One of Leonardo da Vinci's work in Rome

Portrait of musician by Leonardo da Vinci

The Portrait of Musician by Leonardo da Vinci has left Milan for the first time after 500 years to be on display in Rome at the Capitoline Museum in the same room where is the Marcus Aurelius.

Th Portrait was most probably executed by the young Leonardo representing his friend Atalante Migliorotti.

Scott next to the Marcus Aurelius

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!

Merry Christmas

Photo by Simona Albanese

Today the school will end ...holiday for the next six weeks...children will be very happy...they are expecting presents, holiday, fun, beach, friends and everything else... Christmas is a wonderful moment for them to party and enjoy with family and friends...precious moments that won't come back.

Christmas has to be a period of joy and felicity for all, so 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!!!

Christmas is coming: Myer windows

Christmas is coming!!!! Countdown has started...here some of the windows of Myer at the Queens Street Mall in Brisbane

Peace and Love to everyone!!!

Auguri di Buon Natale!!!

8 December: the Christmas Festivities start

Madonna dell'Immacolata

Today is the feast of the 'Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary', and Rome is the ideal city to celebrate this very important event for the Catholic Church .

It has become tradition that the Pope give evidence at the foot of the Immaculate Monument, a statue of the Madonna placed on top of a column in Piazza Mignanelli , an extension of the Spanish Steps, with a basket of white roses. Then the Pope read some passages of the Scripture, blesses the statue of the Virgin and goes to visit the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore .

This practice has started during the 50s under the pontificate of Pius XII.

This day symbolises the beginning of the Christmas Festivities and Rome to celebrate this events has decided to give free access to the Coliseum and the Roman Museums.

Coliseum by Simona Albanese

Vite Italiane - Italian lives

Many Italians have migrated to Western Australia, becoming part of this big Australian community, therefore if you are considering to go on holiday in the next few weeks in Western Australia do not miss the exhibition at the 

State Library of Western Australia on "Vite Italiane":

Migrants disembarking at Fremantle 005096d (SLWA copyright)

Vite Italiane - Italian Lives

21 October 2010 - 30 January 2011

Vite Italiane – Italian Lives, explores the history and legacy of Italian migrants in Western Australia. Italy has been the most prolific source of non-English speaking migrants to Western Australia. Between the turn of the century and the 1970s, around 60,000 Italians came to WA in search of opportunity. Today, while the number of people claiming Italian ancestry in Western Australia grows (100,000 according to the latest census), the Italian-born population is ageing and rapidly diminishing. What Italian presence will remain in Western Australia, if any, beyond the lives of the migrant generation?

The exhibition will contain a rich assortment of artefacts, photographs, and historical documents. The items evoke the complexity of Italian lives in Western Australia and show how Italian migrants have left an indelible impression on the state’s social, cultural and geographic landscapes.

(information provided by SLWA)

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!!