Thursday, September 18, 2008

Astra non c'e' piu' ....

Con immenso dolore ho appreso pochi giorni fa della scomparsa della professoressa Astra Zarina nella splendida Civita di Bagnoregio.

My short tribute is published on the NIUASI (Northwest Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in Italy) web page. The NIAUSI is the non-profit corporation that Astra and her husband Tony Costa Heywood founded in 1981.

"La professoressa Zarina è stata per me fonte di ispirazione, una consigliera preziosa, un’amica sincera dalla cui saggezza continuo ad imparare.

I am one of the fortunate persons who worked with and loved Professor Astra Zarina. Astra instilled in me the love for art, architecture, urban planning….and cuisine. I met Astra in Rome where she had established - and brought to its peak - the ‘Architecture in Rome’ program for the University of Washington. I followed her to Civita di Bagnoregio where I was fortunate enough to be her teaching assistant in ’98 and ’99. Once Astra told me: ‘small is beautiful’ and she gave me the well known homonymous book; only after living in the USA for several years, I am starting to understand that lesson. Thanks to Astra, I moved to Seattle. No words can express how much I owe her…and how missed she will be."


Astra's passion and love for architecture, urban planning, design and culture was matched by her passion for cooking and the art of celebration. Great people, great food and great conversation were the necessary ingredients in all her meals.
Astra Zarina was one of the main source of inspiration for tidbit.


-Nicola Longo

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