Friday, October 15, 2010

Pretty Pisa

On the way to Florence, we stopped in Pisa to take in the architecture, history, and art.

























We stopped in Pisa specifically to visit the Museo delle Sinopie, which features costumes based on Pisano fashion of centuries past. There were also some costumes from Castellani's 1954 film "Romeo e Juliet." Part of a costume maker's job is to research the fashion of the time period to be depicted and sometimes a lot of the information comes from the artwork of the era. 

Near to this museum is a building which holds a room full of floor to ceiling frescoes. During World War II, Pisa was bombed and the frescoes fell from the walls. What was left on the walls was a rarity, the underdrawing, which is never supposed to be seen. Before restoring the frescoes in their original setting, they removed the underdrawings and moved them to the museum. The colorful frescoes were the inspiration for the red and blue garments shown below.






























The dress below was to be Juliet's wedding dress... but she got cold feet. Sorry couldn't resist. Gorgeous dress, though.










Saturday, October 9, 2010

Taste of Milano

People were lined up for this event and naturally, I was at the front. Taste of Milano is an event focused on Italian businesses that are related to food, such as wine suppliers and restaurants. It was a feast not only for the belly, but also for the eyes.   






























After all of that consumption, it was time for a nice walk home past the castle. Bella notte.