Tinza’s Tiddley-Bits: {postcards from italy-ciao di Napoli}

{boats + Vesuvius}

Hello from Naples!

I’ve spent the last few days in the archives. For those of you who have never done archival research before, it’s a very strange experience. I remember thinking that it would be a constant discovery—every page you’d turn you’d find some hidden gem no one else had published—an undiscovered work by Michelangelo just by turning the page! I soon realised that it was something very different. For one, the writing is often very difficult to read. I remember well my first time ever doing archival research, over 8 years ago now--when I spent my first few weeks in Modena just going over the writing trying to make sense of it. Secondly, archival research is actually often about painstaking days not finding anything…and then piecing together the tiny bits of evidence you do find…or taking down pieces of information that you don’t think are important but that might come in handy in the future. At some points, you just start taking down random things because you feel like you must make some use of your time and all your reading & deciphering!

{a little granita limone today during my break from archival research}

Even worse, is trying to navigate the archive. I spent a few hours yesterday going through the modern inventories, only to come in this morning to find that the buste hadn’t been ordered because no one knew where they were. There were call numbers that were made in the late 20^th century that have now been changed, so you don’t order the number that’s listed but another one…So this morning I came in expecting to find my things waiting for me, only to discover that they were nowhere. When I asked they said they didn’t know…so then I did speak to someone who knew the archives & he went off in search. But that lost me the whole morning…

And then when the materials arrive, they just put them on a shelf, but don’t tell you. So you’re waiting for half an hour, and then you’re not sure whether they’re there, unless you keep checking. Then everyone looks at you because you keep getting up to check!

Today I found that the buste I had ordered weren't delivered to the regular spot, but outside of the study room, somewhere else. thanks for telling me!

But I am enjoying it! When my stuff finally arrived, I managed to look through various customs registers. Fascinating stuff!

When I haven't been in the archive, I've been taking every opportunity just to wander the streets. My favourite thing to do in Naples. On the weekend, I wandered and wandered & wandered... and stopped in a few churches. A gem hidden off the normal trodden path is Sant'Anna dei Lombardi, which is still fairly well preserved and survived most of the bombing that destroyed a lot of Naples in WWII. Here you will find the amazing sculptural work of the da Maiano brothers and the breathtaking tableau by Guido Mazzoni as well as frescoes by none other than the father of Art History, Giorgio Vasari.

A few pics from my iphone--I took more on my canon but those will have to wait until I'm home and I've uploaded them on my imac.