MANDORLA: an Italian Art Renaissance Curiosity

Pietro Perugino (Italian painter, 1446–1524), Virgin and Child in a Mandorla with Cherubim
c  1480- 1500 National Gallery, London 

MANDORLA is the second Italian art history word I run into based on my art discussions with my friend Rosemary. 

Mandorla is an Italian word that we lent to the English language as is. Same as LOGGIA that describes a typical Renaissance architectural patio attached to a church (like in the Spoleto's cathedral) or a belltower (like in Venice) or to a palace such as in Siena (seen in the Piazza del Campo). Therefore when we say 'Loggia' we know what we mean without translating it. Loggia is the first word I shared with Rosemary upon our art armchair traveling on Facebook. 

The same popularity should apply to the word MANDOLA,  however, this latter is less known than Loggia. So we have to translate it to be understood. Translating the word "Mandorla" is easy to do though. It is only one step away. 'Mandola' means almond. In art history terms 'Mandorla' is also known as "almond-shaped aureole". Here is a Mandola longer description from the National Gallery's glossary: 

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Mandorla

Mandorla is the Italian word for almond. In painting or sculpture, the term is used to describe the almond-shaped enclosure which is sometimes depicted around Christ or the Virgin Mary. For example, the Virgin and Child are represented in a Mandorla in Crivelli's version of 'The Vision of the Blessed Gabriele', and 'The Trinity' is represented within one in Barnaba da Modena's panel.

Mandorlas are most often depicted in the context of Christ's Ascension and the Virgin's Assumption.

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I have seen several Mandorlas in Italian paintings in the churches I have visited these past years. There are several descriptions about the origins of such an almond-shaped aureole coming both from mythology as well as from the Christian tradition. Among all theories, the one I prefer is that the almond is linked to the almond tree and to fertility. 

The traditional almond candies from Sulmona, Italy - We call them CONFETTI

That was indeed the first thing that came to my mind: the almond candies we use in Italy for weddings share the same origin as the Mandola in religious paintings! 

As a memory of a wedding or special celebrations such as baptism and graduation in Italy, we give guests a favor containing 5 almond candies as a sign of prosperity. 

The most important production place of almond candies in Italy is SULMONA in the Abruzzi region. It is where the candy tradition started in Italy. I was in Sulmona for the first time in 2000 and I liked Sulmona very much. There are all sorts of almond candies there, anything you can think of. In Sulmona, producers have highly specialized in the field of almond candies and they are still the best in Italy. 

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Renaissance Art Curiosities in Times of Rebirth 

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THE MOON IS BACK AT LAST

Celestial Vault, Palazzo Farnese, Caprarola, Italy 

Buongiorno from Arizona! I'm finally back with my blog's posts. I'm feeling so happy! Posts are my litmus test that inspiration is with me once again. It's definitely important for me not to stop my creative experience. Stopping means extra work to go back to where I was. That is so true. It took me a couple of months to get back on track. My last post goes back to a couple of months ago. 

Today the moon enters the friend sign of
the Scorpio.  This is so encouraging today.
Anything postive helps out!

This morning I ran into my horoscope of the day. It said that the moon has entered today the friend sign of the Scorpio and that this will bring new energies to my sign, the Cancer. I admit horoscopes nowadays cannot be considered as a  reliable source of information, however how can't we admit that the moon has an influence on people? A baby is born after nine lunar months, oceans and waters are influences by the moon, artists are inspired by the moon. It has much to do with water for the part that relates to our body. Aren't we made of water after all? It has to do with our life's origin as our emotions are concerned. We were born in water. It gives us much confidence. 

Regarding the importance of horoscope signs and planets in our lives, my mind goes to the concept of zodiac signs in Renaissance times. 

By visiting Renaissance residences such as Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, we will notice that horoscope signs are beautifully painted in many frescoes and portraits. 

In the Renaissance period horoscope signs were important. The zodiac was part of people's lives. Horoscope signs were a representation of the celestial vault divided in constellations. It was a poetical way to deviate the attention from ourselves to something universal and definitely more elevated. Nowadays we talk about mirror neurons. It looks like a scientific translation of such a concept of mirroring. We will probably end up discovering that our life experience is all a matter of mirrors, in which we see models that talk about ourselves. How about that?  

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Renaissance curiosities.

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'C' FOR 'CITY CLAIMS'

Diet Coke Is Targeting San Francisco Techies With Tone Deaf Ads 

Upon my arrival to San Francisco I felt that the city was talking to me with a beautiful voice. Nothing had changed for me from twenty years before when I had visited the city the first time.  Things were even better as everything around me started sending written messages through witty, up-to-date campaigns. 

The first day I took the bus it kindly told me to 'hold on'. A few days later an ad on a large screen on the way home said 'there are no wrong turns'. I switch on the tv and they give me addresses of companies helping start-ups get going. 

Last but not least a sign said that it's never too late to be kind. That I certainly need a reminder for as it is the most difficult thing to do. However the most fascinating of all claims is the Coca-Cola ad, that goes like this: 

YOU MOVED TO 

San Francisco is the Renaissance city of modern times.
There are plenty of opportunities. It gives everybody a
second chance. 

SAN FRANCISCO
WITH AN IDEA
FOR A START-UP,
A NAME FOR A START-UP
AND ZERO MONEY 
FOR A START-UP.
YOU ARE ON
DIET COKE 

As of yesterday this ad was still around in the city especially in the area of the Temporary Transbay Terminal and along Market street. I love to live the moment with everybody around me fostering and playing along for making something happen.  

I love San Francisco. I love Renaissance cities! I love running with other people who are enjoying what they are doing. Making their art part of their lives. Giving their best for binging innovation. That's why in San Francisco I feel I am on! 

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This is my second edition  of short  stories entitled "Cake Stands for Cama": stories about my favorites starting with the letter "C". 

SMART MOVE

A toad was sitting on my desk in my house
in Piegaro, Italy 

Three years ago I moved to Piegaro, Italy, a small village perched on a hill on the border between Umbria and Tuscany. The province of Siena is about ten minutes by car. Destiny brought me there. I wanted to breathe fresh air. Feel free. I needed some time to rest, research and meet new people. 

So I asked all my friends who had a home for me to stay in. One of my best friends had a home a little far from Deruta. A home he had never rented to anybody before. It was in Piegaro and at the entrance of town. It was the original village toll house.  

I spent the first days without any electricity. However this was a good reason to go out especially at night and discover what the village had to offer. I knew Piegaro for two things: their glass factory and an American lady who lived there. I had known this from Slow Travel. 

Later on I found out that people in Piegaro were fond of this lady as she had made the difference a few years before. She had remodeled the ancient glass factory behind the town hall. She had started bringing travelers to Piegaro from all over the world.  

The portrait my niece did of me when she visited me in Piegaro for the first time.

The first thing I discovered is that the piegarese were extremely curious about what I was doing there. So I said I was doing something on the internet. At that time this blog is everything I had brought with me from Deruta. I had no idea what I would have been doing there. 

I was by myself in a home in a new place. What could I do? I was really missing my interactions with real people, with the Cama customers, my life in the ceramic workshop: answering the phone, replying to emails, assisting shoppers, getting ready for my sales trips. 

However I did not desist. I started creating something new from scratch... 

Follow my story. The Friends of Cama story is not only about a ceramic workshop's revival. The Friends of Cama came as a package with a life change included. The Friends of Cama experience was about to change my life. 

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HOME SWEET HOME

The word "sweet" translates in Italian with "dolce" as an adjective
and a noun, which means "dessert" and "cake": "dolce della sposa"
means "wedding cake". 

WONDERFUL BREAKING NEWS FOR CAMA DERUTA!

The coincidence of the number of letters in one of the most popular English sayings such as "Home Sweet Home" with its Italian translation "Casa Dolce Casa" (and reverse) is just striking: a total of thirteen letters and 13 is the luckiest number in Italy with the exact number of letters in the same words in both languages: 4+5+4!
 
Maybe the reason for 13 being a lucky number is that at one time the most popular state lottery in Italy was named "Totocalcio" where the goal was to guess 13 soccer results. Therefore there was the exclamation that still goes around in Italy: "I have scored thirteen!" which means that you had great success in your private life, in your social life, in a small or big wish and so on beyond winning a sum of pecuniary disposables.

Additionally, the word "sweet" in Italian is both an adjective (tr."dolce") as it is used in this expression and a noun (tr. "dolce") which means "dessert" and "cake". This is the reason why the word "HOME" makes me think now of a big PARTY CAKE to celebrate with!

A ceramics wedding plate with noble weds and their
crests on each side (credit: Ceramics Museum of Deruta)

In my case it is not a home in general, it is about the home of my ancestors for generations, it is my family home!

Therefore based on the most recent evolution of the story of Cama and with reference to this saying, to the number 13 and to the party cake, I think of myself as a lottery winner. Why? Perché? Because after dreaming, searching, asking, offering, stimulating, making projects of merging into other workshops in Deruta, which I have filed as my unshared dreams (one of the most difficult things to do in life is sharing someone else's dreams which at the end is one of the most rewarding actions in life), my parents decided to resume their artistry in ceramics in the small warehouse next to our family home.

What a great opportunity is disclosing to them, in the building that was intended to be the retail store of Cama Deruta when at the end of the 1960s the E-45 was built and the original project was contemplating a much larger exit for "Deruta Centro" (tr. "downtown Deruta"), compared to what it is now with its low underpass and the small roundabout!

As a consequence of the changes to the original project of the "superstrada" (Tr.motorway), this building was left unfinished and the retail store was never opened. One more reason to give this place its moment of glory! My parents will be happy to welcome the Friends of Cama visiting Deruta as their first stop, if they wish they can leave their dogs in the small garden behind the warehouse with our dogs, little by little we can arrange something nice together (a kitchen is also available besides a large lady's room, which is most welcome after a long trip), as if you were home!

The Canticle of The Creatures of Saint Francis of Assisi on a trompe-l'oeil ceramics
plaque on the back of one of the gratitude aedicules of Deruta
"He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands
and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head
and his heart is an artist" - Saint Francis of Assisi

So yesterday was just a great day, the first step to the dream of resuming the art, my mother and I we ordered for her a small kiln which we are planning to use for special occasions for beautiful unique ceramics pieces. The kiln will be custom made and will be ready in about fifteen days, in the meantime, we are getting ready to arrange the welcoming area of this unveiling space. This is what I wanted to share with you today as an update to the happy ending story of Cama Deruta. I am so happy today, I would like to embrace the world!

By the way, what shall we call this special space? Ideas are welcome, thank you very much in advance. And thank you for believing in art, beauty and values as much as we do, I am very grateful and glad to stroll with you arm in arm, our languages match perfectly on this saying, you are most welcome to our home!

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

"Andare a braccetto" (tr. hand in hand, arm in arm) is an expression in Italian which means "to get along", "to be on the same page", "to share the same vision" also used for culinary expressions when two ingredients match perfectly.

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- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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