Cavriana (Mantua)
SELF MOMENTS
#14 Be born again in the “Jara”
Sardinia, you know, is a land full of surprises. The Giara di Gesturi ( "Jara" in local language) is one-of-a-kind place in the heart of the island.
This plateau contains an exceptional floral and faunal wealth in its 42 square kilometers, though maintaining a high level. Cork and holm oak trees alternate with fragrant plants such as myrtle and strawberry trees. The Giara is the ideal habitat of our helichrysum, which stretches out of sight. Spring is definitely the time of year when colours and scents intoxicate visitors, who walk among blooming colourful wild orchids and rock roses.
On the plateau more than 350 different plant species have been identified, some of them are pretty rare like Morisia Monantha, a small perennial plant that blooms from January to April. Last but not least the large population of wild horses with the typical long mane, an endemic race of the Jara, which gives a special emotion to the lovers of spontaneous nature.
Enjoy the Mediterranean Rebirth!
Giara di Gesturi (Tuili)
Sardinia, Italy
parcodellagiara.it