Buon Anno 2021

07 Thursday Jan 2021

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Blogging, Inspiration

Tags

2020 year in review, Blog year in review, Blogging, Italia

Buon Anno a tutti i lettori di ‘Un po’ di pepe’, vicini e lontani! Spero che 2021 porta buona salute e gioia a voi e ai vostri cari. Happy New Year readers of ‘Un po’ di pepe’, near and far. I hope 2021 brings good health and joy to you and your loved ones!

I usually write a Buon Anno post on New Year’s Day, looking back at the blog year. I am late in writing this one, since I wrote an end of year post Reflecting on 2020, summing up and bidding good riddance to 2020-although I was not that polite in my sendoff!

WordPress keeps end of year stats which I love to share because they are so interesting.* In 2020, Un po’ di pepe had over 14,000 views from over 100 different countries! I wish I could visit all of of them! The top posts of 2020 are listed here, in case you missed any of them. Lots of links included! Based on the number of views, the top posts of 2020 are:

#10 Viaggio con Isabella A summary of a trip to Italia with my super-photogenic energetic travel buddy, my nipotina* Isabella. Since travel is still not possible, enjoy a virtual trip with us!
#9 Limoncello Because the pandemic caused a hand-sanitizer shortage, I was able to get some grain alcohol. When life gives you lemons……This post includes instructions and photos of the process to make limoncello at home.

#8 Cinquecento Love In May I published an article/photo essay about my lifelong obsession with the huggable Fiat 500 in a special print edition of Accenti Magazine. This post links to the full online article.

#7 The recipe for Olive oil Limoncello Cake was inspired by an art retreat at Casa Berti near Lucca, surrounded by 900 olive trees, freshly pressed olive oil and limoncello.

#6 Napoli Street Art I just love Napoli a perfect place for self-expression for the last few thousand years. Join me on a graffiti/street art tour in the Centro Storico. volto di Sophia Loren Napoli street art

#5 I was happy to see La Trinità di Masaccio on this list yet again! When I first published this art history lesson, it had about 30 views, but I discovered that it comes up as the 1st listing in a google search! This explains the steady trickle of views. I also suspect that it is on some sort of a reading list for art history classes in the US, because I have noticed a lot of views referred from the course websites of Santa Monica College and a high school in Pittsburgh! How cool is that? Didn’t I say the stats were fascinating?

#4 I am so super thrilled that L’Arte sa Nuotare made my top list again! During my trip with my nipotina** Isabella we were on constant lookout for street art by Blub, the talented artist who plunges famous works of art underwater. This post also comes up 4th on a google search. Spread the Blub love- read about more Blub in Blub a Napoli.

#3 The Last Medici As an art history nerd, this post was my personal thanks to Anna Maria Luisa De’ Medici (AMLDM) the last of the Medici family, for leaving the world her family’s legacy of art treasures. I was thrilled to see it get some love!

#2 Italiano per Ristoranti-How to Pronounce your Restaurant Menu, this handy Italian menu pronunciation guide has been #1 every year until now. In a google search for ‘Italian pronunciation guide restaurant’ and ‘Italian menu pronunciation’ it comes out as the top suggestion! Molto cool! This post is available as a 6 page downloadable PDF via a link on the post. Someday, I plan to expand and turn it into an ebook. Speriamo!

#1 For the first time ever a different post is #1. I wish I had not had to write this post, but I am glad I did. COVID 19-Andra tutto bene was my top post for 2020. A lot has been written since, but I wrote this early into the pandemic, after overhearing too many people saying that it was all a hoax and more people die from the seasonal flu. As a health professional, I felt I needed to provide some education as a public service. I followed it with another post COVID 19-Insieme ce la faremo.

For 2021 my goals are simple….lots of travel-if we are able, less stress, more exercise, more art and writing!

I would love to hear which post you liked best, and what you would like to read more about in 2021 on Un po’ di pepe? Let me know in the comments. Looking forward to writing more cose interresanti /interesting stuff in 2021.

Vi auguro un 2021 piena di gioia e buona salute! Ciao, Cristina

*Note…WordPress’ method of collecting stats is odd. The newest post counts as a ‘Home page’ view until the next one is published and I am not sure how much this changes the results.

**Nipote or nipotina means both niece and granddaughter in Italiano. In this case, it means niece.

Buon Anno 2020

01 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Blogging, Inspiration

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

2020 year in review, Blog year in review, Blogging, Italia

Buon Anno a tutti i lettori di ‘Un po’ di pepe’, vicini e lontani! Spero che 2020 porta buona salute e gioia a voi e ai vostri cari.

Happy New Year readers of ‘Un po’ di pepe’, near and far. I hope 2020 brings good health and joy to you and your loved ones!

It is the end of another decade! WordPress keeps end of year stats which I love to share because they are so interesting.* In 2019, Un po’ di pepe had over 12,000 views from 112 different countries! I wish I could visit all of of them! The top posts of 2019 are listed here, in case you missed any of them. 4 of the most viewed posts were published in 2019, and 4 were written as part of blogging linkups. I also discovered that the 5 most viewed posts all come out as top suggestions in google searches. Molto cool! Several book reviews post were published, and they can be found under the category ‘Libri’.

Based on the number of views, the top posts of 2019 are:

#9 Cristo si è fermato a Eboli. This post from January is a book review of an Italian classic-one of my favourite books, Christ Stopped at Eboli. I recommend everyone read it before visiting I Sassi di Matera.

#8 My recipe for Olive Oil Limoncello Cake was inspired by an art retreat at Casa Berti near Lucca, while surrounded by olive trees, freshly pressed olive oil and limoncello. It received increase exposure as a link on a new post Olio d’oliva in November and on Mamma Prada’s newsletter.

#7 I have been to 14 out of the 20 regioni-regions of Italia, and love them all, but my favourite, of course is Puglia. Puglia-La Mia Regione Preferita lists my top reasons to love Puglia.

#6 Palazzo Massimo alle Terme is one of my favourite museums in Roma. This 2017 post comes up 10th in a google search and was the inspiration for another posts that hardly anyone read- Hairstyling in Ancient Roma. Have you been to Palazzo Massimo?

#5 In My Kitchen in Puglia This post about my summer cucina and the amazing barrel-vaulted stone ceiling was written as part of the ‘In my kitchen’ worldwide blog linkup hosted monthly by Sherry’s Pickings.

#4 I was surprised to see La Trinità di Masaccio on this list again! Yipee! When I first published this art history lesson, it had about 30 views, but I just discovered that it comes up as the 4th listing in a google search! This explains the small but steady trickle of views.

#3 Polignano a Mare In this 2016 post about the stunning clifftop town on the coast of Puglia, read about my probable encounter with the mysterious ‘stair poet’ and learn what infraditi are.

#2-The number 2 spot is a tie! In second spot once again is 2015’s Grano Arso about a Pugliese gastronomic tradition that honours the resilience of our contadini ancestors. In 2017 I did a reading on grano arso at the Association of Italian Canadian Writers Conference, which was published- Grano Arso in print. My first publication that is not about diabetes! There is not a lot written on grano arso in English, which explains why the post comes up 5th on google search.

#2a I am so super thrilled that L’Arte sa Nuotare not only made my top list but tied for #2! In May I was in Firenze with my nipotina** Isabella. We had a fabulous time and were on constant lookout for street art by Blub, the talented artist who plunges famous works of art underwater. This post also comes up as the 3rd listing on a google search. Spread the Blub love- more Blub in Blub a Napoli.

#1 Italiano per Ristoranti-How to Pronounce your Restaurant Menu, this handy Italian menu pronunciation guide is once again the top post, by a longshot. If you google ‘Italian pronunciation guide restaurant’ it comes out as the top suggestion! “Italian menu pronunciation’ comes in at #6 on the google listing. This 2014 post was updated in 2016 and is available as a 6 page downloadable PDF via a link on the post. Someday, I plan to expand and turn it into an ebook. Speriamo!

For 2020 my goals are simple….less stress, more exercise, more art and writing!

I would love to hear which post you liked best, and what you would like to read more about in 2020 on Un po’ di pepe? Let me know in the comments. Looking forward to writing more cose interresanti /interesting stuff in 2020.

Vi auguro un 2020 piena di gioia e buona salute! Ciao, Cristina

*Note…WordPress’ method of collecting stats is odd. The newest post counts as a ‘Home page’ view until the next one is published and I am not sure how much this changes the results.

**Nipote or nipotina means both niece and granddaughter in Italiano. In this case, it means niece.

-detail of Lucania ’61 mural by Carlo Levi in Palazzo Lanfranchi, Matera from Wikimedia Commons

La Madonna della Neve

05 Friday Aug 2016

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Culture, Feste, Italia, Italian life, Orsara di Puglia, Puglia

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

August 5th, Italia, Madonna della Neve, Orsara di Puglia, Pugliese Traditions, Southern Italy

August 5th is the feast day of La Madonna della Neve (the Madonna of the Snow). She is one of the Patron Saints of Orsara di Puglia and there is a big festa. She is carried through Orsara in a procession and returned to her usual spot in the main church. In the evening there is a Mass, then music and fireworks in her honour. La Madonna della Neve is the protectoress and Patron Saint of many paesi montani or mountain villages because, of course, it snows!

La Madonna della Neve is tied to the origins of the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in Roma. According to legend, in the year 352, the night between August 4th and 5th, the Madonna appeared in a dream to a wealthy couple who wanted to build a church. She asked them to build a church where snow had fallen during the night. They went to tell Pope Liberio and it turns out he had the exact same dream during the night!

In the middle of a hot Roman summer, snow had fallen on L’Esquilino, the Esquiline Hill. The perimeter of the snowed on area was where the church of Santa Maria ‘Ad Nives’ (of the snow) was built. The church is usually known as Santa Maria Maggiore.

Orsara’s Madonna della Neve statue was carved out of a single piece of quercia (oak) by Napoletano sculptor Aniello Stallato in 1624. I have been familiar with this beautiful sculpture since I was 11, but I had no idea she was almost 400 years old! Here are some photos of the processione!

Ciao, Cristina

I Trabucchi del Gargano

09 Monday Mar 2015

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

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Il Gargano, Italia, Parco Nazionale del Gargano, Puglia, Punta Lunga, Southern Italy, Trabucchi del Gargano, Vieste

Trabucchi (tra∙BOO∙kkee) are fascinating old fishing contraptions found on the Adriatic coast of Abruzzo, Molise and Puglia. When I was young, I remember taking ‘L’Adriatico’-the night train from Bologna to Foggia- on a stormy night. With the sound of the wind and the waves the crowded train was not a place I was going to get any sleep. Once the train reached the coast, I spent most of the trip looking out the window watching the waves crashing onto these strange giant spidery things in the water. To my wild imagination, they seemed like giant wooden aliens or octopi that would come to life at any moment with their tentacles thrashing in the surf.

Trabucco Torre Porticella

A trabucco is made up of a wooden platform on poles anchored to a rocky cliff or promontory, with several long wooden arms jutting out over the sea. The arms have a system of ropes and winches suspending a giant narrow-mesh net called a trabocchetto. Trabucchi are made of Aleppo pine which is abundant in the area and is resistant to salt and weather conditions.

Along the coast of the Promontorio del Gargano (Gargano Promontory) there are 13 working trabucchi between Peschici and Vieste. The oldest dates from the 18^th century. They are protected as National cultural heritage sites within the Parco Nazionale del Gargano. Here is a link to a Trabucchi del Gargano map.

Trabucco Punta Lunga

Although there is no documentation, Pugliese historians believe the trabucco design is imported from the ancient Phoenicians. They really are an ingenious way of fishing to take advantage of the rocky coastline and crystal clear waters of the Gargano. Trabucchi are built facing SE or NW and where the water is at least 5 m deep, to take maximum advantage of the marine currents.

A trabucco requires 3-4 operators or ‘trabuccolanti’. 1 or 2 trabuccolanti look out for schools of fish swimming along coastal currents. They give word, then the other 2 operate winches to drop the trabocchetto (net) and quickly hoist it back up full of fish. Gargano fisherman of old really created an extension of the land-with a trabucco they were able to fish from the rocky cliffs and did not have to ‘get their feet wet’ or take boats out in dangerous agitated seas.

The view below Trabucco Punta Lunga

Trabucchi have become symbols of ancient maritime culture. I’ve been on several weekend camping trips in the Gargano with my cugini, and have been able to visit several trabucchi. Imagine my excitement 2 years ago when the beach by our campsite at Punta Lunga, 2km north of Vieste had it’s very own trabucco!

Un Giorno a Roma

15 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Roma, Travel, Travel tips

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Bernini, Caravaggio, Colosseo, Elefantino, Fontana di Trevi, Il Vittoriano, Italia, La Barcaccia, Pantheon, Roma, Roma photography, Roma walking tour, Roman Forum, San Luigi dei Francesi, Tazza d'oro

Roma truly is ‘la Città Eterna’-the eternal city! I usually fly in and out of Roma then take the train to Foggia on my way to Orsara di Puglia. I often have one full day in the city at the beginning or end of my trip. When i’m in Roma for just 1 day, I have a usual ‘itinerary’. I do not actually recommend anyone go to Roma for just one day, especially for the first time. 5 days will do but more is better. One day only gives you enough time to visit a few sites, so it is mostly an entire day of exploring the city on foot. The sites I choose to visit change a bit each time, but the route is basically the same.

I stay with a friend in the Basilica San Paolo area so I take the Metro blue line to the Colosseo stop, exit the station and take a few minutes to absorb the view across the street.

The view across the street from the ‘Colosseo’ metro stop!

Then I turn right and walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali. If you visit Il Colosseo, the ticket includes entry to the Forum, so you can walk through there. Visiting these 2 awesome sites will take all morning, so they are not usually part of my ‘1 day’ itinerary.

View of the Roman Forum (Foro Romano)

Old meets new at the Foro Romano

I walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali all the way to Piazza Venezia and Il Vittoriano, which is the neo-classical monument that looks like a giant wedding cake .

Il Vittoriano

If you want some great views of Roma and are not afraid of heights, you can take the glass elevator to the rooftop terrace.

‘Roma dal cielo’ view from the roof of Il Vittoriano

Then I turn right again and cross Piazza Venezia, which can be a bit of a challenge, and walk along Via del Corso. Via del Corso is lined with shops and goes all the way to Piazza del Popolo.

Crossing the street can be challenging! Photo taken by Vito!

I turn into one of the side streets on the left and walk to the Pantheon-the domed architectural masterpiece that is absolutely not to be missed! The 2000 year old roof is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.

Across the street I have an incredible granita di caffè at Tazza d’Oro.

Tazza d’Oro, Via degli Orfani 84

Granita di caffe

Behind the Pantheon is Santa Maria Sopra Minerva with Bernini’s adorable ‘elefantino’ sculpture in the piazza. I sometimes like to sit and sketch the pudgy little elephant carrying a 5m Egyptian obelisk on its back.

Bernini’s elefantino in Piazza Minerva. Behind the obelisk, you can see the domed roof of the Pantheon.

The molto fancy ‘Grande Hotel de la Minerve’ across from the church has a roof bar with incredible views. Down a side street – Via del Gesù- is Poggi art supplies www.poggi1825.it , so of course I have to stop there and drool at all the stuff I can’t carry home. I also pop into the little Baroque gem San Luigi dei Francesi, which is the National church of France in Roma. It has 3 incredible Caravaggio paintings-the ‘San Matteo’ cycle, in the Capella Contarelli which you can see for free! No lineups, no online bookings! I always put a coin in the box and light a candle when I visit a church.

I walk down some side streets and get back onto Via del Corso going left. A few blocks down I cross the street and walk to the Fontana di Trevi to toss in my coin. I am very superstitious about this, so I have to do the coin toss or I’m afraid I might not come back to Roma! That would be awful!

Fontana di Trevi

I look at all the tourists then head to my last stop- Piazza di Spagna. I never miss drinking from the Fontana della Barcaccia. This is the Baroque fountain at the bottom of the steps that looks like a sinking ship. It was sculpted by both Bernini, Pietro and Gianlorenzo (father and son). La Barcaccia has the best water ever, especially on a hot day –it comes straight from an acqueduct and is always ice cold.

La Barcaccia, Piazza di Spagna

Mmmm! Acqua freddissima!

From here I usually walk all the way back to the Colosseo metro stop to take the metro back home to San Paolo and pick up take-out suppli on the way. If I am too tired or have evening plans, I take the metro at Piazza di Spagna (red line) to Stazione Termini then change to the blue line for San Paolo.

Ci vediamo a Roma!

Handy signs at Piazza del Popolo

PS Stay tuned for future posts on things I like to do if I have more than one day in Roma:

Go to a Miracle Players performance at the Forum on Friday evenings in the summer
Spend the day at the Vatican
Trastevere at night
Centrale Montemartini
Palazzo Massimo
Sketching at Piazza Navona
Visit more Caravaggio paintings for free at Santa Maria del Popolo
Go to Mass sung by cloistered nuns at Santa Brigida near Piazza Farnese

Piccoli gladiatori! Beware of fierce gladiators in training!

Le Isole Tremiti

16 Wednesday Jul 2014

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

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Alidaunia, Diomedes, Fellini, Il Gargano, Isole Tremiti, Italia, Italian history, Italy travel tips, Parco Nazionale del Gargano, photography, Puglia, Southern Italy

San Nicola and Cretaccio seen from above the helipad, San Domino

The Isole Tremiti (ee∙SOH∙leh treh∙MEE∙tee) are an archipelago of 3-5 islands-depending on what you consider an island-in the Adriatic Sea, 22 km off the coast of Italia. The Tremiti, considered ‘le perle dell’Adriatico’ (the pearls of the Adriatic), have been inhabited since at least the 4th century BC. They are part of the Parco Nazionale del Gargano (Gargano National Park) http://www.parcogargano.it and have been a protected Marine Nature Reserve (Riserva Naturale Marina Isole Tremiti) since 1989. The clear waters make the islands a popular spot for snorkeling, scuba diving and even bird watching.

Isole Tremiti Satellite View

Flying into San Domino by helicopter

San Domino is the largest island and has most of the facilities such as hotels, restaurants, the Tremiti Diving Center, and the heliport. It is covered by lush Aleppo pine forest, capers and rosemary, and surrounded by small coves and sea caves. San Domino has the Tremiti’s only sandy beach –Cale delle Arene. The rocky coves are beautiful to explore and swim-but don’t go barefoot! My friend stepped on a riccio di mare (sea urchin) and it was not fun. There is a 2 hour walk around part of the island and bicycles are available for rent.

The small port, San Domino

Cale delle Arene, San Domino-the only sandy beach on the Isole Tremiti

Scoglio dell ‘Elefante, San Domino, looks like a giant sitting elephant drinking from the sea

San Nicola is the administrative and historic center of the islands, and where most of the 400 or so permanent residents live. The 11th Century Benedictine abbey and church of Santa Maria del Mare seem to rise up out of the limestone cliffs, with fortified walls starting at the port. The church has a beautiful 11th century mosaic floor and a Byzantine painted wood crucifix that was likely brought here by monks fleeing from the Crusades.

San Nicola, seen from San Domino

San Nicola Porto

Bagnetto anyone?

Capraia (or Caprara) is rocky and uninhabited except for sea birds. It is named for the capers that grow there. There is no organized transport to Capraia, but local fishermen can be hired to take people over.

San Nicola and Capraia. Yes those are solar panels down there!

Cretaccio is an uninhabited halfmoon shaped block of yellowish clay between San Domino and San Nicola. Cretaccio literally means ‘big hunk of clay’.
Pianosa is 11 km away from the other islands and is the most northern point of Puglia. It can be covered by waves during storms, as the elevation is only 15 m. The waters surrounding Pianosa are in zone A of the Marine Reserve, so access is strictly prohibited except for approved marine research.

Cretaccio and San Domino, seen from Santa Maria al Mare, San Nicola

The islands are sometimes known by their former name ‘Le Diomedee’ or ‘I Sassi di Diomede’ and you see a lot of things in the Gargano area called ‘Diomede’. According to legend/mythology, after the Trojan War, the Greek hero Diomedes settled in the Daunia area (Province of Foggia) and created the islands with 3 rocks he threw into the Adriatic. He was also shipwrecked on the islands with his crew and possibly died here.

La tomba di Diomede on San Nicola.

There is an unmarked Hellenic period tomb on San Nicola that is known as ‘la tomba di Diomede’. His crew was so upset at the loss of their captain 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 which is common in the area, is ‘Diomedea’. These birds look a lot like seagulls and make a noise that can sound like a crying newborn. In Fellini’s ‘Otto e mezzo’ (8½) there is a scene where a cardinal tells this story to Guido (Marcello Mastroianni).

A Diomedea, San Domino

The islands also have a long history as a place of exile. Emperor Octavius Augustus confined his granddaughter Giulia to San Nicola for adultery with a Roman senator. She remained there until her death 20 years later. One of the necropoli beneath the abbey could be her tomb. Ferdinand, king of Napoli turned the abbey into a penal colony. A hundred years later, another Ferdinand tried to repopulate the islands with criminals and people moved in from the slums. For many years, the Fascists imprisoned those considered a danger to the public on the Isole Tremiti. One of the prisoners held there was Sandro Pertini, future president of the Italian Republic.

Alidaunia flies from Foggia to San Domino daily

I have visited the islands several times by helicopter. As you can see in the photos, the emerald water is so crystal clear you can see the bottom from the air! The wonderful thing about visiting the Isole Tremiti is that there are no large hotels or resorts. All of the hotels are small and surrounded by pine forest, so although this is a tourist destination, it doesn’t feel overrun with people. The Isole Tremiti are accessible by 1-2 hour ferry ride from Vieste, Peschici, Rodi Garganico, Manfredonia and Termoli, or by half hour helicopter ride from Foggia http://www.alidaunia.it .

Over San Nicola

Buon Viaggio!

Benvenuti ad Orsara di Puglia

25 Sunday May 2014

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Orsara di Puglia, Puglia

≈ 45 Comments

Tags

Bandiera Arancione, Cittaslow, Culture, Italia, Italian history, Orsara di Puglia, Puglia, San Michele, Southern Italy

View of Orsara di Puglia

Orsara di Puglia is ‘un borgo medioevale incantevole’ (an enchanting medieval village) on the slopes of Monte San Marco in the Dauno Subappenino area at an elevation of 650 m (~2100 ft). It is surrounded by forests, rolling hills, vineyards, wheat fields and olive groves. Until 1927, it was in the province of Avellino (Campania) which is why it is called Orsara di Puglia. In 1951, before mass emigration, the population was over 7,000. Today the permanent population is just under 3,000. I spent the first 27 months of my life here, and I return every year for some ‘aria di montagna’ (fresh mountain air). This post is an introduction…the first of many Orsarese posts!

Orsara di Puglia-NASA Satellite view

Orsara is built on a site with natural caves, which made it favourable for settlement. There is evidence of settlement in the area in the 11th Century BC, and Greek colonization as early as the 8th Century BC. There are many legends about the origins of Orsara, but my favourite-definitely the coolest-is that it was founded by the Greek hero Diomedes, who came to Puglia after the Trojan War. Legend also has it that a bear and her cubs had a lair in one of the caves Orsara was built on. The name comes from the Latin Ursus (bear) and aria= Ursaria meaning a place of bears.

The oldest part of Orsara, the Centro Storico or historic town center, is built around the Complesso Abbaziale dell’Angelo. This complex consists of the pre-7^th Century cave church Grotta di San Michele Archangelo with a connecting 1527 church, the exquisite Romanesque Chiesa dell’ Annunziata, and Palazzo Baronale. The last 2 were the former Abbazia di Sant’Angelo (Abbey of the Holy Angel), a monastery built in the 11^th-13^th Century. The Abbazia included a hostel for pilgrims and was home to several orders of monks, incuding the Spanish Cavalieri di Calatrava (Knights of Calatrava) who arrived in 1224. The Calatrava expanded the abbazia, including a hospital, and were an important part of Orsara’s history. Palazzo Baronale is now private homes except for the basement which is an archeological museum. The Complesso Abbaziale has seasonal opening hours, and can also be visited by appointment.

Complesso Abbaziale dell’Angelo, seen from Piano Paradiso. The tall, tower-like building is the Chiesa dell’Annunziata.

Orsara di Puglia is a member of the Slow Food movement Cittaslow. A gastronomic paradise, Orsara has 8 restaurants, 4 pizzerie, an enoteca, a pub and a cooking school http://www.peppezullo.it. Orsara even has its own designated DOC cheese-cacioricotta, and 3 IGT designated wines. Thanks to the maze of steep, windy cobblestone streets and my morning walk to La Montagna Spaccata, I can eat lots yummy food and still fit into my clothes.

Caciocavallo, pecorino, capicollo & cacioricotta

In 2010, along with Alberobello, Orsara became one of only 6 towns in Puglia to be distinguished with a Bandiera Arancione (orange flag), a seal of quality from the Touring Club Italiano. The Club certifies small inland towns that are welcoming to visitors and have historic, cultural and environmental significance. For more information http://www.paesiarancioni.net (in Italiano) and http://www.bestsmalltownsitaly.com/town/orsara-di-puglia-apulia-south-islands/ (in English). There are now 13 paesi Pugliesi with a Bandiera Arancione designation.

Via Vittorio Emanuele

Via Buonarroti

Since 1988, Orsara hosts a Festa del Vino the last weekend in June. The Orsara Musica Jazz Festival and Orsara International Jazz Workshop are held the last week in July. Orsara has 2 patron saints and protectors; Aug 5th is the Festa della Madonna della Neve, and Sept 29th the Festa di San Michele Arcangelo. The night between Nov 1st and Nov 2nd is the Festa dei Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorije, an ancient tradition to honour the dead. For more information on events, check Orsara di Puglia’s official website and blog.

Via Principe Amedeo

Ci vediamo ad Orsara! Buon Viaggio, Cristina

Sbandieratori~Accenti Magazine Photo Contest

04 Sunday May 2014

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

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Accenti magazine, Accenti photo contest, Culture, History, Italia, Orsara di Puglia, photography, Puglia

The 7th annual Accenti Magazine ‘Capture an Italian Moment’ Photo Competition results were just released at the Accenti Magazine Awards during the Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival. My photo, ‘Sbandieratori’ came in second place!

This photo was taken in Orsara di Puglia during the ‘Corteo Storico’, a parade in period costume, reenacting the history of the village. These sbandieratori (flag throwers) came from nearby Lucera to perform. Here, they are in between performances, engaged in casual conversation. What struck me about this image were the bold colours and composition of the costumes and flags. I was also curious to know what their conversation was about….was it early Renaissance gossip, or the latest cell phone app?

In Italiano:

Questa foto è stata scattata ad Orsara di Puglia durante il ‘corteo storico’, una sfilata in costume medioevale, che racconta la storia del paese. Questi sbandieratori sono venuti da Lucera. Qui li vediamo in attesa di sfilare, impegnati in una conversazione. Quello che mi ha colpito sono stati I colori vibranti e la composizione che si è create tra I costume e le bandiere. Ero anche curiosa di sapere di cosa parlavono…..chiacchiere medioevale o dell’uscita di una nuova app per il telefono?

The mission of Accenti, “the magazine with an Italian accent,” and Accenti Online http://www.accenti.ca is to bring together readers and writers around the idea of shared cultural experience, encourage creative expression, and act as a bridge between cultures. The 2015 photo and writing competition is now accepting submissions. If you are interested in finding out more, go to http://www.accenti.ca/photo-contest or http://www.accenti.ca/writing-contest.

The word Sbandieratori is related to the word bandiera (flag) and is pronounced zban∙ dee∙ ear ∙a∙ tow∙ ree. Say it a few times….now say it faster.

Here are a few more photos from the ‘Corteo Storico’ in Orsara di Puglia:

Sbandieratori, corteo storico, Orsara di Puglia

Corteo Storico, Orsara di Puglia

‘Il Gigante’- Michelangelo’s David

27 Sunday Apr 2014

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Art, Art history, Culture, Firenze, Italia

≈ 12 Comments

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Art, Art history, Culture, Firenze, Italia, Italian history, Michelangelo

Davide
The sculpture of David by Michelangelo Buonarroti is one of the most recognizable pieces of art in the world. David was in progress from 1501-1504, carved from a ginormous piece of ‘flawed’ Carrara marble. It weighed over 6,000 kilos! 2 other sculptors had previously attempted to use it, and there was a big gaping hole going right through it-between where the legs were going to go. It was nicknamed ‘Il Gigante’ and was sitting in the Opera del Duomo (the works yard of Santa Maria del Fiore) for over 30 years. Several other artists had been to see it, but it was considered useless; too tall and too thin on one side for a figure…and then there was that hole.

Michelangelo was already a bit of a minor celebrity, having just completed his first ‘capolavoro’ (masterpiece), La Pietá, in Roma at the age of 25. He convinced the Operai to let him have the marble. He decided to use it for the originally intended subject; David, the boy who killed the Philistine giant Goliath with his slingshot, 1 rock, and a lot of help from God. Michelangelo strategically planned his figure in contrapposto, with most of the weight on the right leg, so that it would fit precisely around the large hole in the marble. He even had to leave some of the chisel marks on the chest area made by Simone da Fiesole, one of the previous sculptors because it was such a tight fit. David was supposed to go on one of the pedestals at the end of the buttresses on the roofline of Santa Maria del Fiore (often referred to simply as Il Duomo) with 12 other Old Testament sculptures.

David was originally planned for one of these pedestals on the buttresses of Santa Maria del Fiore

When David was completed in 1504, he was so big-9 arms lengths or 3 times human size, it became apparent they were not going to be able to hoist him up to the roofline of Il Duomo! He was so magnificent that it was also thought to be a waste to put him so high up where no one could see him. According to the original art historian, Giorgio Vasari, ‘To be sure, anyone who sees this statue need not be concerned with seeing any other piece of sculpture done in our times or in any period by any other artist’. Not everyone was a fan though-some said he didn’t look like a boy, he looked like a grown man, others thought he should be wearing armour-or at least something, and there was no head of Goliath at his feet. This David was captured in the moments before slaying Goliath. His right hand is starting to tense, and the contrapposto stance makes it seem like his body could twist to the left to be in line with his head.

A committee was formed to decide where David should live. Members included Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Filippino Lippi. They decided to place David on a pedestal outside the Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Firenze in the Piazza della Signoria. This was partly a political statement. David was the ‘little guy’ who defeated the giant. He became of symbol of the new Republic of Firenze, democratic ideals, and a warning to enemies. It was not an accident that his eyes faced Roma. Moving ‘Il Gigante’ took 40 men 4 days to move the distance of less than 1 km from the studio. David was suspended in a sling in a tall cart and rolled over 14 greased logs. The men would take the back log and move it to the front as the cart moved along.

In 1527, during an anti-Medici protest, David’s left arm was broken in 3 pieces by a bench thrown out the window of the Palazzo Vecchio to ward off the protesters. The pieces were picked up by 2 boys who braved the mob. I’ve read in a few places that one of these boys was Giorgio Vasari, who would have been 16 at the time. He doesn’t mention this in his 1560’s bestseller ‘The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects’, which makes me think this might just be Renaissance urban legend. The 3 pieces were eventually reattached with copper nails, and the 2 joint lines are visible. In 1873, David was moved to his present home in the Galleria dell’Accademia to prevent further environmental damage.

‘Galleria dell’Accademia’ 2004. My preferred view of David.

In 1910, ‘Falso Davide’, as I like to call the replica, was installed outside the Palazzo Vecchio where the original stood for 369 years.

‘Falso Davide’ as I like to call him, outside the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria

Un po' di pepe

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

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‘Il Gigante’- Michelangelo’s David

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