In Naples

As mentioned in a previous post, the other week I went down to Naples for a friend's wedding. On Friday morning I had a couple of hours on my own before my appointed meeting time with my friend. It was a beautiful day in March – sunny and not a cloud in the sky. I decided to go to Piazza del Plebiscito which was located near my hotel.

Piazza del Plebiscito reminds you a bit of the square in front of the Vatican in Rome. There is a church in the middle with a white marble and lava stone Doric colonnade on either side of the building, reaching out like two forearms to give you a hug.  

Previously an irregular space, the architectural buildings which we observe today in this piazza were built starting in the 17^th century with the Royal Palace, which faces the church. The church of San Francesco di Paola (seen in the picture above) was built in the 19^th century as an ex-voto by Ferdinand I, who vowed to build it upon returning to rule after Napoleon’s domination. The famous Roman Pantheon was used as inspiration. In the center of the square there are two equestrian monuments, one of Charles III and one of Ferdinando I. The famous neoclassicist artist Antonio Canova worked on these along with the lesser known artist Antonio Cali. 

Just imagine... the square was used as a big public parking lot until 1994! Now it has returned to its former glory and is often used for outdoor concerts and modern art installations.

Oculus inside the church of San Francesco di Paola, seems like the inside of the Pantheon, doesn't it?

Unità d’Italia

I would have preferred leaving the subject of this weeks post to an Italian History Professor (who has a Phd). However, as an Italian citizen, it is my duty to say something about the current celebrations of Italy's 150th Anniversary, which was on March 17th.

The word Risorgimento – Risorgimentos - refers to the historical movement period in the mid 19th century which led to the Unification of Italy. This word reminds me to another one, Rinascimento. Both words means to be re-born, re-emerge. Resurrections in a certain sense…but “re-emerge” from what?

After the fall of Roman Empire, Italy had been a theater stage for a variety of invasions: from the Barbarians to rule by foreign royal families. Due to this long period of oppression the entire territory ended up being in a miserable economic condition and very fragmented. Immediately after the fall of Napoleon in 1814, a great period of patriotic sense began. There was a moral reawakening. Austrians and Franks occupied the northern peninsula while the Spanish Bourbons controlled the south. A new idealism began among the people. Not only to bring the territory together under one flag, but also to regain human values, free spirit and thought.

Going back in time, Giotto and Dante Alighieri were the first pioneers in this sense. They shed light on a thousand years of the “dark ages” in the 11th century. One did this in Art and the other did this in Literature. They led the way to today’s unification. Dante was the first ever to write in the Italian spoken language. The epic poem the “Divine Commedy” is considered the father of our language. The Unification of Italy did not last a short period of time. It continued well after 1861. The country only had its borders defined like today after World World II.

Two great Italian movies which are authentic Classical Masterpieces and comment on this subject are: Senso, by Luchino Visconti - showing the situation in Venice under the Austrians; Il Gattopardo, again by Visconti - presenting the contrast of two worlds: the Sicilian feudal aristocracy in the face of the modern current of thought coming from the northern peninsula.

There isn’t a city or little village in Italy that doesn’t have a street name after Risorgimento heroes: Giuseppe Garibaldi, Giuseppe Mazzini, Camillo Cavour, Vittorio Emanuale, Giuseppe Verdi. These are just a few of the protagonists during this important period of time.

However I would not be a pure Italian without a polemic spirit! I am happy and proud to be an Italian with all of our history, art, culture, humanity, joy and philosophy of life, climate, etc. etc. But my question is this: it is fine and well to celebrate Italy’s Anniversary. However, in 2011, where are our Italian intellectuals, philosophers, professors etc who can lead and move our country in a way that lights up that sense of patriotic spirit again? Can we re-emerge from our present dark age?
…”Italy is done, now we have to make the Italians”: this sentence is more actual now than in 1861 when written after the Declaration of the Italian kingdom.

I would like to end this post with a sentence by Robert Benigni, a famous Tuscan comic, “Italiani svegliatevi! (Italians, Wake up!).

Take a look at this moving video on him by Mameli !

VIVA L'ITALIA!

Gosh that cup is hot!

Last week I went to Naples for two days and one night for a friend’s wedding. I came back home refreshed, like I had been away, I don’t know, maybe for 2 weeks?

Naples gets a bad rap – a big city with big city challenges - horrible traffic, perennial trash pick-up problems, questionable public transportation, alleys one would think twice to walk down, people known for not following the rules. Indeed the city was chaotic, but it was also vibrant and alive at the same time, with warm passionate people whose typical response to any setback is to say, “no problem” (non c’è problema).

(photos: Elizabeth)

After a wonderful lunch consisting of the town’s famous thick crusted pizza in a pizzeria called Novecento we went to a nearby bar to get coffee. “Gosh,” I thought, “I can’t drink this coffee, the cup is too hot!” What I found out was that in Naples the coffee cup is supposed to be extra hot and bars keep cups in water warmers. In Naples if you don’t want the cup hot you have to advise the barista.

cup warmer to left of machine!

When telling this to a coffee lover friend of mine in Florence she said, “Of course… that makes perfect sense! Here you are served coffee in a cold cup so you have to drink it fast before the coffee gets cold. In Naples you are supposed to enjoy coffee in a warm cup which stays warmer longer, so you can take your time to sip it!” Another thing I noticed in Naples was that, as a rule, bars give you a small glass of water with your coffee order as a chaser. You don’t have to pay 50 Euro cents for a cup of water as you have to do in the Florence bars! 

How does the saying go?....“Take time to enjoy the coffee!”

 

Ash Wednesday

Cookies Quaresimali

Carnival ends on ‘Martedi Grasso’ which this year is March 8^th. ‘Martedi Grasso’ literally means ‘Fat Tuesday’ and the ‘fat’ refers to meat which you are allowed to eat before the Lenten period. The following day is Ash Wednesday. This is the first day of Lent, (‘Quaresima’ in Italian, and which refers to the number quaranta, or forty). This is the Christian liturgical year of the 40 days which leads to Easter.
This is a period of particular importance for believers. During Holy Week, the Resurrection of Jesus represents the pain of Christianity, preceded by straight penitence and prayer. In other words, this time is a commemoration of the passion of Christ and his death before the Resurrection. Therefore, for these reasons, on this day the priest blesses the forehead of believers with ashes made from olive branches of the previous Easter. This recalls the Holy Cross and indicates that "you are ashes and will eventually return to ashes".

The number 40 is very significant. For example - Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai and God sent Noah’s great rain for 40 days and 40 nights.

During Early Christian times it was not considered a period of Penitence, but more like an Ascetic- illuminative moment meant to get closer to God through the Fasten. Churches have always encouraged and suggested fasting twice a week (Wednesdays and Fridays). In this way the soul opens to the will of God and listens to his voice.

Even in gastronomy we have many traditional recipes related to this period, like the Quaresimali. These are letter shaped cookies which are basically made with chocolate and egg whites (no yolk!). In the past there were many forbidden ingredients during the Quaresima: meat, lard, any fat coming from animals, diary and yolk. Butchers could sell meat only on Saturdays, (Sundays were considered to be a festivity). Otherwise there could be fines! Instead foods such as bread, polenta, vegetable soup and fish were permitted. In the homes of poor families smoked fish, such as herring, hung from kitchen ceilings. Family members would rub fish on bread slices in order to create a bit of flavor!