Terraced Landscapes: Choosing the Future - Ischia plays an important part in the III International Meeting
Fifteen speakers from France, China, Germany, Spain, Cyprus, and Italy will meet on the island from the 10th to the 12th October to discuss the state of the art and development policies and recovery of rural and Terraced landscape.
This international event (www. ter racedlandscapes201 6 . i t ) expected between 6th and 15th October is organized by the World Alliance for Terraced Landscapes, especially its Italian Section, the Veneto Region and other institutional partners such as Italy Nostra, CAI (Club Italian Alpine), IUAV and WWF.
On the island in particular organizing the event was curated by the local section of the CAI, and by the PIDA (Ischia International Architecture Award).
Are we all mushroom "foragers"?
The woods on the island of Ischia hold a special charm. Woods of chestnut, majestic oak, of the extremely dark – alternating silver and green holm oaks, and all that Mediterranean maquis of thatch, strawberry trees, myrtles, Pulici, and ferns from the beginning to the end.
Until before the war, the islanders living in the villages and towns (suburbs) higher up were almost exclusive “foragers” of mushrooms. Everyone extremely jealous of his own passed down and personal “places”, passed down from grandfather to son, and more often from grandfather to grandson. The mushroom hunter waits for rain as if it were manna.
My frend the Sperm Whale
The summer mist had a different density but it was beginning to clear. Nicola held fast the tiller and stared at his son who, rocked by the sound of the engine of the small fishing boat, between sea sprays and light breezes, had fallen asleep in the prow near the nets just ten minutes after weighing anchor.
It was not the first time that Salvatore had left the coast with his father but never so early. Nicola had promised him, after his continual insistence every evening before bedtime, that at day light he would be taken to the deep submerged valley known as the Canyon of Cuma between Ischia and Ventotene to observe the sperm whales.
Mysteries of "Torre Guevara"
Despite my century old Ischitan roots, I was unaware of the tower of Sant’Anna. Giorgio Brandi much appreciated the tower and promoted early restorations and prestigious exhibitions organised by the Circolo Sadoul including an exhibition in honour of Arnaldo Pomodoro, one of the most famous and appreciated living sculptors, commemorating 50 years of production, in the grounds of a tower dear to his heart.
As an Ischitan I was surprised, and still am, for the little valuation which has been given to the most important monument of the island (after the Aragonese Castle, which is privately owned).
Museum of the excavations of Santa Restituta
Ischia is a magical land where history, myth and nature intersect continuously until they merge. A privileged destination for nineteenth-century Grand Tour, that cannot be renounced for training program of every European traveller caught and that in all the lands of the Gulf of Naples could be reflected in the stories of the Greek and Latin classics. Not only myth, but also traditional and religious events such as those dedicated in May, to Santa Restituta, African martyr and patron saint of the island of Ischia.
Ischia in celluloid postcards
Ischia island of image, as well as island of image. Some real, some fake, sometimes still postcards. Irresistible. But as often happens in postcards, with risk of straying too far from reality while trying to represent it. What do we mean, then, when we write than seventy years of film locations of Ischia? We would be naive if we believe that, under the brand “Ischia”, hide what was uniformity of views, suggestions or coincidence of concordance atmospheres.
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