The place we live by Loretta Guastafierro

Campania Region

lorettina75 — 2025-03-22 23:01:49 UTC

Campania region is a warm part of the South of Italy. It’s the place where our city, Torre del Greco is.

Torre del Greco is in the District of Naples

Probaby you all know Naples it’s a city full of life. Very famous for art, passion, espresso coffe and pizza.

Campania is not just a place it is a feeling, a mix of old wonders and new charm.

Picture yourself walking among the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. These old sites destroyed by Mount Vesuvius. Campania is also the beautiful Amalfi Coast region, where the sea shines bright blue and the gentle hills invite you to relax and enjoy nature. Campania brings together history, art, and nature so you can feel both the past and the present. A place full of myths and legends where you will experience joy and wonder!

Torre del Greco’s “Red Gold”

lorettina75 — 2025-03-22 23:06:29 UTC

Torre del Greco is world-famous for working with coral. This material has fascinated people since ancient times and inspired many myths and legends. Coral is unique because it looks a bit like a plant but is as hard as a mineral, and it comes from tiny sea creatures. Because of its beauty, coral has been used for jewelry and decorative items for centuries.

The Legend of Medusa

lorettina75 — 2025-03-22 23:09:40 UTC

One of the oldest legends about coral comes from Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.” According to this myth, coral was born from the blood of Medusa, one of the three Gorgons. In Greek mythology, the Gorgons could turn people to stone with their gaze, but Medusa was the only mortal among them. When the hero Perseus killed her by cutting off her head—covered in snakes—her red blood spilled into the sea. It mixed with seaweed and turned into coral.

The Birth of Coral Art

lorettina75 — 2025-03-22 23:14:44 UTC

The bright red color of coral has long been a symbol of passion and love, which inspired a romantic legend about its craft. Local tradition in Torre del Greco credits a Genoese merchant named Paolo Bartolomeo Martin with starting the art of working with coral. Bartolomeo, who was very skilled at carving coral cameos, came to Torre del Greco seeking his fortune after leaving Marseille because of the French Revolution. One day at the port, he met a local fisherman’s sister. Captivated by her and the magical red coral under the sun, he fell in love and decided to stay in Torre del Greco. There, he began to develop the art of transforming coral, which was originally just gathered by local fishermen, into beautiful works of art.

El lugar en que vivimos

lorettina75 — 2025-05-20 18:37:25 UTC

Torre del Greco tiene una antigua tradición: la del coral y el trabajo de las joyas hechas con coral, sobre todo el de color rojo, que era típico del Mediterráneo.
También tenemos una artesanía que no existe en otros países del mundo: los camafeos, es decir, grabar conchas creando verdaderas obras de arte.