The Amalfi Coast

Before going on vacation I would like to  show you a place to dream about.  There are good reasons to claim that the Amalfi Coast is an unforgettable spot in the world. For example, the breathtaking views:

The rich history:

The lemon trees and the flower roofs:

The amazing interior design of the Convento di Amalfi:

The traditional Pasticceria Andrea Pansa, an Amalfi institution since 1830, with  its delicious pastries and chocolate:

  

Last but not least: Naples and Pompeii are nearby. Naples is a vibrant urban setting and Pompeii's ruins are the most impressive proof of the power of  nature. 

Question for the fashionistas: did you know that Salvatore Ferragamo studied shoemaking in Naples?

The american writer Gore Vidal considered the Villa Cimbrone Gardens  one of the most beautiful places on earth. In the same village, Greta Garbo enjoyed her love affair with the conductor Arturo Toscanini. 

With all its beauty, no wonder that the region is an inspiration to artists. And lovers. 

Marilyn at the Salvatore

When Marilyn sang “Happy Birthday Mr. President” to JFK in 1962,  she was wearing shoes designed by Salvatore Ferragamo. 

The iconic status  had 30 other identically shaped pairs. She wore them in movies, parties and everywhere else she went. 

Now the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum pays homage to Marilyn Monroe with a major exhibition dedicated to her. 

The exhibition connects Marilyn's femininity to fine art. 

Pictures of the her are exposed next to famous art works, as for example, her image with tendrils of hair blowing on a breezy beach beside Botticelli’s famous “The Birth of Venus” from 1484.

You might think it is an audacity to compare the actress to such paintings but after seeing the blond muse with her curvy and half naked-body beside an 18th-century chalk drawing of a sensual nude, I have the feeling, it is not an overstatement.  

It treats Marilyn as an eternal beauty, differently from other exhibitions, where she used to appear merely as a movie star.

“Marilyn” at the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo (until 28.01.2013) Florence, Italy.