CHECKERS

American Checkers translates in Italian "DAMA" (literal translation "Milady")
each player has 12 pieces available. 

My uncle Carlo Niccacci was one of the 125.000 prisoners of the US Army in North Africa and Sicily (1940-1943 campaign) during WW II. As a prisoner, he learned how to play checkers and in his turn, he taught my father Renato how to play checkers really well, you will never win if you play checkers with my father!

I have known about this story since I was a little girl along with the expression that my uncle had learned from American soldiers, "goddamn son of a bitch", which took me a while to translate. I had to wait for a long time before I could understand its meaning, also because the pronunciation I remember was a little different but as soon as I was learning English I could tell that this was exactly the expression that my father said to me. It is probably thanks to this story, this expression, the Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy films playing every Saturday morning on Italian TV (my father taught me to enunciate the names of the actors really well in their original language), that I started getting interested in English. That was all about my father knew in English, he had studied French in school.

My uncle Carlo Niccacci moved to Rome with his family like many other people from Deruta during the 1950s to work as a concierge in a wealthy neighborhood of the eternal city. Visiting uncle Carlo in Rome for our family was a great adventure, especially for me, I was really little. I still remember his small home, the kitchen with its cabinets, the sleeping room, the tiny toilet, and the green area outside with beautiful green spots. The building he worked for was located in the Parioli area in Rome, Via Leone IV. I think we went there again after many years and the garden has been replaced with a parking lot, "goddamn cars".

I also remember when my uncle Carlo visited us in Deruta in return, his beautiful smile from far when he got off the bus from Rome and walked over to his parents' home, where we lived, about 200 meters from the bus stop. He always wore a coat and a hat, it must have been wintertime when he visited us in Deruta. Such beautiful memories. Uncle Carlo was a very good man, big and strong, and a lovely husband.

Detail of a beehive, in Italian "alveare"

The fact of learning to play checkers from Americans will tell you a lot about the way my uncle Carlo was treated. I do not recall him saying anything negative about his experience of imprisonment. Americans must have been kind to him, as we say in Italian "Gentilezza vien da gentilezza" (tr. kindness calls kindness). Additionally, I recently learned a saying about Americans going back to WW II which was used during soft arguments in Italy or as a warning from an Italian to an Italian (mostly again as a familiar expression): "What do you think? That I am an American?", which was warning someone about the fact that they would not be as kind as Americans would be. 

This is what came to my mind when I was looking for the correct Italian word for "checkers" for my fiancé having to do with a translation from English about a kiln for the production of the glass bottles in Piegaro..."checkers" is also a part of a glass kiln, something to add to my new vocabulary in Piegaro, in Italian checkers translates "alveoli", "struttura alveolare", "alveare" (tr. beehive) which on its turn comes from the natural world of bees.

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curiosity: in Italy, we have the best dubbers in the world, this is probably why we accept watching dubbed movies and we like them. Dubbing is an art for us in Italy, likewise translating is an art and technically as difficult as dubbing. As an example, I noticed that the word "bitch" in movies is always translated with "puttana" (tr. whore) while I think that in an argument or in a fight, especially between two women, the correct translation is "stronza". It is all for today about bad language, as you may tell from movies and everyday life, it is part of our language and correct translations would be requested. I know for sure this is my personal projection dreaming of perfect post content because I would love to have an editor for my posts one day!

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- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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The Name says it all!

Princess Aurora is a fictional character from Walt Disney's animated cartoon Sleeping Beauty

 NOMEN OMEN is a Latin expression that means "The name says it all".

Aurora is a beautiful name in Italian, in recent years after famous Italian pop singer Eros Ramazzotti named his first daughter "Aurora", many girls in Italy were named "Aurora" with a revival of the name, last used in the 1960s. The repetition of the letter "R" in Italian makes this name sound very beautiful to listen to.  In general, the letter "R" in Italian reinforces the meaning of words. 

In Italy when we hear the name "Aurora" we may think of a famous pens brand called "Aurora" as well as in the United States people may think of the fictional character of the Disney movie "Sleeping Beauty". I am wondering what this name may lead our thoughts to in our different cultures. I personally like the name "Aurora" because it evokes in me the start of a new day.

Based on the recent events coming from the United States and exactly from Colorado, I researched the origins of the name AURORA. In the United States, there are twenty different cities named "Aurora" as well as one county in South Dakota.

The word "aurora" in Italian describes three different entries: 1. the atmospheric event that takes place right after dawn and before sunrise. This part of the daybreak is accompanied by purple beams. Also used for the "aurora Boreale" (tr. northern lights) and "aurora Polare" (tr. southern lights); 2. in the idiomatic expression used to describe the start of something positive: the dawn of civilization, the dawn of life; 3. a group of butterflies carries the name "Aurora". From the point of view of the meaning, the usage of the word aurora is probably similar in the Italian and English languages.

But etymologically the word Aurora must be exactly the same in our languages, because of the fact that Latin, Sanskrit, and Ancient Greek, that gave birth to the name Aurora are extinct languages, their meaning is petrified and eternal to the passing of time.

Etymologically the word "Aurora" in Latin, Sanskrit, and Ancient Greek comes from: "shine", "glow", "light", "brightness", "gold". The same roots giving birth to "Aurora" lead to the words "Euro", "Gold", "Austria", "Heliacal". The actual word "Aurora" is powerful, positive, lively, providing strength and hope.

In Italy nowadays etymology is restricted to a few fans of this subject. We have gotten used to second, third, fourth-hand images or products and we do not go to the source of things, which to me is very important.

I think of this kind of research as a healthy and educational practice, to some extent a healing path that may be very supportive in many ways. It is independent of religious beliefs and restrictions. It takes us directly to our common roots, it makes us feel one whole body. If you go to the source, you do not depend on anybody, you are free from influences coming from other sources. It makes you think and use your own brain.

Etymology means finding the actual origin of names. The same research process of the origins that they did in the Renaissance. Indeed the expression "Nomen Omen" nowadays is used ironically by seeing the irony in the apparent aptness of a name. It's based on the process of change in using expressions due to the passing of time." Nomen Omen" would be used in expressions such as, "X by name, X by nature", "The name says it all!".

On the contrary for the Romans family names were very important and they were signs of destiny, a prediction.  This is where the Latin expression "Nomen Omen" comes from. It is also known as "Nomina Sunt Omina" (tr. names are predictions, speaking names)  for the plural expression.

By going back to the origins, way down to the concept of consistency, based on the message of strength, beauty, and life that the original name Aurora carries within itself, I wish the best recovery to the Community of Aurora, Colorado for the start of a new season in their life.

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Curiosity: in Italian, we have a saying that goes "Il Mattino ha l'oro in bocca", originally in Latin "Aurora aurum in ore habet" (literal tr. "Aurora has gold in her mouth")

usually translated in English: "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." or "The early bird catches the worm".  It is probably because of the origin of the name Aurora that gold is mentioned as an example of the precious opportunity of the early hours of the day to get the best from work and/or from studying.

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Recycling and Reusing as a Renaissance Art

Recycling bottles of different colors and shapes

In Rome last week Piegaro won a very important reward for being the best in Umbria for recycling along with Torgiano (home of the Lungarotti wineries), Fratta Todina (originally a Florentine Medieval castle),  and Giano dell'Umbria (founded by the Romans on the famous Via Flaminia, leading from Rome to the province of Rimini). In Umbria we have a total of 92 municipalities, therefore we think of this prize as a very important reward. 

The Crodino payoff  goes:
"L'analcolico biondo che
fa impazzire il mondo"
(tr. "the blonde soft
drink that turns the world on")
was invented in 1964.  It is
a best seller in Italy.

One of the reasons for recycling glass in Piegaro is that here there is one of the largest glass factories in Europe producing up to 3 million and a half bottles a day for well-known companies such as: Campari (their famous  "Crodino" is the best selling non-alcoholic beverage in Italy),  Martini ("No Martini, No Party" is the line of the famous Italian TV commercial starring George Clooney),  vinegar producers, olive oil producers, wineries. Check the bottom of a glass bottle wherever you are in the world, look for the raised acronym "Vcp" (as well as "Vbd", with the "V" written exactly like a square root symbol). Your bottle was made in Piegaro, Italy! 

VCP stays for "Vetreria Cooperativa Piegarese" (Piegarese Glasswork Cooperative) and was founded in 1960. Last year the glass factory celebrated 50 years of success of their 180 partners. In the beginning partners were only a few brave workers who decided to go for the change. I am personally a fan of cooperatives and to me they would be wonderful management solutions for small companies in Italy now to recover from their temporary recession. We would keep our traditions alive and workers would not lose their jobs. Partners in a cooperative all have the same shares and their monthly wages (in Italy workers are paid by the month) depend on the job they do in the company. They have the same rights of other workers of equal fields. 

Example of a Murano glass chandelier.

VCP is a modern evolution of the local glass blowing tradition. Glass blowing art came from Venice and settled in Umbria through the Benedictine friars around 1293 A.D. In the church of St. Silvester in Piegaro there are two beautiful examples of  glass chandeliers: one made in Piegaro before the 1960s and one recently made in Murano, Italy, where the Venetian tradition is still alive. This latter a donation of a Piegarese family to the church. This chandelier was purchased in Venice, because the original tradition in Piegaro has evolved over the years to serve the market of bottles passing through flasks and currently producing industrial bottles. 

Nowadays modern glassmakers in the VCP glasswork factory check computerized kilns, glass cooling machineries and make sure that the automated palletizing machine is doing everything correctly. Quality check-up is  made by visual control and by very advanced computers that can spot defects and discart defective pieces.  They think of the bottle as a person and scan the bottles' mouth, neck, shoulders and body. 

Glass traditionally comes in two colors: green and clear white. The highest percentage of recycling is green because of the highest usage in homes compared to white glass ( green is about 90% recycled glass, white is about 30%). 

A super model of Renaissance times:  blonde Venus by Botticelli
painted between 1482-1485.  A very modern example of beauty, a long lasting
model of perfection. 

It is interesting to notice that art critics use the term "recycling" and "reusing" to express a Renaissance concept. 

Indeed the Renaissance period imitated latin and greek classics in style, excellence, virtue and example. Renaissance artists created new art products that revived the Italian cultural heritage and kept traditions alive by the usage of perfect classical models. 

The founding system of recycling models  in the Renaissance period was called "imitatio" (tr."imitation") and we may find this practice in arts, politics, social relationships and individual virtues (=the art of doing things well).  Imitation was based on classical rules which let groups of artists share life and work experiences with their ancestors'  pace and wisdom. 

Later on the concept of "imitatio" was reinforced by the idea of "aemulatio" (tr."emulation") which provided a list of technical requirements to different fields - arts, politics, literature - leading to a universal system that lasted in Italy until the Romantic period.  

Art bottles by Paolo Venini (1895 – 1959)

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My Dream Home: "Think Big and Act Small"

An Italian stamp of 1980 worth 150 lire (about 0,08 euro cents)
with the Castle of Miramare in Trieste, Italy 

My dream home is in
the shape of a crab. 

"My dream home is not a castle, it is not a mansion and it is not a home on two levels. My dream home is a small, basic home for two, in the shape of a crab (my horoscope sign and the sign of my sweetheart) with the pincers open as large as possible like in a big hug.

This house is on one level and the center of the home is a large kitchen with a laundry room and a guests' restroom. On each side of the kitchen, we will find: on the right side my sweet-heart's apartments, on the left side my apartments. Each apartment with a sleeping room with individual bathrooms and additional rooms according to our jobs and hobbies..."

While describing my dream home,  about three months ago my fiancé invited me to drive to Veneto to visit with his relatives. I immediately thought of my parents on their honeymoon in Italy and their story of the stops they did in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia -Giulia regions: Venice, Castello di Miramare and Grado. This time out of these destinations I could visit the Castello di Miramare (Miramare Castle) only and it was my first time there. This famous castle is located in Trieste in theFriuli-Venezia-Giulia region. 

While there, I was very happy to know the story of  Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Hapsburg and his wife Charlotte of Belgium. Of course, the view and the surrounding woods and gardens are wonders. You may admire the see from any corner of the castle but something really interesting caught my attention and it is all about my dream home. 

Indeed the castle's ground floor was reserved to Ferdinand Maximilian and Charlotte of Belgium's private home.  This is where they first moved on Christmas eve of 1860 when the castle was still unfinished. Herewith follows the private ground floor of Maximilian and Charlotte, starting from the rooms on our right: 

An idea for a kitchen corner with lots of light
and colors

1. Maximilian's sleeping room (on the wall a painting of Charlotte) with bathroom;
2. Maximilian's office;
3. Maximilian's library;
4. DINING ROOM
5. Charlotte's lounges;
6. Charlotte's sleeping room;
7. Charlotte's dressing room.

I was ravished to see my dream home in front of me. This is exactly my dream home. I could see Maximilian and Charlotte there as well and their wonderful love story. Likewise, this is the perfect home structure for me and for my beloved (rooms to be personalized of course).

My soul mate likes the idea. We were sharing the same idea to start with without being aware of it. The individual bathroom in particular is something vital for the long life of my relationship. To me, intimacy is something different from sharing the same bathroom. I want my own bathroom and I want my own sleeping room. I love to share the kitchen! I love the fact that we may take leave after lunch and he may pay a visit to my apartments by asking "Permesso?" (tr. "may I come in?). This is true dreaming. I would feel like a princess!

Going back to the Miramare apartments, by rotating the above list to the right we may see the shape of my "crab's home": the kitchen is the head (the eyes are large windows) and the pincers are the apartments: left side (7. 6. 5. ) + 4. + (3. 2. 1. )  right side 

In the house, I like the scent of flowers in every room
and drawers. 

I was so happy to admire such a beauty at the "Castello di Miramare" that I went back to see everything backward and check that I wrote down my notes about my dream home correctly. When we went backward a tour guide grumbled that there are always some ignorant people, who do not take tour paths the correct way. I wonder why there are people who do not mind their own business. I did not reply nor did my beloved. We were not causing any hindrance to the incoming visitors and I was in the process of studying something important for my life.

Cosimo I de' Medici's favorite sign,
the Capricorn. 

I wish to add a short note about horoscope signs. In the Renaissance and in classical ages horoscope signs were much in use, i.e. in-home frescoes, family crests, and personal mottos, such as in Cosimo I de' Medici's symbols of his personal virtues. Not necessarily horoscope signs were birth's sign of the eminent personality.

As an example, Capricorns are everywhere in Palazzo Vecchio in Florence (terracotta floors, marbles, frescoes), originally Cosimo de' Medici and his wife Eleonora of Toledo's residence. The Capricorn is represented by a goat for the part of the bust and the fish for the rest of the body. Usually surrounded by the seven stars of its constellation.

Cosimo I de' Medici was born under a different constellation -Gemini- but he was probably fond of the month of January -the month of the Capricorn (December 22nd-January 21st)- for a few important reasons. Indeed he was crowned grand-duke of Tuscany in January 1570 but it must not be the reason for such a choice. I will be back about this subject as I am curious to know more.

However, it's interesting to know what happened when the Catholic religion took over horoscope signs' number (12) and replaced them with Jesus' apostles.  That's when horoscope signs seemed to be confined to some pagan subculture with devilish issues. This was not true when considering constellations as a whole with our life on earth. It was a genuine expression of a cultural concept. In Europe reading constellations is part of our heritage from the Greeks and the Romans' world.
Regarding horoscope signs and their less engaging usage to this date, when describing a newborn's features,  I have always heard that babies born under the sign of cancer will really love home!

I visited the Castle of Miramare last year for the first time in my life, my parents were here on their honeymoon, this is why I wanted to visit! 

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My Black Horse

George Seurat  (1859-1891), Le Cirque 

Some levity on a very hot summer day in Italy



While working on my recent venture I was forced to get rid of my old car and last year I selected my new car based on a long-held dream: a Fiat 500. I was born in the 1960s and at that time Fiat 500 cars were very pupular in Italy and white was the trendiest color at that time.
When I went to my favorite car retailer in Perugia, where my father purchased his first white car early 1960s and where he purchased all his white cars, I said I wanted a white Fiat 500. At first they wanted to sell me a "Lancia Y" car instead (that's their specialty item) and I said "no", I wanted a Fiat 500, I did not care if the trunk was small or if it was overpriced because of the brand name (which is not true, a Fiat can last forever), I wanted a Fiat 500. When I got out of the store I had purchased a Fiat 500 but black instead of white and I was debated for more than three months if I had done the right choice or just followed an impulse purchase, additionally I felt like I had betrayed the family tradition of white cars.
Little by little my choice of a black car turned out to be the best choice: I had chosen a black Fiat 500 because of the fact that the black version was available immediately, I could see it and try it out that day, I knew what I was getting, the name of the Fiat pantone color was very attractive, "nero provocatore" (tr. provocative back). I also remembered what an excellent sales assistant said to me many years ago: "when you select a dress, buy everything but something your mother would not wear", for one time in my life I wanted to be trendy, I usually feel so out of fashion and with such a traditional taste that to some extent it gets boring even to myself. I suddenly felt that the black color was the right color, it was my dream car.

A Pantone Color Chart

By researching about the black color for a car, I discovered what Mr.Henry Ford (1863-1947) said in his book "My life and work" (1922): "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black", this translated to me into class & elegance, also I am more into the first half of the 20th century rather than into the sixties, last but not least my beloved has a black car, which matches perfectly my car, we share the same color as well as the same horoscope sign. This detail changed my perspective for good. What if I had a white car? The idea of yin and yang or of a man and his caregiver (white cars are usually the cars of nuns, nurses, priests and most rental cars in Italy as expression of service) was not the best perspective for my horizons: as we met in our adulthood I want to think we will be healthy forever! We currently park our cars in the public parking lot in the village where we live and he makes sure that his car protects my car from other drivers smashing their car doors into my little Fiat 500, which has unfortunately happened several times in the past. Our cars look so nice next to each other in the parking lot, they really make a nice couple of black cars. This gives me the feeling we are equal, on the same level, which is such a wonderful feeling!

A Beautiful Black Horse 

Before my private life gave a sense to my choice of a black Fiat 500, my earlier concern about a black car was about clients and my "bella figura" (tr."good impression" which is so important to most Italians and of course to me from having to do with art and beauty and by being full blood Italian). The problem was if my Fiat 500 was the right color everybody would like, white was more of a neutral color compared to black, indeed Mrs. Jennifer Lopez a little after my purchase was the testimonial of a Fiat 500 commercial on TV, which was located in New York: a convertible white Fiat 500 with a passion red hood. In my original idea I wanted to buy the best example of an Italian car (=to me a Fiat 500) and symbol of Italy (a historical Italian brand), because this would have been my official car with which I would show up when meeting customers on their shopping experiences, by leading their way to the places they wanted to explore with my assistance.This was the main reason that reinforced my original wish to go for an Italian car and particularly for a Fiat car.
By reading the philosopher Plato last week I learned something interesting that helped me to give an important meaning to my choice of a black car: for Plato the black horse was the symbol of artisans and traders! This additional information from the famous Myth of the Chariot and the Chariotee (also known as Winged Chariot) regarding my work made me so happy and proud that by driving my black Fiat 500 I now feel like riding a beautiful modern horse. This idea made me dream and now I am really happy about my choice. This story is an example of a modern translation of Renaissance times, when the Greek and Latin classics were highly in vogue: giving a meaning to something contemporary through our heritage, thinking and values honored to receive the appreciation of Mr. Henry Ford who said he would tip his hat in front of an Italian car. 

Nevertheless when the car dealer contacted me a few days later I promised them I would be back for a white Fiat 500, looking forward to doing much business with my new venture, deliverying ceramics to my clients as well as meeting them for shopping tours, with the option of selecting the perfect car color for the occasion!

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Other Mr.Henry Ford's Quotes, author of "My life and work" (1922): 

• You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.
• An idealist is a person who helps other people to be prosperous.
• A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business. 
• Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. 
• Failure is simply an opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.
• My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.
• If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses. 
• Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.
• Vision without execution is just hallucination.
• If money is your hope for independence, you will never have it. The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability.
• If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get to other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own.
• Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement.
• success is 99% failure.

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For Gucci fans, the new Fiat 500 black can be special ordered with Gucci customized details. Additionally Gucci created a collection of apparel dedicated to the Fiat 500 car drivers. This is the link to their products.  

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τι είναι όμορφο είναι επίσης καλό -Part II

Piero di Cosimo: Madonna Enthroned with Baby Jesus
and Saints (circa 1493?). Saint Catherine is on the right with a piece
of the barbed wheel, her symbol, and symbol of Deruta, at her knees. 

Dreamcatchers, a Special Saint's Wheel and Wheels of life

In the Hospital of the Innocents in Florence, Italy there is a beautiful painting on wood by Italian artist Piero di Cosimo (Florence, January 2nd, 1461- Florence April 12th, 1522), among Angels and Saints a very interesting portrait of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, kneeled at the right of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus in her arms. St.Catherine is the Saint Protector of Deruta ceramicists and is celebrated every year in Deruta on November 25th. Saint Catherine became the Saint of Ceramicists of Deruta because she was placed on a barbed wheel to be martyrized (detail and symbol of the Saint are shown at St.Catherine's knees) and Deruta is famous for its hand-thrown pots on kick-wheels. 


Indeed in Deruta, everything round-shaped, i.e. mugs, umbrella stands, bowls, cups, and curled vases are traditionally made on the wheel. This wheel is very meaningful to Derutese and is the symbol of their most beloved activity. 


The story says that the barbed wheel of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (287 A.D.-305 A.D.), one of the tools of torture and death used at her time, fell apart thanks to the prompt assistance of guardian angels and the Saint was safe. Saint Catherine of Alexandria did not find her death by torture on the wheel. The piece of the wheel torn apart may be the witness of such a miracle. We may admire a series of frescoes about this story in the Church of Saint Francis in Deruta. 


The Hospital of the Innocents in Florence (once also known as hospital of abandoned children, nowadays Institute of the Innocents) was the first specialized center for foundlings in Europe and it is a magnificent example of early Italian Renaissance architecture, started in 1419 upon the original project of famous architect Filippo Brunelleschi and formally opened in 1445. 


The Hospital of the Innocents attested the usage of another famous wheel, the so-called "Ruota degli Esposti" (tr. wheel of the foundings, baby hatch), today cradle of life, a special rotating horizontal disk where mothers could leave their unwanted babies anonymously to be cared by the orphanage.
The wheel for abandoned babies was invented in France in 1188  and first adopted in Italy in 1198 at the "Ospedale Santo Spirito" (tr. hospital of the Holy Spirit) in Rome. Wheels have come back in usage in Italy and may be found in several public hospitals now. Modern baby hatches are comfortable warmed-up cradles behind a transom window hidden by a rolling shutter in an outer room that preserves the mother's privacy. The cradle has a sensor that activates by the closing of the shutter and nurses and doctors will arrive immediately to take care of the baby. The latest news in the paper is that a newborn started his new life last week at the Mangiagalli hospital in Milan where he was left with much care by his mother with a bottle of her milk and folded dresses. The baby was given the name of Mario and he may be adopted this year in October when he turns three months of life. His mother is allowed the same time frame for a second thought.


The story of the circles in my posts started with my discovery of Native American dreamcatchers, this is what I would like to complete this second post with, this will close my personal circle today. 





A STORY OF THE DREAMCATCHER
by Finder

       Long ago in the days of the ancestors, some of the children of the people were having strange, frightening dreams.

       As the children talked to other children, the troubling dreams spread among them like a plague.

       The parents of the children were concerned. The people wanted their children to be happy but they didn’t know what to do.

       The people went to talk to the shaman. The shaman listened patiently as the parents told him about their distress.

       The shaman told the parents that he could help. But he would need to spend some time in counsel with the spirits before he would have a solution.

       The shaman would have to enter the dream world to find the answer.

       Upon entering the dream world the shaman was approached by the four elements: Air, Earth, Water and Fire.

       Air had already heard of the parent’s concern and had carried the message on the wind to the other elements.

       All the spirits in the dream world loved the children and wanted to help return the children to their state of peaceful sleep.

       The elements and the shaman dreamed together for a long time. They finally came to understand that:

       Air could carry the children’s dreams.

       Earth could hold the dreams within her hoop.

       Water could wash and separate dreams - the wanted from the unwanted.

       Fire could use the morning sun to burn up the unwanted dreams that are caught in the web.

       Now all they needed was something to capture the dreams as they were carried by the air. Try as they might, the shaman and the elements could not think of a way to catch the dreams.

       Grandmother Spider had been listening!

       She said, "Beautiful, loving elements, I can help you as you help me every day." Grandmother Spider continued, "I can weave a special web that only wanted dreams can escape down to the dreamer."

       And so she did, and the first Dreamcatcher was made.

       The shaman brought the dreamcatcher with him when he made his journey back from the dream world.

       All of the families of the people made dreamcatchers. The families hung them above where the children slept, in a place that was seen by the sun.

       No longer were the children troubled by unwanted dreams. Instead, they had happy dreams and peaceful sleep.

       And so, at last, Great Spirit looked into the dreams of the children and smiled.

The above story is part of the book by the same title and was published
by Mother Bird Books. Finder, the author, writes Native American Children's stories.
The book is available on Amazon.com  

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Curiosity: "degli Esposti" is a family name in Italy that is still in use.

"τι είναι όμορφο είναι επίσης καλό" is the original aphorism of the Greek philosopher Plato and means"What is beautiful is also good", see the first part of the post in this blog.

τι είναι όμορφο είναι επίσης καλό -Part I

A friend shared this image on Facebook the other day and
I thought of it when I discovered the existence of "dreamcatchers".
The only other positive circles in the shape of a ring that
I had noticed in my life before were mandalas
and labyrinths.

Karma, Mandalas, Dreamcatchers & Labyrinths: the Circles of Beauty and Virtuosity

This altarpiece is one of the most important works of art of the Italian
Renaissance by artist Piero della Francesca and commissioned by Duke
Federico da Montefeltro. It is known as the "Brera Altarpiece" (1472).   

"τι είναι όμορφο είναι επίσης καλό" translate "what is beautiful is also good" and is a famous aphorism & concept by the Greek philosopher Plato (428 B.C.-347 B.C.). This sentence makes me think of a circle, also because in the intention of the author what is beautiful is good, what is good is beautiful, therefore in this case it is not questionable what came first: the egg or the chicken. It is a virtuous circle and to me, it looks like a ring. Eggs come à propos regarding beauty (kalòs) and good
(agathòs): in the Renaissance, the egg was the symbol of life & birth as well as rebirth (regeneration & immortality), such as in one of the most important paintings of Italian Renaissance art by Piero della Francesca (1416-1492), the famous "Pala di Brera" (1472, tr. Brera Altarpiece) which takes us back to the myth of Leda and the Swan, where the egg was fertilized by Zeus to give birth to the swan who seduced Leda. In the altarpiece, the egg is inscribed in a shell, the symbol of the beauty of Venus according to classicizing themes, before their translation into Catholic doctrines according to which the egg is the symbol of the chastity of the Virgin Mary, fertilized by the beams of the Holy Spirit. In this perspective, the Virgin Mary would be the new Venus, a symbol of Eternal Beauty.  
There are additional interpretations of the meaning of the egg, the oyster shell, and the Virgin Mary, if we think of the commissioner of the Brera Altarpiece (also known as Montefeltro Altarpiece) we may add more information to this work of art pertaining to the function of dreaming as an abandonment to eternity as witnessed by aristocratic families which were representative of the highest examples of the human ambitions.

The symbol of the Holy Spirit: a white dove with sunbeams (photo by:
Roberta Niccacci from the Parish of Deruta, Italy, detail of a ceramics lunette)

Leda and the Swan copy by Leda Melzi
after a lost painting by Leonardo, 1508-1515, Oil on canvas,
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

Going back to "Leda and the Swan" in this famous painting, here the beauty of Venus and the virtuosity of Leda as a mother come together. Attempts to translate cultural myths into religious doctrines do not give a sufficient contribution to our need for dreaming which has priority over words, thoughts, and deeds. Indeed religion is more pertaining to the world of deeds, as an example, the oyster shell is the symbol of pilgrims because they used the shell as a tool to drink water during their long walks, the shell would allow them to get to the surface water from ponds and brooks. Similarly, for practical usage for those who could not walk to far destinations as pilgrims, labyrinths were created inside churches and the faithful could recreate their spiritual journey by walking in the labyrinth which was the symbol of the voyage to the heavenly city of Jerusalem. Labyrinths are considered as evocative of mandalas as symbols of microcosms because labyrinths also represent a journey from the outer world to the inner sacred center where the divine is found as well as the journey through life which according to the Christian religion will end with celestial and eternal life. The labyrinth of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Chartres, France is the most famous example of such an important religious activity.

Mandala  (मण्डल) in ancient Indian means "circle". 

Originally used as a hypnotic tool, nowadays mandalas in 
the common use is the symbol of microcosms.

In this image a modern mandala with supplementary

colors that create harmony and represent the ideal
interaction among human beings. 

End of Part One. To be continued...with a dedicated post to dreamcatchers, A special Saint's wheel, and wheels of life.

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Important Notice about Licensing
The photographic reproductions in this post are considered to be in the public domain as the copyright term of life of the authors of the works of art is plus 100 years or less.

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Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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Marketing in Revival Times

Mr. Giovanni Buitoni (1891-1979) is one of the greatest entrepreneurs
of all time in Italy. He trusted, invested, and relaunched the ceramics
of Deruta back in the first half of the 20th century by becoming
a partner of one of the major Deruta factories.   

The word "Marketing" comes to mind every time we stumble upon a case story of success. Especially these days, times in which nothing is left to the chance. We think of marketing as the key to success.

In business, projects are carefully studied in terms of costs, investments, and liabilities with business plans that must compel every single entry. Similarly the project's poetry itself - the dream -  is subject to intensive studying as it is a specialty field of marketing experts.

On a separate note, I remember what my mentor has described "Marketing" to me: the study of entrepreneurs' original creations.  As a consequence marketing would be a theorization of practical entrepreneurial innovations that consultants forward to other entrepreneurs as solution keys to specific cases. Indeed one of the mottos my mentor taught me was:  "Chi sa fare fa, chi non sa fare, insegna" (tr. The makers take action. The rest teach it.). This makes perfect sense to understand the role of marketing experts.

"Creativity gives a sense to our life
in the first place. It is the explosion of our
infinite energy, something that must necessarily
be shared with others." R.N.

Regarding examples of original entrepreneurial creations, we may think of Giovanni Buitoni: one of the greatest Italian entrepreneurs of all time. He was originally from Perugia, Italy. His name is linked both to the Buitoni Food Industries as well as the Perugina Chocolate Industries.

In the 1930s Giovanni Buitoni was the first inventor of a catalog of prizes based on picture cards. He enclosed his picture cards to his packages of pasta and chocolate products. Among the prizes for those consumers who collected a full set of picture cards, Deruta dinnerware sets, and a Fiat car.

Giovanni Buitoni moved to the United States in 1939 by opening a Perugina store on Fifth Avenue and a Buitoni Restaurant in the Italian building at the New York World's Fair.

Giovanni Buitoni brought his catalog invention to the United States where his picture cards became very popular. They ended up being published and exchanged in newspapers like stocks and bonds. Buitoni's invention was a great success and a blessing in times of the Great Depression (beginning 1930s-the mid-1940s). 

I received the latest marketing update in Italy through a newsletter today. Marketing experts are using terms such as rebirthing, breathing, acceptance, love. Their ultimate frontier is said to be a workshop entitled: "Alliance Emotion Marketing". Their program is all about new rules in Marketing: 1. united we stand (divided we fall, my addition), 2. emotions as the new hunting ground 3. practical exercises to be repeated according to each specific case. I am glad that marketing experts are taking emotions into consideration. But there is more to it.

Indeed the above marketing subjects: emotions, life, alliance are tightly connected to the concept of "Humanization" which is openly in contrast with "Globalization", as per recent studies of Professor Alberto Donati of the University of Perugia. He is the author of the book: "Globalizzazione e antiumanesimo" published by Aracne Editrice, Roma, 2007 (ISBN: 978-88-548-1364-9 tr. Globalization and anti-humanism). 

Leonardo da Vinci
(1452-1519) 
the greatest inventor
of the Renaissance period
in Italy. Vinci is a town
in the province of Florence. 

"Humanization" and "Humanism" take us back to Italian Renaissance concepts. Thinking of the Renaissance period we wish to mention Leonardo da Vinci, the greatest inventor of the Renaissance time in Italy. For some of us the greatest inventor of all times.

As a tribute to Leonardo, I would like to invite you to admire the reconstruction of Leonardo's face by artist Siegfried Woldhek, who has given me his authorization to use the images below from his dreamcatcher's website.

Inventors and innovators are the true sources of change. Long-life to artists and to entrepreneurs. 

Leonardo da Vinci's true face by artist Siegfried Woldhek,
the dreamcatcher. (usage of the picture is authorized by the author)

Leonardo da Vinci's true bust by artist Siegfried Woldhek, the dreamcatcher.

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- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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