Weekend in Italy

There are still some few days remained to visit the exhibition of Robert Rauschenberg works at Museo Madre in Naples.

Robert Rauschenberg is one of the most important American artists of the 19th Century. Dead last year, his innovative ideas were very close to the pop art. Great experimenter, loved introducing various elements into his painting, mixing techniques from painting to photography, litography and collage. He has worked and displayed in Rome, Florence, Venice (having important awards in the Biennale).

This traveling exhibition reaches one of the most important museums in Naples, after Porto and Monaco. Museum is part of the Campania ArteCard: a special card to visit museums at reduced price, or free, together with public transportation for 3 or 7 days.

Opening hours of the exhibition: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 9 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 12 pm. Closed on Tuesday.

The exhibition ends on January 19th 2009.

After the splendid concert for the new year, other events are coming to Naples for tourists who have chosen this place for a weekend or holidays.

In addition to the celebrations for children for the “Befana” (Epiphany holiday) tomorrow January 6th 2009, the free concert of Eugenio Bennato is in program at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Piazza Mondragone, sponsored by Associazione Taranta Power.

The Epiphany is also the last chance to admire the famous Naples cribs, as the Maiori’s Artistic Crib, in the gardens of Palazzo Mezzacapo a Maiori (Salerno):

Among the events in program for 2009 in Naples, if you are planning a weekend in Naples in February, during the first days of the month don’t miss Riccardo Muti at San Carlo Theater in Naples…there are still some few tickets available! Or the splendid vaulting by Roberto Bolle, still at San Carlo Theater, in Giselle, from February 22nd to 27th 2009.

For the weekend in Naples, we recommend you the three days Campania ArtCard.

If you are looking for a different New Year Day, cultural, we suggest you a few days in Campania, to visit the Royal Palace in Caserta.

The Royal Palace, one of the most famous and impressive in Europe, is open in December too (except Christmas day), and its gorgeous gardens can be visited in the morning too.

This majestic complex, a celebration of Italian Baroque, was ordered by Borbon family, who wanted to create a residence comparable to Versailles. A plain area, at the foot of the Tifanini Mounts, was chosen to get away from the sea staying close to Naples. More than a palace, it was intended as a city. 4.500.000 ducats were spent just to built the Royal Palace. At completion, there are more than 1200 rooms, in a palace which construction took a lot of time: from 1752 to 1780.

To visit:

- the splendid Room of the Throne, where the king received the official delegations, ambassadors and other kings in visit.
- the park, more than 3 km long, with fountains, roads, statues and all the elements of the classic Italian Garden.
- the royal apartments

The Royal Palace in Caserta has been the scenery of many films: from the first films of Star Wars (the prequel) to Mission Impossible, to the Italian fiction Elisa di Rivombrosa and the film from Don Brown’s best seller Angels and Demons.

Two tickets for the Royal Palace in Caserta on December 31st 2008 at 10:30 cost less than 20 euro…