"C" for "CHURCHES"

The Cathedral of Siena, famous for its marble floor, is dedicated to Our Lady
of the Assumption. 

Beginning October I realized why I kept posting images of churches on the Friends of Cama facebook page.

There are a couple of reasons to this selection. In the first place it comes from my personal experience of visiting the Assisi Cathedral on a regular base to admire its art, its silence and peace. It is the closest important church to Deruta. Indeed for three years I spent new years eve in the Cathedral of Assisi. It was one of the best moments in my life. I also like visiting churches when I adiscover new places in Italy. 

The Cathedral of Cascia dedicated to St. Rita, Patron Saint of the Impossible

Secondly churches celebrate ideal relationships among human beings by taking inspiration from models of perfection: saints. Churches are beautiful temples of simple values such as sharing, helping and serving as sacred gifts. 

I wish to extend this concept to shopping and create products and services that will last forever. Sooner or later we will have to talk about shopping. Please kindly let me know when you feel ready for something new on the horizon. I am getting there! 

The Cathedral of Assisi, dedicated to St. Francis, Patron Saint of Italy

This is my sixth post of short  stories entitled "Cake Stands for Cama": stories about my favorites starting with "C".  I hope you enjoyed it!

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Beautiful Brides

'IVLIA BELLA' (tr. Julia the Beautiful)
Lover's Cup, Casteldurante, first half of the XVI th century, private coll. 

In the Renaissance period in Italy gentlemen started the tradition of offering ceramic gifts as a token of  their love and devotion and to celebrate their bethrotal and any important event in the couple's married life. They were called 'Loving Cups': round ceramic plates with the portrait of the bride to be and a flying ribbon with the young lady's name and bella (beautiful) or gentile (kind) inscribed on the ceramic ornament. 

Sometimes the 'Lover's cup' had a painted portrait of the couple. There could also be a written dedication on the ribbon, a saying or a proverb. 

'UN BEL VOLTO VALE PIU' CHE SENO E ROBA' (tr. A beautiful face is worth more
than breast and possessions),  Lover's cup, Casteldurante,
first half of the XVI the century  (Hermitage Museum)

The ceramic lover's cup tradition started in Casteldurante, Italy at the end of the 15th century. Casteldurante was a  famous Renaissance ceramic town located in Le Marche region, known nowadays as Urbania. Soon after this tradition expanded to my ceramic home town, Deruta. 

Ceramicists had ceramic ladies' portrait samples available in their workshops and lover's cups were made upon special orders by additing custom made dedications to the selected model. As simple as that. 

'OGINI TEN [...] IENE CHI PO' (tr. ?)  Lover's cup, Casteldurante, 1530-1540 (Hermitage Museum)

In Deruta and other ceramic towns in Italy the 'Lover's cup' tradition lasted until the 18th century. Lover's cups were commonly known as 'BELLAs plates'. This may be the reason why it was said that men used to come to Deruta to meet their brides. What was the reason for choosing Deruta? After all there are beautiful young ladies everywhere in Italy and in the rest of the world. It must be some kind of heritage of the BELLA plates. This must the reason. It must be it. 

This thought came to my mind when I met my beloved last year in January with about a thirty years delay. I told him that it was not his fault, he was not informed about this Deruta tradition as he originally comes from Northern Italy: he should have driven towards the river Tiber instead of driving the opposite direction. This is what traditions are for, they make life easier. I was lucky to move to Piegaro and find him myself. I am glad it is never too late and time is a state of mind. Places aren't and I feel lucky that Fortune brought me here at last.                                                                                                                                                                          

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NEW! Posts editing

From the Desk of Roberta Niccacci

Re: Proofreading 
Dear Readers, 

A dream of mine is coming true, starting today I will have my personal posts' editor. The reason is that in the first place I wish everybody to enjoy an easy and pleasant reading, secondly it is a rule for authors who are not writing in their mother tongue to have their work proofread. Many thanks for following my blog, your visits are very important to me. Join me on facebook and twitter, I would be very pleased to have you in my international circle of friends! 

Have a great day,

Roberta 

find me on facebook: www.facebook.com/friendsofcama
follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/FriendsofCama

Safe Travels, St. Catherine of Alexandria!

St. Catherine of Alexandria painted by Raphael  (Urbino 1482- Roma 1520)

'St. Catherine of Alexandria', painted by Raphael at the beginning of his career is going to be the Ambassador for Urbino in its bid to become the European Capital City of Culture in 2019.

This work of art will be exhibited at the Italian Culture Institute of New York from October 1st - 28th October. 

St. Catherine of Alexandria was very important in the Renaissance period and we can find paintings of her in museums and churches throughout Italy as she was the Patron Saint of Arts. 

Recently, I have been to Puglia and Liguria and I was impressed to see many paintings of St. Catherine, despite knowing she was a very popular saint in the Renaissance period.  I found a fresco of her in the Cathedral of Ostuni (Brindisi) and a painting in the Cathedral of San Nicolò in Pietra Ligure (Savona) in which she is painted with a piece of breaking wheel and an elephant,  probably with reference to her North African origins.

St. Catherine of Alexandria is mentioned in the Legenda Aurea and it is celebrated every 25^th of November.  In Deruta, St. Catherine is the Patron Saint of the town and of potters.  Therefore on the 25th November every year, all businesses are closed to celebrate the day with many social events. 

St. Catherine of Alexandria in the Cathedral
of Pietra Ligure, Italy is painted with a little elephant
next to her. 

Proofreading by A.S. 

Parmigianino, Mystic Marriage of St.Catherine of Alexandria at the hands of baby Jesus (c. 1527-31)

More posts about St. Catherine of Alexandria in this blog: 

1. http://friendsofcama.blogspot.it/2010/08/november-25th-feast-of-saint-catherine.html

2. http://friendsofcama.blogspot.it/2011/06/deruta-symbols.htm

3. http://friendsofcama.blogspot.it/2011/10/saint-catherine-of-alexandria-favorite.html

                                                                  

4. http://friendsofcama.blogspot.it/2011/12/majolica-of-orvieto-italy.html

5. http://friendsofcama.blogspot.it/2013/07/camas-true-colors.html

6. http://friendsofcama.blogspot.it/2013/08/3-c-stands-for-catherine.html

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"C" for "CANCER"

The horoscope sign of the CANCER in the celestial vault and constellations.
I am very fond of the horoscope sign under which I was born. 
(original drawing of  Alexander Jamieson).

Cosimo I de' Medici was born in June under the Gemini sign. However in paintings, bas-reliefs and frescoes describing his noble personality he prefers the Capricorn sign because it reminds him of when he was elected Duke of Florence in January 1537 and his birthright as a politician.  

The horn of plenty is part of the
Capricorn Mythology 

During Cosimo's time the Capricorn sign was a sign of power. Indeed two important personalities were associated with this sign: Emperor Augustus and Charles V of France.  In addition Capricorn was the birth sign of his famous ancestor Lorenzo de' Medici, known as Lorenzo the Magnificent. 

Horoscope signs in the celestial vault
Image: Museo Galileo Florence, Italy

My first thought was Cancer to be used for this post because it alliterates with my list of short posts starting with "C".  The only thing I could think of is that my horoscope sign reminds me of the start of a beautiful marriage as I am a honey moon baby. Which means a lot to me and later I discovered a connection between Cancer and Capricorn which could be more interesting. In its turn Capricorn came to  mind from the word capra (tr.goat) as the Capricorn is half a goat and half a fish. 

In The Renaissance Capricorn was a symbol of power. 

As a matter of fact Cancer and Capricorn have much in common if we consider astrology as the ancient science of reading the celestial vault as part of life and mutual influences in the universe: heaven and earth, communion of macroworld and microworld. In this perspective Cancer and Capricorn are called respectively north gate and south gate, they are the signs of the summer solstice and the winter solstice.  Furthermore they are part of a process of renewal on which they are inscribed as gates of an egg -symbol of rebirth. In fact they are the opposite! 

This is my fifth post of short  stories entitled "Cake Stands for Cama": stories about my favorites starting with "C".  I hope you enjoyed it!

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"C" for "COLORS"

The symbols of peace (dove) 

and plenty (cat).

Peace is on top of plenty.

Last year I found out something interesting regarding the family crest of an Italian noble family of the area in which I am currently living.  It is important to me because it is related to colors and their meaning.

heraldic dove 

The family crest is divided into two horizontal parts: the upper blue background is on top of the red part, wrapped by a classical gold/yellow ribbon. By looking at the family crest I suddenly felt I could relate to the colors on a personal level: blue for the color of my father's eyes and red for the family's workshop floor at Cama's. 

                                      

The family crest on a fresco surrounded by Renaissance grotesques. 

Heraldic cat
(Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License)

It is thanks to the crest's symbols, the dove and the cat, that I understood the meaning of its colors: blue stands for peace  (a dove carrying an olive sprig), and red stands for abundance (a walking cat with a majestic head).  Indeed the sign of a well-fed cat is indicative of wealth whereas the dove is an international symbol of peace. 

But there is more to it. By studying the relationship between peace and abundance, I also discovered that in mythology peace accompanies plenty, the two allegories are described and painted together. In classical ages, events happened through the action of couples, just like the sparkle of love!

This is my free interpretation of the family crest by looking at it through the eyes of my experience, the colors of my time at Cama, and Renaissance symbolism. I hope you are enjoying my discoveries with me. 

Tiffany Blue or 'Robin's Egg Blue'

One of the pastel shades of red: candy pink

note: I am learning with this post that the American Robin lays blue eggs. This color is called 'Robin's egg blue'. It's better known as Tiffany blue. I love this color! 

This is my fourth post of short stories entitled "Cake Stands for Cama": stories about my favorites starting with "C".  I hope you enjoyed it!

                                                                    

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"C" for "CATHERINE"

The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (c. 1527-31)
by  Italian Artist Parmigianino

In times gone by olive picking in Italy began on November 25th the Feast day of St. Catherine of Alexandria, who is the Patron Saint of Ceramicists, a popular Saint in the Renaissance period.  Although olive picking starts earlier in November nowadays, St. Catherine's is still celebrated - exactly one month before Christmas. 

St. Catherine of Alexandria has been painted in many churches in Italy and by famous artists such as Parmigianino and Raphael. The Saint's symbol is a barbed wheel with which she was originally tortured but saved by angels.

In times gone by olive picking in Italy began on November 25th 
the Feast day of St. Catherine of Alexandria,

St. Catherine of Alexandria in the Renaissance period was considered an inspirational model. Her life is described in the famous "Legenda Aurea" (tr. Golden Legend, a best seller in the Renaissance written by Jacobus de Voragine about the life of Saints) and remembered for her mystical marriage at the hands of baby Jesus. 

Recently I saw paintings and frescoes of St. Catherine of Alexandria in the Cathedral of Saint Nicholaus, Pietra Ligure (Savona) ~ Co-Cathedral of Ostuni (Brindisi) ~ Hospital of the Innocents, Florence ~ 

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This is my third post of short stories entitled "Cake Stands for Cama": stories about my favorites starting with "C".  I hope you enjoyed it! 

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Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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