Vatican unveils last of restored Raphael Rooms after 10-year cleaning
The best things come to those who wait - and that's certainly the case for the Room of Constantine. Taking a decade to complete, it's the last and most important of the restored Raphael Rooms at the Vatican Museums. The hall, which was painted by Raphael Sanzio and his students in the 1500s, is dedicated to the 4th century Roman emperor Constantine whose embrace of Christianity helped spread the faith throughout the Roman Empire. (AP Video by Silvia Stellacci)
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Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'My bridesmaid got engaged on my wedding day - I was absolutely gobsmacked'
A woman who called off her wedding due to a cheating partner was left 'gobsmacked' when her best friend got engaged on what was meant to be her 'big day'. She revealed it had happened in Italy - where the nuptials were due to take place - as some of the would-be guests had decided to fly over anyway due to everything being 'booked and paid for'. While she was pleased for her pal, who had been given a bridesmaid role, she couldn't help that feel the timing was 'insensitive'. READ MORE: Calls for UK Government to issue 'WW3 survival guide' as expert shares list of essential supplies The Mumsnet user shared her feelings on the matter in a post titled 'Bridesmaid got engaged on my wedding day...' The full post read: "I had to cancel my wedding four months ago due to my partner cheating with numerous women. "My wedding should have been Saturday just gone in Italy. Some of the wedding party decided to go ahead with the weekend anyway as it was all booked and paid for (flights, Airbnbs, etc), which I was fine with as they has paid a big expense to attend. "My best friend (and bridesmaid) was one of these guests and she contacted me via Facetime yesterday to tell me her boyfriend proposed on Saturday (which should have been my wedding day) on the beach in Italy. "I was absolutely gobsmacked and replied saying I was pleased for her but I needed time to process the news and ended the call. "I am happy for her but I do feel it's totally insensitive and I'm in total shock. How do I move past this?" Many of the people who replied insisted the pal wasn't to blame. One said: "Was she supposed to turn him down because of the date? Or just not tell you? "I can understand why you'd be a bit sad about it, but she's not really done anything wrong." A second wrote: "Her boyfriend proposed. Should she have said no? "I'm not sure she could have done much if it was a surprise proposal. If you're upset speak to her fiancé." A third chipped in: "So she got engaged on a day that you're not even getting married on anymore? "I thought you were going to say they got down on one knee or something in the middle of the photo taking bit or something. Now THAT would have been a bit more unreasonable." A fourth reply read: "She didn't get engaged on your wedding day. "I'm sorry to hear that you've had such a tough time, but she really hasn't done anything wrong." Offering some advice, another said: "It's better if you stop thinking of it as your wedding day, as it wasn't. "You're better off without him, don't lose friends over him too." A more sympathetic forum user said: "Your friend should have shown more tact in how she told you. "She didn't need to FaceTime you to tell you this news given it was meant to have been your wedding day. "She could have sent you a brief message to update you so you could collect your thoughts and respond when you were ready, there's plenty of people who could have been able to take that call to celebrate the news in that moment and it shouldn't have been you. "I'm sorry for what you've been through. Well done for leaving the cheat before marriage."
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
How the ‘Italian Fairy' Spends Her Day Teaching Children to Sing
Simona Rodano is dressed as a fairy, her petite white wings studded with sparkles. In this costume, Ms. Rodano, 53, has played the role of the Italian Fairy for years, bringing multilingual musical programs to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. 'Language,' she said, 'is a source and resource of dialogue and communication that connects different people, cultures and traditions, planting seeds for a better world.' Ms. Rodano, a singer and entertainer who has performed at Carnegie Hall, starred in a five-day-a-week variety television show in her native Italy, where she also recorded albums and had roles in numerous stage productions. After her 12-year run on TV ended in 2010, Ms. Rodano settled in Astoria, Queens. She began teaching Italian to Manhattan toddlers, and one father gave her the fairy nickname. 'For me, every day as the Italian Fairy is a performance,' Ms. Rodano said. 'I don't do it for the applause. I do it to inspire and uplift people. That's what drives me.' She lives in Astoria with her cat, Stellina, and her husband, Luigi Rosa, 53, who is an assistant vice president at Amtrak. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Are Married! Couple Ties the Knot in Star-Studded Venice Wedding
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez married in a ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy, on Friday, June 27, PEOPLE confirms The couple hosted a multi-day celebration in the Floating City, welcoming numerous celebrity guests including Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Orlando Bloom, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Usher, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Brady PEOPLE confirmed that Bezos and Sánchez were engaged in May 2023, four years after news broke that they were in a relationshipJeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are married, PEOPLE confirms. The Amazon founder, 61, and the Emmy-winning journalist, 55, tied the knot in a black-tie ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy, on Friday, June 27. The couple celebrated their Italian nuptials over several days, welcoming a number of their celebrity friends for the lavish festivities in the Floating City, including Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Orlando Bloom, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Karlie Kloss, Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher and Tom Brady. Other notable guests included Queen Rania of Jordan, Bill Gates and his girlfriend, Paula Hurd, François-Henri Pinault, and fashion designers Diane von Fürstenberg, Domenico Dolce and Tommy Hilfiger. A source tells PEOPLE the couple's wedding ceremony kicked off with a performance of 'Can't Help Falling in Love' by Elvis Presley, sung by Matteo Bocelli to cheers from the guests. Ahead of the ceremony, Bezos and Sánchez were photographed leaving the Aman Hotel separately, presumably headed for their wedding venue. The bride wore a retro-inspired, all-white suit and silk head scarf, while the groom sported a sleek black tuxedo and aviator-style shades. Ahead of their wedding celebrations, the bride and groom were photographed arriving in Venice via helicopter on Wednesday, June 25, smiling as they walked hand-in-hand. They later hosted a welcome party for their guests on Thursday night, June 26, at a closed cloister adjacent to the Madonna dell'Orto church. A source told PEOPLE that the party-goers dined on pizza cooked onsite by a famous Neapolitan chef, along with fried zucchini flowers, arancini, octopus and cod. Dessert included pastries and lemon cakes. The couple had planned to hold their wedding ceremony on Saturday, June 28, at Scuola Grande della Misericordia, but made a last-minute location change due to security concerns amid ongoing local protests over the wedding. To show their appreciation to Venice for hosting them and their guests, Bezos and Sánchez made a point of spotlighting the city's rich artisanal history during their wedding festivities. They sourced about 80% of their provisions from Venetian vendors, among them pastry shop Rosa Salva and glass design studio Laguna B, a source told The Associated Press. In addition, the couple asked their guests to make financial donations to the city of Venice instead of giving them wedding gifts. On their wedding invitation, they listed three Venetian charities they planned to donate the contributions to: the UNESCO Venice Office, CORILA and Venice International University. They also shared on the invitation why Venice holds such a special place in their hearts. "This magical place has gifted us unforgettable memories," they wrote. "Our hope is that through these efforts and by you joining us, Venice will continue to inspire wonder for generations to come." "We are definitely happy to have this funding for the protection of our very delicate city," Sebastiano Costalonga, local city councillor for commerce and productive activities of the municipality of Venice, told PEOPLE ahead of the wedding. News of Bezos and Sánchez's relationship first broke in January 2019, around the same time that the Blue Origin founder announced his divorce from MacKenzie Scott after 25 years of marriage. At the time, Sánchez was divorcing her husband of 13 years, Patrick Whitesell. While it's unclear when and how Bezos and Sánchez first met, sources previously told PEOPLE that the pair struck up a working relationship while teaming up on several projects and "gradually" developed romantic feelings for each other. Sánchez later opened up about her relationship with Bezos in January 2023, telling WSJ Magazine that the pair were "together all the time." "We love to be together and we love to work together," she told the outlet, before revealing that Bezos has a side that the public doesn't get to see. "He's really funny," she shared. "He makes me laugh all the time. He can be goofy." In May 2023, a source confirmed to PEOPLE that the two had gotten engaged. The news came as the couple was vacationing together in the South of France. Sánchez was photographed wearing a dazzling ring on that finger while spending time on Bezo's superyacht Koru and stepping out in town. At the time, a source told PEOPLE the newly engaged pair were "on cloud nine" and "so happy and madly in love." As for Sánchez's "huge" ring, the insider said the former Good Day LA co-host "keeps playing with it and looking at it. You can tell she loves it." When Bezos celebrated his milestone 60th birthday last year, Sánchez shared a sweet tribute to her then-fiancé on Instagram. "Today is another day where your laughter fills our home, and that smile of yours lights up every room. Wishing you an abundance of simple joys and quiet moments of happiness," she wrote. "May this year be filled with everything you love, from peaceful mornings to joyous celebrations." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. She added: "I hope each day brings you countless reasons to smile, just like you give me a reason to smile every single day. Love you, and happy birthday, my love." With their Venetian wedding, Bezos and Sánchez have now officially merged their families. The billionaire mogul shares four children with his ex-wife, and Sánchez shares son Nikko, 24, with ex Tony Gonzalez, and son Evan, 19, and daughter Ella, 17, with Whitesell. Read the original article on People
