Gentlemen Verona

Here are some more information for Gentlemen Verona:

Coffee houses attracted all types of people during the 17th and 18th centuries. Bohemians, slackers, snobs, politicians, luminaries, intellectuals, gentlemen and everyone else from all walks of life frequented the many coffee establishments opened for business in Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love is a great place to revisit, virtually, some of the most famous ones.

The London Coffee House was a very popular one where city business people and maritime merchants gathered to cut deals, bid on city auctions, read newspapers and talk politics. The London Coffee House was located at what was one of Philadelphia's busiest street corners: Front and High Streets, not far from the city's docks. This establishment was also used as a venue for public auctions of sundry merchandise and it was the scene of regular grain and meat selling. Such market selling was operated out of the sheds on High Street across from the coffee house usually at noon. After the market bidding concluded, the crowds would fill this establishment to capacity and you can say it was a very noisy and animated place. Without a doubt, lots and lots of coffee sold each day!

Philadelphia's growth quickly justified the opening of more coffee gathering places, especially to meet the needs of ever more demanding social and mercantile aristocrats. The Merchant's Coffee House, later on known as City Tavern, opened for business and became a favorite gathering place. City Tavern was located on Second Street and offered two front rooms for special meetings of merchants, captains of vessels and gentlemen. In addition, City Tavern also offered rooms for rent, a restaurant, a stable and beverages, including coffee, at reasonable rates.

City Tavern remained, for more than 50 years, the hub of the business community in Philadelphia. Many other taverns, inns, coffee houses, markets and restaurants operated during this time. However, none could compare to the 'allure' that City Tavern offered. Perhaps such special attraction was due to famous personalities such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, JohnAdams and others frequently meeting here.

Coffee houses were centers of revolutionary and intellectual inspiration as a result of the mixed patronage they attracted. Consequently, they became synonymous with sedition and independence. Coffee, like tea, was an expensive commodity and, at one time, had been a beverage for the "well to do" in the Colonies. However, after the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Tea Tax of 1767, there was a general American tea boycott. Coffee consumption benefited from greater social acceptance, higher demand and resulting lower prices that made it more affordable for people to consume this beverage.

Next time you are in Philadelphia, take the time to visit the streets where these famous coffee establishments were once located. Fortunately, Philadelphia protects historical buildings very well. It is possible to relive, virtually speaking, some of the atmosphere and noise that was commonplace at The London Coffee House and at City Tavern. All it really takes to do this is a good cup of gourmet coffee in the historical center of Philadelphia, reading some history and visualizing the way things were.

So, in honor of our Revolutionary war ally, ready for a cup of delicious French Roast Blend gourmet specialty coffee?

Timothy ("Tim") S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him "The Gourmet Coffee Guy."
He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.

Come visit the author's website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com
Also visit: http://www.squidoo.com/coffee-lensography-TheGourmetCoffeeGuy

© Copyright - Timothy S. Collins. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

I Love Touring Italy - Verona

If you are thinking about touring Europe, you should really consider the Veneto region of northern Italy on the Gulf of Venice. Venice is Veneto's best-known city and one of the most popular tourist destinations on earth. But the Veneto region is much, much more than this great city. There are excellent tourist attractions elsewhere, and you won't have to fight the huge crowds. With a little luck you'll avoid tourist traps, and Come Back home with the feeling that you have truly visited Italy. This article examines tourist attractions in the Shakespearean town of Verona, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Be sure to read our companion articles on northern Veneto, southern Veneto, and the university city of Padua.

Verona. I don't know about you, but I never hear this word without thinking of the phrase, Two Gentlemen of Verona, a not particularly well-known Shakespeare play. Verona was the setting of a particularly well-known Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. This city of over a quarter million souls has a long and bloody history. Its residents are proud that on an Easter Monday more than two hundred years ago they drove out the French occupiers. The German writer Goethe and the French writers Stendhal and Valery included Verona in their travel diaries. The Roman emperor Julius Caesar spent a lot of time here, and probably enjoyed many of the sights described next.

Verona has quite a collection of vestiges from its Roman days. We'll start with its Roman amphitheatre, the third largest in Italy. This structure is approximately 400 feet (140 meters) long and 350 feet (110 meters) wide, giving it a seating capacity of about 25,000 spectators in 44 tiers of marble seats. While only fragments of the outer walls remain, its fine interior is virtually intact. This edifice often hosts fairs, theatre, opera and other public events, especially during the summer.

A First Century B.C. Roman theatre was subsequently transformed into a housing site. In the Eighteenth Century the houses were demolished and the site restored. Nearby you'll find the Ponte di Pietra (Stone Bridge), a Roman arch bridge crossing the Adige River, completed in 100 B.C. Retreating German troops destroyed four of the bridge arches in World War II but the bridge was rebuilt in 1957 using original materials.

You should also visit the First Century Arco dei Gavi (Gavi Arch) straddling the Corso Cavour; once the main road into the city. Look for the architect's signature, a rarity for the times. French troops destroyed this arch in 1805, and it was rebuilt only in 1932.

Porta Borsari, an archway at the end of the Corso Porta Borsari street, is the fa?e of a Third Century gate within the original Roman city walls. This street is lined with several Renaissance Palaces. Porta Leoni (Leoni Gate) is all that remains of a First Century B.C. Roman city gate. Parts of it have been incorporated into a wall of a medieval building. Even in those days some people believed in recycling. You can see the remains of the original Roman street and the gateway foundations if you look slightly below the present street level.

The Twelfth Century Romanesque Duomo (Cathedral) was constructed on the site of two Palaeo-Christian churches destroyed by an earthquake much earlier in the century. The site includes an unfinished Sixteenth Century bell tower. Be sure to see the chapel adorned with Titian's Assumption.

Verona's largest church is the Fifteenth Century Sant'Anastasia whose interior is considered one of northern Italy's finest examples of Gothic architecture, and believe me this competition includes many entries. The construction of this magnificent edifice took nearly two hundred years. Among its items of honor are frescoes and hunchback statues that serve to dispense holy water. Some say that touching a hunchback's hump brings good luck. Maybe next time.

San Fermo Maggiore is in reality two churches. The tomblike lower Romanesque church dates from the Eighth Century. The huge Fourteenth Century Gothic upper church is notable for its ceiling festooned with the paintings of four hundred saints. While there are more churches to see in Verona we will next look at castles and palaces.

The Fourteenth Century Castelvecchio (Old Castle) was built on the banks of the Adige River near the Ponte Scaligero (Scaligero Bridge), most likely on the site of a Roman fortress. Built to protect against foreign invaders and popular rebellions, it included a fortified bridge in case the owners had to flee north to join their allies in the Tyrol. Over the years the castle has known many renovations and restorations. Make sure to visit its art museum, specializing in Venetian painters and sculptors.

Those Scaligeris spent a lot of their time in the Palazzo degli Scaligeri, their medieval palace, which today, as then, is closed to the general public. But you can go next door to the Arche Scaligere with its Gothic tombs of selected members of the family.

The Italian Piazza is a meeting place. Verona has some special examples. The Piazza delle Erbe (Herb Square) has been around since the days of the Romans. For ages it was a fruit and vegetable market but now is geared to tourists. It still maintains its medieval look and some of the produce stalls. The Piazza dei Signori (Gentlemen's Square) is Verona's center of activities as it has been for centuries. This square is right next door to the Scaglieri Palace. Those gentlemen didn't believe in commuting.

We can't leave Verona without visiting those star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The Twelfth Century Casi di Giulietta (Juliet's House) long belonged to the Dal Cappello family and since it's not a long way from Cappello to Capulet perhaps... This lovely house even possesses a courtyard balcony. Yes, the house at Via Cappello, 23 probably isn't the real thing, but crowds come to gawk and dream. This could be the place to propose marriage.

What about food? Verona's cuisine features typical dishes of the Po Valley plains: mixed boiled meats, nervetti (calf's foot and veal shank salad), and risotto, often prepared with a healthy douse of Amarone wine. The Piazza delle Erbe still has some fruit and vegetable stalls selling local produce such as radicchio and asparagus. Not only the wine is classified. Verona boasts a classified cheese, Monte Veronese. But who would think that rice is also classified? The Riso Nano Vialone Veronese is a laboratory-developed rice that was first introduced into the area in 1945. It now represents 90% of the local production. Is it better than other rice? Locals obviously think so. I promise that I will taste it on my next trip to Verona.

Let's suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Gnocchi (Small Potato Dumplings). Then try Pastissada de Caval (Horsemeat Stew, often simmered in wine). For dessert indulge yourself with Pandoro di Verona (Verona Butter Cream Cake). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.

We'll conclude with a quick look at Veneto wine. Veneto ranks 3rd among the 20 Italian regions for the area planted in grape vines and for its total annual wine production. About 45% of Veneto wine is red or rose, leaving 55% for white. The region produces 24 DOC wines and 3 DOCG wines, Recioto di Soave, Soave Superiore, and Bardolino Superiore. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Almost 30% of Venetian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation.

Valpolicella DOC is a world famous wine produced north of Verona from several local red grapes. This wine is usually nothing to write home about and often tastes of cooked cherries. But that is hardly the end of the Valpolicella story. Valpolicella Ripasso is made from young Valpolicella wine put into tanks or barrels containing the lees (one could say dregs, but that might give the wrong impression) of a recioto wine (see below). The mixture undergoes a secondary fermentation and becomes a more interesting wine. Valpolicella Recioto is made from passito grapes, those dried on mats for several months. It may be a still wine, a fizzy wine, or a sparkling wine. Valpolicella Recioto is sweet or bittersweet. Amarone DOC is a type of Valpolicella Recioto whose sugar has been completely transformed into alcohol becoming a powerful tasting wine that packs a punch and ages well. What a difference between Amarone and its source wine, Valipolcella.

About the Author

Levi Reiss has authored alone or with a co-author ten computer and Internet books, but to tell the truth, he would really rather just drink fine French, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for the time being he can eat and drink what he wants, in moderation. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his new wine, diet, health, and nutrition website www.wineinyourdiet.com and his global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com.

Anyone know the context of this monologue(The Two Gentlemen of Verona)?

I am learning this monologue for school but unfortunately i have not read the play. If any of you would be so kind as to tell me the context of the monologue i would be really grateful. Thanks

The monologue isn't really part of the story overall; it's a comic digression (and generally considered the funniest part of the play.)

In larger terms, Launce is the comic servant, and in Shakespeare's plays the comic servant is always complaining about how much his life sucks. The gist of the joke is that there's all that terrible stuff going on in his life, but the dog doesn't care. I know that doesn't sound much like a joke, but it works if you deliver it right. I've seen some brilliant actors get huge laughs out of this speech.

The real meat of the joke comes once he starts trying to make a model of his family with his clothes, to explain what's going on, and then makes some funny (and unflattering) comparisons between the shoes and his family. (The "worser sole" is a pun, and the gag about the breath, for example.)

(Watch out for the "Jew" joke in the middle of the monologue. It's making a reference to a stereotype of Jews in Renaissance England as terrible, uncaring people. Were I directing this play I'd cut the line, not so much because it's antisemitic but just because I can't think of a way to make it funny to a modern audience, and while the audience is wondering what to make of the line they're missing the jokes that are actually funny. But if you have to do the monologue as written... well, realize that Shakespeare met almost new Jews, who had been banned from England, so think of them as a stock villain with no connection to actual Jewish people.)

Try doing the speech with a stuffed dog. The prop gives you some opportunities for laughs.

Busy season set for Cincy Shakespeare
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will be in non-stop production for 2010-11 with nine productions scheduled between July of This Year and next.

Thanks for visiting!