Spartacus: Here the Gladiator Fought for Life

My husband wanted to visit the Amphitheater of Capua after he watched the American film about Spartacus.
I've just visited some amphitheaters before. That of Pozzuoli, of Pompei. What can I say you? As in most similar places, you know WHAT it is, you understand it. But you don't feel it. Because those are ruins.

Amphitheater of Capua impresses you because it is partially so as it was in the times of it's splendour. Externally and in the undergrounds. Actually, it's the second large amphitheater after Colosseus. And this one was probably built similar to the Capuan amphitheater.

To be precise, it's not the same building where Spartacus fought. This amphitheater was built about 2 centuries later. But this one was built on  the same place.

Vacation on the Beach

Vacations on the beach are favourite relax for many of us. Persons begin to dream sea waves and breeze just when they turn home from there. Some of my friends said me that the sea is not important for them but than confessed they go to the beach for a week or two every year.

Well, important or not, we want to experience the vacation near the seas. Sometimes it's relaxing and nice when there is enough place on the beach and in the sea. But some of us are not so fortunate or want to visit very popular beaches that are so full that you can hardly find place not only to lay but even to stand there. This photo that was sent me by one of my friends was published by Reuters, I think, about a year or two ago.

Is it a relaxing beach experience???

Carthusian Monasteries of Campania, Italy

I've just told you about the Benedictine monastery situating not too far from my home that celebrates it's Millennium this year. This time I'll tell some words about one of the Charterhouses (Carthusian Monasteries) I visited in Naples about a month ago.

The strange name of this monastic orden derives from the name of the mountains in the French Alps (Chartreuse Mountains) where St. Bruno founded his first monastery that had  eremitical and cenobitic life as their rule.

Well, if you visit the monasteries in Campania, Italy, you can deduct that these eremitical and cenobitic life is ...mmm... a little too comfortable. The monasteries are very lavish. They had great communities of persons that served them. The cells are similar to little villas with their 2-3 rooms and personal gardens.

It's the internal garden for the walks of those monks that did not choose the seclusion. The little fenced place is the cemetery where the monks were burried without coffin.

The secluded monks stayed in their "appartments" without seeing anybody. They received their food through the little window in the wall and lighted the candles to show that they are still alive. If the candle was not lighted and the food remeined in the window next day, the monks coould open the door to take and burry the body of their brother.

But these monasteries (those in Campania, that I could visit) are very rich. Maybe, it's because the monks of this order were from very rich noble families and they took good money and treasures with them. It's enough to see this church, for example, if the views of the internal parts were not enough to understand it. I swear, it's a place of incredible and astonish beauty.

:-))) This church was dedicated ONLY for visits of the males. Women were completely excluded. Tthere was a simple little chapel and a very little yard for them from other part of the building of the monastery.