The Forge of Vulcan , ca. 1660, Luca Giordano Beneath Etna’s ancient slopes Burned the hidden forge of      Hephaestus, Divine smith of gods...

The Temptation and Fall of Eve , 1808, William Blake For readers planning a visit to New York City, the following exhibitions promise an exc...

El Jaleo , 1882, John Singer Sargent Last week I found myself at a small tapas bar. A carafe of sangría roja rested on the table while the ...

Juan Vásquez de Mella y Fanjul (8 June 1861—26 February 1928) Revolutionary fever may indeed seize the soul and the social body, stirring up...

A European (skull) mount of a buck,  recalling the Buck Moon and the ancient symbolism of renewal Udremo a notte le sue lunghe muggia, udrem...

Photo courtesy of the Grand Ducal House of Tuscany Today, we commemorate the birthday of Her Imperial and Royal Highness Luisa Maria, Grand ...

Marble sculpture of Terpsichore , Muse of Dance, playing a lyre, 1st century A.D., Vatican Museums. Photo by New York Scugnizzo

A forthcoming title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com • The Neapolitan Enlightenment: Science, Medicine, and t...

A new title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com • The Two Sicilies in the Americas by Lucio Militano Publisher: ...

Andrés Segovia (1893-1987) A recent conversation about classical guitar led me back to Andrés Segovia. The discussion began with music, but ...

Graziella , 1879, Jules-Joseph Lefebvre Graziella gave her heart to a young stranger from a distant land. While mending her grandfather’s n...

A new title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com • Kingdom of the Two Sicilies: When the Sicilies Were Two by An...

Santa Maria Maddalena, ora pro nobis On Wednesday evening, a few close friends and I celebrated the Feast of Santa Maria Maddalena. We began...

Pessoa drinking wine in a tavern, 1929 “What we see is not what we see, but what we are.” ~ Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet Fernando P...

Ulysses deriding Polyphemus, 1829, J.M.W. Turner Several friends were genuinely surprised when I told them I had absolutely no interest in s...

A friend recently sent me a photograph of Auguste Rodin’s The Gates of Hell at the Musée Rodin in Paris. While celebrating her birthday abr...

The Penitent Magdalen , ca. 1640, by Georges de la Tour (1593-1652) Beáta Maríæ Magdaléna, quǽsumus, Dómine, suffrágiis adjuvémur: cujus pré...

The Ascension of Mary Magdalene , by Tilman Riemenschneider (1460–1531) Among the many traditions surrounding St. Mary Magdalene, few are as...

July 22, Birthday of S.A.R. Don Sixto Enrique de Borbon and Bourbon Busset (Pau, 1940), Duke of Aranjuez, Standard Bearer of Tradition. Born...

 A chess set, brought back from Naples by my dear friend Burro. More than a souvenir, it remains a cherished reminder of a friendship that h...

New music that may be of interest to our readers. • Alessandro Scarlatti: Cantate Da Camera Vol. 2, performed by Emmanuelle De Negri and Ph...

Congratulations to Spain on a well-deserved 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup Final. As a Napoli club-over-country supporter, and ...