Wedding Of Sofia Coppola And Thomas Mars: Bernalda

We examined the history of Bernalda, Italy, now let's look at modern day life in the small town where Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars will wed tomorrow. Bernalda was home to Francis Ford Coppola's grandfather, Agostino Coppola, described by local historian, Angelo Tataranno, as a "man who at the beginning of the twentieth century, exactly in 1904, would not resign himself to what seemed like an inevitable fate for many Southern [Italians]." During Agostino's lifetime, the population of Bernalda was devoted to cultivation of the surrounding lands. Despite a mediocre production compared to the high number of inhabitants (around 3,200 at the time), they produced cotton, wool, cereals, and other goods that they sold to Taranto traders. Sheep rearing proliferated and some areas like the Gaudello or Basento rivers were profitable for hunting and fishing. The performance of sheep rearing allowed for rapid development of the Metapontino area that captured the attention of the rich and powerful families of the rural Basilicata bourgeoisie, who upon arriving in this land thought of settling definitively, enlarging their proprieties and undertaking the first reclaimed land works. This was a slow but prolific intervention of territorial requalification, reviving the lushness for which the Metapontino area has always been noted.

The flag of Bernalda, designed by Massimo Ghirardi, symbolizes the fertility and the strength of the region. The three gold stars on the flag represent the title of "city," an honor bestowed on the town of Bernalda in 1735 by King Carlo III di Borbone of Due Sicilie who was impressed by the hospitality of its citizens when he visited en route to his coronation. Also seen on the flag is the white ox carrying three gold spikes in his mouth. The spike is considered the symbol of the economic richness that derives from the fertility of the territory but it was also the sign of Magna Greek which was stamped on their coins.

Tataranno continues, "That Agostino Coppola is a beautiful story. Once [he] arrived in America, as if to mark the road that Francis Ford would take, he was among the first to experience the sound insulation in the cinema. He was a teacher. Just as were his two sons, both musicians, Carmine, Francis Ford's father played for the orchestra conducted by Arturo Toscanini, and Antony, who composed the soundtrack of The Godfather, Part III." Agostino Coppola may have left behind the beauty of Bernalda to seek his fortune in the United States, but his grandson, Francis Ford, has reversed his grandfather's footsteps and returned to Italy, becoming a recognized presence in Bernalda.

The economy in Bernalda today is based on agriculture and archeological and bathing tourism that involves the prevalent Metaponto hamlet, with its archeological museum, Greek ruins, lots of bathing establishments, and camping grounds. Adding to this is Coppola's restoration of the Palazzo Margherita which will open as a five star resort and restaurant following the wedding, as well as the purchase of another building in town for development by his cousin, Donato. Tataranno comments on this shift: "What we see here in front of us — the 'kiosk' of the municipal gardens where Francis Ford eats breakfast every morning — for years has been the symbol of power. And I believe it is not just an accident that it got into the hands of Francis Coppola and Donato. Because the former is the heir to one of the many citizens of Bernalda who created the first great migration of the twentieth century and the other is the son of one of the communist workers in the fifties, impoverished landowners who rebelled against the plain of Metaponto... I believe that today these two buildings symbolize the social emancipation of their ancestors."

Grazie to Francesca Berti for the background information on Bernalda that she provided for this article.

Sofia Coppola, Thomas Mars, Bernalda, Italy photographs © 2011 Splash and courtesy of dailymail.co.uk, urbanitaly.it, blogs.babble.com, popsugar.com, trialx.com, lapsushumanus.blogspot.com, en.db-city.com, hoteltorrefiore.com, and wikipedia.com. All Rights Reserved.

Wedding Of Sofia Coppola And Thomas Mars: Update

As Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars attend to the final details in preparation for their wedding this Saturday, let's take a moment to catch up on their plans... The couple has chosen to hold a simple civil ceremony in the garden of the renovated jewel of Bernalda, Palazzo Margherita, the Coppola family's newest resort. The mayor of Bernalda, Leonardo Chiruzzi, will officiate at the ceremony. Only 70 guests are invited to the intimate affair and reputedly no Hollywood stars will make an appearance; even Sofia's cousin, Nicolas Cage, is busy working on a film right now. The event will be catered by Al Vecchio Frantoio, a neighboring trattoria with assistance from the women that run the nearby resort Masseria Cardillo. The wedding menu focuses on the traditional foods of the region: grilled meats including gnumeridd (small sausages made of animal interiors), capuzzella (baked head of lamb), fresh cheeses, and other local favorites such as lampascioni, a rare onion. Wines from the Coppola family vineyard in California will be served to guests. Francis Ford Coppola's great nephew, Gaetano Russo, will project scenes from the films of both the bride and her father on the façades of buildings in Bernalda throughout the day of her wedding. To be fair, I hope that Phoenix will be blaring from the speakers somewhere in town... I have added a section entitled "Bernalda" to the photo gallery so please check back often for more photographs and news related to the Coppola/Mars wedding...

Sofia Coppola photographs © 2011 Splash and courtesy of dailymail.co.uk, urbanitaly.it, blogs.babble.com, and popsugar.com. All Rights Reserved.

Coppola And Mars Celebrate Festa Di San Bernardino

Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars are making themselves at home in Bernalda, the town in Southern Italy in which they will be married this Saturday. Last night they joined the residents of Bernalda in celebration of Festa di San Bernardino, the feast of the town's patron saint, and officials honored Sofia with a special presentation. Joining the happy couple were their daughters, Romy and Cosima, and Sofia's father, Francis Ford Coppola, and brother, Roman Coppola. Grazie tante to Francesca Berti for the background information about this special tradition in both Italian and English.

Il giorno in cui viene celebrato San Bernardino da Siena nel calendario Cristiano è il 20 Maggio, giorno in cui a Bernalda si festeggia il santo patrono del paese in tono più spirituale e liturgico. Da anni si è voluto spostare gran parte del programma civile tra la seconda e la terza decade del mese di agosto per permettere ai tanti turisti che affollano il Metapontino di partecipare alla festa. Durante il periodo della festa Corso Umberto viene interamente illuminato da sfarzose illuminazioni che ricoprono la sede centrale stradale, chiusa al traffico, creando un effetto scenografico di invidiabile bellezza. Il giorno più importante è ovviamente l’ultimo, detto anche Giorno della Tradizione. Oltre centomila persone affollano Corso Umberto in attesa della sfilata che vede impegnati sbandieratori, figuranti, balestrieri, cavalieri e gruppi storici provenienti da tutta Italia. All’uscita del Santo dalla Chiesa Madre avviene l’inginocchiamento del vitellino fedele, rievocando un avvenimento storico realmente accaduto. Non sono mancate le polemiche degli animalisti a questa pratica e proprio l’anno scorso sono riusciti, per la prima volta dopo anni, ad evitare al piccolo vitello lattante questo sgarbo. Questo corteo, lungo circa due chilometri, è chiuso dal Carro Trionfale, un’antica carrozza di legno riccamente addobbata sulla quale viene collocata la statua del Santo. Pochi anni fa, anche il noto regista Francis Ford Coppola ha partecipato a questa tradizionale ricorrenza e non ha mancato di filmare la festa con la sua telecamera personale.

The official day on which San Bernardino da Siena is celebrated on the Christian calendar is 20 May, and Bernalda remembers the patron saint of the town in a spiritual and liturgical way. For years the date of the major civil program has been moved to late in August to permit the many tourists in the Metapontino area to participate in the feast. During feast time, Corso Umberto is closed to traffic and completely illuminated with magnificent lights that cover the central part of street, creating a staged effect of enviable beauty. The most important day is, obviously, the last day, called also Giorno della Tradizione (Tradition Day). More than 100,000 people crowd Corso Umberto awaiting the parade of flag wavers, figurants, men with crossbows, knights, and historical groups that come from across Italy. After the exit of the Saint from Chiesa Madre came the kneeling of the faithful calf, a remembrance of an historical fact that really happened. Polemics are not missed by animal rights for this practice and last year they were able, for the first time in years, to avoid subjecting the young calf to this impolite action. The parade, stretching about two kilometers, concludes with Carro Trionfale, an old richly decorated wooden carriage on which is placed the statue of San Bernadino. A few years ago, the legendary director, Francis Ford Coppola, participated in this tradition and he took the opportunity to film the feast with his personal camera.

Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars photographs courtesy of dailymail.co.uk and popsugar.com

Sofia Coppola In Bernalda

Popsugar.com has posted a number of photographs of Sofia Coppola and her family in Bernalda, Italy, as they make the final preparations for her wedding to Thomas Mars this Saturday. Sofia is shown with her two daughters, Romy and Cosima, and her father, Francis Ford Coppola. I wonder what mischief Romy is up to in the photos, she is cute as can be. I don't know about you, but I need to see a photo of Sofia's wedding dress soon...

Sofia Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola, Romy Mars, Cosima Mars photographs © 2011 INFDaily.com via popsugar.com.

Film To Fashion: The Lisbon Sisters

I am excited to introduce a new feature on the site: "Film To Fashion" as conceived by the amazing Dara Block, editor-at-large for Los Angeles. For her first "Film To Fashion" column, Dara explores the influence on fashion of Sofia Coppola's film The Virigin Suicides, illustrating her thoughts with images from the Rodarte and Marc Jacobs collections for Fall/Winter 2010. A thousand thanks, Dara, and may I say that you are the stone fox of writers...

Lately, I have been thinking about the fashion influence of Sofia Coppola's films. I think in every one of her films you can definitely see how style plays a significant part. I remember back in 1999 when I first saw The Virgin Suicides I was completely mesmerized by the dreamlike appearance and the moody tone of the film. Sofia Coppola captured such a vivid and fascinating portrait of youth and lost innocence in 1970s suburbia. There is so much that I admire about this film... the unique visual style, the soundtrack featuring music by the French band, Air, and of course, the costumes. Coppola worked closely with costume designer Nancy Steiner to achieve a look that was straight up 1970s. Steiner referenced Bill Owens' 1973 photo book Suburbia for inspiration and found most of the clothing at thrift shops. The costumes in the film feature lots of delicate, romantic baby-doll dresses, ruffled tops, flat leather wedges, Converse sneakers, and of course, plenty of girlish 1970s style eyelet and lace. I believe each Lisbon sister is fashionable in her own unique and individual way. Personally, I have always admired the style of libertine Lux and angelic Cecilia... their images always resonate in my mind. Interestingly enough, now I am starting to realize what an impact this film has had on some of today's leading fashion designers.... let's take a closer look!

Recently, I was looking back at Rodarte's Fall/Winter 2010 collection and I couldn't help but think of The Virgin Suicides. That season, Kate and Laura Mulleavy were very much inspired by the concept of sleepwalking. Some of the white dresses from that show had such a whimsical, yet ethereal ghost-bride quality to them, almost reminding me of Cecilia Lisbon.... I could easily see her wearing these white gowns.

I love the way the Mulleavy sisters worked with such a soft color palette and how they intricately incorporated lace and pearls with this collecton. If you look closely at the details such as the bold textures with patchwork and the layering of lace it definitely looks so Virgin Suicides.

Perhaps I am also reminded of the Lisbon sisters at prom or maybe even that scene when they are listening to music in nightgowns in their bedroom... I know that the Mulleavys are very much influenced by film, but I still am quite unsure if Coppola's film was the main inspiration. Subconsciously, they must have had this film in the back of their minds.... at any rate, I love the youthful, lost-innocence feeling of these dresses, and perhaps, now you can see The Virgin Suicides effect on this collection!

Oddly enough, it wasn't just the Mulleavy sisters influenced by this film, but also Marc Jacobs. I thought his Fall/Winter 2010 collection had a slight Virgin Suicides feeling, which doesn't really come as a surprise, since Sofia Coppola is Jacob's main muse. There were two looks in particular that made me think of the film... Jacobs designed some long gray skirts... One especially, had a black matching jacket that reminded me so much of the Lisbon sisters at school.

I can definitely see a a 1970s Catholic school girl influence in this collection. In addition, I couldn't help but notice that Jacobs featured some retro, yet, romantic dress shapes that season... also reminding me very much of the Lisbon sisters at prom or even Lux Lisbon at home in her nightgown. I thought Marc Jacobs designed such a dainty and feminine 70s inspired collection... very much embodying The Virgin Suicides.

As you can see, both Rodarte and Marc Jacobs are very much intrigued by the look of the doomed Lisbon sisters. This film is very influential in terms of style. In fact, whenever I think of the film, the first image that comes to mind are those translucent white nightgowns worn by the Lisbons. I truly believe that the costumes play such a vital part in the film, almost like a character. Coppola did an excellent job of recreating that perfect 1970s suburbia look. Her choice of costumes really captures the essence of the story. Through each character's fashion choices, the viewer fully comprehends that sometimes awkward, yet uncomfortable feeling of being a teenager. Perhaps, that weird stage of feeling like a girl and a woman. This is something that I think the Mulleavy sisters and Marc Jacobs understand completely... as they both design clothes for sophisticated women and innocent teens... Somehow, I feel that in the future, many more designers will be inspired by this film for their collections... whether through the costumes, the music, or for the dreamy poetic visual style. Sofia Coppola proves that she is not only a gifted director, but a trendsetter in fashion as well. This is definitely a film that has its own individual look... I guess you could say it's the stone fox of stylish films!

The Virgin Suicides film stills © 2000 Paramount Classics. Marc Jacobs images © 2010 Marc Jacobs. Rodarte images © 2010 Rodarte. All Rights Reserved.