A Famous and Important Romano Greek Art Collection

      A slight disagreement has broken out between members of one of Rome's leading families the Torlonias. over a collection of certain pieces of antique and historical sculpture. In actual fact, this relates to the largest privately owned collection of ancient antiquities, including over 600 pieces of sculpture, in the world, said to have an estimated value in the region of £1.6 Bllion. 
      The collection of  artifacts from the ancient world is kept in various palaces, including the Villa Albani (above) which lies within the city of Rome. The collection was seized and impounded by court order and will be the subject of an inventory. This action came about after the challenge of one Carlo Torlonia, a Prince, who is said to believe his other family members were trying to break up the collection and sell them off. In recent years various attempts by the government to buy the collection have come to nothing.
      The family came from France in the 18th century, they then worked in various money markets including money lending and banking, then eventually earned a title through the Vatican, after looking after their finances, The family then built up their collections from various sources, including, buying up private collections and even excavating certain items, from their own extensive land holdings.
      During the period of the 1920s Villa Torlionias was leased to a certain Benito Mussolini, whom. among other things, added an air raid shelter to the extensive cellars. 

Honister Zip Wire

      Honister is to the South-West of Keswick and a notable pass in the area in the Lakeland Fells. Upon a worldwide scale, Fells, would probably rate as something similar to foothills. The image above shows part of the old quarry workings and the walkway is part of the Via Ferrata already in existence at the activity centre. 
      In a recent application to the Lake District National Park Authority LDNPA  the company running the former Honister Slate Mine has now been granted planning permission for a Zip Wire. The decision comes after a protracted struggle with various objectors, the former applications being refused in 2011 and 2012
      Certain interested groups, objecting to the proposal, were pinning their hopes upon public support and the recent grant of World Heritage Status to the Lake District National Park in a Cultural Landscape Category and supposedly quiet enjoyment and planning officers had previously recommended refusal of the application due to impact upon the landscape. However the LDNPA's planning authority deemed the site to be already developed as an industrial site and could not be considered to be a "tranquil" area.
      The original plan was put forward by the late Mark Weir, owner of the Honister Quarry Operations and the plan has finally been brought to fruition by his widow Jan Wilkinson.