Lucchetti d'amore at Carpe Diem

Lucchetti d'amore = Locks of Love

Locations throughout the world...
they're locked together as a love sign, with the key - of course - thrown away...

One in particular loved & remembered location is by an Italian named Silvia now living in Louisiana who is one of the couple who opened Carpe Diem Gelato Espresso Bar in Downtown Lafayette...

It could be she's remembered--Ponte Milvio in Rome...where lovers, tourist's or locals, lock padlocks that are written on/engraved on/drawn on/decorated with ribbons or perhaps just a bike lock that they then lock onto chains/strings/ropes/bridge railings or around the lamp posts along the way, then the keys are tossed into the Tiber river...

Or as I remember one other in Italy at Via Dell'Amore, which I've walked down from the town of Manarola to Riomaggiore in the noted 5 Villages tourist spot of park like trails by the sea going from town to town along the coast, usually referred to as Cinque Terre...

me in lover's chair by rails of lovers locks overlooking the sea
I'd walked between all 5 villages over 2 days & was probably not feeling so lover-ly...
Another smaller version I recall was accidentally found in Prague, covering a metal fence/railing over the river there along a walk not far from a block long wall covered in graffiti - called the Lennon Wall I think I've read it's all & may still have photos of (though it's not called the I Love You Wall as there's one of those in Paris - which we did find & I did take photos of, when I was there on a Girl's Trip...)

photo from Wikipedia page...
description: Love locks on Velkopřevorské náměstí, Prague. Near Lennon Wall.
author: Nstannik - date: 12 June 2011

my photo of Lennon's Wall in Prague - it's ever changing I've heard too, as one paints over another after another...before or after passing this block long stretch of wall is when I remember passing a fence/railing over a narrow view of the river that was covered in locks--but apparently I didn't take a photo of it, as I was often told I take too many photos whilst on vacation...hmmm...(anyone heard of a 'money shot'?!)

;o) :o) ;o) ;o) ;o) ;o) ;o)

No matter the locations around the world, now there's one here in Lafayette, LA though not a real bridge & not a real river or even a Bayou or the Gulf of Mexico - it's at the corner of Jefferson & Convent inside the corner of what holds the Joliet Boutique Hotel...

On the wall a mural of the famous Italian bridge in Rome, trees on either end, a dove - of peace, of love by a local artist - flies out of a tree on one end & next to it stands a lone lamp post with, at the present, 1 length of black chain holding in the center the First & very special (as well as special ordered, just in time from England I think I was told) little black antique lock with the names of the owners on the other side...

Silvia & Erik

I don't know how to zoom in on my Droid phone--yet, sorry?!

The tiny key? I saw in the fountain bottom, until Silvia reached into the water to push it futher down into the fountain bottom where it was lost down a hole--so no one can reach in now, it's as if tossed into the river or into the sea...

How Romantic can this young Italian woman be--have you tasted her Gelato?! It's so full of love as is the shop - the Espresso is another area of love for their Ninja style Barista, Thomas (he's another story?!) & his crew...

So her home country tradition continues here, or more importantly the love does in this gesture that will be so wonderful to watch grow into a tradition....
I personally think they need to offer some tiny antique locks in a basket up for unaware lovers who walk in for Gelato & Espresso only to find Locks of Love...

Beware if you start actually looking for the perfect love locks, you could be at it awhile?!
Here an example of an antique floral Slaymaker padlock - am guessing the locksmith is named Slaymaker, not a very romantic name for your love lock choice...but if you go with the old expression of you 'just slay me' then maybe you're on the right track (tho I thought that meant you were funny?!)

And back to the Carpe Diem Gelato Espresso Bar painted wall of the bridge & lamp post beside the fountain--If you don't know the story she's placed a plaque at the other end of the mural from the fountain & lamp post to tell you all about it - or enough for you to go search all over the internet as I have, for the photos alone?!

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Here are some links for you to read more, if you're interested - or in finding out how this tradition got started from possibly a made up event in a novel which became a cheesy movie afterwards by the same Italian author...

Wikipedia - Love Padlocks...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_padlocks

Another possibility of their origins is China...
from one webpage this theory is offered:

"The tradition probably originated from China where the love locks can be seen at several locations alongside the Great Wall of China and also in many temples and on the steps/paths leading to sacred peaks..."


NYTimes wrote about them back in 2007...

Locks of Love Clutter Rome's Oldest Bridge by Ian Fisher - August 5, 2007

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/world/europe/05iht-rome.4.6991537.html

The 'lucchetti d'amore' phrase found in this article (since I don't know Italian)...

No More Locks of Love at Trevi Fountain - msm with wire reports - 4/21/2009
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,620173,00.html

(where when we went there I don't remember seeing them, but so many people & we were only having fun watching folks toss coins into the fountain over their shoulders nevermind locking locks onto anything close by - which I read was a church gate nearby, not naming churches...)

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Links to local newspaper photos -
where Yes, someone did get to zoom in on 'the' Love Lock of Silvia & Erik...

 

The Ind article by Robin Hebert w/photos (ie the wall mural, by Wayne Ditch & the 1st love lock - great how the photographer made the photo b/w with aged edging to go with the antique lock)
http://www.theind.com/shopping/8699-carpe-diem-it

The Advertiser photo gallery, 50 photos of GrandOpening (or PreParty--cuz there's cake left?!)
http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DG&Dato=20110718&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=107180803&Ref=PH&odyssey=mod%7Cgalleriespic%7Cumbrella

?! ?! ?! ?! ?! ?! ?! ?! ?! ?! ?!

Link again to Carpe Diem Gelato Espresso Bar - Facebook Page - Info...
http://www.facebook.com/carpediemgelatoespresso

their Webpage...
http://www.carpediemgelato.com

their Twitter...
http://twitter.com/#!/CarpeDiemGelato

Note: Ninja photos have been taken of the whole crew, as well as Ninja names & weapons of choice have been given or included - these people cannot possibly call this much fun, work?!

Ciao?!