Castel del Monte

22 Saturday Nov 2025

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Architecture, Puglia

Tags

Federico II, Italian history, Puglia, Romanica Pugliese, Southern Italy, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Castel del Monte overlooks the Murgia plateau near Andria, Puglia, rising like a massive, imposing stone crown. The flawless design is awe-inspiring, and it can even be seen from the sea. Castel del Monte ‘castle of the mountain’, is a mysterious place, that has intrigued scholars with speculation regarding its purpose and symbolism for almost 800 years.

Federico Secondo /Frederick II Hohenstaufen (1194-1250) Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily built Castel del Monte between 1240 -1250. He was a visionary, considered an early Humanist-a lover of art, architecture, science and poetry, and also a skilled warrior, hunter and falconer. He spoke 6 languages and wrote books, including a guide to falconry. At his court in Palermo, he brought together Greek, Arab, Italian and Jewish scholars so that experts in science, theology, philosophy, and alchemy could exchange their Eastern and Western knowledge. A cultured, cosmopolitan ruler, and probably a megalomaniac, he was called ‘Stupor Mundi’ wonder of the world.

No one knows why he built Castel del Monte– the location at an altitude of 540m (1770 ft), has a great view, but is not strategic, and the building has no defensive measures, such as a moat or arrow slits, so was not built as a fort. Some think it was built as a fancy hunting lodge, but there is no sign of a kitchen or cooking facilities on site. Federico died not long before it was completed, so he never actually stayed there.

The octagonal design is unusual. According to medieval beliefs and mathematical symbolism, the octagon represented the union of the divine perfection of the circle and the natural perfection of the square into one shape. In many cultures and religions, the number 8 is associated with power, good judgement, efficiency, prosperity, strength and stability. A sideways 8, the infinity sign is a symbol of continuous balance. 8 is repeated throughout the design of Castel del Monte-an octagonal shape with 8 interconnecting rooms on each floor, 8 octagonal towers, and an octagonal internal courtyard. Many details in the sculptures, bas-reliefs, marble columns and keystones have decorations with 8 elements.

The upper rooms have decorative marble columns and 8 fireplaces, The doorways and Gothic windows are framed in corallite stone. 3 of the towers have stairs and at least one has a room with what may have been Europe’s first flushing toilets. Castel del Monte also had advanced hydraulic engineering with an air heating/cooling system (ancient HVAC?) in the walls and a rainwater collection and filtration system. Water passed through the walls into cisterns in the foundation. In the alcoves beside some of the windows on the upper floor, you can see evidence of these systems.

Similar to Federico’s cultural perspective, elements of diverse architectural styles and traditions from different times in history are effortlessly blended in Castel del Monte. These include classical antiquity, the Islamic Orient and north-European Gothic. To me it looks similar to Romanica Pugliese. The layout and orientation are designed with advanced mathematical and astronomic precision. The positions of windows and light slits is designed to create specific light and shadow effects during the solstice and equinox. Secret messages perhaps? The light cast by the slits also serve as a clock/sundial. I actually thought the light slits were ridiculously long arrow slits! Mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci was a guest of Federico’s in 1240, so he may have even been a consultant!

Castel del Monte was purchased by the Italian State in 1876 for 25,000 Lire, and is now protected under strict laws. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, as a unique and beautiful masterpiece of medieval military architecture and for its lack of structural alteration. Castel del Monte is featured on the Italian one euro cent coin.

So what was the overall purpose of Castel del Monte if it was not built as a fort or hunting lodge? Was it a celestial observatory, or a giant sundial? Likely the primary purposes were to symbolize the power and personal genius of Federico II to reflect his cultural, pre-Humanist perspective, and to celebrate the relationship/balance between the spiritual and material world.

I have wanted to visit Castel del Monte for years. Since it is on a remote hilltop, 20 km from Andria, 35 km from Trani, getting to Castel del Monte without a car is not easy. I got together with 6 of my friends from Orsara di Puglia and we hired a friend with an 8 passenger van to take us there. We arrived early and then went to the Trulli di Alberobello in the afternoon. We had an amazing time! I was expecting Castel del Monte to be fascinating-but it surpassed my expectations!

To get there by train/bus: From Bari, take the Ferrovia Bari-Nord train to Andria. Then either take bus # 6 from Andria station to Castel del Monte (35 minutes, five buses daily, April to October only) or take a taxi or hired car from Andria. Trani is 35 km away and would be my choice if I was planning to stay the night. A small parking site down the hill charges €5 for a car, and sometimes there is a €1 shuttle up the short, steepish walk to Castel del Monte. There are a few souvenir stalls close to the parking area, and a Bar is open at the same seasonal entry times.

Opening hours: April 1-Sept 30 1000 to 1845. Oct 1-Mar 31 0900 to 1745 Closed Dec 25 and Jan 1^st.

Adult admission is €10 Audio guides (€6) are also available to maximise visit. Skip the line tickets are available but not necessary, since there are only 250,000 visitors per year. There are likely to be more visitors during the summer or winter Solstice and the Federico II festival in April.

The inside visit takes about 1 hour, but allow more time to walk around the outside, enjoy the views and take photos. In summer, try to go in the morning, as the afternoons are hot and there is little shade.Buon viaggio, Cristina

Catanzaro, Calabria

15 Sunday Sep 2024

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Amici e Famiglia, Italia

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Calabria, Catanzaro Lido, Scolacium, Southern Italy, Soverato, Squillace

Calabria for beginners-I finally made it to Calabria! Just a little slice of it, as an unexpected detour! I have been wanting to see Calabria for years, but it never seemed to work out. My amica Rosetta, lives in Northern Italia but spends the summers in Calabria. She saw on a Facebook post that I was in Puglia and wrote me a comment ‘Vienici a trovare in Calabria’. Of course, I said ‘si!’ and even managed to find a ride from one of my paesani who lives in Catanzaro Lido. Sometimes the stars just align.

Calabria, the ‘toe’ and ‘foot’ of the Italian boot, is one of the lesser travelled areas of the country, and also one of the least expensive to visit. I was there during the last week of July and it was not crowded where I was. Calabria is known for rocky coastlines, crystal clear water, beautiful beaches, ancient mountain villages, castles and archeological sites. I saw all of the above.I only went to a small area of Calabria on the Ionian Sea (east coast) around the Golfo di Squillace, in the province of Catanzaro. This is the narrowest part of Calabria, so it is possible to drive to the west coast, to Tropea, in an hour and a half. My friends are in Squillace Lido, and as soon as I arrived, we went to Catanzaro Lido for the Festa della Madonna di Porto Salvo. The highlight of the festa was a sea procession. The Madonna was in the large red-hulled boat and all the other boats followed.

Rosetta’s back yard was heavenly, with an olive tree and a view of the Ionian Sea. She decided we had to wake up at 0543 to watch l’alba, the sunrise. I am not a morning person, but it was totally worth getting up for, as you can see.

Every morning, we went to the beach -to Squillace Lido, and everyone I met-both on the beach, under an ombrellone, or in the water-was a cousin of Rosetta or her husband Enrico! Some of these cugini lived in the area and some had moved to other parts of Italia, returning for the summer. What an amazing thing! It was so hot, I stayed in the water most of the time. The sand was coarse, and my feet had a nice daily exfoliation.Even on the beach in Calabria, my Cinquecento radar was on high alert!

Squillace (skwee•LAH•cheh) population ~3500, was originally the Greek colony of Scylletium and then the Roman town of Scolacium. I visited the Parco Archeologico Scolacium, which was formerly a large olive farm and orchard by the sea. The site has Roman, Byzantine and Norman ruins. It was discovered in the 1800’s by farmers, but not excavated until 1965. The residence of the former owner, Baron Mazza, is now the museum and you can also walk through the old olive mill. The statues in the museum are covered in scrapes made by farm implements! Ouch! Please read my friend Karen in Calabria’s post about Scolacium, she took better photos than mine.

Only a small part of the site has been excavated and it is still ongoing. There are extensive mosaics that get worked on, then covered again until there is time and $ to excavate some more. Surrounding this magnificent olive tree, you can see stones ready to be excavated.Called ‘the pearl of the Ionian Sea’, Soverato was recently named the 3^rd most beautiful beach in Calabria. Soverato, population ~9000, is known for its beaches, boardwalk and nightlife. I visited for an evening stroll along the boardwalk. The beach looked almost otherworldly before sunset!

This night shot was taken from Baia dell’Est where we had pizza. Caminia is right below, then Pietragrande, and Soverato in the far distance. Below is the daytime version of this view.

What did I bring back from Calabria? Peperoncini, also known as ‘Viagra Calabrese‘, Bergamotto-the citrus fruit used to flavour Earl Grey tea, and the famous cipolla rossa di Tropea -Tropea red onions. This is where I bought my goodies. Behind the Lanzellotti bancarella is a pepper tree-growing pepe rosso-red peppercorns! Un po’di pepe!

Getting back to Orsara di Puglia was not so easy. My options were to go to Lamezia Terme, take the train to Napoli and then take the bus to Foggia and another bus to Orsara, or take a 7.5 hour overnight bus from Catanzaro Lido to Foggia. I chose the overnight bus so I could have an extra day at the beach! At 7am my cugina met me for colazione in Foggia, then I took the bus to Orsara. As mamma would say ‘una sfacchinata’!

Calabria seems to be even more badly connected with transportation than Puglia! Mannaggia! This makes it harder to get around without renting a car, but it is also one of the reasons these areas are less crowded and less pricey. Tropea was apparently extremely crowded this year, as it has been getting a lot of attention since 2021. Despite the lack of convenient transportation, I will definitely be going back to see more of Calabria some time in the future!

Grazie to Rosetta and Enrico for inviting me to visit their little corner of paradise in Calabria! Ciao, Cristina

Il Pumo Pugliese

25 Sunday Aug 2024

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Bilingual posts, Italian Folklore, Puglia

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Italian lucky charms, Portafortuna, Pugliese Traditions, Pumo, Pumo Pugliese, Southern Italy

The Pumo is an artisanal decorative ceramic object in the form of a bud just about to flower, enclosed by acanthus leaves. It symbolizes the capacity to regenerate and form new life. The acanthus leaves, the same ones found on ancient Greek and Roman Corinthian columns, symbolize long life and immortality. For these reasons the pumo is a traditional Pugliese good luck charm, providing protection and bringing prosperity, happiness, good fortune and fertility.

The name pumo comes from the latin words pomum (fruit) and pumum (pine cone) and is tied to the cult of the goddess Pomona, protector of fruit.

Centuries ago, noble Pugliese families used pumi (plural) as ornaments on building facades, staircases, balconies, and at the foot of the bed of newly married couples. They were also frequently given as wedding gifts. Pumi were originally only available to wealthy families, since they were the only ones who could afford decorative ceramics. Today the pumo is an emblem of Puglia and is often used as a piece of jewellery, a bomboniera (wedding favour) or a souvenir from Puglia. Sometimes they are in the shape of a rose bud or pine cone and can even be room fragrance diffusers, decorative lamps, candleholders or bottles.

In Italiano

Il Pumo è un oggetto decorativo artigianale in ceramica a forma di un bocciolo in procinto di sbocciare, chiuso tra foglie di acanto. Simboleggia la capacità di rigenerarsi e formare nuova vita. Le foglie di acanto, le stesse che si trovano sulle antiche colonne corinzie greche e romane, simboleggiano lunga vita e immortalità. Per queste ragioni il pumo è un portafortuna tradizionale pugliese, che fornisce protezione e porta prosperità, felicità, buona fortuna e fertilità.

Il nome pumo deriva dalle parole latine pomum (frutto) e pumum (pigna) ed è legato al culto della dea Pomona, protettrice della frutta.

Secoli fa, le famiglie nobili pugliesi utilizzavano i pumi come ornamenti sulle facciate degli palazzi, sulle scale, sui angoli delle ringhiere dei balconi e ai piedi del letto delle coppie di novelli sposi. Venivano anche spesso offerti come regali di nozze. I pumi erano originariamente disponibili solo per le famiglie ricche, poiché erano le uniche che potevano permettersi ceramiche decorative.Oggi il pumo è un emblema della Puglia e viene spesso utilizzato come gioiello, bomboniera o souvenir pugliese. A volte ha la forma di un bocciolo di rosa o di una pigna e può anche essere un diffusore di fragranze per ambienti, una lampada decorativa, un portacandele o una bottiglia.

Buona fortuna, Cristina

Panzerotti

26 Sunday May 2024

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Puglia, Recipes

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

brea, Cucina povera, Cucina Pugliese, Italian food, pan, Pizze fritte, Pugliese Traditions, Southern Italy

Panzerotti are a popular Pugliese street food. In the spirit of ‘cucina povera’ where nothing is wasted, they came about from using leftover bread or pizza dough to make small, fried stuffed pizze. They are crispy outside, fluffy inside and mezzaluna (half moon) shaped. Panzerotti can have a simple tomato and mozzarella filling, or prosciutto, prosciutto cotto (ham), or fresh sausage cut out of its casing and fried can be added. Other common fillings include onion, olive, capers anchovies and tomato, and spicy pork, similar to a porchetta.

Panzerotto (singular) is the diminutive form of panza, dialetto for pancia, which means belly, because the dough swells up like a bloated belly when fried in oil!

Panzerotti Recipe:

Dough:

500 g total of flour: -250g 00 flour (1¾ cups)

-250g semola rimacinata*(2 cups)

10g (2 teaspoons) instant dried yeast

250 ml warm water

Pinch of sugar

60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil, plus more to grease the bowl

125 ml (½ cup) milk

5g (1 tsp) salt

Filling:

250 g passata di pomodoro or a tin of Mutti Polpa, which may need to be strained

Mozzarella -if using fresh mozzarella, drain first to decrease moisture

Prosciutto

Oregano or basil

My favourite ingredient-un po’ di pepe-a bit of pepper!

Sunflower oil for frying

Instructions: Disolve the yeast in 1 cup water and a pinch of sugar or honey and let sit for 10 minutes. Add all the flour(s) to a large mixing bowl or on a spianatoia (pasta board). Make a hole in the center and add the milk, oil and water /yeast. Mix together with a fork, slowly incorporating more flour. Add salt last, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour if it is too wet, and more milk if it is too dry.

Lightly oil the bowl and place the dough back in. Cover with a damp tea towel/cloth so it does not dry out, and let rise 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Roll out 14-15 balls (~ 50g each) and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a damp tea towel/cloth and let rise for 1 hour. The panzerotti will cook more evenly if they are all about the same size.

Add oregano or basil, and pepper to the tomato passata or polpa. I do not add salt if using an already salty filling like prosciutto. Drain mozzarella to avoid extra moisture if using fresh.

One at a time, roll a ball of dough into a thin circle. Add ½ to 1 tablespoon tomato mixture in the center and smooth it around with a spoon. Do NOT go too close to the edges, and add more in the bottom half of circle. Add other ingredients to the bottom half of the circle. Fold in half, pressing edges firmly together, then double seal by folding the edge over again and pinch with fingers to make a fancy design. You do not want the panzerotti to open during frying. This will make a mess of the oil. Too much filling and /or too much moisture will also cause them to open.

Keep aside a small piece of dough to test the oil to see if it is hot enough. Fry in sunflower oil in batches of 2-3 panzerotti for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden and puffy. You can spoon a bit of oil over the top to prevent bubbles-although I like the bubbles! Drain on paper towels so they stay crispy and do not get soggy. Fry right away, as if they sit, the dough continues to rise, making them more likely to open. It is best to make panzerottiwith 2 people-1 to assemble and 1 to fry. If you do not have 4 hands, put the filled panzerotti in the fridge as you make them, until ready to fry them all. They are best served soon after frying. Makes about 14-15 panzerotti. I usually double this recipe and freeze them.

Raw, stuffed panzerotti can also be frozen. Fry them still frozen, as defrosting may turn them into soup. Place a splash screen on top of the pan in case the oil spatters!

Panzerotti can also be baked at 200°C (295°F) for 20 minutes, although technically this makes them calzone. Brush the top with egg yolk or oil before baking or they may be dry.

*Semola or semolina is the yellow durum wheat endosperm. Semola rimacinata has been ground once more. It gives the dough more of a bite to it. You can just use 500 g All Purpose flour, but I find the best results using a combination of 00 and semola rimacinata. It is also common to just use simple pizza or bread dough to make panzerotti, but those are more like stuffed pizze fritte.

**as with all recipes involving flour, it is always best to weigh with a scale rather than measure with cups.

Buon appetito! Cristina

Procida

31 Thursday Aug 2023

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

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Campania, Chiaiolella, Ischia, Italian Capital of Culture, Italian islands, Marina di Corricella, Napoli, Slow travel, Southern Italy

When I mentioned to anyone that i was going to Procida, the response was ‘Where is that?’ It was the 2022 Italian Capital of Culture, but still not well known outside of Italia. Procida (pronounced PRO·cheedah) is one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Napoli and is part of the city of Napoli. It was created by the eruption of 4 volcanoes, which are now submerged and dormant. Overshadowed by its sexier neighbours Capri and Ischia, Procida is the least visited of the 3 islands. It has a tiny area of 4.1 km², but with a population of 11,000, Procida is one of the most populated Italian islands. It is still mainly a fisherman’s island, a living, working place where real people live. The main industries on the island are the port and fishing. Tourism is #3.

Procida has a laid-back, slow travel vibe-even in the most popular areas. You will not find any resorts, fancy spas or tour groups and the shops cater more to locals, closing for ‘la pausa pranzo’ from 1-5 pm. Even finding somewhere to buy a few souvenirs was hard! In the summer and on weekends, many of the visitors to Procida are Napoletani going to the beach.

Procida has been featured in movies, most notably the beautiful, multi award winning 1994 film Il Postino and the 1999 psychological thriller The Talented Mr Ripley. Both films were set in the 1950’s-60’s. In the 1963 Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton film Cleopatra, Procida -with the baroque duomo clearly in the background-was briefly featured as the ancient city of Tarsus where Cleo’s barge arrived to meet Marc Antony. There are signs posted at various filming locations on the island.

Marina Grande is the main port where ferries (traghetti) and hydrofoils (aliscafi) arrive. Here you will find sorbetto coloured buildings, the main bus stop and ferry terminal, several restaurants and bars, a gluten free bakery Il Piccolo Forno Senza Glutine, and ONE gift/souvenir shop.

A 20 minute uphill walk from Marina Grande to the other side of the island (~20 min) brings you to the most visited area. Walking uphill towards Terra Murata is the spectacular view of Marina di Corricella with its limoncello and pink grapefruit coloured 17th century fisherman’s houses and the duomo of Santa Maria delle Grazie Incoronata. I found Marina Grande colourful and cute, but nothing compared to this view. The walk is steep, but if mobility is an issue the C2 bus stops here.

Terra Murata (walled land) the highest and oldest part of Procida, is a fortified medieval village at the top of the island. Abbazia San Michele Archangelo is an 11^th Century Benedictine Abbey turned into a church. Palazzo d’Avalos built in 1563 became a prison in the 1800’s until it closed down in 1988. Tours of the prison (€13,) need to be booked at least 2 days in advance so I was not able to go. The roof has sweeping views of the entire Bay of Napoli, including Ischia, Capri and the Amalfi coast. Check out John’s blog post about the prison for more information. The 15^th Century Santa Margherita Nuova monastery was under renovation, so I was not able to see that either. The postcard views from up here are absolutely mozzafiato-breathtaking! A friend asked me how I took the cover photo over Marina di Corricella. ‘Hai volato?’ Did you fly over it?

The walk down to Marina di Corricella (Kor·ree·CHEL·lah) with houses built on top of each other, is steep and looks lived in with plants and laundry hanging out to dry. Some typical features of Procidano architecture, besides the pastel colours, include exterior staircases and arched windows. This area is completely vehicle free.

The marina is a full working harbour with colourful fishing boats, and fishermen with their nets. There are several restaurants, bars and gelaterie. I enjoyed a limoncello spritz and taralli while watching the fishing boats. La Locanda del Postino is a restaurant where Mario, il Postino, sat to write poetry to Beatrice in the movie. Some fishing boats offer a ‘giro dell’isola’ from here. Terra Murata can be seen from the Marina below.Chiaiolella (Kyay·oh·LEL·lah) on the West tip of the island is the area where I stayed. Spiaggia Chiaiolella is a dark volcanic sand beach with warm, shallow water and amazing sunsets. At the end of the beach is a long walking bridge to Vivara, a tiny green satellite island and nature reserve. Ischia is seen past Vivara in the photo.Around the corner is Marina di Chiaiolella, full of boats and seafood restaurants. I enjoyed a delicious, reasonably priced seafood meal with a glass of Falanghina at Crescenzo. The walk back up to the hotel is up a narrow street lined with useful stuff like small supermercati, shops carrying beach essentials, a Tabacchino and a few takeout restaurants. There is also a gorgeous jewellery store and a linen shop where I bought Franco a coppola.

There are 4 other beaches on Procida. Spiaggia Cala del Pozzo Vecchio is the one where Il Postino was filmed. I will have to go there on my next visit. The beaches all have black volcanic sand, except for the small beach by the port, La Lingua which is rocky.

Procida can only be accessed by sea. Unless you have a private boat, that means by ferry or hydrofoil from Napoli, Pozzuoli or Ischia. Napoli to Procida is 1 hour by ferry and 40 min by hydrofoil. Ischia is 20 min away by hydrofoil-the same boat stops at both islands. From Napoli the hydrofoil cost me €19 to go and €18 to return. The ferry is about €15.
Procida can be a daytrip from Napoli or Ischia, but I would recommend staying overnight if you can. The sunsets are worth it! **Note that from November to March there are less ferries running and some restaurants and hotels are closed.

From April until October, only residents of Procida are allowed to bring cars onto the island. Scooters, bicycles and ebikes are available for rent. 4 minibuses cross the island; from the port to Chiaiolella (L1 and L2), Corricella (C2) and Il Postino Beach (C1). Tickets are €1.60 each, or get a daypass and use it like a ‘hop on/hop off’ bus. These buses go fast and the streets are only about 8 inches wider than the bus! In the mornings, you may have to wait for a few buses, as they are full of people going to the beach and going to work. Even the motorini and bikes go fast, so crossing the narrow streets can be a challenge. Everyone is in a hurry to get to the beach and drives like they are in Napoli!

A bit about my trip….. I was in Procida with my cugina Maria from Ontario August 8th and 9th. It was not a weekend. We took the 7 am bus from Orsara di Puglia to Foggia, then the bus from Foggia to Napoli. In Napoli, we took the metro from Stazione Garibaldi to Municipio and walked the short distance to Porto Molo Beverello where we took the hydrofoil to Procida. Quite the trek to get there! We did not book the ferry in advance. We arrived at our hotel at about 2:30 pm. I booked the hotel only 2 weeks in advance. Ideally, we wanted to stay 2 nights at Hotel La Casa sul Mare which is near Santa Maria delle Grazie in Marina Corricella, but they only accept summer reservations for a 3 night minimum stay. I booked Hotel Riviera which was only available for 1 night, so we spent the second night in Napoli. Hotel Riviera was absolutely lovely-right at the bus stop and walking distance to Spiaggia Chiaiolella. We were pleasantly surprised that our room had a balcony with a view of Marina Chiaiolella, Vivara and Ischia! This is where I sat to write all of these notes while drinking €1.60 red wine and watching the sunset!

Buon viaggio, Cristina

Polpo e patate

20 Tuesday Jun 2023

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

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Cooking octopus, Imerovigli, Mattinata, Octopus and potato salad, Polpo, Santorini, Southern Italy, Traditional recipes

Polpo is one of the joys of visiting the Adriatic in summer. Polpo or polipo is octopus, from the ancient Greek polypous, meaning ‘many footed.’ In Italiano, polpo and polipo are both correct terms for octopus! It is one of my favourite foods…I love it grilled, or in a summer salad, especially polpo e patate, a cold potato and octopus salad. Last year, between camping on the beach in Mattinata, a family wedding, a side trip to Santorini, and mamma’s kitchen, there was a lot of polpo in my life. In this post, I will share some of my polpo photos, instructions for cooking, and how to make polpo e patate.

I had polpo each of the 5 days I was in Santorini. There it is called Octapodi χταπόδι, meaning ‘eight footed’. The view from the landing outside my hotel room in Thira was the perfect place to sketch. When I finished sketching, it was too nice to leave. Instead of going out to dinner, I walked to a restaurant and got takeout octapodi with couscous. I brought my feast back and ate it at my sketching spot while watching the sunset. Yiasou!

In Imerovigli, I had this orgasmic fava bean puree with grilled polpo, caramelized onions and capers. I have to try making this some time. Also in Imerovigli, I had a late night dinner of grilled octopodi on potatoes.

Santorini’s small port has a few seafood restaurants, where I had this very Greek grilled octopodi with oregano.

This photo was taken at the outlet mall in Molfetta. Yes, polpo is mall food in Puglia!

The day after the matrimonio in Puglia we had a long table dinner in an olive grove by the beach in Mattinata. This is the gorgeous polpo e patate! #cookinggoals!

When camping on the beach with my cugini, we often grill polpo and then make a salad with it. The mobile fishmonger il pescivendolo (pesh·ee·ven·DOH·loh) drives around to the different campsites selling fresh seafood. More about this in Campeggio sul Gargano. We also have polpo on the grill when we go to my nonno’s olive grove for a grigliata.

This photo of mamma washing polpo in our tiny kitchen in Orsara di Puglia was popular on Instagram. She made a salad, without potatoes but still yummy! The second one was cooked in a tomato sauce the following day.

People apparently do all sorts of crazy things to tenderize polpo. It does not need to be beaten against rocks, bashed with a meat tenderizer, or hung on the clothesline! It just needs to cook in water long enough to tenderize the tough chewy collagen, which is about 1 hour per kg. Once cooked, it can be eaten, grilled, pan seared in olive oil or saved to use later. Freezing also helps tenderize, so previously frozen polpo does not need to cook for as long.

Polpo is hard to find in Canada! I bought a pack of 4 legs/tentacles from Spain, but then had to freeze it as I could not use it right away. Here is my ‘measurements optional’, flexible recipe for polpo e patate. It is made with the legs only, as I am not as adventurous as mamma!

Ingredients: 1 kg (2.2 lbs) polpo

500 g (1.1 lb) potatoes

Good quality extra virgin olive oil

10 ml (2 tsp) lemon juice, freshly squeezed

10 ml (2 tsp) chopped prezzemolo-Italian parsley

2-3 cherry tomatoes

1 bay leaf

Splash of vinegar

100g chopped celery and/or carrots

15 ml (1 tsp) capers

1 garlic clove, finely chopped (optional)

Peperoncino (optional)

sale, black pepper

Instructions:

Wash and rinse the polpo. I had already done this before freezing it.
In a pan, add salt, bay leaf, cherry tomatoes, lemon slices and a splash of vinegar. Cover with water
Bring to boil, then lower heat and cook 1 hour. It should be tender enough so that a knife can pierce the polpo with little resistance.
Turn off heat and let sit in the cooking water to cool
Pick up and immerse 3 times in the hot water if you want the tentacles to curl.
When cooled, polpo can either be grilled, pan seared, made into a salad, or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days
While cooling, cook potatoes in boiling salted water. Peel and cut into pieces
Cut cooled polpo into rounds or pieces. Add to a bowl with potatoes, olive oil, pepper, lemon juice and prezzemolo. You can also add finely chopped garlic and capers, or peperoncino for a little spice. Add celery, carrots and cherry tomatoes and mix. Add extra prezzemolo and lemon slices for garnish

I didn’t have any celery and was out of capers. Use whichever of these ingredients you have at the time. The photos weren’t taken in the best light, but it was delicious! My next one will look like the one I had in Mattinata!

Are you a polpo fan too? Have you ever cooked it yourself? Let me know in the comments. Buon appetito, Cristina

Un altro giorno a Napoli

12 Friday May 2023

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

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Caravaggio, Napoli, Napoli Centro Storico, Southern Italy, Street art, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Last week, after 33 years, SSC Napoli won the Series A title and the 2022/23 Scudetto. The last time they won was 1990, when Maradona played for the team. This is a big deal! The streets of Napoli are always vibrant and exciting, but I would have loved to see the celebrations. The stalls of San Gregorio Armeno likely sold more Napoli team figurines than Presepio pieces this week!

In honour of the big win, I am writing about Napoli-the city. If you have already read my post Un giorno a Napoli, this one is a continuation…..another day in Napoli! In June, I took a spontaneous trip to Santorini, flying in and out of Capodichino, Napoli’s airport. On the way back, I stayed the night and took the bus back to Orsara di Puglia the following afternoon.

My primary objective was to finally see l’ultimo Caravaggio, the artist’s last painting, which up until 1990 was attributed to one of his followers. Read about my adventure seeing the ‘wrong’ Caravaggio in the post.

Since it was close to the new location of the painting, I stayed on lively Via Toledo, near the award winning Toledo metro station and in between the port and Quartieri Spagnoli. Read about the new exhibition space and my visit in Gallerie d’Italia Napoli. There is still 1 Caravaggio painting left for me to see in Napoli on my next visit-at the Museo di Capodimonte!

The Chiostro di Santa Chiara is another place I missed on previous day trips. The church was built starting in 1310 and the chiostro or cloister is well known for the addition of Rococo style majolica tiles in 1742.
Santa Chiara is located on the 2km long street known as ‘Spaccanapoli’ meaning ‘cut across Napoli’ because it cuts the centro storico in half. It is one of the 3 Decumani, east/west streets in the grid layout of the Greco-Roman city of Neapolis.

Napoli has the largest Centro Storico in Europe and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. Think of it as an open air museum. Via dei Tribunali was decorated with a lot of laundry for some reason!

Nunspotting on Via San Gregorio Armeno. I did not buy any Presepio accessories or Napoli team figurines, but perhaps these sisters did?

I walked past the Duomo just in time to see a dramatic wedding kiss. The bride was clearly satisfied! The Duomo Santa Maria Assunta was built over the site of a temple to Neptune. It was damaged in a 15th century earthquake and repeatedly renovated, resulting in a mishmash of styles and a Neogothic facade.

Walking down Via Toledo to the end, passing Piazza Plebescito, I ended up at the waterfront and a view of Vesuvio. Hopefully I will be back here at the port in a few months to take the ferry to Procida.

Sfogliatelle were consumed, of course. This crunchy layered pastry, filled with sweet ricotta, lemon and candied peel is amazing. Sfogliatelle in Napoli are delicious and inexpensive. I had one served hot from the oven at Antico Forno Attanasio, Via Ferrovia 1-4 just a few blocks from Piazza Garibaldi. At €1.30, why stop at just one? I bought a whole bag to bring back to Orsara! I also had one from Pintauro on Via Toledo 275, the oldest sfogliatelle place in Napoli. It was heavenly!

More street food heaven… I had a cuopo friggitori Napoletano. This is a paper cone filled with fritto misto-a mixture of fried stuff-fish, vegetables and pizze fritte. Yum!Graffiti is elevated to a fine art form in Napoli. I wrote a post on Napoli street art, and saw some new stuff. ‘Consumerism Street’ was taken on Via Toledo. The small print under the sardine can says ‘Alla fine siamo tutti uguali’/In the end we are all equal.

In a tradition of pay it forward, Napoli has ‘caffè sospeso‘. This is a ‘pending caffè’, paid for in advance as an anonymous gift. Someone asking if there is a caffè sospeso available would receive it for free. This is actually an old tradition that has recently had a resurgence.

Still haven’t visited Napoli? What are you waiting for? To quote myself …’Napoli is underrated, misunderstood and does not get the love it deserves, except from fans of Elena Ferrante novels. News of corruption, the Camorra and ongoing garbage crises give it a bad rep. It it ironic that everyone-including many Italians- fears for their life and thinks it is just a crime pit, when Napoli is actually safer than most large North American cities. It is vibrant, wonderfully chaotic, full of life and passionate, friendly people. Napoli has an ‘edge’ to it and is anything but boring’.

According to an old saying ‘Vedi Napoli e mori’. I hope you enjoyed un altro giorno a Napoli! When you go, have an extra sfogliatella for me! Buon viaggio, Cristina

Gallerie d’Italia Napoli

26 Sunday Feb 2023

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

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Artemisia Gentilleschi, Caravaggio, Napoli, Napoli Centro Storico, Sant'Orsola, Southern Italy, Via Toledo

Sant’ Orsola, Caravaggio’s last painting, has a new home! If you have read my posts Pio Monte della Misericordia and L’Ultimo Caravaggio, you know about my adventure to Napoli in search of a Caravaggio painting…only to visit the wrong one. The ‘wrong’ one was absolutely amazing, but I still wanted to see the intended one. In June, on my way back from Santorini, I stayed a night in Napoli so I could finally see ‘Il Martirio di Sant’ Orsola/The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula’. It was painted in May 1610, just before Caravaggio’s death. For hundreds of years, it was believed to be painted by one of his followers or ‘Caravaggisti’, Mattia Preti. In 1980 a letter from the agent was found, proving that Sant’ Orsola was painted by Caravaggio. To read more about the letter and the history of the painting, see L’Ultimo Caravaggio.

I stayed on lively Via Toledo, near the Toledo metro station and in between the port and Quartieri Spagnoli, since it was close to the 1500’s Palazzo Zavalos Stigliano. A few weeks before my visit, the Napoletano Collection of Banca Intesa Sanpaolo moved 300 m down the street to Palazzo Piacentini at 177 Via Toledo. Newly renovated Palazzo Piacentini is the new home of Gallerie d’Italia Napoli. It is a 1930’s building and former home of the Banco di Napoli. The design is described as a modern vision of classical architecture and has 10,000 sq ft of exhibition space.

The atrium features L’Atlante Farnese/Farnese Atlas, a 2nd Century AD sculpture on loan from MANN (Museo Archeologico Nazionale Napoli) under an enormous starry wooden ‘sky’. At the far end of the ground floor is an actual branch of Banca Intesa Sanpaolo! The building is home to the permanent Intesa Sanpaolo Collection, which includes Napoletani artwork and paintings from the 17th to the 20th Centuries, a Magna Grecia pottery exhibit, space for temporary exhibits, a library and bookshop, and a bistro.

The star of the permanent collection is Sant’ Orsola. Right beside it is Artemisia Gentilleschi’s Sansone e Dalila/Samson and Delilah (1630-38). This painting is stunning, but I had to check twice to see that it was an Artemisia. Those teeny nail scissors are so tame compared to the usual aggression in her Judith and Holofernes paintings with a giant sword and a lot of blood! Incidentally, on the other side of Sant’ Orsola is a Judith and Holofernes painting attributed to Ludovicus Finson that is a copy of a lost Caravaggio.

A few of my other favourites from the permanent collection include this amazing loosely sketched painting Fanciulla Napoletana o La Zingara (1885) by Vincenzo Gemito.

I absolutely love the screen prints Vesuvius (rosso) and Vesuvius (nero) by Andy Warhol (1985) in the 20th Century collection.

The temporary exhibit while I was visiting was ‘Restituzioni’ featuring projects and art restoration presently funded by Intesa Sanpaolo in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture. There were 200 pieces from all over Italia including paintings, mosaics, jewellery, books and even a giant bell!

Galleria d’Italia Napoli is walking distance from the Toledo metro station. It is open Tuesday to Friday 10-19 and Saturday/Sunday 10-20. Mondays closed. The first Sunday of each month admission is free. Admission is €7. Reduced admission is €4 and those under age 18 get in free. Definitely worth a visit! Ciao, Cristina

Appuntamento con la Daunia

18 Wednesday Jan 2023

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

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ciao, Cristina

Un Matrimonio in Puglia

08 Thursday Sep 2022

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

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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