Vicolo del Cedro

In the heart of Trastevere, Rione XIII, not far from Santa Maria in Trastevere.

on Vicolo del Cedro

From Vicolo del Cedro you can easily reach the Janiculum Hill, the steps are a short cut and I like to walk along there with my son, who loves to stop and drink in one of the old Roman public "fontanelle"

Lorenzo in Vicolo del Cedro

So maybe next time you are in Rome, take a short cut and have a look around the back streets of Trastevere!

A presto!

Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli

Just across Ponte Garibaldi, entering into Trastevere, you arrive to Piazza Gioacchino Belli where there is the monument dedicated to Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli (March 7, 1791 - December 21, 1863), a great poet of Rome. He is remembered for his vivid popular poetry in the Roman dialect - thousands of satirical sonnets that form an invaluable document of 19th century's papal Rome and the life of its common, humbler people.

Here one of Belli's poetry:


La Bocca della Verita' (italiano)


In d'una chiesa sopra a 'na piazzetta
Un po' ppiù ssù de Piazza Montanara
Pe la strada che pporta a la Salara,
C'è in nell'entrà una cosa benedetta.

Pe ttutta Roma quant'è larga e stretta
Nun poterai trovà cosa ppiù rara.
È una faccia de pietra che tt'impara
Chi ha detta la bucìa, chi nu l'ha detta.

S'io mo a sta faccia, c'ha la bocca uperta,
Je ce metto una mano, e nu la striggne
La verità da me ttiella pe certa.

Ma ssi fficca la mano uno in bucìa,
Èssi sicuro che a tirà né a spiggne
Quella mano che lì nun viè ppiù via.


The mouth of truth (English version)


In a church, in a small square
Shortly after Montanara Square [2] ,
Along the road leading to the salt-works,
As soon as you enter there's something holy.

In all Rome far and wide
You could not find something as rare as that.
It's a face of stone, which tells
Who is a lier and who is not.

If in the mouth of this statue, which is open,
I insert my hand and it does not clasp it,
Consider my truth as most reliable.

But if a lier inserts his hand
Be sure that, push or pull,
That hand won't come out. 

Trilussa: a Roman poet

In Piazza Trilussa in Trastevere, not far from Ponte Sisto, there is the monument to Carlo Alberto Salustri, nicknamed Trilussa (1871-1950), another famous poet of Rome for his sonnets.

Trilussa


On the plaque, next his bust , one of his most famous sonnets:



Here the translation:

IN THE SHADE

While reading the usual newspaper,
snuggling in the shade of a haystack
I notice a hog, and I say: - see you, pig! -
I notice a donkey and I say: - see you, jackass! -
Maybe these animals won't understand me,
but at least I feel satisfied
with the opportunity of saying how things are for real
without the fear of landing in jail.

Next week I will see this in person on my daily walk!!!

The Beata Ludovica Albertoni by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

When you walk along Trastevere, you are amazed by the amount of Churches surrounding the area, including Santa Cecilia and Santa Maria in Trastevere. Between all of them there is a little church, San Francesco a Ripa, far from the view of everyone, easy to reach but not so highly frequented by the tourists, because on the other side of Viale Trastevere.

Here, at the far end on the left inside, walking towards the altar you find the Cappella Altieri, for which Gian Lorenzo Bernini produced one of his latest works: the Beata Ludovica Albertoni (1671-74), a dramatic, mystic marriage and death.

Here Bernini allegorized the redeeming, fiery love of Christ’s sacred heart with the two hearts which flank Ludovica’s body like guardian figures and her burning, consuming devotion. 

During the seventeenth-century Catholic devotion, the fire of sacred love and burning devotion, death and union with the divine were seen as an extended metaphor of fire, flame and consumption. God's love was in the blessed Ludovica, who became a widow in 1506. She  joined the Franciscan Order as a tertiary and spent her family fortune on charity, exhausting her health taking care of the poor and undertaking penitential practices such as fasting. 

As always Bernini has shown his magistry and ability in representing this work, which was commissioned by Cardinal Paluzzi degli Albertoni.  

My family restaurant: Mario's a Trastevere

While going through my photographs last night I have found a bunch of photographs done at my family restaurant at the beginning of December last year, when Christmas was already in the air and the children where so happy to spend time with my family, aunties, "nonno", "nonna" and brother.

It is amazing how time goes fast and how important it is to share this beautiful moments with the people you love the most!!!

My mum and Valentina

Zia Vanda

My dad

Zia Lina

Lorenzo

Valentina and zio Luca

Valentina, zio Luca and Lorenzo

Happy Lorenzo

So if you go to Italy during this Christmas holiday and you think to have some genuine Italian food go and have something to eat there at Trastevere and tell my mum, Rosalba, that I send you there.

The "trattoria" will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Buon appetito!

Pizza and bread

Not far from my parents restaurant in Via del Moro, in Trastevere, we have a friend called Pippo, who make a fantastic pizza and wonderful bread, used for the restaurant customers.

Pizza made by a friend in Via del Moro 

The fresh bread

The art of making bread for Mario's restaurant

Photos by Giorgio Albanese

This is one of the things I really miss....some good bread!!