Set my alarm for 5am but woke up at 4am. Got ready and called for a cab around 6:15am allowing for any problems with it arriving, but it was here 4 minutes after ordering on the app, and I was at the meeting place early. The location was a gas station on Via Guidoni near the airport and across the street from the Guidoni stop on the T2 tram. Our driver was Simone (not the best driver unfortunately, but a nice guy) and in the car were Holly Jackson, and Erminia who put the trip together. The drive was over 2 hours to our first stop which was a cruise on the Po River.
The Po is the longest river in Italy that flows eastward across northern Italy starting from the Cottian Alps for around 400 miles and ends in a delta in the Adriatic Sea near Venice. It is one of the three Mediterranean rivers with the largest water discharge and is subject to heavy flooding. We got on the boat at a flood plain park near a tennis center (clay courts) in Casalmaggiore. It was quite cool (65°) – a huge change from Firenze – and windy on the boat. We were all glad to get off to warm up.
We then drove for lunch to Osteria Valle in Casalmaggiore, a big place filled with many family groups for Sunday. The meal started with prosciutto, then pasta, etc. etc. accompanied by Lambrusco sparkling red wine. The men’s room had a ceramic hole in the ground toilet for #1 – or whatever. Then on to our guided tour – only in Italian – of Sabbioneta. This little town is quite beautiful, but it seemed that no one lives there.
Vespasiano Gonzaga's town, designed according to the Renaissance principles of the Ideal City, included:
We toured sites of palaces, gardens, loggias, and a spectacular room that was 100 meters long, a bit longer than the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. The frescos, ceiling decoration, floors were all gorgeous, but after some hours – and having to rely on Erminia for occasional English translations – I was overwhelmed with all the info.
The kicker is the last stop was the synagogue, and that woke me up. It still has many of the trappings from when it was functioning. It had been renovated in 1824, and the torah scroll was only moved to Jerusalem in 1970. The synagogue is on the top floor of a building that was one of a group of houses inhabited by the Jewish community, and was on the top floor “to comply with religious law that all synagogues must have nothing above them but the sky”. The town is also known for its historic Jewish Ghetto, and in particular for its Hebrew printing-press. In 1551 Tobias Foa set up the press; he had, however, published certain "anti-Christian books" and his career was "forcibly ended".
Then it was back in the car for our long drive home, stopping once at an Eataly on the autostrada for a bite to eat for dinner – I had a ham and cheese sandwich. Finally to my apartment at 10:30.
Photos of the trip: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bwxD6gesh1sXR85C9
The Po is the longest river in Italy that flows eastward across northern Italy starting from the Cottian Alps for around 400 miles and ends in a delta in the Adriatic Sea near Venice. It is one of the three Mediterranean rivers with the largest water discharge and is subject to heavy flooding. We got on the boat at a flood plain park near a tennis center (clay courts) in Casalmaggiore. It was quite cool (65°) – a huge change from Firenze – and windy on the boat. We were all glad to get off to warm up.
We then drove for lunch to Osteria Valle in Casalmaggiore, a big place filled with many family groups for Sunday. The meal started with prosciutto, then pasta, etc. etc. accompanied by Lambrusco sparkling red wine. The men’s room had a ceramic hole in the ground toilet for #1 – or whatever. Then on to our guided tour – only in Italian – of Sabbioneta. This little town is quite beautiful, but it seemed that no one lives there.
Vespasiano Gonzaga's town, designed according to the Renaissance principles of the Ideal City, included:
- The Ducal Palace (now the Town Hall)
- The Teatro all'antica ("Theatre in the style of the Ancients"), designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi
- The Galleria degli Antichi and Palazzo del Giardino: "Gallery of the Ancient" and "Garden Palace" respectively
- Churches of the Assunta and Carmine
- Chiesa della Beata Vergine Incoronata
- The church and the summer palace contain frescoes by artists of the Campi family of Cremona
We toured sites of palaces, gardens, loggias, and a spectacular room that was 100 meters long, a bit longer than the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. The frescos, ceiling decoration, floors were all gorgeous, but after some hours – and having to rely on Erminia for occasional English translations – I was overwhelmed with all the info.
The kicker is the last stop was the synagogue, and that woke me up. It still has many of the trappings from when it was functioning. It had been renovated in 1824, and the torah scroll was only moved to Jerusalem in 1970. The synagogue is on the top floor of a building that was one of a group of houses inhabited by the Jewish community, and was on the top floor “to comply with religious law that all synagogues must have nothing above them but the sky”. The town is also known for its historic Jewish Ghetto, and in particular for its Hebrew printing-press. In 1551 Tobias Foa set up the press; he had, however, published certain "anti-Christian books" and his career was "forcibly ended".
Then it was back in the car for our long drive home, stopping once at an Eataly on the autostrada for a bite to eat for dinner – I had a ham and cheese sandwich. Finally to my apartment at 10:30.
Photos of the trip: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bwxD6gesh1sXR85C9