Our Thoughts and Prayers for L'Aquila

The Fountain of the 99 Spouts (L'Aquila)

Santa Maria di Collemaggio (L'Aquila)

Our hearts go out to the people of the Abruzzo suffering from a devastating earthquake which hit the region's capital city of L'Aquila about 3:30 AM this morning. The heavy damage not only destroyed much of L'Aquila but many of the small cities and villages within the province of L'Aquila have also suffered destruction. As the death toll is mounting most of the citizens of L'Aquila are now homeless.

Craig and I spent 8 days in L'Aquila in June, 2002, while photographing the province. We love L'Aquila and I have already made reservations to return there in October on our way to Puglia. I'll be very sad to have to change our plans.

L'Aquila has been a mountain stronghold since the Middle Ages when its construction was begun by Frederick II. It was completed in 1254 and has a distinguished architectural heritage with many prized Romanesque, Renaissance and Baroque gems. I was greatly saddened to read that the Cultural Minister said that among much other destruction was the collapse of a wall of the 13th Century Santa Maria di Collemaggio and the Renaissance bell tower of the Basilica of San Bernadino. Reports of partially collapsed and damaged ancient monuments have been reported throughout the province and as far as Rome, 70 miles away.

Please keep the people of the Abruzzo in your thoughts and prayers.

"Story in Stone" - Arles Provence

Arles, a region with a rich history, was originally established by the Greeks at "Theline" in the 6th century B.C. It later came under Roman rule and was then known as "Arelate", when it became a town of considerable importance, possessing the southernmost bridge on the Rhone River.

In the 5th and 6th Centuries, its prominance peaked when Emporers used it to conduct military campaigns from it as their headquarters. It was a favorite of Emporer Constantine I. In the 8th Century it was overtaken by the Muslim Saracens and the Franks, when it became the capital city of the Kingdom of Arles.

In the 12th Century, the Romans again returned and in 1378, when the Kindom of Arles ended, it was ceded to King Charles XI of France. The arrival of the railway in the 19th Century caused the river trade to fade and it became a backwater which preserved the old town with its Roman theater and Roman arena.

In 1888, Van Gogh arrived in Arles. Strolling around Arles today, you can't avoid being swept up by its history and its Roman and medieval architectural elements. While it functions as a modern city today, there are clues into its past just about everywhere you look. The faces on the capitals of the columns are part of the riches of Bible stories told in stone in the beautiful cloister of the Eglise St. Trophime.

More I Cappelli - Gary visits Cortona!

Gary just had to have this photograph! A collector of FotoAmore fine art photographs, Gary visited the source of I Cappelli , Cortona, Tuscany, and shared his "Gary on location" photo with us. Note the fine Borsalino on his head, just purchased at the very shop in Craig's photograph. Very dashing!

It was so nice to get to know Gary at the Glencoe, IL, art show this past year. He and his wife shared some of their favorite Italian travel experiences with us, which we found fascinating. Meeting our collectors personally and getting to know them a little better is what we like best about doing fine art shows.

It won't be long before our tent will be up again for another show season. We hope to meet you and to get to know you better this year, too!

"I Cappelli" - Cortona, Toscana

"I Cappelli" -- The subtle variations in both the pallette and the shape of the men's hats in this image transport me back in time to a simpler way of life. For me, they conjour up visions of the 1950's when hats were all the rage in movies and in society at large. Was it a simpler time back then? Really difficult to say. Everyone always seemed to be in a hurry, rushing around, but isn't that really a lot like how it is today too?

The continuum of the beiges of the hats offers both a sense of personal individuality as well as a sense of community, of belonging to something that is bigger than the self. You wouldn't want to be caught without your hat in this town, lest you be considered an outsider, but you can also have your own personal, special hat, the one that fits just you, the one that says "this is me!"

Taking a closer look, you will notice that many of the hats have different shapes too. From the Super Fino Montecristi Fedora to the various Panamas including the Brim, the Downbrim, the Quenca Fino and the Optimo. While similar from a distance, they are all unique in their own way too.

Regretfully, I resisted the impulse to purchase one of the hats in the window while in Cortona. I foolishly waited until about a year later when I had the opportunity to purchase the same hat at a much higher price on the Amalfi coast. At least it finally cured my longing for a fine Borsalino Brim.

While interest in hats seems to have been fading now for several years, I do hope that such hats will begin to make their comeback in modern society one of these days soon. They bring back a formality of style that has been eluding us.

"Petit Rue" - Aigues-Mortes

Aigues-Mortes, a walled Medieval town in the Petite Camargue area of Provence, has a prestigious heritige and is known for its 13th-century military architecture. In fact, it still looks much the same today as it did in the Middle Ages. Its name comes from aquae mortuae, meaning "dead waters" for the surrounding saline delta marshland terraine from which comes the prized Fleur de Sel de Camargue.

A port for commerce was built here in 1240 according to the plans of French Crusader King Louis IX (Saint Louis), which assisted him in launching his crusades to the Holy Land from here. The Tower de Constance was initially built by Louis to protect the workers during the construction of the town. The town's fortifications were built by the next two kings of France, his son Philip III (the Bold) and his grandson Philip IV (the Fair).

Following a century of royal priviledge, the port area silted up and the town fell into neglect. Aigues-Mortes, since it has never been greatly restored, seems frozen in time. Strolling above the town on its ramparts, you can't avoid being swept up by its history and its unique and original architectural elements. There are clues into its past just about everywhere you look.

Back on the ground walking the "Petit Rue" one can inspect the architectural history much more closely. The angled patterns of the stones, which have softened with age, the doorways, windows and shutters all form a caleidoscope of subtle contrasts.

"Porta Prima" - Verona

"Prima Porta" features an entrance into the Giardino Giusti in Verona. The giardino, in typical Renaissance style, was created at the end of the 15th Century as the backdrop for the Giusti Palace. It was the home of Agostino Giusti, Knight of the Venitian Republic.

Off a busy street of Verona, the giardino is a lush, very green and peaceful oasis. With the right light, it is a photographer's paradise. Mythological statues line the paths along with tall, graceful cypress trees.

On our last visit to Verona, we spent a lot of time in the giardino, returning at different times to experience how the sunlight would touch it. Early morning, before the sun was warm was our favorite time of day.

"Early Morning" - Verona

"Early Morning" ...inside of the Giardino Giusti