machu picchu

Yale Sued by Former Van Gogh Owner

Filed under: Art

Pierre Konowaloff believes that Van Gogh's painting, "The Night Café," was stolen from his great-grandfather during the Communist takeover of Russia. Now, it belongs to Yale University, and he wants it back.

According to this claim, Ivan Morozov acquired the painting in 1908 and owned it until the Russian government snatched it in the 1918 "change" to Communism. What was Morozov's, it seems, became Lenin's. Then, it passed through galleries in Europe and New York until it was eventually left to Yale by a collector in 1961.

The hook, for Konowaloff, is that Yale took the painting "with reason to know that it had been unlawfully confiscated or 'nationalized' without compensation," according to a report in Bloomberg.

This isn't the only claim that Yale is facing. The university also has to contend with a suit by the Republic of Peru, which wants to reclaim artifacts excavated from Machu Picchu.

Source

Tags: art, artist, artwork, communism, communist, communist party, CommunistParty, communists, machu picchu, MachuPicchu, russia, scandal, scandals, van gogh, VanGogh, vincent van gogh, VincentVanGogh, yale, yale university, YaleUniversity

Custom Latin America Tours by Yampu

by Paul Rogers (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

As we were reminded during the presidential inauguration, the United States is still a young nation, especially compared with the ancient civilizations of Central and South America. Man-made wonders such as Machu Picchu and Chichen Itza provide fascinating glimpses into the pre-Columbian past, and Yampu Latin America Tours can guide you to these and other historic sites.

The experienced tour operator (formerly known as Kontiki) has mapped out several new itineraries for 2009. Its Three New Wonders of the World trip, a 14-day journey, features explorations of Chichen Itza, the former Mayan capital in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula; the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu (above) in Peru; and the Christ the Redeemer Statue that looms over Rio de Janeiro.

For those who travel for gastronomic pleasure, there's Yampu's Culinary Tour of Peru. The nine-day adventure includes visits to a remote potato-growing village in the Andes; the salt pans, or salineras, of Maras; and a private cooking lesson in novoandino, a fusion of Peruvian and international cuisine.

Tags: Chichen Itza, Christ the Redeemer, Machu Picchu, Mexico, Peru, rio de janeiro

First Boutique Luxury Hotel in Peru's Incan Capital

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The first boutique luxury hotel has just opened in Cusco, Southeastern Peru, the historic capital of the Inca Empire. Situated in a meticulously-restored colonial mansion that is probably the first Spanish building ever constructed on the ancient site, La Casona Inkaterra features eleven luxurious suites surrounding a sumptuous courtyard that's nearly 400 years old. The hotel, which is only a short distance from famed Machu Picchu, a UNESCO world heritage site, boasts modern amenities like radiant heated floors and iPod docks that would have shocked the original inhabitants.

[via UrbanDaddy]

Tags: Hotels, Inca Empire, IncaEmpire, Incas, La Casona Inkaterra, LaCasonaInkaterra, Machu Picchu, MachuPicchu, Peru, South America, SouthAmerica