Mona Lisa was a man, says expert

by Elizabeth Seward on

An Italian researcher, Silvano Vinceti, has an opinion about Mona Lisa: she was a he. Vinceti announced today that a male apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci was the real model for the famous painting. Gian Giacomo Caprotti, known as Salai, studied under Leonardo and he was a longtime companion of his. Vinceti speculates that Caprotti may have also been a lover of Leonardo’s. After all, artists’ lovers are often times their muses.

In Vinceti’s release of this news, he makes a point to say that the portrait represents a synthesis of Leonardo’s scientific, artistic, and philosophical beliefs. Leonardo worked on this portrait for several years, at various intervals. Because of this, he was subjected to different influences and inspiration sources. The canvas is also full of hidden symbolic messages and meanings. Caprotti worked with Leonardo for more than two decades beginning in 1490. Although their relationship seems to be definitively ambiguous, many art historians agree with Vinceti and believe that Caprotti was Leonardo’s lover.

And hey, I just want to point out, the letters for the name ‘Lisa’ are found in the name ‘Salai’. Read more on this discovery at ABC. [Thanks, ABC]

Ten destinations to skip in 2011

by Grant Martin on

The new year breeds thousands of new top ten lists. The top places to see from the geniuses at the New York Times. The top best cruises from the cruserati at Frommers. Top bloggers with top status opining on the top new places that you should visit. Hey, we’re guilty of that at Gadling too, but we have to go where the hits lead us.

Fact of the matter is though, you can have a great time in almost any destination. Find the right people, open the right bottle of wine, dig through enough piles of tourists and eventually everyone finds their comfort zone, whether in Wichita or in West Africa.

That said, there are corners of this planet that we, as well-heeled travel writers are just darn tired of. Whether it’s from overexposure from the media or personal experiences, certain places just make our skin crawl, and in 2011, we’re steering clear.

Bear in mind: everyone interprets a destination differently, and your experiences and opinions may be completely out of sync with ours. Take a look at Gadling blogger’s top 10 destinations to skip in 2011, and contrast them with your own in the comments below.10. Calcata, Italy — as told by our sociable and lovable foodmonger, David Farley

Go to Calcata, a medieval hill town near Rome perched on 450-foot cliffs, only if…you like crystal-rubbing Italian hippies, tales of the Holy Foreskin that once had a home in the local church, and smoking hash on the intimate marble-bench-lined square. Go at your own peril. You’ve been warned.

9. Kansas — as told by blogger and cruise extraordinaire Chris Owen:

Basically, there’s really nothing there to see attraction-wise. There’s the biggest ball of twine in the world somewhere there in Central or Western Kansas, I forget which one. Even the people who live there admit this. This is no secret. Off and on over the years promoters have wanted to build a “Land of Oz” theme park that never went anywhere. No interest. Even NASCAR has had limited success. I know, I lived there for half a century and always traveled elsewhere on vacation. Most people who live there do.

Great people live there though. Some of the nicest, most genuine people in America are born and bred in Kansas. They’re a straight-talking bunch who would give you the shirt off their backs once they get to know you. Kansas is a great place live, just not to travel to.

8. Kuta, Bali — as told by urban maestro Jeremy Kressmann:

Take everything good about Bali – its serene temples, idyllic beaches, and mouth-watering food – and chuck it out window, and you’ll have Kuta. Instead replace the scene with packs of drunken tourists, Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurants and an overcrowded trash-strewn beach. By all means, visit Bali, but avoid Kuta at all costs.

7. All things Disney — as told by roving archaeologist, Civil War buff and expat blogger Sean McLachlan:

Where would I skip in 2011? Anything related to Disney. All it has to offer me are long lines, high prices, and movies that distort history and mangle humanity’s oldest legends. Disney debases everything it touches, turning our heritage into a whitewashed, whites-only placebo for that sad, lost, and frustrated group of refugees that is the American consumer class.

6. Waikiki, Hawaii — as told by our favorite McLean, Mclean Robbins

Skip Waikiki. Don’t pass on Hawaii, necessarily, but bypass this much-lauded, mostly overrated strip of hotels piled so closely on top of one another, the beauty of the beach is overpowered by the sheer masses of people who pile their oiled up and newly-married bodies onto it. You’ll see far too many leis, Hawaiian print shirts and Asians in tour groups touting more cameras than your average red carpet lineup. You’ll overpay (for everything from a Coke to your hotel room) and East Coasters will suffer as much jetlag as they would after flying to Europe. But don’t pass on the island chain entirely- opt instead for the less populated North Shore, or islands like Kauai.

5. Nha Trang, Vietnam— as told by urban maestro Jeremy Kressmann:

If beaches and seafood are all you crave, then this Central Vietnamese coastal town is good enough. But the town’s laid-back vibe is increasingly crowded out by mediocre expat bars and sprawl. Instead head to Southern Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island for a taste of some decidedly more low-key sand.

4. Miami, Florida — as told by our sociable and lovable foodmonger, David Farley

I went to Miami a year and a half ago to speak at the Miami Book Fair International. It was my first time in the city and, alas, it didn’t make a very good impression on me. I actually wasn’t prepared for the city, confusing it for a walking city and also putting too much confidence in its public transport system. I ended up having to fork out for taxis every time I wanted to go somewhere that was in a different neighborhood. I did, however, trek up to Little Haiti, hoping to eat some good Haitian. It turned out, though, that decrepit Little Haiti is about one cock fight away from seeming like the real Haiti. There was one restaurant but it looked like it had shut down around the time Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ruling the country. As my wife and I trudged through the dusty streets, men on the side of the road stopped and stared at us. Even though the neighborhood was featured quite prominently in my guidebook (Lonely Planet), I don’t think a lot of non-locals make their way there too often. Which is fine, I guess, but just don’t go hungry.

3. Puhket, Thailand — as told by video captain and tequila master Stephen Greenwood

To me, Phuket feels like the Tijuana of Thailand – packed with loud, garish bars and touts looking to scam innocent vacationers with offers to muay-thai matches and ping pong shows.

There are far better beaches and places to see in Phuket – so skip the crowds and head to the nearby town of Karon instead.

2. The Hamptons, New York — as told by budget czar Alex Robertson Textor

The Hamptons are the Upper East Side teleported to a terribly ritzy stretch of Long Island during the summer. During the season, you’ll find the same exorbitant pricing and annoying people, as well as bumper-to-bumper traffic. If you’re dead set on spending some of your summertime along the Eastern Seaboard, select a quieter corner of Long Island (or elsewhere altogether) and save some money and energy.

1. Cancun, Mexico — as told by jetsetting socialite blogger Annie Scott:

No franks. Unfortunately, when I think of Cancun, I think less of beautiful Mexico and more of drunk Americans in the street. I know it’s perfect for some people, and there’s some great food to be had, for sure, but one of the things I value most about travel is getting an authentic taste of local culture. No offense to Cancun, but if there’s any authentic local culture still there, they’ve managed to shove it under the rug enough that the screaming tourists from around the USA and beyond won’t notice it. I think that’s a shame.

[Flickr images via The James Kendall of Pistoleers and Smart Destinations

Tod’s shoe company to restore Rome’s Colosseum

by Sean McLachlan on

The Colosseum in Rome will get some much-needed repairs thanks to the sponsorship of Tod’s, an Italian luxury shoe manufacturer, the BBC reports.

The restoration will cost about 25 million euros ($34 million). The iconic gladiator arena is right next to a busy road in a polluted city, and a subway line runs close by. Many stones have shifted and require bracing, and the whole things needs a good wash.

Don’t expect to see a dramatic change soon, though. Restoration won’t even begin until the end of 2011 and will take two and a half years to complete. The Colosseum will remain open the entire time, although some parts will almost certainly have to be put off-limits on a temporary basis.

Many of Italy’s monuments are in a sad state of disrepair. The problem received international attention last year when several ancient structures collapsed in Pompeii.

[Photo courtesy user AlexSven via Gadling’s flickr pool]

Caligula’s tomb discovered? Probably not

by Sean McLachlan on

The newswires are on fire with a remarkable discovery–the tomb of the infamous Roman emperor Caligula has been discovered near Rome.

The Guardian reports that Italian police caught a man loading a Roman statue onto the back of a truck at Lake Nemi, where Caligula had a palace. They arrested him and when they examined the statue were amazed to see that the man it depicted wore caligae, a type of half boot popular with Roman soldiers. When Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was a boy, he used to tag along on his father’s military expeditions dressed in a miniature uniform. The soldiers thought this was cute and nicknamed him Caligula, which means “little boots”. The tomb robber led the officers back to the tomb where he found the statue. The police triumphantly announced that they had discovered Caligula’s tomb and the press went wild.

Not so fast, says Cambridge classics professor Mary Beard. In a post for The Times she points out that lots of statues show men wearing caligae. It was the normal footwear for soldiers, after all. She also states that since Caligula was so hated by the powers-that-be and was assassinated, it’s highly unlikely that he was given a fine tomb. More likely he was quietly buried in some unobtrusive spot like many other unpopular emperors.

Yet the story doesn’t end there. Dr. Beard admits she hasn’t seen photos of the statue or the tombs (at time of press they hadn’t been released) and until there’s a full archaeological excavation it’s impossible to say for sure whether the tomb contains the mortal remains of one of Rome’s most notorious emperors.

Caligula has always been the subject of inaccurate reporting. While there’s no doubt that his reign from AD 37 to 41 included many abuses, especially insults against the Senate, many of the charges laid against him are unsubstantiated. Some Roman writers said he slept with his sisters, but there’s no proof of this. Modern writers often say say he appointed his favorite horse as consul, but that’s a misreading of Seutonius, who wrote, “it is also said that he planned to make him [the horse] consul.” That sounds like he’s repeating a rumor.

[Photo of the statue of Caligula courtesy Louis le Grand. It is not the statue the police recently discovered.]

Rome’s Vatican Museums host rare Aboriginal art exhibition

by Laurel Miller on

No one can ever accuse the Vatican of acting impulsively. In 1925, over 300 artworks and relics were sent to Rome by Aboriginal Australians, for a papal show. Since that time, the items have been squirreled away, despite being one of the world’s finest collections of Aboriginal art and artifacts, according to a recent New York Times article.

Fortunately, these treasures are now on public display, thanks in part to Missionary Ethnological Museum curator Father Nicola Mapelli. Last summer, Mapelli flew to Australia and visited Aboriginal communities to request permission to display the collection. His objective was to “reconnect with a living culture, not to create a museum of dead objects.” His goal is accomplished in the exhibition, “Rituals of Life,” which is focused on northern and Western Australian art from the turn of the 20th century. Despite the fairly contemporary theme of the exhibition, Aboriginal culture is the oldest surviving culture on earth, dating back for what is believed to be over 60,000 years.

The items include ochre paintings done on slate, objects and tools used for hunting, fishing, and gathering, a didgeridoo, and carved funeral poles of a type still used by Tiwi Islanders for pukamani ceremonies. The collection also includes items from Oceania, including Papua New Guinea and Easter Island (Rapa Nui).

The collection was originally sent to Rome because it represents the spiritual meaning everyday objects possess in Aboriginal culture (each clan, or group, believes in different dieties that are usually depicted in a tangible form, such as plants or animals). The items were housed, along with other indigenous artifacts from all over the world, and stored at the Missionary Ethnological Museum, which is part of the Vatican Museums.

“Rituals of Life” is the first exhibition following extensive building renovations and art restoration. The museum will continue to reopen in stages, with the Aboriginal art on display through December, 2011.

For an exhibition audio transcript, image gallery, and video feature from ABC Radio National’s “Encounter,” click here. The Australian series “explores the connections between religion and life.”

[Photo credit: Flickr user testpatern]