The website
Here are some facts about the website for the curious amongst you.
Patricia (that’s me) built and maintains this website using NetObjects Fusion (started with 7.5, now on 2015). Whilst it has a learning curve of its own, it doesn’t require a geekish knowledge of HTML coding... which is lucky, as I am not a geek. Those interested in that sort of thing might like to know where the imagery used on the website comes from. It’s a mix of images from Casa Nova, turned into paintings, using Adobe photoshop, and details from Renaissance paintings which directly relate to this area and Tom’s work.
 I photographed our apple logo and turned into a pastel drawing with Adobe photoshop. For the rationale of this logo, see here.
  The Madonna who marks your position in the main navigation bar is by Signorelli, one of the artists Tom principally works on; whilst the Madonna who appears in her place when you rollover that button with your mouse is from a late painting by Signorelli in Citta di Castello.
 The eyes that mark your position in the secondary navigation bar are from Signorelli’s self-portrait in his frescoes in the cathedral of Orvieto, a masterpiece that foreshadows the Sistine chapel.  The eyes that appear when you rollover this image are again by Signorelli, from a painting in Sansepolcro.
 The pointing finger that marks your progress from button to button as you browse is again from Signorelli’s self portrait at Orvieto.
 The main navigation buttons were initially taken from a small detail in a photograph of the leaves in the kiwi plant which climbs up into the roof of the main farmhouse at Casa Nova (again with a touch of pastel effect, courtesy of photoshop). The same is true of the banners on each page. Here’s the photo:
 The buttons used in the secondary navigation bar were taken from a detail of the reflections on the lake at Casa Nova, in this photo. Again, a pastel effect. OK, so I like pastel as a medium. For my alternate career as a Renaissance art forger, see here.
Although this was an attractive effect, in the end I revised both buttons in favour of plainer backgrounds, in response to feedback that text was difficult to read against them (live and learn!).
I chose the font used on banners and buttons, Viner Hand ITC, because it is reminiscent of the handwriting Tom has to decipher in Renaissance notarial archives (see below) although it’s fair to say on-screen legibility may not be this font’s best point; and I’ve been criticised by more than one friend for my blue on green colour scheme. I have now revised the buttons to make them plainer and more legible!
I know I tend to be wordy (it’s my trade as a lawyer, after all) and I’ve indulged that a bit on this website, so just to prove I can do something a bit more spare and streamlined I built a second website: www.umbrianeden.it. I took the banner for that website from a photo I took of the mist filling the valley below the Garden House at Casa Nova:
if you have any problems viewing the website or have any comments on it I’d be interested to hear from you: info@casanovaumbria.eu
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