Postcard from Benevento

 

This is one of my favorite digital paintings of Italy. Also one of my earlier works. In looking through my past blogs, I realized I never shared this one here. In fact there are other paintings from Italy that have never appeared here, but you will see them in the coming months.

Benevento is a fair sized city of 66,000 people and is located about 30 miles due east of Naples in Southern Italy. But, its roots go back a few thousand years. According to one legend, it was founded right after the Trojan War, long before the rise of the Roman Empire. It has had a few names over the years: originally Maleventum or still earlier Malowent and Maloenton.

In the heyday of the Romans, its name was Beneventium and was an important city along the famous Roman Highway, the Appian Way. Some of that highway has been excavated and can be readily seen near another beautifully preserved Roman monument, the Arch of Trajan.

In 214 BC, it was the site of a famous battle in the Second Punic War against the Carthaginians (the Romans won that one). So as you can imagine, the town is living monument of Roman History…including a magnificent amphitheater used today for theatre, dance, and opera performances.

As I often tend to do, I wandered around town and came upon this street. It was built by the Romans two thousand years ago…another example of the staying power of Roman architecture and construction. 

The arch on the right is obviously Roman, however part of the building in the back was added on to the Roman foundation during the Middle Ages…a not uncommon event all over Europe. Still, the street is charming and made for a quality painting.

It reeks of mystery…such as where the Roman arch leads to and how the street wanders down through another arch. Where does it go? And can you imagine the long history of this street? It almost boggles the mind with possibilities. 

If you are a long-time reader, you know I am in love with most things Italian and Roman. I wish I could spend the rest of my life there exploring the fascinations of that great country and the history of the Roman Empire. But, alas…

PS – My apologies for being absent from these pages for a couple of weeks. I was inundated with house guests and all the turmoil that they bring. Things now are returning to normal and I will get back to my regular schedule.

(To see a larger version of this painting, just click on the image)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com

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