Monthly Archives: December 2011

The year is finally ending and I think the best way to say goodbye to it is with a final showpiece, which in my vocabulary means an eccentric and surreal accessory, possibly a necklace, made recycling things that may be … Continue reading →

The year 2011 is slowly drawing to an end, so it's metaphorically "dying". It seems therefore very apt to embed in this post an extract of a video showing a recording of a Romanian bocet (funeral lament). I filmed it … Continue reading →

The Mănăstirea Stavropoleos, or Stavropoleos Monastery, also known simply as Biserica Stavropoleos (Stavropoleos Church) is a beautiful building located in the oldest part of Bucharest. The name of the church comes from the Greek word "Stauropolis", that is "The city … Continue reading →

Pompeii remains one of my favourite archaeological sites in Italy. Buried with its inhabitants under ash, dust and pebbles by an eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D., the city is one of Italy’s most famous sites, visited by million of … Continue reading →

This post is directly connected to the previous one about the details of two costumes at Bucharest's Muzeul Taranului Roman (the Romanian Peasant Museum).  Opened in 1990, located in a building inspired by the old Brancovan tradition and designed by … Continue reading →

A few days ago, while rambling around Bucharest I stumbled upon a group of Colindatori (carollers), Roma musicians who play around the neighborhoods before Christmas. Usually they have a singer, musicians and a "Capra", or goat (a symbol of fecundity), … Continue reading →

One of my favourite Italian illustrator, caricaturist, costume and set designer is Umberto Brunelleschi (1879-1949). Born in Italy, Brunelleschi moved to Paris at the beginning of the 1900s. A refined artist and collaborator of famous fashion journals such as Journal … Continue reading →

Yesterday I briefly looked at Art Nouveau influences in Bucharest's architecture, so I'm continuing the thread today by posting this image of a decorative panel portraying Spring (1901) painted by Ștefan Luchian (1868-1917) on display at Bucharest's Muzeul Naţional de … Continue reading →

In the last few posts I briefly looked at Art Deco in Bucharest, but one of the most beautiful buildings in the city remains the Cantacuzino Palace that currently hosts the George Enescu National Museum. The palace, featuring an elegantly … Continue reading →

I'm continuing today the Art Deco thread by posting here a view of Royal Street with the Stănescu (left) and Union (right – please note the ziggurat on its top) hotels, two buildings located at the intersection between Ion Câmpineanu Street … Continue reading →