Exactly 20 years ago, on January 22, 2005, in Palm Beach, Florida, Slovenian model Melania Knauss married businessman Donald J. Trump, wearing a dress that weighed 66 pounds
A Thread 🧵 of small curiosities
And Happy Anniversary to the Presidential Couple! 🎉
Legend has it that the dress weighed about 66 pounds, thanks to its extravagant and baroque design, created for her by John Galliano, who was then the creative director of Dior
It’s even said that she had to sit on a specially designed bench during the ceremony
At the time, there was no apparent feud between Vogue and the First Lady, so she was given a dedicated cover and feature for her wedding!
It’s even said that she was accompanied to Paris for the fashion shows to select her dress
The proposal from the magnate to the stunning model took place at the 2004 Met Gala in New York, where Melania dazzled in an elegant black, web-like, outfit
With a $2 million ring, the tycoon bound to himself the woman who would go on to become the two-time First Lady of the United States 🇺🇸
The collection that captivated Melania was John Galliano’s for Dior, inspired by the famous Empress Sisi, the iconic Austro-Hungarian empress 🎀
To create the dress, 1,000 hours of work were required, with 500 hours dedicated to embroidery, and 1,550 crystals and pearls
The dress used 295 feet of satin, with a 13-foot train and a 16-foot veil
The exact cost of this dream dress is unknown, but some say it was around $100,000, paid by the magnate, who was already on his third marriage at the time, to fulfill his young bride’s dream
Following the well-known bridal tradition:
The dress was her “something new”
“Something blue” was her lingerie by La Perla
“Something borrowed” was the stunning necklace by Fred Leighton
And “something old”?
Here comes Melania with her signature touch of genius: a vintage family rosary intertwined with flowers, replacing the traditional bouquet
No bouquet toss, then, in the stunning setting of Mar-a-Lago—a bit different from how we see it today, but still as magnificent as ever
Breaking with tradition—neither keeping the dress a surprise nor carrying a traditional bouquet—has certainly brought Melania good fortune ✨
She has now reached 20 years of marriage despite challenges, busy schedules, and the joy of welcoming their wonderful son, Barron
Photos of Donald and Melania’s lavish wedding reception aren’t too common online
Rumor has it that most of the guests were from Trump’s side
One exception seems to have been a striking woman, rumored to be Ines Knauss, Melania’s sister—but not much is known about her…
That said, Happy 20th wedding anniversary to POTUS and FLOTUS, and Best Wishes for the next four years, during which all eyes around the world will undoubtedly be on them 🎉
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Blue Grotto, Capri - A magical sea cave where the water glows electric blue due to sunlight filtering through an underwater cavity
The Frasassi Caves, Marche
One of the most beautiful cave systems in Italy, formed around a million years ago, is a colossal network of caves with chambers filled with surreal stalactites and stalagmites
Some of the cavities are so vast that they could fit the Milan Duomo twice
Mount Etna, Sicily
Europe’s most active volcano, with lava fields that look like another planet
Lately, it has been frequently entertaining us with its pyroclastic displays
An almost lost masterpiece often spoken of, yet few know where it resides
How did this extraordinary Italian sculpture end up in a remote corner of the Labrador Sea?
A Thread 🧵 with my personal and unprecedented investigation
This breathtaking masterpiece is often mentioned, even by titans of this platform like James Lucas , Culture Critic or Historic Vids
Yet, we never stop to question why no one ever actually sees it
But let’s take it step by step
The artist: Giovanni Strazza
(Milan, 1818 – Milan 1875) a talented Italian sculptor
From 1843 to 1860, he lived in Rome, inspired by Greek and Roman sculpture, balancing between classicism and romanticism, positioning himself “midway between the two”
“Where was The Leopard filmed?” has been the most searched phrase in recent weeks
A blazing journey through passion, Baroque grandeur, and the Risorgimento— in a mesmerizing Italy 🇮🇹 enchanting both fans and the simply curious
A Thread 🧵
First breathtaking location: Palazzo Biscari, Catania – Sicily
A stunning palace-museum open to visitors, showcasing the undeniable splendor of Sicilian Baroque ✨
Palazzo Biscari, Catania, is open to the public and is a must-visit, featuring one of the finest examples of Rococo—this unique and stunning staircase inside the palace ✨
From the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD that buried Pompeii to last night’s earthquake in the Phlegraean Fields
One of the most dangerous, seismically active, and densely populated areas in the world
What if it happens again?
A Thread 🧵
Mount Vesuvius, Campania, Italy, with an elevation of approximately 4,203 feet, remains one of the world’s most infamous volcanoes—beyond its undeniable beauty and commanding presence over the Bay of Naples
Its last eruption dates back to 1944 (photo 👇) leaving behind numerous photographic records despite being an era vastly different from ours
Since that year, Vesuvius has not been extinct but is technically classified as dormant