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Shuttle Bus Service Napoli-Lucrino-Miseno

The latest Shuttle Bus service with two routes connecting the Vomero area of central Naples to Miseno and the Lucrino Cumana train station to Capo Miseno will be available until August 31st 2020.
EAV already offers different itineraries throughout the Phlegraean area called “Archeobus”.

SHUTTLE BUS ROUTE
VOMERO (NAPOLI) – MISENO – VOMERO
Departure from Piazza Muzii:
8:00 – 9:00 – 10.00 – 11.00 am

Departure from Miseno:
3:00 – 4:00 – 5:00 – 6:00 pm

ANM Stops: P.zza Muzii – P.zza Arenella – Via Piscicelli – Via Altamura – Via Rossini – Vico Acitillo – Via Gemito – Via Cilea – Via Piave – Viale Traiano – Loggetta – Via Terracina – Tangenziale – Miseno

SHUTTLE BUS ROUTE
LUCRINO (CUMANA TRAIN STATION) – CAPO MISENO – LUCRINO
Daily service hourly from 10:15 am to 7:15 pm
ITINERARY: Miseno – Piscina Mirabilis – Castello di Baia – Baia – Lucrino – Return
One ticket (biglietto unico) will be available from June 27th for return trips valid by bus and train.

PLACES TO VISIT:
MISENO AND MILISCOLA BEACHES, BAIA PORT AND UNDERWATER PARK (PARCO SOMMERSO), THE CASTLE AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM CASTELLO DI BAIA, PARCO ARCHEOLOGICAL TERMALE DI BAIA, VILLA FERRETTI, PISCINA MIRABILIS (BACOLI), BACOLI CENTRE, TOMBA DI AGRIPPINA, CENTO CAMERELLE, DRAGONARA, SACELLO DEGLI AUGUSTALI.

Source ©My Country magazine – July 2020 (page 14)

 

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COVID-19 Face Mask Regional Regulations

Latest on Covid-19 (Campania, Napoli)

Face Mask Regulations
The Campania region declared the obligatory use of protective face masks starting from April 10th 2020.
Well, after two long months these regulations are easing but regarding outdoor use only. In fact, masks are no longer obligatory (but optional) for outdoor use starting from June 22nd 2020. As for wherever social distancing of at least 1 metre proves impossible and for indoor use – such as public transport, shops, supermarkets etc., use will still be necessary until further notice.
Social distancing is still required. Stay Safe!

The epidemiologist Doc. Angelo D’Argenzio recently commented: “I believe as a technician that it would be preferable to continue to use protective face masks even without obligation, to maintain social distancing and avoid any gatherings. This is an appeal to each personal conscience and the respect for others. It will only be when the Campania region results with zero infections for at least two consecutive weeks that we can start the next phase, but cautiously. Cases are still registering throughout the world and so this situation must be faced until we create an effective vaccine. Our behaviour must change until then as Covid-19 has shown an extremely high contagious index and is fully capable of spreading rapidly. We must continue to be carefully aware“.

The regional president Vincenzo De Luca commented as he presented the latest ordinance: Even though it is no longer mandatory to wear masks on the streets caution will still be necessary however in all closed areas.
This does NOT mean we can “party” every day and that it’s all over… De Luca has in fact gained a great number of fans and social followers during these last few months – thanks to his critical, frequently comical but at the same time clearly annoyed comments duringthe Lockdown stage. De Luca was also frequently portrayed as a Superhero!
The Campania region is currently focusing on smart working and the resumption of normal working activities – obviously in compliance with all anti-Covid safety standards.
Changes are also on the way regarding contact/group sports but as for restrictions regarding the so-called “Movida – By Night” situation, the ordinance will be revised on June 30th.

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Lockdown Heroes by Milo Manara

Milo Manara is an artist that has frequently been highlighted by My Country magazine. His latest works are dedicated to “Lockdown Heroes” to produce charity funding to help hospitals situated in Naples, Milan and Padua. The project consisting of 25 illustrations designed by Manara was created in collaboration with Comicon (Comic Festival) and Feltrinelli Comics.

“I cannot say exactly how I started this series of watercolours,” commented Manara, “it was not at all programmed as I simply found myself drawing the first image. I remember the dismay and disbelief of the looming catastrophe that made it impossible to continue my routine work as I just couldn’t concentrate.
It was International Women’s Day – March 8th and I was trying to find an image for the occasion but the emergency news overlapped any inspiration. Doctors and Nurses were facing a virus that they knew nothing of, often without any adequate protection as the wards filled and intensive care facilities proved insufficient. It seemed quite natural after more than fifty years spent celebrating women’s beauty and seduction to also celebrate their other virtues. Together with all health workers many other people continued to work throughout the emergency stages exposing themselves to risk including supermarket cashiers, hospital cleaners, pharmacists and police and military forces amongst others. Giving tribute to women workers at a time like this isn’t just being kind but it means affirming life against death, hope against anguish, beauty against sadness and love against hatred.
Today, we need this even more than ever. I designed them one-by-one to simply thank them… or perhaps even hoping that we will remember them all when this is all over” …

LOCKDOWN HEROES will be on-sale in Bookshops from July 30th and is already available by pre-order.
Lafeltrinelli.it, Ibs.it, shop.comicon.it/milo-manara, Amazon.it, Hoepli.it, Webster.it

 

Source ©My Country magazine – July 2020 (page 5)

 

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Italians Flock to Beaches Hoping Tourists Will Follow

Many have seized the chance to return to the sands, soak up the sun and take a swim. But social distancing? Maybe, maybe not.

GIUGLIANO IN CAMPANIA, Italy – The lifeguard turned his back to the water and looked for danger on the sand. All around him at the beach club west of Naples, children on their stomachs dug moats while adults reclined on beach chairs, catching rays, eating stuffed shells and reconnecting with friends on the first Sunday back at the beach after a monthslong lockdown. Some maintained the new social-distancing restrictions. Some did not.
As the temperatures rise, sun-starved Europeans are desperate to get to the beach and tourism-starved Mediterranean countries are desperate to have them. In Greece, the government is trying to negotiate an “air bridge” from Britain, with promises of 40 bathers per 1,000 square meters and disinfected chairs. The Spanish are trying to convince Germany to send tourists their way, while Baltic Sea resorts, which had a far less severe epidemic than Spain, are trying to poach them.
But it is Italy, which endured one of Europe’s worst outbreaks, that is most counting on the economically restorative powers of its beaches and seas. Tourism accounts for 13 percent of Italy’s gross domestic product, and 40 percent of that is from beach activity. Officials and beach club owners have expressed hope that foreign tourists will spend time and money in their country when the borders reopen in June. But in the meantime, it is the Italians who must pick up the sunbathing slack.
On May 18, the national government, citing the dipping curve ofinfections, allowed Italian regions to reopen beach clubs. Different regions have reacted with varying degrees of caution. Tuscany allowed them to reopen on May 18, Campania on May 23, Lazio on May 29, and Sicily on June 6. But the national government also said that any sharp rise in new infections would prompt another lockdown, and the mayor of one small town in the southern region of Puglia closed the beaches this week after seeing an “invasion” of sunbathers, many, he said, “wearing their masks as necklaces.” Italians have been waiting to get back to the beach for months and have obsessed over their summer prospects essentially since the lockdown began in March.
In the Italian news media, detailed graphics and videos regularly illustrated the possible restrictions and proposed bathing innovations.
There were the rows of plexiglass cubicles – each holding an umbrella and recliners, or entry gates that sprayed disinfectant on bathers like cars entering a carwash, or a village of eco-friendly bamboo and fabric beach huts. (“We were in Mongolia for many years,” the architect explained.) None caught on.
Salvatore Trinchillo, the third-generation owner of the Lido Varca d’Oro club in Giugliano in Campania, said that the plexiglass cubes were only ever promoted by “a guy who makes plexiglass” and would “turn sunbathers into rotisserie chickens.” Instead, Mr. Trinchillo, who is also the vice president of Italy’s union of beach club presidents, opted for more traditional arrangements, with more room between the umbrellas and lounge chairs. The people around the pasta and coffee bars wore masks and those who wanted to eat in the outdoor restaurant had their foreheads scanned with a thermometer.
Campania’s latest measures were adopted once again when Vincenzo De Luca, the governor, perhaps best known during the coronavirus outbreak for threatening to take a “blowtorch” to illegal gatherings and for calling his citizens “doubly imbeciles” for bothering to wear masks but then letting them hang around their necks, decided that infections had gone down enough for beach clubs to open. The region also allowed bathers to remove their masks on the beach, as long as they observed social-distancing measures.
One client described herself as a year-round beach enthusiast.
And she said that after months of going stir crazy in her nearby home, the opening of the beaches and the ability to stare out at the hazy island of Ischia was “a mercy from God.” “We all got fat!” she added, referring to the “quarantine kilos” she said she had put on. Mr. Trinchillo agreed that “everyone is a little chubbier” and said through a mask that he was delighted to finally see people back on the beach. To observe social-distancing measures, he had to reduce his beach-chair capacity to 1,200 from 2,000. He also created broader corridors for people to pass through and spaced his chairs out even more than required by the region.
Yet there remained a dense and vibrant forest of orange umbrellas.
As he took it in, Mr. Trinchillo said more exclusive and expensive beach clubs in the region, such as on the Amalfi Coast or on the island of Capri, spots known for their crystalline waters, coves and rocky cliffs, “were now jealous of us” because they lacked the space for proper distancing and could not open. “Life is bizarre,” he said. At the Lido Varca d’Oro, people didn’t seem so few or far away. A toddler with goggles and a face mask the colors of the Italian flag scampered into the sea, next to a circle of adults with their bare faces pointed up at the sun.
Since Italy eased its lockdown, the country’s mayors have wrestled with crowds drawn to newly reopened bars, but also to its boardwalks and beaches. At the beach on Sunday, policing duties often fell to the club’s staff “I ask people if they are relatives or friends,” said one of the club employees. He said that people were generally behaving then he turned and excused himself. “See over there? I have to go and remind them that assemblies are banned.”
He walked toward the part of the beach where two cousins from Naples were spending the afternoon sun bathing with small children playing in the sand.
“Feel this air, smell the sea, it’s safer out here.. It’s freedom”

Original Text Source: New York Times International Edition
Published: May 27, 2020
Full reportage by: Jason Horowitz

Source © My Country magazine – Naples, Italy  (JULY 2020 PAGE 4)

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Visit Maschio Angioino – Castel Nuovo

Via Vittorio Emanuele III, 80133 Napoli

Maschio Angioino is also known as Castel Nuovo and may be considered as one of the major symbols of Naples, located in front of the busy square Piazza Municipio. This magnificent Medieval-Renaissance Fortress boasts five cylindrical towers, three of which face the city of central Naples and two facing the sea offering breathtaking views.
Construction was ordered by Carlo d’Angiò in 1266 and began in 1279 following a base plan designed by the French architect Pierre de Chaule. The structure was then known as “Castrum Novum” to differentiate from the castles already present in Naples – Castel dell’Ovo and Castel Capuano. The current structure was created during Aragonese domination by the King Alfonso d’Aragona who arrived to Naples in 1443. The single-sided triumphal marble arch dominating the entrance between the two western towers was built in 1470 to commemorate his reign.
The complex includes the Civic Museum Museo Civico di Castel Nuovo situated on the first and second floors; the Chapels Cappella Palatina, Cappella di San Francesco di Paola and Cappella delle Anime del Purgatorio; the Halls Sala dei Baroni, Sala della Loggia and Sala dell’Armeria (Armoury); Prison vaults; Stairways; Dungeons; Frescoes; Paintings and Sculptures. Today the complex hosts various events and top temporary exhibitions programmed throughout the year together with a selection of thematic Guided Tours – really worth a visit!
Entrance to the Museum is currently allowed by reservation only with 7 turns of max. 30 visitors entering at 8.30 am, 10 am, 11.30 am 1 pm, 2.30 pm, 4 pm and 5 pm.

GETTING THERE:
BY BUS – Several Lines stop at Piazza Municipio or nearby Via Medina from the central Station of Piazza Garibaldi.
BY METRO – Line 1 Exit Municipio (situated on the right side of the castle)
The exhibition “Spiritus Mundi” displays over 50 sculptures created by two artists Hermann Josef Runggaldier and Mario Ciaramella within the suggestive Chapel of Maschio Angioino Cappella Palatina. Exhibition opening times – Mondays to Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm. Entrance is without charge. The exhibition is curated by Marco Izzolino and Carla Travierso, created and produced by Andrea Aragosa with Black Tarantella (www.blacktarantella.com) The Museum Museo Civico di Castel Nuovo is open Mondays to Saturdays from 8:30 am to 7 pm with a ticket fee of € 6.

Source ©My Country magazine – July 2020 (page 12)

 

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Clocks Spring Forward DST DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

Time change in Italy 29 March 2020, 02.00 One-hour Forward. The EU summertime and the Daylight Saving Time (DST) was regularly standardised in 1996 by the European Union to run forward by one-hour on the last Sunday in March and back onehour on the last Sunday in October. Apart from various trials including Double Summer Time during the Second World War and the British Summer Time GMT + 1 hour in the late 1960’s – the current clock-changing system has been in place since 1972.
The idea is believed to have begun in 1907 with a publication entitled “The Waste of Daylight” written by William Willet – who sadly died in 1915, just one year before his plan was adopted in Germany and then by the United Kingdom. The “Summer Time Act of 1916” was quickly passed by Parliament and the first day of British Summer Time on May 21st 1916 was widely reported by the press. In those years the hands on most clocks could not be turned back without breaking the mechanisms.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) starts this year on Sunday, March 29th when clocks are turned forward 1 hour from 2:00 AM to 3:00 AM

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Palazzo Reale Giardini Pensili

Palazzo Reale Giardini Pensili

Garden Guided Tours
CoopCulture Guided Tours “Passeggiata con vista sul Golfo. Il giardino pensile di Palazzo Reale” include a brief introduction to the history of the Palace and of the Garden.
WHEN – Saturdays and Sundays 11.00 am – 11.45 am – 12.30 pm. Tours last approx. 40 minutes with max. 30 visitors each tour.

HOW – Purchase Tour tickets directly up-to 15 minutes before each tour (due to availabilty) or call to book: CoopCulture 848 800 288 or +39 06 39967050 from mobiles or outside Italy
WHERE – The Royal Palace of Naples Palazzo Reale di Napoli is situated in the main square Piazza Plebiscito – just a short walking distance from the central Montesanto train station.

The Royal Palace Palazzo Reale di Napoli is open daily except Wednesdays from 9 am to 8 pm.
Last admission is by 7 pm. Audioguides are available (€ 4.00)
Entrance Fees: Standard € 6.00,
Reduced € 3.00, Ages from 18 to 25 € 2.00, Free for Under 18’s.

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MURAT AND PALAZZO REALE DI NAPOLI

Murat – from humble origins to the King of Naples

So, who was Joachim Murat?
Murat was born from humble origins in southwest France – La Bastide-Fortunière (known as Labastide-Murat today) on March 25th 1767. Considered as “The great military man” it was obviously thanks to his so-called “bravery” that he steadily climbed the military ladder. Murat commanded the cavalry of the French Egyptian expedition of 1798 and became Marshal and “First Horseman of Europe” in May 1804, participating in all of Napoleon’s campaigns including Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau and Borodino (1812).

Murat was considered as a brave soldier by Napoleon even though often too impulsive. He married Napoleon’s youngest sister Caroline Bonaparte after returning from Egypt in 1800 bearing four children – Achilles, Laetizia, Lucien and Louise, and became prince during March 1806 – before arriving to Naples. Napoleon nominated Murat as King of Naples after ousting the Bourbons two years later in 1808. Murat was noted as a charismatic cavalry officer but also as “The Dandy King” thanks to his flamboyant style of dressing.

But what did Murat – the new sovereign actually do to win favour of the population and take place as one of the statues at the entrance of the Royal Palace Palazzo Reale di Napoli?
Well, apart from generally giving priority to the populations most critical conditions and attempting to raise the kingdom’s economy, Murat also tried to restore the public debt, forgave the “deserters” and abolished executions. After the foundation of the Banco delle due Sicilie he not only declared that his own expenses would not influence state income but confiscated all ecclesiastical property. These confiscations clearly did not prove popular at all to the clergy – and things did not improve when he introduced the Napoleonic Code which included the legalisation of divorce for the first time in Italy. Murat also dealt with education involving engineering, bibliography, professorships and public works.

As Murat became more and more “Neapolitan” and the kingdom was less tied to France, Napoleon continued his project. Murat signed the pact of alliance with Austria after fighting for Napoleon in the last battles of Dresden and Leipzig but was convinced to keep the Neapolitan crown. During March 1815 he invaded the papal state fighting against the Austrian army who had the upper hand. Murat was defeated and the Bourbons returned to the throne. Murat dreamt not only the Kingdom of Naples but Italy – asking the entire population to turn against foreign power to then issue the proclamation of Rimini.
A number of his troops convinced him to organize another expedition to regain control of Naples – leaving Ajaccio in September 1815 – expected to land in Salerno, Napoli.
It is believed that bad weather conditions forced him and the expedition to land at the port of Pizzo – situated on the Calabrian Coast. As one of his battalions landed, they handed him over to the Bourbon Gendarmerie who sentenced him to death for treason. His former allies whom he had deserted campaigned for his arrest in Calabria. The dominant castle of Pizzo was where he was imprisoned and then shot – after his last proud words: «Soldats! Faites votre devoir! Droit au coeur mais épargne le visage. Feu!» “Soldiers! Do your duty! Straight to the heart but spare the face. Fire!”

PALAZZO REALE DI NAPOLI My Country magazine recently highlighted the Royal Palace Palazzo Reale di Napoli. It’s a pleasure to take another visit to the Palace, with the magnificent series of statues and of course its garden – Giardino Pensile (pictured right). The National Library was transferred here by 1925, but was damaged due to WWII bombings and the subsequent military occupation. The external statues dominating the western side of the palace facing Piazza del Plebiscito portray the rulers of the Kingdom of Naples dating from the 10th-century and are positioned in chronological order (see this month’s cover page). The Palace was enriched by Murat and his wife Caroline Bonaparte with rich Neoclassic decor and furnishings during the Napoleonic occupation. It is notable that no statue along the façade of Palazzo Reale refers to the Bourbon reign – not even Carlo di Borbone, engraved as Carlo III – Charles III the King of Spain. During the 17th-century the Garden, originally named “Giardino del Belvedere” was enriched and expanded including a large terrace by the wish of Carlo di Borbone, who arrived to Naples in 1734. Known as the “Giardino Pensile a Palazzo Reale” today, the Garden has recently re-opened to the public following reconstruction works, also offering a fantastic view of the unique Gulf – Golfo di Napoli.

 

Source ©My Country magazine – March 2020 (pages 8-9)

 

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March 25th – Dantedì

The Italian Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Dario Franceschini recently announced the approval of the directive regarding March 25th as a National Day dedicated to the genial poet Dante Alighieri – entitled Dantedì.
Many events will involve scholars, students, cultural institutions and associations. More than 400 major events and numerous exhibitions are being programmed for next year’s 2021 national celebrations marking 700 years from Dante’s death, dated September 14th.
Minister Dario Franceschini commented that “Dante will be celebrated annually on March 25th – the day recognised as the start of the journey into afterlife as described in the Divine Comedy – Divina Commedia. Dante is the unity of Italy. He represents the Italian language and the very idea of our country“

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EU STATES CONSIDER ABOLISHING DST

The European Parliament voted in favour of backing the EU Committee draft directive to stop the one-hour clock change in the European Union last March 2019. DST proved unpopular in the EU by a 2018 public survey, with more than 80% of 4.6 million respondents voting to put an end to seasonal clock changes.
Soon after, the European Commission issued a draft directive to permanently scrap DST in the EU by April 1st, 2019 – no joke!
The original draft proposed that the last EU-wide clock change would be setting clocks forward one hour on Sunday, March 31, 2019. In the meantime, each Member State should have decided whether to remain permanently on “summer time” or to change their clocks back one final time to permanent standard time on Sunday, October 27, 2019.
However, basing an EU legislative change merely on a popular vote caused several Member States to raise timely concerns. The initial plan proved to be too ambitious as several EU Member States called for more time before putting an end to the practice. The main issue voiced in the draft compromised the proposal that the April 1st 2019 deadline was “too ambitious”.
A number of EU Member States called for more time and impacted assessments to be conducted before putting an end to setting clocks back and forth for Daylight Saving Time (DST). In the compromise, this deadline has been pushed two
years ahead, to April 1st 2021. The aim is still to end DST by repealing Directive 2000/84/EC.