Dali Exhibit in Sorrento, Italy

This was my last travel day and I wanted to check out Sorrento.  What I actually did in Sorrento is pretty opposite of what I had expected.  If you followed my last post on Pompeii, then you know that I took the train going to Sorrento and hopped off on Pompeii.  So obviously to get to Sorrento, you just wait till the very last stop on the train.  It took about an hour to get there from the train station.  Very easy though. 


I rated Sorrento high in a lot of categories
Arriving in Sorrento, I expected that I would see similar cliffside villages to the ones in Capri.  And they have that.  But what I didn't realize was that it wasn't available right off of the train station, you had to walk quite a distance or take a bus.  I didn't have too much time to spend in Sorrento before class started so I decided to head towards the shopping area which was only a few blocks from the train station. 


Being that this was towards the end of my trip, I didn't want to spent too much money.  They had some awesome looking clothing and accessory stores.  But I kept walking.  I stopped to take some pictures inside of this gorgeous church.  I really loved the blue and green color combinations and haven't seen those colors in a church yet.






 I walked a little further and happened upon this beautiful Italian villa, called Villa Fiorentino..  I didn't know what it was for but I had to check it out.  I walked inside, and to my surprise, there was a Salvador Dali exhibit going on called Dali Universe. Exhibit meaning, only there for a limited time! Studying Spanish in high school and college, I've learned quite a lot about Dali, so I was excited to see some of his original works.


This isn't the first time I had seen an exhibit of Dali's works.  Years ago, I saw another one with many of his undiscovered painting and drawinsg at an exhibit in Philadelphia.  So what are the odds I'd randomly see another one in Sorrento of all places?  But, the two exhibits I saw were very different.  In Philadelphia it was all about pictures and painting, with a lot of penises and vaginas (mostly penises).  It was a bit disturbing, but overall I appreciate Dali's Surrealist vision.  No matter how old they get, they still somehow appear very modern.  They aren't stuffy and boring.  Even Dali's life is very interesting.  A Spanish born artist, he is skilled not only painting but several mediums including illustrations, sculptures, glass, gold, and even furniture!!!

 
 


If you ever get a chance to read about his life, it is really interesting.  Here are some fun facts:
  • There is controversy surrounding the way he died.  Some people say it was a result of his wife Gala, slowly poisoning him...Ouch. 
  • He was a very flamboyant character especially in the public eye. 
  • He was scared of grasshoppers...
  • "The Persistence of Memory" is his most famous painting (the one with the melting clocks)
  •  He was named after his dead brother
  • His obsession with drawing surreal sexual images probably stems from his his fathers persistence that Dali not contract a disease.
  • "The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot."-Dali
Here are his works in glass.


View of Sorrento outside of the Villa



I am kind of obsessed with this Surrealist furniture set and I wonder what others he has done.  I'll have to look into this.  Doesn't this look like super modern furniture?  I'd love to have this in my home!

Some images of Dali

 
After visiting the exhibit, I had some homemade lasagna for lunch at one of the outdoor cafes.  I stopped in a Gelateria for some limoncello flavored gelato, which was amazing, and of course I had to grab a bottle of limoncello to take home. Perfect day.

Would have loved to take these sunglasses home!

If I had more time in Sorrento, I would have gone to shore and taken a stroll there.  Sorrento a great spot to do some shopping or get some great shots.  And the exhibit was a great surprise.








20 comments :

  1. What a dream to visit such a beautiful place. Thank you for sharing your day.

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  2. How random you came across the exhibit! It's a gorgeous building. The one we went to in Belgium was full of penises too haha.

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    1. Yea the one in Philly was like that and kind of gross.

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  3. What a breathtakingly beautiful exhibit! Looks like you had a dreamy visit filled with amazing architecture and cool tidbits of history :] Love your European life snapshots

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  4. I went to the Dali museum in Paris on Montmartre and loved it! Such spectacular stuff

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    1. Yes, I've heard there a lot of Dali museums scattered around the world. He's not that old, so I guess it makes sense.

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  5. Thanks for sharing these amazing photos!

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  6. This is quite a large exhibit. I've only ever seen a small showing of his drawings and sculptures. Love the irreverence of his work.

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    1. Yea I had never been to an exhibit of his where it was mostly sculptures. Very cool

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  7. HI Brittany, I also love that blue and green combination in the church. Pretty unique color combination for a church.
    Ahh.. the Dali exhibit! Love this man who had so much talent. I know he was into many kind of artistic mediums but I didn't know he designed furniture! I know that he dubbed into films as well and worked with Alfred Hitchcock and Disney to produce and consult with films. Interesting character, that Dali.
    I admire your power to resist good shopping:)

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    1. I know, when I saw the furniture he created I was like omg, how awesome is this? I think I saw on the internet that he made a couch that looks like lips. Pretty cool too. And I've heard that he collaborated on a Disney movie that was banned or something until recently. I'd love to check that out, bet it's pretty trippy. And if I had more money that day I'd have bought those neat lookin sunglasses ;)

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  8. I just got home from a month of travel but our ship didn't stop in Sorrento. Itay was wonderful! Love the blue and green church!

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  9. I love Dali. I got to see a great exhibit of his work when I was in Prague. He definitely was an eccentric, and I think he lived an amazing life. Your lunch looks delicious!

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  10. I love Dali. I was fortunate to see an exhibit of his work when I was in Prague. He definitely was eccentric, and he led a fascinating life. Your lunch looks delicious too!

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    1. An exhibit in Prague? Sounds awesome. My homemade lasagna was amazing!

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  11. Wow, what are the chances! So glad you were able to see this exhibit...
    Thanks for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  12. Nice to meet you, I popped over from Travel Tuesdays. What a stunning exhibition this is!!

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  13. Browsing from Travel Tuesdays! You're photos bring me right to Sorrento! AND oh my goodness the last few pictures of the food/gelato looked amazing. Totally miss Italian food. Korea is deff. lacking in the amazing Italian food department.

    Thanks for sharing!
    Elicia @ lifesajournee.com

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    1. My goodness what I would give for that Limoncello gelato right now!

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I love to hear from readers! Questions and comments welcome. I try to respond to everyone (I respond back to your comments on the comments page so check back for a response). Thanks for reading!

-Brittany Ruth