"Mona Lisa" revives in El Prado

Quantifying the number of all existing copies of Mona Lisa would be an impossible thing to do. It is however believed that the Prado Museum holds the most ancient copy of this sublime work of art. After a long period of restoration the copy was presented at the museum on February 1st. According to the scientists and the museum art experts the painting was created by one of Leonardo da Vinci's pupils around the same time Mona Lisa was done. The copy was evidently painted in the same workshop as the original, even though the Italian genius never even touched the canvas. The painting was found in one of the storehouses in Prado and was very dark initially. It took a lot of work to restore the whole painting and maintain its initial beauty and the enigmatic smile. "Mona Lisa of El Prado" will be exposed next to the original in the museum of Louvre for a temporary exhibition, starting from 26 of March 2012.

If you like Leonardo da Vinci's works of art please visit: www.ilgeniodavinci.com

The most romantic city in Italy

Arena di Verona

If you've already seen my post Things you must know when you plan your trip to Italy http://willseek.blogspot.com/2012/01/things-you-must-know-when-you-plan-your.html and want to visit Italia's gem Venezia, you must go and see Verona. Verona is only an hour and a half away from Venezia. I would suggest taking a couple of days to see it. You can take a train from Venezia: train trip will be a lot more comfortable and easier than driving all the way to Verona. 

Because of the value and importance of its many historical buildings, Verona has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city preserved many ancient Roman monuments, which were mostly destroyed or heavily damaged by the earthquake of 3 January 1117, which led to a massive Romanesque rebuilding.

The Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore is one of the great achievements of Romanesque architecture . The present structure is the 3rd on this site, built from 1123–1135, over the 4th century shrine to Verona's patron saint, St. Zeno (died 380). 

Juliet's statue in bronze

When you visit Verona you cannot pass by Juliet's house. This building, originally dating back to the 12th century, was owned for a long period by the Dal Cappello family. Identification of the name Cappello with that of Capuleti began the popular belief - already widespread during the last century - that this was the home of Juliet, mythical heroine of the Shakespeare play, set in Scaligeri Verona. Its current appearance is the result of radical restoration work (1936-1940), during which the windows, gothic-style doorway and famous balcony were all added to the interior facade.

Inside the house are furnishings from the 16th-17th centuries, frescoes, and paintings - all relating to the story of Romeo and Juliet - as well as Renaissance ceramics from Verona. A bronze statue of Juliet by sculptor Nereo Costantini stands in the courtyard.

But above all, the real gem and the best memory of Verona will be its famous Arena.  The building itself was built in AD 30 on a site which was then beyond the city walls. 

Juliet's balcony

Already in ancient times the Arena was famous for its shows and games and attracted people from other regions as well. The amphitheatre could host more than 30,000 spectators.  Every year over 500,000 people see productions of the popular operas in this arena. Once capable of housing 20,000 patrons per performance (now limited to 15,000 because of safety reasons), the arena 

has featured many of world's most notable opera singers. 

I visited Verona only once in August of 2007 and I must say that Giuseppe Verdi's Aida in the Arena of Verona was the most striking experience of the whole trip. 

Watching an opera in the open-air Roman Arena, with the bright August stars above your head and seeing thousands of people holding candles during the performance will be the most romantic memory you will have of Italy. And the city of Verona with the gems like Juliet's house and the Arena will remain forever in your heart.

For more information on the performances visit: http://www.arena.it/en-US/HOMEen.html