Last week, I was able to see the cities of Mantua and Bologna on day trips. In Mantua, we visited the Church of San Andrea with architecture by Leon Battista Alberti. We saw the Palazzo Ducale with frescoes by Mantegna, as well as Palazzo Te which was designed by architect Guilio Romano. The natives of the freezing, small, ancient city of Mantua (called Mantova) were a little odd, but the medieval architecture of the palaces and our amazing lunch of Mantua's renowned Tortelli di Zucca (pumpkin ravioli) was a savory mid-day treat.
The trip to Bologna included stops at Piancoteca to see works of Raphael, Aspertini, and Parmigianino; The Church of San Petronio for a viewing of the Aspertini Pietà, and Parmigianino's San Rocco; The Church of San Martino for Aspertini's Madonna and Saints; The Church of San Giacomo Maggiore for the Pellegrino Tibaldi's Cappella Poggi; The Oratorio di S. Cecilia for frescoes by Francia, Costa and Aspertini; and Palazzo Poggi for Pellegrino Tibaldi and Prospero Fontana frescoes.
This is a blur of church names and works, but a painting that stood out in my mind from Bologna was Parmigianino's Madonna with San Margherita because of the strange and almost corrupted scene of a "Sacred Conversation." This was painted for a convent of nuns, however the women of the convent sold it almost immediately because of the unusually intimate, almost inappropriate interaction between Saint Margherita and the Christ Child. Her hand grazes His chin as though she were about to kiss Him. Also, I mention this painting because Parmigianino is a native of Parma, the city where I live, and his works are a perfect example of Mannerist painting. Overall, I really liked Bologna. It is a university town with lots of students, dogs, and moderate prices. The architecture is ancient, but the graffiti is techi-colored. I bought new high heels for 5€ and mushroom pizza with Nutella pizza for dessert under 4€. I am not even full of Bologna!
This week was my first full week of classes and the start of my internship at the National Archaeological Museum of Parma! I have been meeting with my tandem partner for Italian and getting to know the city of Parma more and more each day. I have been attending a weekly cooking class of five course Italian cuisine with this adorable older couple, Anna and Aldo. Needless to say, I leave there every Wednesday in a delirious state, far beyond a food coma. Anna's food is unlike anything I have ever had, and I never fail to clean my plate. YUM.
There was a three-day Chocolate Festival this past weekend, which I frequented (at least everyday it was there) to see and experience literal chocolate ART. There were delicious confections of ALL shapes, sizes and flavors. My favorites were the chocolate in the shape of tools, keys, watches, and shoes as well as the chocolate with hot peppers in it! Molto piccante!
There was chocolate pasta, chocolate covered fruits, white chocolate in the shape of cheese, and basically chocolate EVERYTHING.
p.s. This week, I also got to see the factory where they make the AUTHENTIC Parmigiano-Reggiano...the Parmesan Cheese that can only truly be made in PARMA! The official brand is stamped right on the crust. We saw the Master Cheese Maker and the Cheese Cutters and the giant storage room where they age this amazing delicacy for up to two or three years before it is ripe for selling. I literally eat Parmesan cheese on EVERYTHING and I truly love it on its own. We got to sample the finished product at the end of our tour. BUONISSIMO!
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