Toledo

Only half an hour by train lays Toledo the old Capital, the “Spanish Rome”, before Philipp II moved his residence to Madrid in 1563. We spent an afternoon in this lovely town which keeps a lot of its original medieval character, but beware you can easily get lost in the maze of steep, narrow streets. It was the day of Corpus Domini and the houses were most beautiful decorated.

Don Quixote

There a many favourite places of mine in Madrid but the Plaza Espana comes to mind first of all. I would like to visit again the monument to Cervantes and Don Quixote in the middle of the square in the early morning before the crowds of tourists climb up to the statues to have their picture taken.....

Vibrant city

Madrid has a significant body of history but today it is essentially a vibrant, dynamic metropolis, a bustling city, a permanent backdrop for art and culture from around the world.
You can visit one of the world-famous museums or take a walk along Gran Via passing through Madrid’s leading leisure and entertainment areas, lined with cinemas, theatres flanked by impressive high buildings of a variety of styles.

History and spirituality

Streets and avenues with so many fine monuments are steeped in history. While visiting some of the beautiful churches you will soon realize that Madrid for centuries was the very image of spirituality for the Christian kingdoms.
Fine examples are the two Convents: Las Descazas and La Encarnacion both own their establishment to the personal patronage of the monarchs and show immense historical and artistic treasures acquired by the Spanish Crown over centuries. The mainly Spanish tourists listened most attentively to the guide explaining every little detail and so showed impressively their deep devotion and keen interest in genealogy and history of their Royal families.

Madrid

Approaching Barajas airport Spain looked very arid. Much to my surprise Madrid turned out to be one of the greenest capitals in Europe, with its two large, magnificient oases: Retiro Park and Campo de Casa and many impressive smaller Parks.

Interlude

Before my next trip a picture of my home city, Munich.

It was taken at the Viktualienmarkt early in the morning, before the beergarden will be crowded and busy shoppers move between the various stalls.

Four wells - a favourite subject of mine - are dedicated to well known Bavarian characters:

Karl Valentin, Lisl Karstadt, Weiss Ferdl, Roider Jackl. With great love the market people, who fetch their fresh water there, decorate the monuments with flowers.

As it so happens, today the market commemorates the 125th birthday of Karl Valentin with a big party.

Olivo Olive-trees

The Maremma is a pleasure for all senses. Everywhere is a scent of fragrant flowers and sweet-smelling lemon-trees, among others.
A few hours before heading for the airport my friends took me to their Olive-Grove.
I so much admire these trees, magnificient species often assembling humans with their thick branches streching out to the wind. Everyone seems to have a special personality, telling us tales of times immortal.
Let me finish my memories of Pitigliano with a picture of another mediterrenean tree, a pine tree, which I found in one of my favourite Poems, this time by a Greek, not an Italian Poet.

Giorgos Seferis:

When will you speak again?
Our words are the children of many people.
They are sown, are born like infants,
take root, are nourished with blood.
As pine trees
hold the wind's imprint
after the wind has gone, is no longer there,
so words
retain a man's imprint
after the man is gone, is no longer there

Guiliana Zimei

While walking the narrow vicoli of the historic center I noticed print-outs of poems on a door of an old cantina and was shortly afterwards introduced by my friends to Giuliana Zimei. The Signora, Poetesa e Grafica, now in her late sixties is a very creative person. With simple means she decorates cardboard-paper, pieces of wood and often ordinary household items in a variety of styles. Her work which she proudly showed me in her small casa was widely exhibited. She is also talented with the gift of putting words into poetry. Her subjects the locality, life and family, news are often executed with wisdom and a great sense of humour.
The Donna "con cuore grande" not only gave me copies of her poems and a copy of her grafics but opened her heart at the end of her visit singing a beautiful canzone to me...
Saluti Giuliana!

Dolce Vita

I am missing the people of Pitigliano,
the old gentleman who spends every day several hours on the stone bench of the Piazza Petruccioli,
Bruno whom I met frequently on the bridge to the New Town looking from there at the busy traffic below and everything that is going on in the Via dei Lavatoi,
the elderly gentlemen, who come together outside the bar enjoying the sunshine of the late afternoon
the elderly ladies who make the narrow roads their livingroom. As soon as the sun comes out you can find them in groups on their seats watching the world to pass by.
A content life without much hustle and bustle.
In the company of friends and neighbours they are not lonely and if you consider how
agile some of them are climbing up steep steps to their casa they must be healthy.

Stories

There is the "big history"and important monuments of many generations ago.
I like the modest stories documented everywhere. You just have to keep your eyes wide open and listen for example what the well worn boards of old doors to cellars in Pitigliano can tell. Not long ago they were in use and each of them closed the entrance to the Cantina where among other things wine and firewood was kept. Nowadays some are makeshift repaired, some well kept, others obviously replaced by their new owners, often strangers to the town and the old way of life. After all this will be the future...

Storia

Pitigliano and the Maremma is steeped in history, most fascinating are the many remains of Etruscian times. There are the Necropoli well preserved in nearby Sovana, Tomba del Tifone and the famous Tomba Ildebranda.



And at Ansedonia you can marble at the high engineering qualities of the Etruscians who were cutting through the rocks to join a canal to the Mediterranean sea

Fortezza Orsini

The mighty walls of the Fortezza Orsini dating back to medieval time line the road which leads to the Piazza della Repubblica from where you can enter the Fortress.
Nowadays it accommodates the Church Museum of Sacred Art and the Museo Civico Archeaologico where Etruscan remains are exhibited.




Inside the castle is an elegant courtyard with a hexagonal well showing the coat of arms of the noble family Orsini on all its 6 sides. The symbols of the noble family were the bear, roses and diagonal rods.



The Lion, a symbol of the Aldobrandeschi was assimilated later by the Orsini. Nowadays the "Leone" at the bottom of the driveway to the castle is a popular meeting point of the young people of Pitigliano at night.

Main entrance to the historic center

So far I never mentioned the main entrance to Pitigliano, a narrow gate, once furnished with a drawbridge, nowadays more the eye of a needle for the modern traffic. The coat of arms dating back to 1545 is dedicated to Gianfrancesco III. Orsini, Count of Pitigliano and shows the connections between the town and the noble family of Orsini which lasted for over 3 centuries.

Vehicles apart from the omnipresent Apetto are restricted in the historic center. which still maintains its old medieval appearance. Once inside the town Piazza Garibaldi opens widely. Here you can find the town hall, the theater and the beautiful Renaissance twin-staircase which will lead you to a bridge which connects to the modern part.