TAKING A SPIN IN NORTHERN LAZIO

"I look for abandoned empty houses so that I can fill them with my imagination..."
Tonino Guerra.

The countryside of Northern Lazio between Lake Bolsena and the river Tiber is a very charming part of Italy. This area is still out of the major touristic routes even if very close to the popular towns of Orvieto and Todi.

Very small, and often almost abandoned, villages lay on this hilly land like stars in a constellation... and visitors would need passion and a good map to navigate this sky! But around every bend of these charming Italian country roads you can discover a treasure.

It is by chance, during a spin on my own on a very fine Winter day, that I got lost between the rinkles of time and land, and arrived in the towns of Roccalvecce and Celleno at only about 20 minutes drive North of Viterbo.

I think that the feeling I had today, is very close to what a time-traveler would feel when coming out of his time-machine.

I would encourage every traveler to visit this beautiful, and still isolated, part of Italy.

For more information on day trips to Northern Lazio please contact us at nerone@nerone.cc or visit our website: www.nerone.cc (Nerone Made to Measure Tours in Italy)

The pictures are taken in Celleno (in the Province of Viterbo, Northern Lazio)

Ciao "Guardastelle"! the Man that Looks into Deep Sky

It is totally by chance that I have bumped into Paolo Candy, as I was looking for camera supplies on the web to take pictures of the night sky with my telescope... as it often happens the best encounters happen by total chance, or maybe fate...

In the picture: the telescope and dome of the "Cimini Astronomical Observatory"

My heart jumped when I realized that there was a great Astronomical Observatory in my neighborhood! To visit a real Observatory it had been my dream since I was a little boy. So I dropped Mr. Candy an email asking when I could go visit!

Paolo answered the next morning, a nice cheerful and welcoming reply! Invited me to go on the very same night, 6:30PM, when the sky was the best for deep-sky observation. I could not believe it!

As I arrived he was as friendly as a long time old friend, he made me feel comfortable and welcome and talked to me about stars, sky and optical instruments, as he was navigating the night sky with his telescope.

Paolo Candy has a degree in Astronomy and a great experience as teacher before he started his own project of creating this great Observatory, and a Planetarium (!), about ten years ago. He named his association CI.A.O.! The word CIAO is now world famous, as friendly greeting! No other name would have been more appropriate for Paolo's association! It stands for: "CImini Astronomical Observatory", where Cimini is the name of the mountains on top of which the observatory is built.

He writes books to present Astronomy to the public and help beginners. The Observatory is open for visits during night... and day too! ...when the Sun puts up a great show, on the stage on its own!

The highlights of my visit tonight were three: the wonderful vista of Sirius, brightest than the brightest diamond!; Orion's Nebula as I have never seen it before; and meeting and visiting with Paolo who's kindness, enthusiasm and professionalism go beyond your expectations.


Sergio (left) and Paolo (right) inside of the dome, by the 500mm Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.

If you are planning a visit to Rome and have time for a day trip, I would suggest the following itinerary: visit the city of Viterbo also known as the City of the Popes with its intact Medieval flavour; then a visit to the Villa Lante in Bagnaia, famous for its beautiful Renaissance gardens; and finally enjoy a visit to Paolo Candy's Astronomical Observatory (before or after dinner) to watch the Sun or explore the Night Sky with a very special guide, Paolo, in the spectacular setting of the Cimini mountains!

To organize your visit you can write to Nerone Made to Measure Tours in Italy. We can provide private guides, transportation and take care of all the aspects of the organization of your trip. For more information write to: nerone@nerone.cc or call US +1 773 661 4142

THE RE-OPENING OF THE DOMUS AUREA

From this Tuesday, Feb 6th 2007, the Domus Aurea (a portion of Nero's Palace) will re-open to the public for guided visit. The site is still undergoing restorations so the visitors will also be able to see these works in progress. Part of the itinerary includes the Nymphaeum of Ulisses e Polyphemus and the Hall with the Gilded Vault where visitors will be able to have a close look of the frescoes on the ceiling.

The Doums Aurea was closed to the public on Dec 12th, 2005 as its conditions required important restorations.

THE ROMAN CARNIVAL

ARE YOU READY FOR CARNIVAL? LET'S SEE...

Walking the streets of Rome this month you may notice children dressed in costumes throwing confetti and 'coriandoli' (coloured pieces of paper) of each other; normally you only throw coriandoli at the masks you like. You may meet a lot of them along Via Cola di Rienzo and perhaps wonder what is going on! Well, this is Carneval, a feast which still survives in this form and in many fancy-dress parties. Let's explore the story of this celebration and get some idea about how to enjoy this Carnevale Romano... The month of February, usually so cold and dark, does, however, contain the seeds of spring which soon burst into familiar scents and colours. Just as spring is the beginning of a new cycle, February represents the end of an old one. It was natural that this passage from winter to spring, representing the rebirth of nature, received special attention in a civilization whose economy was based on agriculture and was thus tied to the cycle of the seasons. Some pagan celebrations, with origins lost in the mists of time, continued into Papal Rome. Indeed, it would have been difficult for the Church to rid itself entirely of such deeply-felt ancient rites, so it chose not only to tolerate them, but also to imbue them with a new symbolism. Thus, through this archaic symbolism, those evolved into the Carnevale Romano that can be regarded as a rich aid in the comprehension of man's nature and fears. The Carnevale Romano, in the form described here, continued until about 100 years ago. We'll look for traces of it...

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