Appuntamento con la Daunia

18 Wednesday Jan 2023

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Amici e Famiglia, Mangiamo!, Orsara di Puglia, Puglia

Tags

Amarosa, Dalla terra alla tavola, Italian food, Monti Dauni, Peppe Zullo, Pugliese Traditions, Southern Italy, Villa Jamele

On October 17th, I attended the 27th edition of Appuntmento con la Daunia, hosted by my amico Peppe Zullo. Every year I receive an invitation, but this was the first time I was actually in Italia in October. La Daunia is the modern day Provincia di Foggia, named after the people who lived there under King Daunus.

Held at Villa Jamele in Orsara di Puglia, the event featured local food and wine, focusing on the biodiversity of the area. It was attended by journalists, food writers, and those involved in the local enogastronomic industry. There were various site tours, then a round table discussion with 6 speakers from the enogastronomic industry and the Director of tourism for the Regione Puglia. There was discussion and sharing of information and research for growth, development and sustainability concerning local food and culture.

New research was presented from the University of Foggia further confirming that the soil in the Monti Dauni area is rich in the antioxidant Selenium. This is likely why there are a higher than usual number of centenarians in the area. Nature, nutrients and culture…ingredients of the Daunia.

The event concluded with a meal made entirely with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Dalla terra alla tavola-from the earth to the table-you won’t get any fresher than this!

‘Ostriche di montagna’ which means ‘mountain oysters’. They are actually fried borragine/borage leaves, served with lampascione con pecorino (fried wild onion on pecorino) and crostino di salsiccia e fico (sausage and fig crostino)Parmigiana di borragine, similar to parmigiana di melanzane, but layered with borage leaves instead of eggplant.

Pancotto e patate con verdure e pomodorini (cooked bread and potatoes with wild greens and tomatoes). Pancotto e patate is Cucina Povera at its best-my favourite comfort food.

Troccoli con zucca, cicerchi e cime di rapa (Handmade Troccoli with squash, local chick peas and rapini)

Maiale con zucchine e uva fragole e patate fritte (Pork with zucchine and sweet grapes topped with fried potatoesSemifreddo di zucca, torta con crema e biscottini di grano arso (pumpkin semifreddo with pomegranate seeds, cream cake and tiny biscotti made with grano arso, a burnt wheat flour

To drink, we had Peppe’s Amarosa vino rosato / Amorosa rosé. It is made from the Nero di Troia grape, which according to legend was brought by Diomedes who settled in the Daunia area after the Trojan War. Read more in Vini di Puglia.

Peppe Zullo was recently voted one of the 10 best local restaurants in Italia and the best in Puglia by the online gastronomic guide TasteAtlas! Here is a link to an article in Italian in Rec24 and in Corriere.it. Tantissimi auguri Peppe!!!!

Ciao, Cristina

Post Pandemic Travel Postcard

20 Sunday Nov 2022

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Puglia, Travel

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

AICW, COVID19 pandemic, Måneskin, Paris, Polpo, Post-pandemic travel, Torino, Venezia

Like most travel postcards, this one is arriving after the vacation is over. Things have been quiet on the blog, with only 3 posts published since May. Perché? Partly creative block, but also because I tried to make up for almost 3 years of no travel all at once. I did quite the epic job of it too! If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you already have an idea what I have been up to. Here is the short version of my adventures. More info to follow in future posts.

In June, my parents, sister, nipotine* and I attended a family wedding in Manfredonia. Read all about it in Un Matrimonio in Puglia. The rest of the weekend was full of post-wedding activities, including a long table meal under olive trees by the beach in Mattinata. We also spent a day in Polignano a Mare.

I took an unexpected ‘extra’ trip to Santorini to keep my nipotina Francesca company for a few days before she met her cousins. Who knew you could fly direct to Santorini from Napoli for €70? I had been to Santorini in 1990 and it is still just as breathtaking but more crowded and expensive. Bring lots of $ if you go!

On my way back to Puglia, I stayed in Napoli, since it is one of my favourite places. Finalmente, I was able to see L’Ultimo Caravaggio in person!!! Also more sfogliatelle.

The rest of my time was spent in Orsara di Puglia trying to stay cool. It was HOT! The mornings and evenings were amazing. My weekend camping on the beach in Mattinata was spent almost entirely in the water.

I had pizza one night in the smallest town in Puglia, Celle San Vito, population about 200. Papà says that is only if you include the cats and dogs, but he was joking…I think. The pizza was yummy! Apparently there are more than 200 people from Celle who immigrated to Brantford, Ontario.

Between Puglia and Greece, I ate a lot of polpo. Many photos were posted, and this one of Mamma washing polpo in the sink was popular on Instagram. Stay tuned for a recipe post coming up.

My last few days were spent in Roma, where I had to follow my own advice to Beat the heat-Surviving summer in Roma. My mission was to finish crossing all of the Caravaggio paintings in Roma off my list. I have now seen them all-except for the ceiling fresco that is in a private home.

I spent a day with friend and fellow AICW member David, who works at Santa Maria Maggiore for the summer, and I ate at a few Roman restaurants I had wanted to try. ‘Research’ was required for the post I am editing on Pasta Romana. My amica Shannon from the post Val d’Orcia day trip and I overlapped for 1 day in Roma. She photographed me crossing the street in style on the Gianicolo, and we made plans to meet in San Francisco in November.

At the end of July, I flew back to Vancouver to work and take care of my garden. I even managed to publish a post In my kitchen in Puglia.

The Association of Italian Canadian Writers- AICW conference in Torino was postponed 3 times due to the pandemic, and was happening the last week of September. My cousin lives in Nice, and she informed me that the high speed TGV train travels from Paris to Torino in 5½ hours. She knew I had never been to Paris, and suggested we meet there before the conference. A brilliant idea-the travel planning gene definitely runs in our famiglia!

September 22 I flew to Paris and spent 4 amazing days with Elia. I will save the details for another post. The TGV was comfy and the scenery through the Alps beautiful.

I arrived in Torino the day before the conference started, and met Lucia from Turinepi for a morning walking tour and Bicerin. The afternoon was spent at il Museo Egizio– the largest collection of Egyptology outside of Cairo. Torino was a pleasant surprise. It is walkable, has grand architecture and hardly any tourists in early October! Autumn is a perfect time to visit Piemonte, especially for the seasonal food….zucca, porcini, castagne, salsiccia, with tajarin and agnelotti del plin.

The conference was at l’Università di Torino and featured 4 days of inspirational presentations. Mine was called ‘A Nzalat d’Purtuall‘, inspired by this blog post. I made lots of new Italocanadesi friends and also Italiani who study Italian Canadian literature—yes, that is a thing!

Following the conference, the plan was to go to Venezia for 3 days. I have been many times, but the last time was 24 years ago! I wanted to stay right in Venezia, as I previously stayed in Mestre or went as a day trip. Things do not always go as planned. For reasons I won’t elaborate on, I left booking my accommodation too late, and could not find a reasonably priced place to stay-even in Mestre.

So… I took the train to Milano while I figured out what to do. I stayed with the new sposini from Un Matrimonio in Puglia and also visited other cugini. 3 cuginetti came with me to the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana to see Caravaggio’s Canestra di Frutta and they may have been even more awestruck than me!

I did manage to find a last minute deal on accommodation in Venezia. It was even half price!!! I spent 3 days/2 nights in Venezia the first week of October, and no one got the memo that it was not summer! The crowds were crazy, but the weather was gorgeous. Everything required online reservations and lineups so I mostly just walked and walked. I finally made it to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum spent a day on Burano and Torcello.

Venezia was not only crowded, but definitely more expensive than the rest of Italia. it reminded me of Santorini. Gorgeous, but expensive. I can only imagine what it was like in the summer. I spoke to several Italian business owners and they are not sure if this year was a post pandemic exception or if it will be the new normal. Next year will tell.

The next train journey was Venezia to Foggia (6 hours). I spent 2 weeks at home in Orsara di Puglia going for walks, meeting friends for caffè, eating good food and just hanging out like a local. The weather was mostly really nice, but I did have to sleep with 3 blankets, as nights were cold and there is no heat in our little casa.

October 17th I attended ‘Appuntamento con la Daunia’ an annual event hosted by amico Peppe Zullo. Every year I receive an invite but am not usually in Italia in October. It is a Slow Food/Farm to Table type of event featuring speakers, tours and local food. It was attended by food and wine journalists, chefs, RAI, and other enogastronomic types. Read more about it in my next post.

The final train journey was to Roma where I mostly visited with friends. 2 places I had not been to since age 11 were revisited-Ostia Antica and the Musei Vaticani.I also had aperitivo with the Italian Senate representative for Italiani all’Estero, On. Francesca La Marca. We met earlier this year at a function in Vancouver.

10 days after flying home from Roma, I went to San Francisco. Shannon and I met there to see Måneskin live at The Masonic. Read about them here. It was amazing and we felt like teenagers. Listening to a North American audience singing along to all of the Italian lyrics was so cool. We were glad to have attended this concert, since we doubt the band will be playing 4,000 seat venues any longer now that they are selling out stadiums!

This brings me to the end of my post-covid travelpalooza. If anyone is still worried about travelling, I did not have any issues at all. I do not have any travel plans right now, but I am sure something will come up! Got any plans? Let me know in the comments! Buon Viaggio, Cristina

PS My nipotina* Isabella gave me selfie taking lessons, so I practiced during all my travels. At the Fontana di Trevi I impressed myself, managing to capture the coin toss mid air and not cut my head off, while avoiding the 500 other people trying to do the same!

*nipotine can mean nieces or granddaughters. In this case it is nieces!

AICW Photo by Vincenzo Pietrapaolo

Me crossing the street in style-photo by Shannon Milar

Un Matrimonio in Puglia

08 Thursday Sep 2022

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Amici e Famiglia, Feste, Italia, Italian life, Puglia

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Pugliese Traditions, Santa Maria di Siponto, Southern Italy, Wedding in Puglia

Viva gli sposi! After a 3 year ‘pandemic hiatus’ I finally made it back to Puglia. My trip was earlier than usual to attend un matrimonio in famiglia -a family wedding in June. Gli sposi were Federica and Antonio. The wedding was held at the 900 year old Santa Maria di Siponto. The church is in the architectural style Romanica Pugliese, Pugliese Romanesque. Byzantine and Islamic influences are evident in the pure, simple lines and geometric patterns. The building is square, which is unusual for a church.

Our day started out with heavy rain. My parents, sister, nieces and I ran to the car with our umbrellas for the 1½ hour drive from Orsara di Puglia. Luckily it was sunny by the time we arrived. The ceremony was held at 11 am and the stark white interior of the church was bathed in light!The look on Antonio’s face when he sees Federica at the altar is priceless.

The 4 witnesses, called compari, and the parents of the bride and groom also take part in the ceremony.Federica looked stunning. The wedding dress was handmade by her 91 year old nonna! Nonna Celestina made it with fabric she had kept from the time when she owned a fabric store in Foggia many years ago. The dress is ‘a portafoglio‘ which means that it had a short skirt underneath, visible only when the slit opened. Nonna even made a spare dress, just in case!

Since we were in Puglia, we were surrounded by olive trees. I fit right into the floral arrangements with my olive coloured dress with pink and silver flowers.The reception was held at Tenimento San Giuseppe, 4 km from Foggia. We started out with aperitivo in the main building, then moved to another section for the main meal.

There was un mastro casaro-a master cheesemaker-making nodini, knots of fresh mozzarella.

Later we moved into the cantina for degustazione di vino, where I found a tasty Susumaniello that was too good! Dessert was back in the main building. All of this moving around really helps with digestion!

The dish in the photo above is ‘mezzi paccheri rigate con salsa di gamberl e astice’, pasta with shrimp and lobster sauce. The black smudge on the plate is squid ink. I was too busy socializing and eating to take many food photos, so read the menu and imagine it yourself!Dancing was everywhere. Instead of having to sit through the entire meal and a bunch of speeches and wait for the end of the night to dance, dancing happens throughout the reception. Also good for digestion!One course is served…then dancing, more food, then more dancing, etc. Since the wedding was in Puglia, there was also dancing outside under the olive trees.

Federica likes swing dancing, so there was a swing band and later in the evening, my cousin (father of the bride) and his band played their funky music.

Cake cutting was held outside, at the bottom of the dramatic staircase. In the photo, you can see a bit of Federica’s ‘spare’ dress, while Antonio gestures for us to move out of the way. He probably said ‘livt da nanz’.

Guests take home a little bag of confetti for good luck. These are not what you throw at the bride and groom. They are sugared roasted almonds, sometimes with a chocolate filling. Traditionally there are 5 almonds that represent health, wealth, happiness, fertility and long life. Bomboniere are also handed out at the end of the night. These are a small gift from the bride and groom to thank the guests for celebrating their special day with them.

I hope you enjoyed this peak at a wedding in Puglia! Auguri Federica e Antonio! Ciao, Cristina

In my Kitchen in Puglia, 2022

13 Saturday Aug 2022

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italian life, Mangiamo!, Orsara di Puglia, Puglia

≈ 44 Comments

Tags

Amarena, Cucina Pugliese, Fiori di zucca, In my kitchen, Mozzarella di bufala, Orecchiette, Parmigiana di melanzane, Polpo, Pugliese Traditions, Ravioli

I recently returned from a long trip to Italia, after an unplanned 3 year ‘pandemic break’. We missed our little casa in Orsara di Puglia. Once we cleaned up a bit, there was a lot of activity in the kitchen. Cucina povera, literally ‘food of the poor’, is what you mostly find in Puglia. Simple foods made with fresh local ingredients. Here are just a few of the things my family and I were up to in our tiny but functional summer kitchen in Orsara di Puglia.

Starting with the space itself, the whole casa is 40m² (about 450 square feet) including a bedroom and bathroom. That is about the size of a double garage. The room with the cucina is also the living room, guest room (aka my room) and art studio. The highlight of the room is the amazing barrel vaulted stone ceiling, which is hard to fit in a photo.

We had a lot of visitors who came bearing gifts. My favourite gift was the anguria -the huge watermelon on the counter. It was grown by a friend and was delicious! He also grew the cipolle.

Melanzane (eggplant, or aubergine for the Brits) and zucchine are plentiful in summer. We made Parmigiana di melanzane e zucchine. It was soooo yummy, but we only made it once as cooking it was painful. It was too hot to have the oven on! Now this is my idea of a bouquet of flowers! Fiori di zucca are one of my favourite summer foods. I stuffed them with caciocavallo and basilico, then battered and fried them. It was too hot to bake them in the oven. They were eaten before I could take a photo. Luckily they are easy to find here. I grow fiori di zucca in my garden in Vancouver, because they are impossible to find. Recipes and harvesting tips can be found in the post Fiori di zucca.

Fichi-figs-were everywhere. Green, purple, small, big…even ginormous like this one in my hand.More fichi!Last time I was here, I bought a spianatoia, although I only knew what is was called in dialetto. It is a pasta rolling board with a lip on one end so it stays put on the table. This one also has a handy carrying handle. I was only able to use it once in 2019, so I wanted to get some use out of it. I made ravioli di ricotta e spinaci a few times and filled the freezer. I make them often in Vancouver, and they are good-but the goat milk ricotta here is so incredibly good that they taste better.

I did not get a chance to make my own orecchiette as I was too busy socializing, but we did eat them often. I need to practice my technique!

The cheese products in Puglia and Campania are drool-worthy! Orsara has its own DOP cheese called cacioricotta, made with goat milk, but it never stays around long enough to be photographed! Wednesday is mozzarella di bufala day. These melt in your mouth ones are from Masseria Li Gatti near Torremaggiore, SanSevero (FG).

June is amarena season. Amarene are sour wild cherries. The word amaro means sour or bitter. Everyone is busy picking them, making jam, canning them and making crostate. I went amarena picking in my cousin’s olive grove. Aren’t they gorgeous?

Friends and relatives gave us amarene in syrup. The absolute best place to use it is on top of gelato! I ate a lot of polpo or polipo on this trip. They both mean Octopus and it is one of my favourite foods. I will have to publish a post with all of my polpo photos. This one of Mamma washing polpo in the kitchen sink was popular on instagram.This is the insalata di polpo that she made. No leftovers. Sorry, not sorry!

Cooking fish needs to be coordinated with umido day which is 3 times a week, otherwise the entire house will be puzzolente -stinky. Orsara now does la raccolta differenziata for garbage and recycling and it is extremely efficient! Roma, are you listening? The town has never looked so clean. I will have to write a post about this. Here is a sunny photo of l’umido pickup day. This is not the kitchen, but these stairs do lead to it!

We went to a post-wedding meal in Alberona and stopped off at the caciocavallo store on the way home. It was actually a farm and it was super-puzzolente!

Fresh caciocavallo needs to hang to dry. The kitchen stone ceiling has a catnill’. This is a metal ring like the ones outside that were used to tie up your donkey. We couldn’t reach it to hang the caciocavallo, plus they tend to ‘sweat’ and leak a small amount of fluid until they dry. Yuck. who wants caciocavallo sweat to fall on their head? It was hung from the fridge, next to the piattaia full of Pugliese plates.

I will leave you with one last photo of the cute little Ichnusa Sardinian beer bottle I brought home from camping in Mattinata. I hope this post has made you either hungry and drooling or wishing you could visit Puglia yourself. Maybe it has done both? Perché no? I am already planning my next visit! Buon appetito e buon viaggio, Cristina
Thanks Sherry from Australia for hosting the monthly food blogging event, In My Kitchen (IMK). Click the link to Sherry’s Pickings to read about other world kitchens. Buon appetito, Cristina

Percorso della Memoria

28 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italian life, Orsara di Puglia, Photography, Puglia

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Fine Confine Festival, Italy photography, Montaguto, Monti Dauni, Nicola Tramonte, Orsara di Puglia

During my last trip to Orsara di Puglia in July 2019, I arrived just in time for a new event, the Fine Confine Festival held in conjunction with Montaguto. Montaguto is the closest town, less than 7 km away, but it is ‘across the border’ because it is in Campania. Fine Confine means ‘no more borders’. Of course, there is no actual border between Puglia and Campania, it was meant to be an emotional reflection on borders and walls.

The 3 day festa had a jam-packed creative program. One of the featured events was an open air exhibit, Percorso della Memoria. The exhibit featured black and white photos taken by local architect Nicola G Tramonte between 1972 – 2008, super mega enlarged and affixed to the textured stone exteriors of buildings in the Centro Storico. The photos are from his 2016 book Consegna di un Mondo (Surrender of a World). It weighs almost 2kg, so I left my copy in Orsara! Percorso della memoria, literally ‘path of the memory’, is best translated as ‘a stroll down memory lane’.

My favourite piece, both for image and location is of Z’Ndunett (Zia Antonietta), my friend’s bisnonna, with her nose in a book. It is on the imposing portone of Palazzo Varo in Largo San Michele. I wonder what she is reading-it looks like it could be a prayer book? It was rare for anyone of her generation to make it past grade 2, which make the photo even more interesting.

True amicizia. These two vecchiette were likely the best of friends for almost a century. Vecchiette are little old ladies. Isn’t that what LOL meant before texting?

Un centesimo for her thoughts? If only we knew what she was thinking.

This image is on the outer side wall of the 17th Century Fontana Nuova, where my Mamma used to wash clothes. These gnarled, wrinkled, sturdy hands have worked and tilled the soil. Likely they hand washed a lot of laundry too!

The only colour photo in the exhibit, this one is on the portone of an abandoned building I have always been fond of. I refer to it as la casa del cappero because there is a caper tree growing from the inside. The owner died long ago, and apparently a disinterested heiress in New York does not give it much thought. The subject lived around the corner and she fits right in, seeming to become part of the building. I remember her from the 1980’s when she was scandalized by my sister’s short shorts. She would mumble ‘puttanella, puttanella’ when 8 year old Lucia walked by!

My friend Antonietta’s dress blends nicely into the colour palette as she admires this photo. I adore these chickens who look like they are doing ‘lo struscio‘ – a passeggiata up the main street of Orsara! There were actually 2 photos on this wall, as you can see in the next photo. This beauty is one of my favourite doors in town.

The ragazzo in this portrait with his infectious gap-toothed laugh absolutely radiates the joy of childhood! The wire his hand is gripping is mirrored in the real wire of the clothesline and the cast shadow it leaves. Unlike the rest of the photos in the exhibit which are on crumbling exteriors, this one is on a clean, newly painted surface. My nonno Luigi used to live around the corner to the right.

There is another photo across the narrow street, but I did not get a close image of it. I love the afternoon cast shadows on the walls. I am constantly on the lookout for cast shadows when I wander the streets of Orsara-you can see some of my discoveries in Il Sole di Metà Pomeriggio.

This last photo by Nicola is actually from an earlier exhibit during Fucacost e Cocce Priatorje, the November 1st festa in 2017. I had to include it here because it was affixed to the wall of a wall down and across the narrow street from my casa in Orsara. The red palazzo belongs to the same owner as la casa del cappero. They are painted the same colour. You can see the street is decorated for the festa with zucche (pumpkins) and ginestra (Scotch broom). In case anyone is wondering ….small cars do drive these narrow streets!

I hope you have enjoyed this virtual tour. Hopefully there will be another Fine Confine Festival soon, when travel is possible again. To see more of Nicola’s photos, check out his instagram account @nicolagtramonte.

Buon viaggio (speriamo), Cristina

Museo Faggiano

22 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Architecture, Puglia, Travel

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

Archeology, Lecce, Museo Faggiano, Southern Italy

Museo Faggiano is a family run, independent archeology museum in Lecce and also a working archeological site. This is a small museum with big history! In 2001, Luciano Faggiano planned to open a restaurant with his 3 sons Marco, Andrea and Davide in a building he owned in Lecce’s Centro Storico.
The building had issues with dampness and sewage backup, likely caused by broken pipes. Since a working toilet is kind of important, the Faggiano family planned all took 1 week off to work on the plumbing themselves.

They started digging and found a false floor. Beneath that, they uncovered 4 subterranean levels to other worlds. They found Messapii tombs and an ossuary from the 5th Century BC. The Messapii were from Crete and settled in Southern Italia. They also uncovered a Roman granary, silo, cisterns a 10 m deep well and even an underground escape tunnel leading to the Roman anfiteatro a few blocks away. From 1000-1200, the building was a House of the Knights Templar, who left their emblems on frescoes and wall etchings. A Franciscan chapel and religious artifacts were found from the convent of Sisters of Santa Chiara, which the building was from 1200-1609. Each of these populations left their traces in the unassuming little building.

After 7 years of excavation, the museum opened to the public in 2008. All of the work was financed by Signor Faggiano, under the supervision of the Archeology superintendent of Taranto. In Italia, anything found underground belongs to the government no matter who owns the property. This was clearly a labour of love.

In addition to the architectural elements of the builing, treasures found include a gold and emerald Jesuit bishop’s ring, coins, lots of pottery fragments and a stone sculpture with the abbreviated Latin inscription ‘Si deus pro nobis quis contra nos’ -If God is with us, who can be against us?

In 2015, Museo Faggiano was featured in a NY Times article.

Museo Faggiano is at Via Ascanio Grandi 58, a short walk from Piazza Sant’Oronzo. It is open daily from 9:30am-8pm. Admission is €5. Often one of the family members is there to answer questions. A numbered sheet with self-guided tour is available in many languages.

Imagine 2500 years of history in one small house! If you are like me and have an inner Indiana Jones, and your palms sweat when surrounded by unique archeology, you will be fascinated by Museo Faggiano!

Luciano Faggiano finally did open his restaurant Quo Vadis, next door in June 2019. He is not planning to dig up the pavimento!

Troia 1019-2019

05 Saturday Oct 2019

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Architecture, Italia, Photography, Puglia

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Diomedes, Italy travel tips, Romanico Pugliese, Southern Italy, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Wines of Puglia

According to legend, Troia (TROH∙yah) was founded by the Trojan War hero Diomede (Diomedes) in the 10^th century BC. After the fall of Troy, he found out his wife was unfaithful. Instead of going home to Argos, Diomede travelled around the Adriatic, settling in the Daunia area of Puglia. Troia, also spelled Troja, was at the junction of the Via Traiana –the road from Benevento to Brindisi, and the road to Siponto (Sipontium). The Romans called it Aecae. In 1010, a medieval settlement was built on the ruins of the ancient city, and in 1017 a Byzantine fortress to protect against Saracen invaders. Modern Troia was founded in 1019, making this year its millennia!!! Auguri Troia!

Troia was ruled by powerful bishops, and they built a magnificent cattedrale (cathedral), an exquisite example of Romanico Pugliese, a unique architectural mix of Pisan Romanesque, Arab and Byzantine inspired features. It was an important connection between the Norman kingdoms of Southern Italia and the Pope. Completed in 1119, this architectural capolavoro or masterpiece is celebrating its 900^th anniversary!

The stunning rosone-rose window is made up of 11 thin columns, each with a delicate stone ‘screen’ finely carved with Islamic inspired geometric designs. The 11 ‘petals’ or segments each have a different pattern. They look like they are woven out of stone. 11 is an unusual number of sections for a rose window, or for anything, actually. There could be some interesting numerology related to this building.

The upper façade is elaborate, with the rosone and gargoyles. The arches around the window are decorated with an odd but fascinating assortment of primitive looking animal and human sculptures and are held up on either side by Pugliese lions.

The lower front is a 7 arch façade-the center one being the main entrance through bronze doors with the most magnificent dragon handles. They look straight out of Trono di Spada (Game of Thrones)! The doors were built in 1127 by Oderisio da Benevento. The doors are decorated with reliefs and inscriptions. There are 10 knockers; 8 lions and 2 wyverns, which are small 2 legged dragons. On each side of the door are 3 blind arches topped with geometric carvings and a round window on the middle arch. The arches on the side of the building are topped with geometric sun and moon patterns in green stone. The main doors are closed and entry is only through the side door, another bronze by Oderisio da Benevento. The church is usually open during the day, and of course during Masses.

In contrast to the ornate exterior, the interior of the cattedrale is simple. The design is a Latin cross plan with 3 aisles separated by 13 Corinthian columns, 2 rows of 6 and a 3^rd row in the SW corner with only one column, as seen in the photo below. These represent the 12 apostles and Christ. There is no ceiling, the beamed wood roof is exposed. The Cathedrals in the Romanico Pugliese style, including Troia’s, are on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This is the step before becoming a heritage site!

The 1169 pulpit dates to 1169 has an interesting relief carved on one side. It is a dog biting the back of a lion, who is biting the neck of a lamb and is visible in the photo below. The dog symbolizes God, who is faithful and vigilant, preventing poor judgement and heresy (the lion) from devouring the church (the lamb).

Il Museo del Tesoro della Cattedrale di Troia (the cathedral treasury) is worth a visit for rare 11^th century parchments and other medieval sacred artifacts. There are only 32 illuminated Exultet codes (Easter scrolls) in the world, and 3 of them are here. Also worth seeing is Il Capitello delle Quatre Razze (Column of the 4 Races). This is a 13^th Century column with 4 heads, one on each corner, depicting the 4 races of man known before 1492- European, African, Asian and Arab. Admission is free, but it is only open Tuesday and Thursday 17:30-20 and Saturday 10-13. Mondays are only open for school groups with appointments. Call ahead, as they may open for groups 0881 97 00 20.Troia is named for the ancient city, but unfortunately ‘troia’ is also Italian slang for ‘slut’. My best guess is that the origin of this term is from Elena di Troia (Helen of Troy) who was an adultress. Don’t let the name put you off though. Troia is a charming town with a beautiful centro storico. It is also way off the radar for most visitors to Puglia, so you will not find any crowds. As an added bonus, you can find Nero di Troia vino everywhere! Read more about this lovely vino in Vini di Puglia. My Zia lives in Troia, so I have been there a lot. Here are some interesting Troia facts… #1-I had my confirmation at the Cattedrale di Troia when I was 15! Interesting fact #2-Troia is the only municipality in Italia providing free public transportation!

Get off the bus from Foggia or park the car near La Villa Comunale and Bar Cluny. Walk down Via Regina Margherita to explore the centro storico. The Cattedrale is half way down this long, narrow street, which is lined with shops and interesting doorways. Stop at the award-winning Pasticceria e Gelateria Artigianale Aquilino for a decadent treat. Visit the oldest church in Troia, the Byzantine San Basilio with ox heads around the altar. It was originally a Greek Orthodox temple. The haunted Palazzo D’Avolos is now home to the Civic offices and Civic Museum. Wander into the narrow side streets and you may come across a Fiat 600 or some work by local artist Leon Marino.

Troia has a population of about 7000. It is situated on a hill, 439 m above the Tavoliere plain, 22 km SW of Foggia, 15 km south of Lucera and 14 km east of Orsara di Puglia. The surrounding landscape is a beautiful blanket of wheat fields, vineyards and olive groves- like the view from the abandoned Celle Sant’Antonio, just outside of Troia.

Ferrovie del Gargano buses arrive regularly from Foggia and Lucera. The ticket is €1.80. If taking the train to Foggia, the bus station is conveniently next door. Troia has several B&B’s including Alba d’Oro, Stella and Svegliarsi nei Borghi. There is even a car rental agency, Automottola, on the edge of town, towards Foggia. For more information check out Troia’s website.Read more about Troia and Diomede in Puglia-Mia Regione Preferita. Have any of you readers who are not related to me been to Troia?

Ciao e buon viaggio, Cristina

In my Kitchen in Puglia, 2019

07 Saturday Sep 2019

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italian life, Mangiamo!, Orsara di Puglia, Puglia

≈ 36 Comments

Tags

Cavatelli, Fiori di zucca, In my kitchen, Nero di Troia, Orecchiette, Pancotto e patate, Pesto Genovese

August is always a busy month. I am usually in Orsara di Puglia for at least half of it, and there is a lot of activity in my kitchen. Here are just a few of the things my family and I were up to in our tiny but functional summer kitchen in Puglia.

Starting with the space itself, the whole casa is 40m² (about 450 square feet) including a bedroom and bathroom. The room with the cucina is also the living room, guest room (aka my room) and art studio. The highlight of the room is the barrel vaulted stone ceiling. It is hard to get a photo of the whole thing, but this one gives you an idea what it looks like. Amazing, isn’t it?

August 5th is a feast day in Orsara. It is la festa della Madonna della Neve which you can read about here. My parents and I invited 7 family members over for pranzo, the 1pm meal. Luckily we have a total of 10 chairs!

I had recently bought a spianatoia, although I only knew what is was called in dialetto. It is a pasta rolling board with a lip on one end so it stays put on the table. This one also has a handy carrying handle. Mamma and I decided to make orecchiette and cavatelli, even though both of us were out of practice. These are the most typical pasta shapes found in Puglia. They was served with sugo made with braciole which are thin cuts of meat rolled with prosciutto, parmigiano, parsley and garlic.

There are no fancy appliances in this kitchen. I was given a bouquet of basilico and garlic from a friend’s garden and we made pesto ‘old school’ with her ancient and very heavy stone mortaio-mortar.

Vino is plentiful in Puglia. Nero di Troia is a nice, full-bodied local wine. Read more about it in Vini di Puglia, the first of a 3 part blog series. It is available at the grocery store in a 3L plastic container for less than €6! It is very good! We bring it home and Papà transfers it to 4 750ml glass bottles. Sure, you can spend more money, but even the inexpensive vino is good. I love to drink pesche in vino -peaches in wine with pranzo. Yum! In summer red wine is often served chilled.

The cheese products in Puglia and Campania are drool-worthy! Orsara has its own DOP cheese called cacioricotta, a goat cheese, but it never stays around long enough to be photographed! Here is a lovely white on white trio of burrata, ricotta and mozzarella di bufala.

Fiori di zucca are one of my favourite summer foods. Luckily they are readily available here. These ones were grown by a friend. They are stuffed with caciocavallo and basilico, ready to be baked or grilled. More recipe and harvesting tips can be found in the post Fiori di zucca. I grow them in my garden in Vancouver as well, but they are not that plentiful.

Cucina povera, literally ‘food of the poor’, is what you will find in Puglia. Simple foods made with fresh local ingredients. My favourite comfort food, very typical of Orsara di Puglia is pancotto e patate. It is made with stale bread, boiled potatoes, oil and garlic. Beans and rucola or other greens can also be added. I will have to write a post on how to make it!I took the train down to Lecce and Nardò for a few days and found this cute ceramic gratta aglio, a garlic grater. Of course the peperoncini attracted me! I hope this post has made you either hungry and drooling or wishing you could visit Puglia yourself. Maybe it has done both? Buon appetito e buon viaggio, CristinaThanks Sherry from Australia for hosting the monthly food blogging event, In My Kitchen (IMK). Read about other world kitchens by clicking the link to Sherry’s Pickings . Buon appetito, Cristina

Puglia~Mia Regione Preferita

26 Sunday May 2019

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Photography, Puglia, Travel, Vino

≈ 26 Comments

Tags

Cucina povera, Cucina Pugliese, Diomedes, Dolcevitabloggers, Parco Nazionale del Gargano, Romanico Pugliese, Southern Italy, Top 10 reasons to love Puglia, Trabucchi del Gargano, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Vini di Puglia

Italia has 20 regioni /regions. So far, I have been to 14 of them. I love them all, but my absolute favourite is Puglia. Why? Well, aside from the obvious reason that it is home, there are countless others. I have narrowed this post down to my top 10 reasons to love Puglia-in no particular order. There are a lot of links to previous posts included here. Please check them out! Many of my Puglia posts were written when this blog only had about 27 readers, 80% of them related to me. These posts need some new love!1) 840 km of coastline-That is a lot of beach! The transparent turquoise colour of the water is real.Earlier this month, 13 Pugliese beaches received the environmental designation Bandiera Blu, including Polignano a Mare, Margherita di Savoia and Peschici.

2) Cucina Pugliese is rustic cucina povera or peasant food, focusing on the freshness and simplicity of the ingredients that are in season.

Pugliese specialties include orecchiette al sugo, orecchiette con cime di rape, grano arso, fave e cicorie, burrata, pancotto e patate, polpo, pesce, focaccia Pugliese, taralli, cartellate, pasticciotto, and pizza con la ricotta. Everything is drizzled with Pugliese ‘liquid gold’, extra virgin olive oil.

I hope I have made you hungry. Buon appetito!

3) Vino- Oenotria ‘Land of Wine’ is the name the ancient Greeks gave Puglia. 425 km long, Puglia has a diverse agricultural landscape with mountains, plains, the Mediterranean sun, coastal sea breezes and fertile soil. The climate is hot and dry, especially during the summer. The name Puglia comes from the Latin ‘a pluvia’ meaning without rain. These environmental features, plus the presence of vitigni autoctoni (Native or Indigenous species of grapes) create an ideal environment for growing grapes and producing vino.

Vino is my favourite topic of research. A few years ago, I published a Vini di Puglia trilogy-a series of 3 blog posts on the wines of Puglia! Vini di Puglia is about the ‘big 3’ Negroamaro, Nero di Troia and Primitivo. Part 2 Aglianico to Zibibbo is about all the other grapes of Puglia plus a glossary of viniculture terms in Italiano. Il Tuccanese a grape native to Orsara di Puglia is the last post in the trilogy. Salute!

4) Architettura. Puglia has it’s own architectural style-Romanico Pugliese (Pugliese Romanesque). Puglia was at the crossroads between Europe and the Crusades in the 11th-13th Century. Many cattedrale were built in this style, including those in Troia, Trani, Bari, Otranto, Molfetta, Bitonto, Siponto and Ruvo di Puglia. Romanico Pugliese is a unique architectural style distinguished by elements of both Eastern and Western elements. These include vaulted ceilings, Byzantine semicircular cupolas, porticoes held up by marble lions, and intricate decorations with classical Byzantine and Arab features. The Romanesque Cathedrals in Puglia are on the UNESCO heritage sites tentative list, which is the step before heritage designation.

The 11 sectioned rosone pictured here of the Cattedrale di Troia built in 1145 AD looks like it is woven in stone. Other architectural styles specific to Puglia are the Barrocco Leccese found in Lecce and the mysterious Castel del Monte in Andria built by Federico II, which is its own unique entity.

5) Promontorio del Gargano One of the most beautiful areas on earth, Il Promontorio del Gargano (gar·GAH·noh) is the promontory sticking out above ‘il tacco’, the heel of Italia. You can also think of it as la caviglia-the ankle spur of Italia. Surrounded by the Adriatico on 3 sides, the area is more like an island; biodiverse with unique flora and fauna. Most of the promontorio is a protected area and marine reserve, Il Parco Nazionale del Gargano, which includes le Isole Tremiti and the ancient Foresta Umbra. Fortunately, this has prevented development by large multinational hotels and resorts.

Il Gargano is famous for picchi (woodpeckers) and other birds, 300 varieties of orchids, almonds and olives. There are endless ancient hillside olive groves, pine forests, sea grotte, limestone cliffs, rocky shores, crystalline water and fresh seafood.

Baia delle Zagare

The winding road around the Gargano, SS 89 from Foggia, has sharp turns and viste mozzafiato (VIS·teh moz·zah·FYAH·toh)-breathtaking views. One of my favourite viewpoints is La Baia delle Zagare, where the battle scene between the Amazons and Germans in the movie Wonder Woman were filmed!

6)Trabucchi Trabucchi (tra∙BOO∙kkee) are old fishing contraptions found on the Adriatic coast of Abruzzo, Molise and Puglia. The design probably dates back to the ancient Phoenicians. Trabucchi have fascinated me since I was a child, taking l’Adriatico, the night train from Bologna to Foggia on a stormy night. They looked like giant alien octopi coming out of the sea! There are 13 functioning trabucchi on the coast of the Promontorio del Gargano between Peschici and Vieste, the oldest dating back to the 18th century. They are protected as National cultural heritage sites within the Parco Nazionale del Gargano. Read more in I Trabucchi del Gargano.

7) Trulli-These traditional limestone houses are unique to the Val d’Itria in Southern Puglia. They were built ‘a secco’, which means dry-without mortar. Trulli have domed cone-shaped roofs built up of overlapping grey limestone slabs called chiancharelle (kyan•ka•REL•leh).

‘La Zona dei Trulli’ includes the areas around Locorotondo, Fasano, Cisternino, Martina Franca, Ceglie Massapica and the largest concentration of 1,620 trulli in Alberobello. Alberobello and its trulli are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Read more about trulli in I Trulli di Alberobello. 8) History/Connection to the Iliad Can any other region say it was founded by a Trojan War hero? According to legend, after the fall of Troy the mythical hero Diomede (Diomedes) found out his wife had been unfaithful. Instead of returning home to Argos, he sailed the Adriatic, created the Isole Tremiti, and then was invited by Daunus, King of the Daunia (modern Provincia di Foggia) to settle there. Diomede allegedly planted the first grape vines in Puglia, brought with him from Greece. He also founded many other towns in Puglia. Diomede was allegedly shipwrecked and died near the Isole Tremiti.

La tomba di Diomede on San Nicola.

An unmarked Hellenic period tomb on San Nicola is known as ‘la tomba di Diomede’. According to legend, his crew was so upset that the Goddess Venus took pity on the grieving men and turned them into birds that continue to cry for their loss. The scientific name for the Great Albatross common in the area is ‘Diomedea’. These birds look like seagulls and sounds like a crying newborn. There is a scene in Fellini’s fim ‘Otto e mezzo’ (8½), where a cardinal tells this story to Guido (Marcello Mastroianni).

A Diomedea, San Domino

9)Paesaggi- The landscape of Puglia is varied and beautiful, made up of wheat fields, olive groves, vineyards and rocky coastline. The region has 60 million olive trees, including ulivi secolari-centuries old trees with knotted, gnarled trunks that have been twisted by time and wind. Puglia’s trees produce 40% of the olive oil in Italia.

10) Slower pace Most of Puglia is still very much ‘real italia’, less commercialized and touristy, with great places to visit. I am often told my photos look like they are from old movie sets. Even though Puglia is often on the ‘places to see this year’ lists, it is uncrowded. This is partly because it is poorly served by public transportation, and also because most foreigners visiting Puglia only go to the Salento and Alberobello! Italians from other regions travel to Puglia a lot, making it a great place to practice speaking italiano! Check out the posts A Perfect day in Italia and Il Sole di Metà Pomeriggio for more paese scenes.Have you been to Puglia, mia regione preferita? Let me know in the comments.

This post is written as part of the #dolcevitabloggers monthly blogging linkup, hosted by Jasmine, Kelly and Kristie the 3rd Sunday of the month. Click the link to check out what the rest of the Dolce Vita bloggers have written on this month’s topic.

Ciao, Cristina

Tutti i Santi

01 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Feste, Italia, Italian Folklore, Orsara di Puglia, Photography, Puglia

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

#quinonehalloween, All Saints' Day, Falò e Teste del Purgatorio, Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje, Muscitaglia, November 1st, Pugliese Traditions, Pumpkin carving, Southern Italy, Tutti i Santi Festa

November 1^st is Tutti i Santi-All Saints’ Day and is a national holiday in Italia. It was created in the 9th century when the Pope superimposed a Christian feast day onto existing rituals, so this festa has been around for a very long time. Tonight is also an ancient festa celebrated in Orsara di Puglia called Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje which is dialetto Orsarese for ‘Falò e teste del Purgatorio’. This translates to ‘Bonfires and heads from purgatory’ the ‘heads’ being zucche lanterne-carved pumpkin lanterns. For simplicity, it is also called ‘Tutti i Santi’ or ‘La Festa dei Morti’.

The night between November 1^stand 2^ndprovides the opportunity to honour, reconnect and pay respect to the spirits of loved ones. I wrote about the festa in a 2014 post Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje, but at that time I had not attended. I had only heard about it from my parents, family and friends. Last year I had the opportunity to attend. It was cold but the night was clear and an absolutely amazing, magical, spriritual experience-for me and at least 20,000 others. Orsaresi who live in other parts of Italia and Europe come home for the festa, and visitors come from all over Puglia. Since it is a holiday, many families are able to take an extra long weekend known as il Ponte dei morti.

It is believed that this night between Nov 1 and 2, the souls of the recently dead return among the living to visit their relatives and their former homes before moving on to Paradiso. Bonfires are lit with wood and branches of ginestra (broom). The light of the fires and the crackling and sparks of the ginestra reaching for the sky attract the spirits, to reunite the living with those who continue to live only in our memories. The light inside ‘cocce priatorje’, pumpkin lanterns carved to look like heads or carved with crosses-light their way to find their former home.

My paesani are busy preparing for the festa for days. Preparation involves gathering firewood and ginestra, preparing food for family and friends and picking hundreds of locally grown zucche which are carved and placed all over Orsara. Restaurants and bars prepare for one of their busiest nights of the year. There is even a laboratorio di intaglio delle zucche– a pumpkin carving workshop. My street, balcony and front door were decorated with zucche. In the evening zucche are exhibited and there is a contest for ‘la zucca più bella’.

When the campanile, the church bell tower, strikes 1900 hours, Orsara di Puglia ‘catches fire’. Bonfires are simultaneously lit in every street and piazza and remain lit through the night. The fires, illuminated zucche, music and people in the streets create a magical, enchanted atmosphere. There are 3 large municipal falò, and every quartiere – neighbourhood, and many families also light their own.

I made a point of getting off of the main Corso to visit some of the smaller personal falò. In honour of the dead, simple but symbolic seasonal foods are cooked on the open fires and also served as cibo di strada-street food. These include patate -potatoes, cipolle-onions, salsicce-sausages, castagne-chestnuts and pane cotto-bread cooked with garlic, potatoes and greens.

Muscitaglia (moo•shee•tah•lyah) is a traditional dish served November 1^stlikely dating back from the ancient Greeks and Byazantines. Muscitaglia is made up of the Greek and Latin words mosto (wine must) and talia (grain). The ingredients include boiled grain and vino cotto. Semi di melagrana e pezzi di noci -pomegranate seeds and walnut pieces are often added. These ingredients are symbols of fertility and abundance, but also of honour and respect for the dead.

Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje has often been confused by visitors with the Anglosaxon Hallowe’en, but it is an entirely different event. Besides the obvious fact that the date is different, dressing up in costume is not part of the custom and there is nothing scary or evil about it. This is the reason for the hashtag #quinonèhalloween. There are more similarities with Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead. This event is about being together in community to celebrate the bond between the living and those who we remember in our hearts. It is also to remind us that our time on earth is precious. The following day, November 2^nd is l’Anime dei Morti-All Soul’s Day, and it is customary to go to the cemetery to pay respects at the resting place of loved ones.

The 9 minute video below features 94 year old Z’Gaetan talking about the festa and its significance.

This lively 48 second video from 2016 featuring the music of Tarantula Garganica will make you all wish you were there tonight:

If you did not watch the video….watch it now! I did not make it there this year, but am looking forward to my next trip to Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje! Now I am off to my Mamma’s to have muscitaglia! Ciao, Cristina

Un po' di pepe

~ …… (oon∙poh∙dee∙PEH∙peh) Cristina writes about interesting stuff /Cristina scrive di cose interessanti

Category Archives: Puglia

Appuntamento con la Daunia

Post Pandemic Travel Postcard

Un Matrimonio in Puglia

In my Kitchen in Puglia, 2022

Percorso della Memoria

Museo Faggiano

Troia 1019-2019

In my Kitchen in Puglia, 2019

Puglia~Mia Regione Preferita

Tutti i Santi

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: