BIZZARRO BAZAR COLLECTION
The latin word mirabilia, from which the word marvellous derives, had a double meaning. On one hand, it referred to the medieval precursors of modern tourists guides: these were incunabula presenting the pilgrim or the traveller with all the beauties of the city he was about to visit.
On the other hand, in XVIII century wunderkammern, the term was used to describe all those extraordinary objects created by Nature (naturalia) or by man (artificialia).
The two purposes of the Bizzarro Bazar Collection are similar: to appraise and explore some “hidden” wonders of the Italian peninsula, while stimulating consideration of the italian anthropological and cultural heritage; and to convey, through Carlo Vannini’s amazing photographs, the sense of awe and enchantment one can feel by entering a wunderkammer.
The Eternal Vigil
Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo
De Profundis
The Fontanelle Cemetery in Naples
Mors Pretiosa
Italian Religious Ossuaries
His Anatomical Majesty
Museo Morgagni di Padova
The Petrifier
The Paolo Gorini Anatomical Collection
MIRABILIA COLLECTION
Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.
(Kurt Vonnegut)
Every city is a “chamber of wonders”.
Every city has a hidden face, and secrets that await to be discovered.
Are you ready to explore?
Unusual itineraries, weird shops that seem to come straight out of a fantastic tale, obscure and unsettling museums, eccentric collections: the Mirabilia Collection guides are the perfect travel companions for lovers of the uncommon and seekers of enchantment.
For those who are not satisfied with just the classic destinations, but are willing to venture into the deepest recesses of the city, to understand its rarest and most singular aspects.
But Mirabilia Collection is much more than a simple series of tourist guides: every book is intended as a little gem which will also appeal to the bibliophile.
Each volume, dedicated to a different city, is curated by Ivan Cenzi, an expert hunter of wonders. His writing brings us at the core of every location, to fathom its historical and conceptual implications.
The photos by Carlo Vannini, one of Italy’s greatest art photographers, embellish the pages giving back the feel and magic of these fascinating places.
A collection of refined handbooks, indispensable to the curious mind.
Paris Mirabilia
Journey Through A Rare Enchantment
London Mirabilia
Journey Through A Rare Enchantment
