Hostaria Antica Roma~Eat like an Ancient Roman

26 Friday Sep 2025

Posted by in Mangiamo!, Roma

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What do you do when a planned daytrip from Roma is cancelled because of pouring rain?  Go and have a meal like the ancient Romans! My friend and I went to Via Appia Antica-the Ancient Appian Way, a road from Roma to Brindisi. Close to the Catacombs of Domitilla, and almost right below the cylindrical Tomba di Cecilia Metella is Hostaria Antica Roma. Here, at his family’s ristorante, Paolo Magnanimi, an amateur gastronomic archeologist, has researched and is reviving 2,000 year old ancient Roman recipes. We enjoyed a delicious meal, enriched by explanation and commentary from Paolo.  It was an educational culinary journey into the past.

The restaurant serves traditional ‘modern’ Roman cuisine, but also a tasting menu called ‘A Tavola con Apicio’ (At the table with Apicius) closely based on the recipes in the 1st Century AD ‘De Re Coquinaria’ /On the subject of Cooking’, the only surviving cookbook from Ancient Roma. It is thought to have been compiled by Apicio -Marcus Gavius Apicius, a wealthy epicure/food lover. He was described by Pliny the Elder as ‘the most gluttonous gorger of all spendthrifts’.  Ouch! Just like Nonna’s, the ancient recipes only include ingredients, not quantities, proportions or instructions.  Paolo recreates the dishes using -as much as possible-only ingredients available at the time.  Ingredients inclucing sugar, chocolate, basil and tomato were not available in the 1stCentury.

We started off with ‘Gustum’ an antipasto platter consisting of a selection of everyday ancient snacks made with local products.  I believe this menu item usually needs to be ordered in advance.  Fortunately for us, a table had reserved for 6 people, but only 5 were there, so we were able to take the extra one!  Clockwise from the top of the photo:

Libum di Catone a bread described by Cato as a sacred symbol of devotion.  It was made with wheat flour, sheep milk ricotta, eggs and honey, and baked on a layer of bay laurel leaves. Now I know what I will do with my extra bay leaves!

Moretum was described by the poet Virgil as an everyday dish of the ancient Romans. This is the ancestor of Pesto, but named after the mortar instead of the pestle.  Moretum is made with pecorino-fresh sheep milk cheese, garlic, herbs such as coriander and celery seed, salt, nuts and olive oil. It can be eaten on its own or spread onto libum.  Paolo grinds together his ingredients with the mortar and pestle, just as described by Virgil.

Prosciutto cotto (ham) with honey and fresh pecorino

Epityrium a spread, similar to a tapenade, of olives and herbs, including cumin, fennel, coriander and sometimes mint. It was served on bread

For our primo or first course, we had the ancestor of modern lasagne, Patina Cotidiana, which is Latin for ‘daily dish’.  The pasta sheets are called laganum.  If any of you believe Marco Polo brought pasta to Italy from China in the 13th Century, that is ‘leggenda metropolitana’, an urban myth.  Boiled laganum are layered with ground beef, fennel and pecorino.  It is ‘in bianco’, meaning no tomato, since the tomato did not arrive in Europe until the 1500’s, and was not even an edible product at that time. Click on Il Pomodoro for the history of the modern tomato.

Our secondo or second course was Pollum Oxizomum, chicken cooked with pieces of leek, olive oil, vinegar and garum.  Garum was a fermented fish sauce that was a staple condiment in the ancient Roman kitchen.  75% of the recipes in De re Coquinaria include garum!  At the archeological site of Ostia Antica, one of the market stalls with fish mosaics likely sold the intensely flavoured Garum!  Today, colatura di alici di Cetara is the best substitute for garum.  Colatura di alici means anchovy drippings and this can be considered the ‘Italian version’ of an Asian fish sauce.

In the small Amalfi Coast fishing village of Cetara, they have been making colatura di alici the same way for centuries.  Anchovy fillets and sea salt are layered in small chestnut wood barrels called terzigni with a heavy weight on top. The anchovies are left to ferment for a long time-up to 3 years!  This process produces a clear amber liquid with an intense flavour that floats to the top.  A hole is made in the bottom of the barrel to collect the colatura after it passes through the layers of anchovies.  Online, a 50 ml bottle is about $25 (USD).  Surprisingly, our pollo did not taste fishy or overly salty.  It was delicious!

Finally, for dessert /dolce we had Tiropatina a predecessor of custard or crème caramel.  It was made with whole milk, eggs and honey, with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper on top.  The ancient Romans believed pepper to be an aphrodisiac.

A few other items on the ancient menu that we did not try include: Pulsa con copadia, rustic polenta with an aromatic beef stew, Isicia Omentata, pork polpette (meatballs) in grape sauce and La Cassata di Oplontis, a dessert made with almond flour, sheep milk ricotta, honey, dried and candied fruit.

I absolutely recommend a visit to Hostaria Antica Roma, especially if you are fascinated by the history of ancient Roma and gastronomic history.  The fact that everything was delicious does not hurt either!  The week after our visit in July, Paolo was being interviewed by the BBC.

De Re Coquinaria 2021 edition, translated by Terra Nectare corrects previously incorrect translations

Hostaria Antica Roma, Via Appia Antica 176Open Tuesday-Saturday 12:30-1500 and 19:30-22:30, Sun 12-3, Monday closed.

Grazie to to my amica Anna for joining me.  Buon appetito!

 

Santa Maria in Aracoeli

12 Friday Sep 2025

Posted by in Amici e Famiglia, Architecture, Roma

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I recently attended a family wedding in one of the most beautiful churches in Roma, the Basilica Santa Maria in Aracoeli (pronounced Ah*rah*CHEH*lee). Because of its location on the highest point of the Capitoline Hill, sandwiched between Il Vittoriano and the staircase to Il Campidoglio, most visitors have seen it from the outside-but they have no idea what treasures the interior holds. Photos in this post are from the July rehearsal and wedding of Isabella and John.Translated from Latin, Santa Maria in Aracoeli means ‘Santa Maria of the altar in Heaven’. The Romanesque Gothic Basilica was built on the site of a Temple to Giunone (Juno) in the year 574.  Originally a Greek Byzantine church, it was taken over by the Benedictines in the 9th Century, then later the Franciscans in 1249.  Santa Maria in Aracoeli is one of the principal churches of Roma and the designated church of the city council and the Senate and people of Roma (SPQR). The Municipio, or City Hall of Roma is conveniently located behind the Basilica, on the Campidoglio.  During the French occupation of 1797, the Basilica was turned into a stable for the French cavalry!  It was almost demolished in the 1880’s during construction of its massive neighbour Il Vittoriano /L’Altare della Patria. In the photo above, the white monument is Il Vittoriano, the building behind it with the steep staircase is Santa Maria in Aracoeli and the staircase on the right leads to Piazza del Campidoglio, where the Capitoline Museum and Municipio are located.The interior is elaborately decorated, with a coffered and gilded wooden ceiling (1575).  The exquisite cream and pink marble floor is decorated with Cosmati, an inlay geometric style of Medieval stonework. The arches are supported on 22 columns scavenged and upcycled from diverse ancient ruins throughout the city. This is why no 2 of the columns are alike.  52 gorgeous Murano glass chandeliers hang in the nave and sanctuary. They were all lit during the wedding.

On the altar, is a 10th Century Byzantine icon painted on beech wood, la Madonna di Aracoeli. She is holding up her hand, which is painted in gold.  La Madonna di Aracoeli was carried through the streets of Roma during the Black Plague outbreak in 1348, and is credited with the shorter duration of the epidemic. To the left of the altar an octagonal tempietto or shrine contains the Byzantine relics of Sant’ Elena (St. Helena), the mother of Emperor Constantine. Cappella Bufalini, the first chapel on the right of the entrance, contains a series of 15th Century frescoes by Pinturicchio.  There are also frescoes by Pietro Cavallini and Arnolfo di Cambio, and countless other works of art.The most famous item in the church is the Santissimo Bambinello, a 15th Century bejewelled wooden sculpture of baby Jesus carved out of olive wood from the gardens of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, and baptised in the river Jordan.  It is believed to have healing powers. Unfortunately, he was stolen in 1994, and is still missing.  Today, the Bambinello in a private chapel by the small gift shop is a replica.

La Scala Santa, the staircase of 124 marble steps leading to the main entrance of the church, was designed in 1348 on the occasion of the end of the Black Death. The stairs are considered sacred, and people have been known to climb up on their knees, hoping for a miracle.  Luckily, none of the wedding guests chose to do this, but there were many wobbly stilettos climbing the stairs, and one extremely dirty wedding train!  Viva gli sposi!

Ciao, Cristina

Casino dell’Aurora~Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi

21 Thursday Aug 2025

Posted by in Art, Art history, Italia, Roma

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Caravaggio 2025 at Palazzo Barberini, the exhibit coinciding with Giubileo 2025, was extended by 2 weeks. Yippee!! This was great for me, since I arrived in Roma the day after it was supposed to end.  As soon as I heard about the extension, I booked tickets before they sold out. It was amazing, and I will post about it after I get home. With the code from my ticket purchase, I was also able to book one of the limited weekend tickets to Casino dell’ Aurora, Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi, a private home, which is not normally open to the public.

Why am I so excited about this? Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi contains the only ceiling painted by Caravaggio, one of his least accessible masterpieces.

The Villa is the only remaining part of a large suburban retreat, built by Cardinal Francesco del Monte in the 16 th Century. The cardinal was an early patron of Caravaggio and he had an interest in alchemy*. He commissioned 25 year old Caravaggio to paint the ceiling of his small alchemy lab in 1597.

The painting ‘Giove, Nettuno e Plutone’ -Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto is an alchemical allegory with the 3 Olympian gods and their symbols and animals from classical mythology. For Jupiter these are air, sulphur and the eagle, for Neptune water, mercury, a trident and the hippocampus (a mythological seahorse) and for Pluto, earth, salt and Cerberus the 3 headed dog.

This painting may have been a middle finger salute early in his career to critics who accused Caravaggio of having a poor sense of perspective. The 3 figures are foreshortened in the most dramatic way possible. Jupiter floats in the sky with an eagle and reaches out to move a luminous celestial sphere where the sun revolves around the earth. Zodiac signs are barely visible in the center. Neptune and Pluto appear to be standing right over you, with Neptune’s private parts dangling above your head!

Caravaggio used his own face for all 3 figures. It was common for him to insert his self-portrait into a painting, but not as the main focus.  In this case, it is likely because this early in his career, he could not afford to pay a model, and he had not started using everyday people as models.  Since the 3 figures are supposed to be brothers, it worked. Cerberus may have been painted from his own dog.

This ceiling painting is unusual as it is oil paint on dry plaster, so essentially it is a mural. It is not a fresco, which is painted with pigments directly into wet plaster. The painting does not have that ‘chalky’ look of a fresco. The size is 300 by 180 cm, about 10’ by 6’. It is on the upper floor, reached via the staircase seen below, in the main ‘Aurora’ reception room.

In 1621, del Monte sold the villa and grounds, a 30 hectare (74 acre) area between Porta Pinciana and Porta Salaria, to Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi. In 1621, Guercino also completed the Aurora fresco on the ceiling of the main reception hall. This is why the villa is also referred to as Casino dell’Aurora or Villa Aurora. Guercino had help with the illusionist architectural details by the notorious Agostino Tassi. Read more about him in the post Artemisia Gentileschi.

The princes Boncompagni-Ludovisi subdivided and sold the property in 1883. Roma’s Ludovisi district is on these former grounds. The 2200 m² (2400 sq ft) villa and a small  parcel of land remained with the Ludovisi family.

Since the 2018 death of the owner, Prince Niccolò Boncompagni Ludovisi, there has been an inheritance dispute between his American widow and the 3 sons from his first marriage. The widow was evicted in 2023 and a court ordered sale made the villa the most expensive house ever to go on the market. Valued at €470 million, it is still for sale and also needs €10 million worth of restoration work $$$! Hopefully the family comes to some sort of agreement and Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi will eventually become a museum. I will purchase Lotto tickets in the meantime 🤞.

Casino dell’Aurora, Villa Boncompagni-Ludovisi is located at Via Lombardia 46, a short walk from Porta Pinciana and the Marriott Grand Hotel Flora. It is not open to the public and there are no plans for public viewing at this time.  If you somehow happen to get the opportunity-definitely go! Now that I have seen Giove, Nettuno e Plutone, I have seen all 25 of Caravaggio’s paintings in Roma!

*Alchemy was a precursor to actual science. It was aimed at discovering the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ to turn other metals into gold, and the elixir of youth.

Nasoni di Roma

18 Sunday May 2025

Posted by in Italia, Roma

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The characteristic cast iron fontanelle, small drinking fountains found throughout Roma, are affectionately known as nasoni.  Nasoni means ‘big noses’, and refers to the curved metal spout, which has a small hole at the top of the arch.  Blocking the spout with your finger will force the water up from hole in an arc, like a drinking fountain.  This is handy if you want to drink but do not have a water bottle!

The nasoni date back to 1874, after Italian unification when mayor Luigi Pianciani installed fountains to provide free, accessible public drinking water for the health and hygiene of Romans and visitors.   This is often referred to as ‘l’acqua del sindaco’, ‘the water of the mayor’.  Some of the fountains in central Roma are supplied by a functioning ancient aqueduct, the Acqua Vergine. Nasoni get their water from Roma’s main drinking water reserve, Lago di Bracciano, 32 km (20 mi) to the northwest.

There were originally 5,000 nasoni, but the number decreased as it became more common to have domestic water connections.  Today there are over 2500 nasoni in greater Roma, including 280 in the historic center, and 114 in outer areas, such as Fiumicino. For the 150th anniversary of the Nasoni in 2004, 3 new ones were installed near the Colosseo.A nasone (singular) weighs ~100 kg and is 1.2 m high (almost 4 ft). Its classic cast iron cylindrical shape allows drinking water to flow continuously. Most nasoni have a metal grate to collect the water.  The first Nasoni had 3 spouts, decorated with dragon heads.  In the 1920’s the dragons became an endangered species and since then, nasoni are cast iron cylinders with a single smooth curved ‘naso’ spout.  Some of them have the SPQR insignia and quite a few are decorated with graffiti.  The 3 oldest nasoni are the original dragon spout design.  They can be found on Via di San Teodoro, in Piazza della Rotonda in front of the Pantheon, and at the Fontana delle tre Cannelle on Via della Cordonata near Palazzo Quirinale.

Besides quenching the thirst of Roma, nasoni also have a hydraulic purpose.  They act as surface ventilation valves for the underground water supply system.  This releases pressure in pipes, and the continuous flow of water keeps it from stagnating, preventing uncontrolled bacterial growth.  The continuous flow may seem like a waste of drinking water, but in fact the percentage of waste is only about 1%, while waste due to old leaky pipes in poor condition would be over 30%.  It costs the city €3-5/day to operate each nasone, depending on the water flow.

The water company ACEA has the Waidy Wow waterfinder App that maps out 50,000 drinking water points including nasoni and other fountains throughout the country. Wanted in Rome, an online English magazine has a Nasoni map of Rome. The Nasoni di Roma App focuses specifically on locating nasoni.With the nasoni, plus 90 ornamental fountains offering uninterrupted drinking water, Roma is the city with the most drinking fountains in the world.  Installed to provide accessible fresh drinking water for thirsty Romans and visitors, the nasoni are now iconic symbols of Roma, representing community and hospitality.  Don’t forget to bring a water bottle! If you are visiting in summer, check out Beat the heat: Surviving Summer in Roma.

Buon Viaggio, Cristina

Bloghiversario #11

25 Friday Apr 2025

Posted by in Blogging

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Auguri a me! Today is another bloghiversario– blog anniversary.  I feel like we just celebrated 10 years of Un po’ di pepe! In numerology, Undici (oon•DEE•chee), 11 is a master number.  It is special because it repeats the #1. 11 is associated with creative energy, independent thinking, leadership and spiritual awareness. Good things for the coming year! I also love saying the word undici. Undicesimo Bloghiversario (11th bloghiversary) sounds even better.

As usual, I attempted to write more posts this past year.  It started out well, but for the last few months I have been recovering from a concussion.  I did not ski into a tree or anything molto dramatico, I just slipped on icy grass and fell backwards after throwing out the trash! In case you ever need to explain that in Italiano…. ‘Ho sbattuto la testa quando sono scivolata sull’erba ghiacciata, e ho un commozione cerebrale’. ‘Commozione cerebrale‘ makes it sound like there is a party happening in the brain, but that is the term for concussion. Do not ask me how many times I have been told ‘Meno male che hai la testa dura’ or ‘Menumale cà tien a capa tost!’ in the past few months. Those are ‘Good thing you have a hard head!‘ in Italiano and Dialetto. See what useful stuff you learn from this site!

I did finally publish posts on Artemisia Gentileschi, Panzerotti, Il Pumo Pugliese, I Cavalli di San Marco and 3 posts about Torino. The wine anthology I contributed to, ‘A Literary Harvest‘ is finally in print, and for my compleanno I published my piece in a bilingual post In Vino there are Memories /Nel Vino ci sono Ricordi.  Mamma loved it!  The anthology makes a great gift for the vino lover in your life-purchase information is   in both posts.

In July, I will be attending a family wedding in Roma!!! My recent posts have been Roma related- Giubileo 2025 about the Jubilee this year, Acqua Vergine and Fontana di Trevi. There are a few more coming.  Anyone else travelling to Roma this summer, make sure to read Beat the Heat-Surviving Summer in Roma.

I thought I would be celebrating follower #500, but seem to be stuck at 495-so hopefully soon.  If you change email addresses, don’t forget to resubscribe to continue receiving notifications of new posts.

April 25th is also La Festa della Liberazione d’Italia, the anniversary of the liberation of Italia from Fascist occupation in 1945.  It has been a national holiday since 1946.  Viva la libertà!

Grazie to all of you for taking the time to read, comment, send messages and especially for giving me an excuse to share my images and research and write about things that interest me!   You know….’Devo fare ricerca per il blog’ (I need to do research for my blog) is my reason to do all the things I want to do! If you have any suggestions for future posts or just want to say ‘ciao‘, leave me a comment.

To those who discovered the blog more recently or visit occasionally, Benvenuto!  Find out more by reading ‘Perché questo blog?/Why write a blog?’, ‘About me/Chi sono’ and my bilingual interview with Silvia L’Intervista con Silvia.

Grazie a tutti i lettori di ‘Un po’ di pepe’ per continuare a leggere e per avermi dato una scusa per usare le foto che ho scattato e per scrivere di cose che mi piacciono. Ormai posso usare la scusa ‘devo fare ricerca per il blog’ per tutto quello che voglio fare. Lasciatemi un messaggio se avete delle idee per un post o se semplicemente volete dire ‘ciao’.

Per chi ha scoperto il blog più di recente o lo visita occasionalmente, Benvenuto! Scopri di più leggendo ‘Perché questo blog?/Why write a blog?’, ‘About me/Chi sono’ e l’intervista bilingue L’Intervista con Silvia.Frecce Tricolori Festa della Liberazione 25 Aprile

Hopefully none of you will need to use your new commozione cerebrale terminology-but use undici whenever you can! Ciao, Cristina

Fontana di Trevi

13 Sunday Apr 2025

Posted by in Architecture, Italia, Photography, Roma

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The Fontana di Trevi is one of the most iconic structures in Roma-a Baroque masterpiece with a direct link to the Ancient Roman Empire.  Every year, millions of tourists visit, trying to capture a perfect photo, tossing in a coin to ensure a return visit to Roma.  Sometimes it can feel like a mosh pit! The water comes from an ancient aqueduct, Aqua Virgo (Acqua Vergine in Italiano), 9 m below ground, built in 19 BC.  It still functions today and provides water to the fountains in Central Roma.  Find out more in the previous post Acqua Vergine.

The Fontana di Trevi is named for the piazza. Tre vie means 3 roads, refering to Via De’Crocicchi, Via Poli and Via delle Muratte that come together at Piazza Trevi. The Fontana di Trevi is the final destination of Acqua Vergine.

There was always a fountain to mark the end point of Acqua Vergine. The medieval fountain was a simple rectangular shape with 3 spouts pouring water into 3 basins.  In the Baroque era, when everything was over the top and extravagantly decorated, Pope Urban found the existing fountain too boring.  He commissioned the Master, Gian Lorenzo Bernini to sketch a design, but they both died before it got going.  The next Pope held a contest, and Nicola Salvi’s design was chosen.  Construction started in 1732, with many artists involved during the 30 years it took to complete. In a very modern fashion, construction of the Fontana di Trevi was financed with proceeds from the Roman lottery.

The symmetrically balanced theme ’Taming the Waters’ was built right onto the existing building. Palazzo Poli was given a new façade featuring a giant order of Corinthian columns. The main sculpture is Greek Titan Oceanus, not Neptune as is commonly thought.  He is in a large half-shell pulled by 2 seahorses and tritons (sea messengers) with a sea reef below them.  The façade and sea reef are made of Travertine from Tivoli, and the sculptures are Carrara marble. Above and on either side of Oceanus are 2 bas reliefs illustrating the origins of Acqua Vergine.  One depicts Marcus Agrippa ordering construction of the aqueduct and the other the vergine, a young girl leading Roman soldiers to the spring.  The Fontana di Trevi is 26 m (~85 ft) high and 49 m (~160 ft) wide. It spills 80,000 cu m (2, 825,000 cu ft) of water per day! Today the water is continually recycled.

Tossing a coin in the water with the right hand over the left shoulder while facing away from the fountain is thought to ensure a return to Roma. I never miss this opportunity-even during renovation in 2015 I found a way to toss one in! This tradition dates back to the Ancient Romans who tossed coins in water so the gods would protect them on their journey and ensure a safe return. Throw in a second coin to find true love and a third for wedding bells! I believe these last 2 are just from the 1954 movie ‘3 coins in the Fountain’, not the Ancient Romans!  According to another old tradition, drinking the water with your beloved will ensure eternal love and fidelity. Do not drink this water! 

Although the water comes straight from a spring via an ancient aqueduct, it is now continually recirculated. In 1998 when the Fontana was refurbished, recirculating pumps were installed. On the far right and up a few stairs is the Fontanella degli Innamorati (Little Lovers’ Fountain) a small rectangular basin with 2 crossing spouts. Take a drink here instead-the water is also from Acqua Vergine and is safe to drink!All of those coins in the water can’t be hygienic either.  Approximately €3,500 per day is collected nightly and given to the local charity Caritas. The money funds a program providing supermercato cards Roma’s needy.   There are regular attempts to steal the coins from the basin, which of course is illegal.  The water has also been vandalized many times, painted red and most recently climate eco anarchists dyed it black with charcoal.

In 2014 Fendi sponsored a 1.5 year, €2.2 million restoration and cleaning, including installation of LED lights to improve night illumination. In late 2024 a 3 month restoration also secured the lower basin to restrict access to only 400 visitors at a time. Crowds are expected to be bigger than usual during Giubileo 2025.  Early in the morning is usually a good time to visit.

***Update-As of February 2025, there is a €2 fee to enter the lower basin of the fontana from 1130-2200 Monday to Friday and from 0900-2200 Saturday and Sunday. All other times there is no charge.

As an outdoor public monument, the Fontana di Trevi is free and always open, so unless it is under renovation, you can check it out at any time.  Access to the lower basin may be limited at some times, and cleaning takes place on certain Monday and Friday mornings. Since it is fed by an aqueduct and powered only by gravity, it never needs to be turned off.

The Fontana was immortalized in film in 1960 when Anita Ekberg walked in with her clothes on in the Fellini classic La Dolce Vita.  Do not be like Anita-you will be immediately slapped with a €450 fine. When her costar Marcello Mastroianni died in 1996, the Fontana di Trevi was draped in black, the water and lights turned off in his honour. Below is part of a poster-note how dirty the stone was in 1960!  The spouts of Fontanella degli Innamorati can be seen on the far right.

I have a molto cool Trevi memory.  In 2004, I attended a printmaking exhibit with a friend.  The entrance was at Via della Stamperia 6, 150 m from Piazza Trevi, down the side street past Fontanella degli Innamorati.  I remember climbing a lot of stairs and walking through corridors to get to the exhibit, which was amazing.  Then I wandered off to explore the gorgeous architectural details of the building, and heard the sound of running water as I walked past one of the tall, heavily curtained windows. Moving the curtain, I was right above the Fontana di Trevi!  It had not even occurred to me that there was a real building behind it.  Of course, this was before the time of cell phone cameras! Palazzo Poli was once a private residence, expropriated in 1885.  It is now the home of the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica (Central institute for Graphics) a museum and exhibition space created to preserve and promote cultural heritage documenting graphic art.  Open Monday to Friday 09-17 and weekends 09-14.  Admission is free.  The room I wandered into is usually closed, unless you are attending a classical music performance. The photo is from the Istituto’s website and was taken from farther up, possibly the roof.

9 m below the Fontana di Trevi, an archeological site was discovered during 2001 renovation of the former Trevi Cinema. Excavations uncovered a building complex from the Imperial Age (27 BC to 476 AD) and a fancy domus (Roman home), including canals still carrying clear water from Acqua Vergine to a holding tank for the domus. The site is called Vicus Caprarius, or “City of water” Vicolo del Puttarello 25.  Open Tuesday to Sunday 11-17 Reservations are recommended on weekdays, required weekends and holidays.  There are several underground tours, ranging from 30 minutes with audio guide to several hours long. I plan to see it soon!

The photos in this post were taken between 2004 and 2025.  Night view and bas reliefs taken by my sorella Lucia in Feb 2025.  ‘La Dolce Vita’ oil pastel on paper by the amazing Mary Cinque.

Ciao, Cristina

Acqua Vergine

28 Friday Mar 2025

Posted by in Architecture, Roma

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The Ancient Romans were masters of engineering.  One of the greatest examples of this is their aqueducts.  These systems of waterways transported fresh water from springs and melting snow long distances via pipes and tunnels.  The ability to provide a fresh, safe supply of drinking water is one of the reasons the Roman Empire became so powerful. In Roma, 11 aqueducts were built over a period of ~500 years.  Aqueduct #6 out of 11, called Aqua Virgo (Acqua Vergine in Italiano) lives on today.  Not only is it still with us, but it is still functioning, providing water to the most important fountains in central Roma.  The pure, cold, fresh water is drinkable*, constantly flowing and powered by gravity.

Mmmm! Acqua freddissima!

Aqua Virgo was constructed in 19 BC by Marcus Vipsamius Agrippa, son in law and general of Emperor Octavian Augustus.  Yes- the same Marcus Agrippa whose name is carved into the front of the Pantheon. He constructed the original Pantheon, before it burnt down.  Marcus had the aqueduct built to supply water for the thermal baths of Agrippa in the Campo Marzio area near the Pantheon.

Aqua Virgo/Acqua Vergine probably refers to the freshness and purity of the water, but according to legend, in 19 BC, a young girl led Roman soldiers to a spring -the source for the aqueduct.  The source is in the hills 13 km away, at Agro Lucellano between Via Tiburtina and the 8th milestone of Via Collatina (2 of the roads that led to Roma) near present day Salone.  The source is actually only 24m (79 ft) above sea level. Aqua Virgo is 21 km long via indirect route to Roma, making a wide arc.  This is to make use of gravity by shallow downward gradient. 19 km of Acqua Vergine are 9m below ground, with short stretches of brick arches above ground.

There were 1352 fountains in Roma in the 4th Century.  Aqua Virgo was damaged by the invasion of 537 and repaired. It remained in use through the Middle Ages with a few renovations during the Renaissance.  Early Renaissance Popes started to decorate the end point of restored aqueducts with large, ornate fountains.The Fontana di Trevi is the final destination of the original Acqua Vergine and Piazza del Popolo the end of an offshoot.  Carved above the statues next to Oceanus on the Fontana di Trevi, 2 bas reliefs illustrate Marcus Agrippa ordering construction of the aqueduct and the young girl leading Roman soldiers to the source.  They can both be seen in the photo below:

Acqua Vergine Antica runs under Villa Borghese and Villa Medici to Piazza di Spagna and Fontana di Trevi. In 1930 renovated Aqua Vergine Nuova goes behind Piazza di Spagna to Piazza through Giardini Borghese to Piazza Flaminio and Piazza del Popolo. Most of the aqueduct’s 21 km are 9m underground, except for the last stretch running partly on arches as it approached the Campo Marzio area, emerging from the hill by the present La Rinascente Department store. There is also an arch standing on Via del Nazareno, north of Trevi.  Part of Aqua Virgo was found during construction of the new La Rinascente department store location, delaying the opening by 2 years. In 2017 the new Flagship La Rinascente store on Via Tritone 61 opened, including a basement archeological site with a 60 m (197 ft) section of Aqua Virgo on display. Admission is free.  When I went, there was a Dolce and Gabbana furniture exhibit! Just take the escalator down to the bottom floor any time the store is open. Where else but Roma can you combine high end shopping and archeology?

Today Acqua Vergine supplies water to the fountains in Piazza della Rotonda outside the Pantheon, Piazza Mattei (Fontana delle Tartarughe) Fontana del Babuino, Piazza Navona (the 2 outer ones, not the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi), Campo dei Fiori, Piazza del Popolo (Fontana dei quattro leoni, Fontana di Nettuno and Fontana della Dea di Roma), Piazza Trevi, and my all-time favourite in Piazza di Spagna, La Barcaccia which resembles a sinking ship.  

Don’t forget to bring a water bottle to Roma!  Buon Viaggio, Cristina

*Since 1998, the water in the Fontana di Trevi is recycled, so no longer drinkable.  With €3000 of coins thrown in daily, it was hardly drinkable anyways! Read more about this in my next post!

Photo credits:  Drinking from La Barcaccia by Shannon Milar, Photo with bas reliefs by my sorella Lucia.

Giubileo 2025

17 Monday Feb 2025

Posted by in Feste, Italia, Roma

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2025 is a Giubileo or Jubilee, also known as a Holy Year or Anno Santo-a Vatican celebration of spirituality and reconciliation, held every 25 years.  Roma and Vatican City- the smallest country in the world, will be a destination for millions of pilgrims.  The event is expected to attract 32 million people from all over the world.  As a reference, in 2023 Roma had 13 million visitors!

The Jubilee has been a tradition in the Catholic Church since the year 1300, started by Pope Boniface VIII as a special year for spiritual renewal, works of mercy, forgiveness and celebration.  It was also seen as an opportunity for a fresh start.  Originally held every 100 years, the timing was changed to every 25 years to give each generation an opportunity to participate.

The theme of Giubileo 2025 is Pellegrini di Speranza– Pilgrims of Hope.  The theme was chosen by Pope Francesco to emphasize hope as a driving force of the Christian faith.  He calls on everyone to embrace values such as peace, solidarity and unity, reflecting on the broader world and the role each person can play in fostering a hopeful, compassionate society. The Giubileo is for anyone-those who are Catholic, curious or just passing through.  In addition to religious observance, it also a cultural celebration, with special exhibitions, concerts and cultural events.

A central part of the pilgrimage is passing through the Holy Doors, which symbolizes the transition from sin to grace.  Each of the 4 Papal Basilicas has a Holy Door.  They are usually sealed shut and opened only during a Holy Year.  The main one, San Pietro at the Vatican, was the first to be opened on Dec 24th.  The other 3 in Roma are- Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano and San Paolo Fuori le Mura.  The doors will be sealed shut again on Jan 6th, 2026 until the next Holy Year in 2050.

In July, I will be in Roma to attend a family wedding!  We are all excited-and not afraid of crowds or heat!  This will not be my first Holy Year in Roma.  In 1975, very young me and my family spent 3 days in Roma with Don Michele, Papa’s cousin who was a priest.  Not only did I pass through all 4 Holy Doors, but I actually touched Michelangelo’s Pietà before it was surrounded by bulletproof glass, and we may have visited every major church in Roma!  I also had my introduction to Pasta Carbonara at a Vatican cafeteria for pilgrims.  Carbonara should NOT be made for large groups….but I will leave that story for another time.

Roma has been a massive construction zone in preparation for 2025, so it should be all shiny and clean, hopefully with improved public transit.  There will still be ongoing work on Metro line C at Piazza Venezia, but most of the other renovation projects are completed.  Ancient monuments have been restored and refinished.  Bernini’s 29 meter high (94 feet) Baldacchino (altar canopy) in San Pietro has been polished for the first time in 150 years. A large area between Vatican City and Castel Sant’Angelo are now pedestrian only, since they have built an underground tunnel for car traffic.  Like everything in Roma, tunnel construction was delayed because during construction, they found ruins -the remains of a 2nd Century Roman wash house. 55 fountains have been restored including the one in front of the Pantheon, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Piazza Navona and the Fontana di Trevi.  There will now only be 400 people at one time allowed to enter the small piazza to throw throw in their coins  and take photos.

Caravaggio 2025 at Galleria d’Arte Antica at Palazzo Barberini is on from March 7th -July 6th!!!!  This is one of the most ambitious Caravaggio exhibits ever.  More info here. I arrive in Roma July 7th.  Mannaggia!  Ecce Homo, which lives at the Prado Museum in Madrid and has only recently been attributed to Caravaggio will be included in the exhibit, as well as Napoli’s Sant’Orsola, the last Caravaggio, painted shortly before his death!  Martirio di Sant'Orsola Caravaggio's last paintingAdmission is €18 for adults.  Book your tickets now!  Run!  Make me jealous!  If they run out of tickets and you want to see 6 Caravaggio works for free, take yourself on my Caffè con Caravaggio walking tour!

What to expect in Roma this year?

Roma always has lots of visitors, even in ‘low’ season, which is only from January 7th until the beginning of March.  This year there will be increased crowds, especially in the areas around the Vatican.  If you are crowd-averse and not interested in any of the Giubileo activities in Roma, you may want to consider delaying your visit to Roma until 2026.  The busiest times are expected during Easter/Holy Week April 13-21st, Pentecost June 5th and at Christmas.  Different times of year are also aimed at various groups, for example, Jubilee of the sick and health care workers April 5-6th, teens Apr 25-27th, persons with disabilities April 28-30th. Artists, volunteers, public service workers and migrants all have their dates too.  It looks like April is definitely a month to avoid, unless you are attending a specific event!  Luckily none of the special dates are in the summer.  Here is the link to the calendar of events  Tickets are not required but you may need to book on the App.

Tickets for Colosseo, Galleria Borghese, Musei Vaticani and admission to the Basilica di San Pietro and the Pantheon will be in high demand.  Book early! If possible, plan to visit in the early am or evening. Look for accommodation that is not near the Vatican. for more info on how to ‘schedule like an Italian’, read Surviving Summer in Roma.

Download the Iubilaeum 25 APP  from the App store or Play store (android) and apply for a Pilgrim’s card a free digital pass needed for most Jubilee events.  This Portal allows individual or groups to register for events and highlight any special needs or access requirements.

It may be worth buying a 72 hour Roma Pass for €58.50.  The 36 hour Roma pass is already sold out! A Metro pass is always a good idea.

Don’t forget to read my post ‘Beat the heat:  Surviving Summer in Roma’

For some of my favourite things to do in Roma-‘Un Giorno a Roma‘.

If you need to get out of town to get away from the crowds, go to ‘Ostia Antica‘.  Buon Viaggio e Buon Giubileo!  Cristina

Grazie to Lucia for a few of the Vatican photos!

Sanremo 2025

03 Monday Feb 2025

Posted by in Culture, Feste, Italian life

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The 75th edition of the Festa della Canzone Italiana di Sanremo is February 11-15, 2025, broadcast live on RAI.  Once again this year, I have put together a handy viewing guide to the annual 5 day song competition held in the town of Sanremo, Liguria. The Festival di Sanremo is the world’s longest running national televised music competition.

In 1950. Piero Bussetti of the Sanremo Casino and Giulio Razzi, conductor of the RAI orchestra launched a competition for previously unreleased songs to boost the local economy.  The first edition was broadcast live on RAI radio in January 1951 with 3 artists performing the 20 songs.  Since 1955 it is broadcast live on television.

From 1951-1977 the festival was held at the Sanremo Casino.  Since 1977 it has been at the iconic Teatro Ariston. The Festival is a massive media event in Italia and has launched many careers, including Domenico Modugno, Zucchero, Mina, Andrea Bocelli, Il Volo, Giorgia, Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti, Mahmood and most recently Måneskin and Angelina Mango. I love to watch Sanremo every year with Mamma!

The winner will have the first option to represent Italia at the 68th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland May 13, 15 and 17, 2025.  Eurovision is huge in Europe with 39 countries participating, but hardly known at all in North America.  2021 Sanremo winners, Måneskin won Eurovision with their brilliant song ‘Zitti e Buoni’.  As the reigning country, Italia hosted Eurovision 2022 in Torino.

The 75th edition of the Festival di Sanremo  February 11-15, 2025 will be broadcast live on RAI (RAI International for the rest of us) and on the RAIplay App, hosted by Carlo Conti, with different cohosts each night.  They are: February 11th Antonella Clerici and Gery Scotti, February 12th Bianca Balti, Nino Frassica and Cristiano Malgioglio, February 13th Katia Follesa, Elettra Lamborghini and Miriam Leone, February 14th Geppi Cucciari and Mahmoud and February 15th Alessandro Cattelan and Alessia Mancuzzi. Former winners and guest artists will perform, including Jovanotti February 11th and Damiano David February 12th.

The Sanremo prize goes to the winning song, although in most cases the performers are involved in the songwriting.  This year, there are 29 contestants, plus the top 4 winners from the junior contest, ‘Sanremo Giovani’.  Judging is complex and contestants perform with the full RAI orchestra-complete with maestro.

A summary of what happens each night:

Night #1 February 11th.  All 29 contestants perform their competing song, with no eliminations.  Voting is 100% by press jury-(accredited journalists from press comprising of print, TV and web).

Night #2 and #3 February 12th and 13th. 15 of the contestants perform each night and there are no eliminations.  Voting is 50% televote and 50% radio jury.

Night #4 February 14th is ‘Duetto night’.  Each artist performs a cover song or medley of their choice as a duet with an Italian or international artist as a guest, or another competitor.  Voting is 34% televote, 33% press jury and 33% radio jury. A winner will be announced.  Unlike previous years though, the night’s results will NOT be added to the overall score, which is why performing with another competitor is permitted.

Final night #5 February 15th.  There are 2 rounds the final night.  In round 1, all 29 acts perform and voting is 100% televote.  The top 5 artists of the combination ranking are announced and advanced to the superfinal. For round 2, voting is reset, the top 5 perform again, and there is a new, final vote. The winner is decided by juries and  televoting.
The lineup of concorrenti /contestants includes 3 former Sanremo winners, 4 who have represented Italia at Eurovision, many former contestants, and some first time acts.  Below is a list of all 29 performers, the song titles and a few other details to help you watch and enjoy the festival:

  • Achille Lauro –‘Incoscianti Giovani’-This is Achille’s 4th time as a Sanremo participant. In 2021, he gave 4 stunning ‘shock glam’ guest performances.  In 2022 his song Domenica was sung with the Harlem Gospel Choir.  Achille also won the 2022 San Marino song contest and represented San Marino at Eurovision in Torino. In 2024, he was an XFactor judge.  I am looking forward to his duet night performance with Elodie.
  • Bresh –‘La Tana del Granchio’. Bresh (Andrea Brasi) released his first album in 2020 and his 2021 single ‘Angelina Jolie’ was 4X platinum.  At Sanremo 2023, he was a guest, performing ‘Guasto d’amore‘, dedicated to Genoa, and joining Emma on Covers night.  This is his first time as a competitor.
  • Brunori Sas –‘L’Albero delle noci‘. Dario Brunori released his first album in 2020.  He has also written several film soundtracks and goes on tour in March.  This is his first time in the competition.
  • Clara –‘Febbre’. Clara Socini is the winner of 2024 Sanremo Giovani, the first female to win in 14 years! Clara has released 4 singles since 2020.  In 2023-2024, she played the role of Giulia/Crazy J on the RAI series Mare Fiori and her 2024 collaboration with Mr Rain ‘Un Millione di Notte‘ made the top 10. For Duet Night, she is singing ‘The Sound of Silence’ with Il Volo!!!
  • Coma_Cose –‘Cuoricini’. Milanese indie duo,  life and music partners since 2016 Fausto Zanardelli (aka Fausto Lama) and Francesca Mesiano (aka California).  They participated in Sanremo 2021 with the song ‘Fiamme negli occhi’ which went gold in 3 weeks.  They were married after their 2023 performance. This is Coma_Cose’s third time at Sanremo.
  • Elodie -‘Dimenticarsi alle 7‘ The Roman singer participated in Amici* in 2016, and Sanremo in 2017 with ‘Tutta colpa mia‘ and in 2020 with ‘Andromeda‘.  In 2020 Elodie was the most listened to female artist on Spotify Italia. In 2021 she was the cohost for Sanremo night #2.  Most recently, Elodie is the voice of Sarabi in ‘Mufasa: Il Rè Leone’. This is her 4th time competing.
  • Fedez -‘Battito‘. Rapper Fedez (Federico Lucia) is one of Italia’s most influential performers.  He placed 2nd at Sanremo 2021 with Francesca Michielin with  ‘Chiamami per nome‘.  His catchy hit ‘La Dolce Vita’ with guests Tananai and Mara Sattei was the tormentone** of summer 2022. In November he started ‘Pulp Podcast’.  This is Fedez’s 2nd time competing at Sanremo. For Duet night, he is performing ‘Bella Stronza‘ with Marco Masini.
  • Francesca Michielin –‘Fango in Paradiso’. Francesca won XFactor at age 16 and debuted at Sanremo in 2016, coming in 2nd place and representing Italia at Eurovision with ‘Nessun Grado di Separazione‘.  In 2021, she came in 2nd place again, with Fedez, and in 2022 Francesca was back as an orchestra conductor for Emma. She has also been nominated for the David di Donatello*** for musical score. This is her 3rd time as a competitor. She is duetting with Rkomi.
  • Francesco Gabbani -‘Viva la Vita‘. The winner of Sanremo 2017 with ‘Occidentali’s Karma‘, everyone will remember Francesca performing with a gorilla.  He won the newcomers category in 2016 and came in 2nd at Sanremo 2020. This is his 4th time competing.
  • Gaia -‘Chiamo io chiami tu‘. The XFactor 2016 runner up and winner of the 2020 Amici* talent contest, Gaia competed at Sanremo 2021 and was a guest in 2024 on covers night, singing with Big Mama. She has collaborated with Madame, Rkomi and Guè.  Gaia mixes Italian and Brazilian Portuguese in her songs, and will be opening for Elodie.
  • Giorgia –‘La Cura per me’ Giorgia Todrani has 12 top 10 albums, 24 top 10 singles, and a vocal range that spans 4 octaves.  In 1994 she placed second in the Nuovi Proposti (newcomers category), losing to Andrea Bocelli!  Giorgia won Sanremo 1995 with ‘Come Saprei’, came in 3rd in 1996, and 2nd in 2001. She even won a David di Donatello*** in 2004 for original movie song. She has performed with Pavarotti, Mina, Eros Ramazzotti, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Jovanotti, Ray Charles, and Andrea Bocelli (‘Vivo per Lei‘). Giorgia was a musical guest at Sanremo 2017 and a cohost in 2024.  In 2024 she also made her acting debut in the film ‘Scordato‘.This is her 5th time in the competion and the 30th anniversary of her Sanremo win. For Duet night, she will belt it out with Annalisa doing ‘Skyfall’.
  • Irama -‘Lentamente‘ In 2016 Irama was in the Newcomers category and his 2019 song went double platinum.  His 2020 song ‘Mediterranea‘ was the most listened to song of the summer.  In 2021, Irama was not able to perform live due to one of his staff testing COVID positive, although he still placed 5th based on his pre-recorded rehearsal performance! In 2022, he was my favourite to win, with the 4th placed ballad ‘Ovunque Sarai’ dedicated to his recently deceased nonna.  Irama has several recent collaborations with Rkomi, including the game show Celebrity Hunted. In 2024, Irama sold out L’Arena di Verona. This is his 6th time competing at Sanremo. He is duetting with Arisa, singing ‘Say Something’.
  • Joan Thiele -‘Eco’. Joan grew up between Columbia and Italia.  She won the 2023 David di Donatello*** for best original song ‘Proiettili‘ for the movie ‘Ti mangio il cuore‘  This is her first time at Sanremo.
  • The Kolors –‘Tu con chi fai l’amore’.  Formed in 2009 by cugini Antonio ‘Stash’ and Alex Fiordispino and Dario Iaculli with a distinct 80’s funk vibe.  They were the resident band in the Milanese club ‘Le Scimmie‘ and won the Amici* talent show in 2015 with Elisa as their coach. The Kolors made their Sanremo debut in 2018 with their first song in Italian ‘Frida (Mai, mai, mai)’. They have done many collaborations and Stash has been an Amici judge.  Their 2023 hit ‘Italdisco‘ was the tormentone** of the summer! Their 2024 Sanremo entry ‘Un ragazzo, una ragazza’ went double platinum, and even gold in Poland! The Kolors are in the middle of their first European tour. This is their 3rd time competing at Sanremo.
  • Lucio Corsi -‘Volevo essere un Duro‘. Lucio has released 3 albums since 2017.  In 2023, he opened for The Who at Firenze Rocks. This is Lucio’s first time at Sanremo.  For Duet night, his partner is Topo Gigio!
  • Marcella Bella -‘Pelle Diamante’. Following an absence of 18 years, this is Marcella’s 9th time competing at Sanremo, including in 1990 and 2007 with her older brother Gianni. Her first recording contract was in 1969, at age 18, and she had several hit songs in the 1980’s.
  • Massimo Ranieri -‘Tra le mani un cuore’ 1988 Sanremo winner for ‘Perdere l’amore’. In 2022, after a 25 year Sanremo absence, his song ‘Lettera di là dal mare’ received the Mia Martini Critic’s Prize.  This is his 7th time participating, as well as guest appearances, and judging Sanremo Giovani in 2016. Massimo represented Italia at Eurovision in 1971 and 1973.
  • Modà -‘Non ti dimentico‘ One of my favourite bands, Modà was started in Milano in 2000 by Francesco ‘Kekko’ Silvestre.  This is their 4th time competing at Sanremo.  In 2011 their song ‘Arriverà’ with Emma Marrone came in 2nd place and in 2013 ‘Se si potesse non morire’ came in 3rd place. 2023 was the 20th anniversary of the release of their first album. On duet night they perform with Francesco Renga.
  • Noemi -‘Se ti Innamori muori’  In her 15 year career, Noemi has had 3 gold records and 18 platinum.  She was on X Factor in 2009 and a judge for The Voice of Italy 2013-15.  In 2022 she and Ermal Meta were conductors for the 1°Maggio concert at Circo Massimo.  This is her 8th time in competition at Sanremo and her song was written by Mahmoud.
  • Olly -‘Balorda nostalgia‘ ’The Genovese rapper has collaborated with singer Arisa and earned a spot in 2023 via Sanremo Giovani.  His song ‘Polvere‘ was one of my favourites that year.  He released ‘Per due come noi’ with 2024 winner Angelina Mango and is back at Sanremo for the 2nd time.
  • Rkomi –‘Il Ritmo Delle Cose’ The successful Italian rapper released his first album in 2017.  His first time at Sanremo was 2022 with the hit song ‘Insuperabile‘.  In 2023 he was an XFactor judge and did several side projects with Irama.  This is his 2nd time competing at Sanremo. He performs with Francesca Michielin on Duets Night.
  • Rocco Hunt –‘Mille volte ancora’. The urban poet/rapper from Salerno has 40 platinum albums in Italia, Spain and France.  He has collaborated with and written for many international artists.  This is his first time at Sanremo.
  • Rose Villain -‘Fuorilegge’.This is Goth singer/rapper Rosa Luini’s 2nd time competing at Sanremo.  In 2023, she performed on Covers night with Rosa Chemical.  She also released her first album ‘Radio Gotham‘ and ‘Fragile‘ a single with Achille Lauro. Her hit ‘Io, me e altri guai‘ is awesomely described as ‘Tainted love meets Wednesday Addams’. Her 2024 Sanremo entry was the catchy hit ‘Click Boom’. Rose opened for Coldplay their 4 nights at Stadio Olympic Roma!
  • Sarah Toscano -‘Amarcord’. 19 year old Sarah is the winner of Amici* 2023. Last July, she opened for the Black Eyed Peas in Milano.  This is her first appearance at Sanremo.
  • Serena Brancale -‘Anema e Core‘. A Pugliese polyinstrumental performer and composer with a passion for soul, R&B and jazz, Serena has written for many international artists.  She participated in Sanremo 2015 and is back for the 2nd time. She performs with Alessandra Amoroso for Duet night.
  • Simone Cristicchi –‘Quando sarai piccola’. 2007 Sanremo winner with ‘Ti regalerò una rosa‘.  Simone became director of Teatro Stabile d’Abruzzo and wrote several books. He was back in 2019 receiving the critic’s prize for ‘Abbia Cura di me’.  This is his 3rd time at Sanremo.
  • Shablo featuring Gué, Joshua and Tormento-‘L’amore in Bocca‘. Shablo is an Italo Argentinian musician, producer, DJ, and talent scout.  He has worked with Achille Lauro, Rkomi, Irama and Madame and produced several Sanremo songs, including Irama’s beautiful ‘Ovunque Sarai‘.  This is his first time performing.  Gué was in the rap/hip-hop group Sacre Scuole with Dargen D’Amico.  In 2011 he went solo and has had an eventful career.  He has been to Sanremo twice as a guest, performing with Mahmood in 2019 and Geolier in 2024. Joshua Bale is an Italoamerican R&B singer and rapper.  His first single was produced by Shablo in 2024.  Soul singer and rapper Tormento was in a hip hop band for 17 years called i Sottotono.  They split up in 2011 and he has had a solo career.  He participated in Sanremo in 2001 with i Sottotono and was a guest for Covers Night in 2019.
  • Tony Effe -‘Damme ‘na mano’. In 2014, founded an Italian trap band Dark Polo Gang.  In 2021 he released his firs solo disc and has since collaborated with many rap and pop artists, including ‘Michelle Pfeiffer‘ with Rose Villain.  In 2024, he and Gaia released the summer hit ‘Sesso e Samba‘.  This is his 1st time at Sanremo. He performs with Noemi on Duets night.
  • Willy Peyote ‘Grazie ma no grazie‘ since 2013, an interesting figure in the Italian Indy music scene.  In 2021 at Sanremo, he received the Mia Martini Critic’s Prize for ‘Mai dire mai‘.  He is back at Sanremo for the 2nd time.

The 4 winners of Sanremo Giovani:

  • Alex Wyse-‘Rockstar‘-Alex was on Amici* 2022.  In 2024, his tour was called ‘A Night with Alex Wyse’.
  • Maria Tomba-‘Goodbye (Voglio good vibes)’ -Maria started songwriting and poetry in Verona at age 14.  She participated in XFactor 2023.
  • Settembre-‘Vertebre‘-Andrea Settembre from Napoli started dancing at age 6.  In 2019, he participated in The Voice of Italy on team Gigi D’Alessio, and was a semi-finalist on XFactor in 2023.  His version of Amandoti in Napoletano went viral.
  • Vale LP & Lil Jolie-‘Dimmi tu quando se pronto per fare l’amore‘-Valentina is a singer/rapper from Napoli.  In 2024 she released her first album ‘Guagliona’.  Lil Jolie, a rock/pop singer was on Amici* in 2023.

*Amici is an Italian talent show on television since 2001.  20 ‘students’ aged 16-30 years, interested in being professional singers, songwriters and dancers participate. **Un tormentone is a catchy song that replays in your head, like an ‘ear worm‘! ***David di Donatello is a film award-the Italian equivalent of an Oscar

Read the contestants’ full bios on the Festival di Sanremo website.  RAI International usually airs the shows twice-once live at 1900 -0100ish Italian time, and a replay later.  Check the local listings for your country.  The RaiPlay app is another way to watch -and it will not be Geoblocked!

Will you be watching the Festival di Sanremo?  Let me know which performances you are looking forward to or which ones were your favourites!

Ciao, Cristina

In Vino there are Memories

24 Friday Jan 2025

Posted by in Amici e Famiglia, Bilingual posts, Italocanadesi, Vino

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To celebrate my birthday, today I am posting my story from the recently published anthology ‘A Literary Harvest: Canadian Writing about Wine and other Libations’.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  It is followed by an Italian translation.  Per l’italiano, leggi sotto.  Salute!….

When I look into a glass of wine, I see more than a delicious beverage to sip and enjoy. I see tradition and family, and a piece of my cultural heritage. I think of my Nonno’s vineyard in Puglia and I imagine my ancestors tilling the soil. I also imagine the journey the grapes made, coming from Greece and the Balkans millennia ago, then again across the Atlantic to North America. Immigrant journeys, similar to ours.

Wine is an integral part of growing up in an italocanadese family and is a staple of every family function. Everyone was allowed to have a bit of vino with dinner – it was exciting and made us feel grown up. Even when we were little … at first with 7-Up, Sprite or Ginger Ale, and eventually straight vino. In the summer, everyone looks forward to la pesca in vino. This involves cutting up a fresh peach, placing the slices in a glass, then filling it with vino. After the wine is consumed, lovely, sweet, wine-saturated peach slices await you for dessert. The peach slices take up most of the space in the glass, so the amount of wine to drink is really very little.

Wine making season is mid- to late-September, right after the pomodori are canned and stored in the cantina. The grapes grown in the back-yard garden are mostly for eating, so wine grapes are purchased from the Okanagan Valley. This is an area with summer weather similar to southern Italia … hot and dry during the day and colder at night. This combination produces the sweetest grapes.

Making vino is a real family affair. When the grapes arrive, everyone who is free lends a hand, even the little ones, the nipotini. We help cart the boxes of grapes from the truck and empty them straight into the hand cranked grape crusher on top of a barrel.  Everything goes in;  skins, seeds and stems. Then we break apart the boxes, or else the wasps soon descend- Vespe know a good thing when they smell it! All month the aroma of fermenting grapes fills the garage!Mamma takes some of the mosto, the wine must, and boils it down like molasses to make vino cotto.  It really should be called mosto cotto, but we have always called it vino cotto. The thick, sweet liquid is poured over boiled wheat berries on November 1st to celebrate Tutti i Santi, All Saints’ Day. This traditional dish, in the local dialect, is called muscitaglia, from the words in Greek and Latin mosto and talia (grain). Walnut pieces and pomegranate seeds are added when available. Vino cotto is also drizzled on cartellate, a traditional Pugliese Christmas treat, and even on snow, like a vino cotto slushie!

When ready, the fermented grapes are transferred to the old wooden torchio, for pressing. Since there are no preservatives added, our vino is stored in large, bell-shaped, wicker-covered glass damigiane, and siphoned into bottles only as needed. The wine needs to be tramutato a few times. This involves transferring it from one damigiana to another, to remove sediment. Like everything else Papà does, this is done according to the phases of the moon. Vino is tramutato during la luna calante, the waning moon, although the damigiane are still left open to air. On November 11th, the feast day of Saint Martin, the new vino is tasted and then the damigiane are closed until bottling. The old proverbs say “A San Martino, ogni mosto diventa vino” which means “On St Martin’s Day, every must turns into wine”, and ‘A San Martino, si lascia l’acqua e si beve vino’, ‘On Saint Martin’s Day, one abandons water and drinks wine’.

Papà makes the best vino. No sulfites or preservatives, just pure fermented grape juice. It has a full, robust flavour and does not leave you with a headache. Whenever anyone (anyone non-Italian, that is), asks him how he makes such good vino, he always has the same answer. “Ok … I tell you” … then he gets all dramatic… “for 2 weeks … I no wash the feet…” You can see where this is going. It is amazing how many people sit there open-mouthed for a few minutes and actually believe him! That is, until they see the mischievous smirk on his face. Just for fun, all of my nipotini have had photos taken à la “I Love Lucy,” crushing grapes in a half barrel or tub with their bare feet. These grapes are not added to il torchio, even though they did wash their feet. Salute!

         Published in ‘A Literary Harvest:  Canadian Writing about Wine and Other Libations. Editors Licia Canton, Giulia De Gasperi & Decio Cusmano.  Longbridge Books, 2025, p 94-96.

In Italiano:

Nel Vino ci sono Ricordi

Quando guardo dentro un bicchiere di vino, vedo più di una bevanda deliziosa da sorseggiare e gustare. Vedo tradizione e famiglia, e un pezzo del mio patrimonio culturale. Penso al vigneto di mio nonno in Puglia e immagino i miei antenati che coltivano la terra. Immagino anche il viaggio che hanno fatto le uve, provenienti dalla Grecia e dai Balcani millenni fa, poi di nuovo attraverso l’Atlantico fino al Nord America. Viaggi di immigrazione, simili ai nostri.

Il vino è parte integrante della crescita in una famiglia italocanadese ed è un elemento fondamentale di ogni festa familiare. A tutti era permesso bere un po’ di vino a cena: era emozionante e ci faceva sentire grandi. Anche quando eravamo piccoli… all’inizio con 7-Up, Sprite o Ginger Ale, e alla fine vino puro. In estate, tutti aspettano con ansia la pesca in vino. Ciò comporta tagliare una pesca fresca, mettere le fette in un bicchiere, quindi riempirlo di vino. Dopo aver consumato il vino, deliziose, dolci, fette di pesca sature di vino ti aspettano. Le fette di pesca occupano la maggior parte dello spazio nel bicchiere, quindi la quantità di vino da bere è davvero molto ridotta.

La stagione della vinificazione va da metà a fine settembre, subito dopo che i pomodori sono stati inscatolati e conservati in cantina. L’uva coltivata nel orto sul retro è destinata al consumo umano, quindi l’uva da vino viene acquistata nella Okanagan Valley. Questa è una zona con un clima estivo simile a quello dell’Italia meridionale… caldo e secco durante il giorno e più freddo di notte. Questa combinazione produce l’uva più dolce.

La produzione del vino è una vera e propria faccenda di famiglia. Quando arriva l’uva, tutti quelli che sono liberi danno una mano, anche i più piccoli, i nipotini. Aiutiamo a trasportare le casse di uva dal camion e le svuotiamo direttamente nella pigiatrice a manovella in cima a una botte. Ci mettiamo dentro tutto: bucce, semi e raspi. Poi rompiamo le casse, altrimenti le vespe scenderanno presto: le vespe sanno riconoscere una cosa buona quando la sentono! Per tutto il mese l’aroma dell’uva in fermentazione riempie il garage!

Mamma prende un po’ di mosto di vino, e lo fa bollire come la melassa per fare il vino cotto. Dovrebbe chiamarsi mosto cotto, ma noi lo abbiamo sempre chiamato vino cotto. Il liquido denso e dolce viene versato sui chicchi di grano bolliti il ​​1° novembre per celebrare la festa di Tutti i Santi, il giorno di Ognissanti. Questo piatto tradizionale, nel dialetto locale, è chiamato muscitaglia, dalle parole in greco e latino mosto e talia (grano). Pezzi di noce e semi di melograno vengono aggiunti quando disponibili. Il vino cotto viene anche versato sulle cartellate, un dolce natalizio tradizionale pugliese, e anche sulla neve, come un granita di vino cotto!

Quando è pronto, l’uva fermentata viene trasferita nel vecchio torchio di legno, per la pressatura. Poiché non vengono aggiunti conservanti, il nostro vino viene conservato in grandi damigiane di vetro a forma di campana, ricoperte di vimini, e travasato nelle bottiglie solo quando necessario. Il vino deve essere travasato un paio di volte. Ciò comporta il trasferimento da una damigiana all’altra, per rimuovere i sedimenti. Come ogni altra cosa che fa Papà, questo viene fatto in base alle fasi lunari. Il vino viene travasato durante la luna calante, anche se le damigiane vengono comunque lasciate all’aria aperta. L’11 novembre, giorno della festa di San Martino, si assaggia il vino nuovo e poi le damigiane vengono chiuse fino all’imbottigliamento. I vecchi proverbi dicono “A San Martino, ogni mosto diventa vino” e “A San Martino, si lascia l’acqua e si beve vino”.

Papà fa il miglior vino. Niente solfiti o conservanti, solo puro succo d’uva fermentato. Ha un sapore pieno e robusto e non ti lascia il mal di testa. Ogni volta che qualcuno (chiunque non sia italiano, ovviamente) gli chiede come fa a fare un vino così buono, lui ha sempre la stessa risposta. “Ok… ti dico”… poi diventa tutto drammatico… “per due settimane… non si lavano i piedi…” Puoi capire dove vogliamo arrivare. È incredibile quante persone se ne stanno lì a bocca aperta per qualche minuto e ci credono davvero! Cioè, finché non vedono il sorrisetto malizioso sul suo viso. Solo per divertimento, tutti i miei nipotini si sono fatti fotografare alla “I Love Lucy”, mentre schiacciavano l’uva in una mezza botte a piedi nudi. Quest’uva non si aggiunge al torchio, anche se si lavano i piedi. Salute!

Pubblicato in ‘A Literary Harvest: Canadian Writing about Wine and Other Libations. editors Licia Canton, Giulia De Gasperi & Decio Cusmano. Longbridge Books, 2025, p 94-96.