Taking Refuge at the Fondazione Micol Fontana |

I love visiting archives and libraries, yet, in the last few days, things have been rather difficult for too many reasons.

My trip to Rome for a research project that I’m currently following (more about it next year) coincided with the sinister survival of Berlusconi’s government and with an anti-government demo that last Tuesday blocked the streets of the Italian capital.

It was terribly difficult to walk around the city centre as the police blocked off the main roads and was essentially too busy diverting passer-bys and Christmas shoppers and shouting them to walk on the pavements while charging the students demonstrating along Via del Corso.

My refuge for the day was the Fondazione Micol Fontana, a Rome-based organisation that stores the Sorelle Fontana archive and promotes fashion studies among school and university students through workshops and seminars.

I found some wonderful treatures at the Fondazione, among them sketches, costumes and images regarding the Fontana Sisters' collaboration with the world of cinema. A group of students was watching a DVD about the history of fashion, so while doing my research I also had the chance of going over one century of fashion. It was a shame though that Micol, the last surviving member of the Fontana Sisters, who is 97, wasn't there as it was rather cold outside and decided not to visit the office for the day. The secretary told me a funny story about a group of students who recently visited the Foundation: one of them asked Micol what's the secret to become famous and Micol answered: "You must work, work and work!" A wonderful lesson, don't you think so?

Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos

http://www.boxxet.com/my/badgeBN.80.15.js?boxxetId=u23036

Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos

http://www.boxxet.com/my/badgeBN.160.30.js?boxxetId=u23036

Add to Technorati Favorites