One day in Segovia

Spain

If you have one extra day before leaving Madrid, one of the most enchanting places of Castilla and of whole Spain is close at hand. Segovia can boast medieval walls, an imposing 16th century cathedral that is also the tallest building in town, a really well preserved Roman Aqueduct, a high concentration of Romanesque churches, different pedestrian streets and the famous Alcazar castle. Here Queen Isabel offered to Columbus her financial support that allowed him to organize his travel and finally discover America.
Since 1985 Segovia has been declared ‘World Heritage’ and today tourism is its main resources. In Winter seanson the Guadarrama Mountains are white for snow falls and this enhance the atmosphere of the town.
But what a pleasure to enjoy the summer breeze sitting in a sidewalk café or a small plaza without traffic.

In the whale belly

Coming through the Leviathan’s entrance, a narrow boat long 22 metres, you can’t avoid to think to Giona and the white whale belly or to Antoni Gaudi’s Battlò house in Barcelona. The boat Leviathan has been built by Mr. Simon Birtwistle and his partner Al Acaster, but they said not to have kept in contact with their Spanish colleague. When they bought the boat, it was used to carry coal and was very run-down. They have chosen a tradition design for the external parts and to create a real house in the interiors spaces. You can often see the Leviathan sailing the Kenneth and Avon Canal, famous water-way the cross Somerset Country, in the South of England.

Borghese gallery. A monographic exhibition of Correggio Paintings dealing about antique

Attending exhibitions can be the right way to discover some wonderful museums, like Borghese gallery in Rome, Piazzale Scipione Borghese, 5, from 22 of May 08 to 14 of September 08.

Twentyfive Correggio’s masterpieces are shown in Rome at Borghese gallery with astonish news: for the first time you can see Correggio’s mythological painting all together. There is the “Jupiter loves” collection, four creations drawing love scenes inspired to Ovidio’s Metamorphosis, ordered to Coreggio by Federico Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua. These paintings had been conceived like a whole piece of art but it was shared in four different paintings when donated to Charles V, King of Spain. Borghese gallery already own “Danae” painting; “Leda” has arrived from Berlin Gemäldegalerie, “Io and Ganimede” from Wien Kunsthistorisches. Other Correggio’s masterpieces will be exposed with Love series: “Educazione di Amore” has arrived from London National Gallery and “Venere e Cupido con un Satiro” from Paris Louvre.

Correggio exhibition is a part of Borghese gallery program that schedules a Francis Bacon’s and Caravaggio’s paintings exhibition in 2009; a Dosso Dossi’s in 2010, a Tiziano’s one in 2011, a Cranach’s in 2012, a Bernini’s in 2013, a Domenichino’s in 2014 and the big last one in 2015 dealing about Borghese’s family and its relationship with ancient times.

The exhibition is open every day but Monday from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm.
Mandatory reservation

€ 10,50 Full price (reservation fee included)

€ 7,25 (reservation fee included) Reduced for European citizens aged between 18 and 25 years old and European full-time school teachers.

Testaccio

The popular Roman spirit, including football fanatism, still lives in the Testaccio area where the traveler can still enjoy perfumes and tastes of the so called ‘poor’ cooking: from tripe, to sweetbreads, liver, heart etc. To tell the truth this food was already a favorite dish of Pope Paul V Borghese. And in the Testaccio area, which until 1965 housed the slaughter house, you can find quite a few ‘trattoria’ where you can try this food. Honestly they are now more sophisticated restaurants or wine tasting places, rather expensive. But if you ask an inhabitant of the area, he/she will for sure indicate a true Roman trattoria not tourist-oriented. By the way in the old slaughter house you now have concerts, plays, cultural events and last but not least gastronomic opportunities. The name Testaccio derives from the artificial hill that owes its shape to the pieces of textae (or broken crockery) used in the nearby river harbour at the times of old Rome. After a typical roman food, do not forget to walk!

Madrid: San Isidro’s Fair

In Madrid, on the 15th of May, the city celebrates its patron saint: Saint Isidro, preserver of farmers and crops. Over the years this date as become well known as “San Isidro’s Fair” or “Feria de San Isidro”. Beginning at the end of April and ending in late May, at the “Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas” in Madrid, also colled “La Monumental” are held 28 bullfights (24 Corridas or bullfights, 2 Novilladas or bullfights with young bullfighters and 2 Corridas de Rejones or horseback bullfighting).

Obviously the bullfight with the best “matadores” (bullfighters) takes place on the 15^th of May, day dedicated to the Saint Patron of Madrid.