Archive | Italian History RSS feed for this section

Weekend in Review

So much happening in Cortona over the weekend…

Since 1963, Cortona has been the host city of the national antique market knows as Cortonantiquaria, held in the rooms and hallways of the beautiful 18th century Palazzo Vagnotti.

©blogginginitaly.com

You couldn’t help but know that the exhibit was coming as a giant slide show lights up the Municipio each night.

©blogginginitaly.com

For two weeks beginning August 24, exhibitors throughout Italy display a variety of certified antiques including paintings, china, jewelry, statuary and furniture.

©blogginginitaly.com

A very special exhibit this year is Catrosse Ceramiche. I had no idea that from 1796-1910, the noble Venuti family was responsible for bringing techniques learned in other parts of Italy to a new porcelain production facility near Cortona.

©blogginginitaly.com

Did you ever wonder how some of the very large pieces are hoisted up to the top floor of the Palazzo? Well, wonder no more…

©blogginginitaly.com

Weekend strolls brought the usual delightful sights, including this “watch cat”,

©blogginginitaly.com

nature blooming through stone ledges,

©blogginginitaly.com

and artifacts attached to the old city walls.

©blogginginitaly.com

The last Sunday of each month brings the traveling antique market to Cortona. Unlike the one in the Palazzo, this one is held in the piazzas or parterre (park) and is filled with a lot of old (lovely and not), interesting and/or odd things. As I wander the stalls, I am reminded of the saying: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, or so the vendors hope. But it’s always fun to wander.

©blogginginitaly.com

Sunday is also a great day for strolling, as everyone seems to be smiling and saying Buona Domenica, or Good Sunday, as you pass. And it’s easy to feel good when listening to a talented violinist,

©blogginginitaly.com

people watching,

©blogginginitaly.com

enjoying a prosecco,

©blogginginitaly.com

or a great cappuccino!

©blogginginitaly.com

As my friend’s shirt says,

Make Days Good Days!

And so we do.

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Cortonantiquaria 2019

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Market, Italian Art, Italian Festival, Italian History, Italy, Market Day, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life, Tuscany

Re-entry…

18 Aug

And it feels so good!

In Italy, August 15 is both a national holiday, Ferragosto, as well as a religious one, Feast of the Assumption. For many Italians, it is also the unofficial beginning of the summer holiday season. Parts of Italy effectively shut down until September, as people head to the lakes, countryside or a coast, or to towns like Cortona which are filled with events.

Since I can’t say this very often, I need to share that our trip over was incredibly smooth. Flying time was only 8.11 hours and touch down to gate took less than five minutes.

©blogginginitaly.com

We arrived to the welcome arms of Carlo and Fernanda and to a delicious homemade lunch.

©blogginginitaly.com

Afterward, Carlo accompanied us to check the orto (garden) progress, but lunch and the basket on the counter were a positive telltale sign.

©blogginginitaly.com

Although May was cold and rainy, warm sun and sufficient rain since then have made for vibrant green colors, strong vegetables and very huge and happy sunflowers.

©blogginginitaly.com

And then on to our house and the familiarity of the view.

©blogginginitaly.com

The next night, we were ready to roll and attended the Ferragosto Sagra Della Bistecca, or steak festival, in the parterre with some friends.

©blogginginitaly.com

Before:

©blogginginitaly.com

During:

©blogginginitaly.com

Our table:

©blogginginitaly.com

The food… and yes, we did split them!

©blogginginitaly.com

The fountain was flowing and the Ol’ Boogies Rockabilly Band was playing,

©blogginginitaly.com

so we decided to start dancing,

©blogginginitaly.com

while everyone else was in the food queue. Good we came early!

After a lot of dancing and good laughs, and nearing 11 PM, the two guys on the left headed to town to get some Tuscanos, or small Italian cigars,

©blogginginitaly.com

while the rest of us stopped by the DJ station. The dance area was empty, so we moved right in.

©blogginginitaly.com

Before long, we attracted a large crowd and were soon doing the Macarena!

©blogginginitaly.com

I even bought one of the flashing balloons.

©blogginginitaly.com

Once the dance area got too crowded, we headed back into town to find the guys. Naturally, we found them at Tuscher with Massimo!

©blogginginitaly.com

We joined right in.

©blogginginitaly.com

It was 2 AM before our heads hit the pillows.

The next night, Fernanda had us over for dinner. We tried hard to convince her we should go out, but she insisted and treated us to a delicious aperitivo spread including her homemade liver pate. This was followed by roasted pepper risotto, and then stuffed zucchini from the garden and meatballs. Dessert was gelato topped with her homemade cherry sauce. We ate al fresco and my phone was inside, so no photos except one group selfie.

©blogginginitaly.com

When we got back to town, a big band was still playing in the piazza.

The next day, Len and I had a Tuscher Sunday, although it was only Saturday. After a long walk, we stopped by for a mid day vino. A bit later, a first old friend stopped by, then another, and so on, until eventually a few of us went to dinner.

And that’s how it goes in Cortona… Food, Friends and Fun. Repeat.

Should you miss one sagra, there’s another right behind. Out with the bistecca on Friday and in with the Porcini on Saturday, although we opted out. Enough sagras for one weekend.

©blogginginitaly.com

But as for friends and fun, there’s never too much. In the words of Cyndi Lauper:

Oh girls, they wanna have fun…

©blogginginitaly.com

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Cortona Sagra della Bistecca, Ferragosto

Comments 23 Comments
Categories Cortona, Grilling in Italy, Italian Festival, Italian Food, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life, Tuscany

Andrea Camilleri

17 Jul

Accolades and condolences are abundant in Italy as the famed Commissario Montalbano author, Andrea Calogero Camilleri, director and author, passed away today at age 93.

Wikipedia, Andrea Camilleri c 2010

You may recall that last year in Sicily, Len and I spent a 10-hour day touring many famous Montalbano filming sites throughout Sicily. We have read many of the books and seen all of the movies, in Italian with English subtitles. Until today, I had always wondered why it was fairly easy for me to understand them, given what I’ve always heard about the Sicilian dialect. But now I know. According to John Hooper’s Obituary in The Guardian, “they are written in a language of the author’s creation: a blend of standard Italian with Sicilian dialect.” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/17/andrea-camilleri-obituary-inspector-montalbano?CMP=share_btn_link

And although he had been a successful theatre director, TV producer, playwright and novelist, Camilleri didn’t start publishing his detective series until nearly 70 years of age. Amazingly, he sold more than 10 million books which were translated into 30+ languages, with the adapted tv series running in over 20 countries.

According to Mark Lawson of The Guardian: “[Camilleri] considered it his duty to speak out against the dark politics by which his country was often seduced, regularly appearing as a pundit on Italian TV shows where he was torrentially opinionated, intelligent and witty.”

Also, according to Lawson, (a spoiler alert): “There will be at least one more novel. In our interview, he told me that – as Agatha Christie did with Hercule Poirot in Curtain – he had deposited with his publisher Riccardino, a final novel in which Montalbano is “finished off” that was to only be published posthumously. It should be a fitting epitaph to one of the latest, but greatest, careers in crime writing.”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2019/jul/17/andrea-camilleri-late-but-great-career-in-writing-inspector-montalbano

Finally, some thoughts from Luca Zingaretti, the actor who brought Commissario Montalbano to the screen, on his working with Andrea Camilleri:

“I learned that the value of people has nothing to do with what they earn, with the positions they hold, with titles that adorn their surname: they are evaluated for what they are.”

“Now you leave and leave me with an unbridgeable sense of emptiness, but I know that every time I say, even alone, in my head, “Montalbano I am!”, wherever you have gone you smile slyly, perhaps smoking your cigarette and winking at me as a sign of understanding, like the last time we met in Syracuse. Goodbye master and friend, let the earth be light to you!
Your Luca

And so Camilleri leaves us, but not without a legacy that will last long beyond his years.

©blogginginitaly.com

If interested, my blog about our Montalbano tour:
https://blogginginitaly.com/2018/12/18/our-montalbano-tour/

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Andrea Camilleri, Commissario Montalbano

Comments 9 Comments
Categories Italian Film, Italian History, Italy, My Blog about Italy

Cortona Medieval Marriage and Joust

24 Jun

Our last weekend in Cortona was filled with traditional Medieval customs, celebrated annually by the locals.

Saturday evening, the town reenacted the 1397 marriage of Francesco Casali, Lord of Cortona, to Antonia Salimbeni, a noble woman of Siena, complete with flag-throwers, musicians, and a drawing for the shooting order for Sunday’s crossbow competition.

But let’s step back for a moment. Our great friend, Ivan, (Il Pozzo Galleria) has acted in the role of Francesco for as long as anyone can remember, along with his daughter, Marta, who annually serves as the lovely Antonia. We stopped in to see Ivan midday and were fortunate enough to experience not only the intricate detail of their costumes but also the weight.

©blogginginitaly.com

And then this… gym shoes and all!

©blogginginitaly.com

It’s hard to describe the beautiful detail, complexity and weight of these costumes, and true to form, the evening would be the hottest of the year! I was sweating just thinking about it. But on to the evening…

Drum roll, please!

©blogginginitaly.com

This year, the bride-to-be arrived in a chianina drawn carriage, much to the delight of the patrons.

©blogginginitaly.com

After being helped out of her coach by her lord in waiting,

©blogginginitaly.com

she was introduced to the appreciative crowds.

©blogginginitaly.com

As is customary for all important Cortona events, traditional flag throwers accompanied the ceremony.

©blogginginitaly.com

Before the final entertainment began, the lights unexpectedly went out, ©blogginginitaly.com

but as if on cue, in came the flame throwers, so it was a perfect ending to a wonderfully entertaining evening.

©blogginginitaly.com

As the people dispersed, we bumped into a very hot, tired, but always happy to greet people with a smile, Ivan.

©blogginginitaly.com

Sunday was another hot day, both weather and competition wise for the Archidado. Peccioverardi won after 4 playoffs, 24-23 over S. Andrea.

©blogginginitaly.com

Afterward, they paraded around town for their well-fought victory march, carrying the near bulls-eye arrow.

©blogginginitaly.com

One final thought about the weekend…

Each year, Ivan tells us it’s his last, yet for those of us who know him, it’s hard to imagine that anyone else could fill his shoes!

©blogginginitaly.com

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: 2019 Cortona Giostra dell'Archidado

Comments 12 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona weddings, Italian Festival, Italian History, Italy, Medieval, My Blog about Italy, Pageantry, Piazza Signorelli and Piazza Republicca, Tuscany

Medieval Market Cortona

4 Jun

June arrived in Cortona and brought along not only warm sunny weather but also the first of several annual summer festivals. Last weekend was the Medieval Market filled with games, costumes, food, shops and entertainment. Here’a a sampling…

©blogginginitaly.com

And of course, great sunsets,

©blogginginitaly.com

and great friends!

©blogginginitaly.com

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Medieval Market Cortona

Comments 10 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Market, Food shopping in Cortona, Italian Festival, Italian Food, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, Italy, Market Day, Medieval, Piazza Signorelli and Piazza Republicca, Tuscany

Happy Mother’s Day 2019- Buona Festa della Mamma!

12 May

(A repeat of my annual sentiments with a few added photos.)

Mother’s Day is a special time to remember
how fortunate I am to be part of a long line of strong,
intelligent and loving Italian women.

Paternal Grandmother Maude ©Blogginginitaly.com

Maternal Grandmother Serafina ©Blogginginitaly.com

My Mother Benita (at my wedding) ©Blogginginitaly.com

My parents wedding 1947 ©blogginginitaly.com

(L-R visiting Paris) Aunt Marilyn, Mom, Aunt Florence ©Blogginginitaly.com

Aunt Marion ©blogginginitaly.com

It is also a day to celebrate
my incredible sisters, nieces and cousins, (pictured and not),
who are not only amazing Mothers,
but also determined women who incorporate
the traditions learned from our ancestors as they create new ones.

©blogginginitaly.com

Poor quality but fun memory! ©blogginginitaly.com

©blogginginitaly.com

To all of them,
and to the dear friends/wonderful Mothers
I have met throughout my life’s journeys…
I wish you all a beautiful day filled with love, family and relaxation.

And to my Benita… my forever gratitude for giving me this special day.

©blogginginitaly.com

Happy Mother’s Day – Buona Festa della Mamma!

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Buona Festa della Mamma, Happy Mother’s Day 2019

Comments 16 Comments
Categories Family, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, My Blog about Italy

Productive Relaxation, Italian Style

24 Apr

In Italy, there is a sight commonly found in smaller towns – men sitting on benches, or standing in small groups, discussing everything from local politics to international sports events. Meanwhile, their wives are shopping, visiting, cooking, cleaning, etc. What they all have in common is the phrase: Siamo in pensione, or, we are retired.

We, too, take this retirement thing seriously. Take productive relaxation for example, not an oxymoron but instead an art.

Fernanda had today off, so our day began in her garden where she prepared breakfast – her delicious yogurt cake and cappuccino.

©blogginginitaly.com

After enjoying the sunshine and planning for our vegetable garden, we drove to Panicale, one of our favorite little borgos about 45 minutes from Cortona, and a first visit for Fernanda.

In 2018, Panicale, in Umbria, was listed as one of Italy’s most beautiful villages.

©blogginginitaly.com

Although it is small and easy to walk around, it is not the easiest of villages to find. But GPS has gotten us there every time.

The medieval hill town overlooks Lago Trasimeno, a site where in 217 BC, Hannibal and his legions ambushed Roman legions along the banks.

©blogginginitaly.com

As you can see from the map below, the streets are narrow and form concentric ovals.

©blogginginitaly.com

Panicale still retains its medieval castle, which was once surrounded by a moat,

©blogginginitaly.com

as well as other well-preserved charming buildings.

©blogginginitaly.com

It also has a few unique door bells!

©blogginginitaly.com

No matter which way you walk, all streets seem to lead to the historical center’s Piazza Umberto I,

©blogginginitaly.com

where there is a travertine fountain, (formerly an ancient cistern), dating back to 1473.

©blogginginitaly.com

The piazza is surrounded by a few eateries and shops, including our favorite – Bar del Gallo, (lower right).

©blogginginitaly.com

The staff is always friendly,

©blogginginitaly.com

and the melanzana (eggplant) is always delicious.

©blogginginitaly.com

Of course, there are other menu items, but for us, it’s too good to pass up. And Fernanda agreed it was one of the best she has ever eaten.

©blogginginitaly.com

Perhaps best of all at Bar del Gallo is the owner, Aldo Gallo, a man whose warm smile and genuine hospitality keeps one coming back for more.

©blogginginitaly.com

Today we learned that Bar del Gallo earned a gold cup award in a coffee competition, an award well-deserved. Complimenti Aldo!

©blogginginitaly.com

We said our goodbyes and drove the long way home, stopping at a nursery to select our plants: 10 tomato (three varieties), and nine zucchini.

©blogginginitaly.com

Why nine zucchini, you might ask? Well, last year, we had an ever-lasting supply of zucchini flowers, (actually too much of a good thing!) and very few zucchini, so Len did some research. Apparently, zucchini should be planted in “hills” of three plants, close together. This is because when the plants flower, they produce both masculine and feminine flowers, and apparently, they need to do their thing “nature-ly” (cross-pollinate) to produce zucchini! Who knew???

©blogginginitaly.com

Well, we’ll see what happens. Updates, and hopefully zucchini, to follow in a few months.

Grazie, Aldo, for another lovely afternoon in Panicale. See you again soon.

©blogginginitaly.com

And that’s how we spend a very productive day in a most relaxing way, Italian style.

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Bar del Gallo, Panicale, Umbria

Comments 28 Comments
Categories Italian countryside, Italian Food, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life

Easter Weekend In Cortona

22 Apr

Throughout Italy, Easter week is filled with religious and cultural traditions. Each town has its long-held ceremonies, and Cortona is no exception. Children who held their grandparents’ hands as they were first introduced to the Good Friday procession now carry those same heavy and beautifully crafted statues through the streets of town as their own children watch in awe.

©blogginginitaly.com

The solemnity of Friday evening fades Saturday morning as people gather along the streets and in the markets to shop for their Easter meal. Friends are greeted with Buona Pasqua and the double cheek kiss as they exchange pleasantries and best wishes while shopping.

One dessert staple is the Colomba di Pasqua, a traditional Italian Easter cake, which comes in various sizes and a few flavors, but is always shaped like a dove.

©blogginginitaly.com

On Easter Sunday, although most cook and eat at home with family, there are also many restaurants offering multi-course traditional meals.

And then comes La Pasquetta, Easter Monday, or Little Easter. This is a national holiday when families pack up Easter leftovers, head to parks or beaches for picnics, or stroll around towns like Cortona. And stroll they do. I always need to remind myself to slow down on these days.

©blogginginitaly.com

La Pasquetta is a time for relaxation, and a midday Aperol Spritz seems to be the colorful beverage of choice for many.

©blogginginitaly.com

Amid the crowds and festivities, we always manage to find time for quiet walks, alone or with friends, taking in some views that newly trimmed trees now offer,

©blogginginitaly.com

as well as the magnificent signs of spring.

©blogginginitaly.com

And then, of course, there are the sunsets, with or without aperitivo, no description needed.

©blogginginitaly.com

Happy Easter, Passover, and Spring!

Ciao
Judy

Comments 16 Comments
Categories Cortona, Italian Festival, Italian History, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Signorelli and Piazza Republicca, Tuscany

Re-entry!

11 Apr

We returned to Cortona over two weeks ago, and we’ve been busy. While sometimes it seems as though we have the town to ourselves,

the weekends remind us that Cortona is a “happening” place.

Occasionally, however, there are “happenings” we’d rather avoid.

We managed to get “fined” on a 10 minute bus ride from Camucia to Cortona. Longer story shortened, our to-and-from rides were all on one ticket, which we validated each way. However, we didn’t realize, or frankly just forgot, that we had to validate the single ticket twice each way, and consequently, we were fined by the very occasional inspectors who boarded our bus one stop from Piazza Garibaldi, our final destination. Yes, we paid for both of us, and yes, we thought we had correctly validated the ticket, but none of that mattered. Word to the wise: validate, validate, validate, or pay 60 euros!!!

But as always, our days and nights are filled with great friends and great food, some shown here.

During our second week, we spent several days in Lucca. Although it rained each day, we were able to walk the wall, do some sight seeing, visit with a friend, and find some great restaurants.

On the way back, we stopped in Firenze as we had been invited to visit the Carabinieri Training School. Len just couldn’t resist.

A few days ago, we drove with friends to a medieval town in Umbria called Narni. There are hundreds of towns like this in Italy, each with its own history and legends, and usually an interesting fact for which they are known. For Narni, it is being very close to the geographic center of Italy.

On Monday of this week, we picked up our car, this time a Fiat Panda.

The weather has not been great, but mostly I feel like her… I’m here and I’m happy!

And today, before the rains fell, we drove through the Tuscan countryside, as if driving through a painting, and witnessed, once again, the stunning landscape and the ever-spectacular views that always bring a smile to my face.

Ciao,
Judy

Comments 22 Comments
Categories Cortona, Italian Cooking with Friends, Italian countryside, Italian Food, Italian History, Italy, Medieval, Piazza Signorelli and Piazza Republicca, Tuscany, Umbria

Our Montalbano Tour

18 Dec

Although many people visit Taormina to get close to Mount Etna, Len and I had a different plan. Our goal was to visit many of the shooting locations of one of our favorite Italian detective stories, Il Commissario Montalbano. The episodes are based on novels by author Andrea Camilleri. They are set in the imaginary town of Vigàta but many shooting locations are in the province of Ragusa. Montalbano is played by the Italian actor Luca Zingaretti.

We got hooked on watching Italian shows many years ago as part of our never-ending quest to speak and understand Italian better, and also to learn about parts of Italy we had yet to visit.

Taormina is certainly not the best base to begin this excursion as the sites are hours away, but that didn’t deter us. I found an excellent driver, Alessio Patanè, (info@sicilygrandtour.com), who met us at 8 AM in Taormina.

Our first stop, and the opening shots of the episodes, are overlooking Modica. We were stumped on the significance of this view – the open center being the shooting location for Livia’s bus stop.

We did, however, recognize the Cathedral of San Giorgio, aka the Church of Vigàta.

Next stop, (not Montalbano related), the oldest chocolate factory in Sicily. Need you ask if I bought some?

From there on to Scicli, aka Vigàta.

The show’s police headquarters and commissioner’s office are both housed in the local town hall.

Filming for the episodes happens on location during many months of the year, but the office set ups are often broken down and moved to Cinecittà, a large film studio in Rome. We were fortunate as they had recently been shooting scenes, so the offices were completely in tact when we visited.

Stepping inside, one immediately recognizes the staircase Montalbano climbs to visit his boss, the commissioner,

as well as the commissioner’s office.

After hearing about the some of the artifacts in the office, we headed downstairs to Montalbano’s office.

Immediately on the right is Catarella’s office.

then Fazio’s office leading to Montalbano’s.

Enrico, our wonderful tour guide, was so knowledgeable and entertaining.

He was also eager to show us a filming stunt. Below is the familiar door to Mimi’s office, which is actually not an office at all but a wall. Mimi’s only office exists in the studios in Rome.

One highlight not visible in the series is the incredible ceilings in the eighteenth century building.

After thanking Enrico, we walked the familiar streets of Vigàta before heading to lunch.

Then time for Len’s one request – to eat along the sea at the place Montalbano frequents, and so we did. Picture perfect.

After lunch, we walked along the beach in Punta Secca (aka Marinella)

until we came upon this sign…

and then the very familiar home of Montalbano.

It was easy to see why this house was selected as Montalbano’s home and equally funny to see a pizzeria a few doors away – oh what fame can due to a town!

In reality, it doesn’t appear that fame has spoiled this quiet beach town at all. No one was even home when I knocked.

From here, on to our final stop, the incredible vistas of Ragusa and Ragusa Ibla, which we learned about from episodes. As Camilleri once said:

….there is a literary Vigàta, which is based on my hometown, and then a Vigàta used as the set for the TV series, which is based on beautiful places such as Scicli, Modica and so on. Now that happens to me when I’m writing a new Montalbano story: I’m influenced not so much by the Montalbano TV character but the scenery seen on television.. Andrea Camilleri

Whether or not you are a fan of the Montalbano books/tv series, these sights in many remote parts of Sicily are enticing and beautiful. At first we had wondered why so many widely dispersed and remote filming locations were used, but seeing them made it all so clear. Camilleri truly wanted to share lesser known parts of Sicily with his audience, and indeed he did. Clearly, his intention is what brought us to areas we might never have known, and given us another great adventure on a road less travelled.

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Andrea Camilleri, info@sicilygrandtour.com, Inspector Montalbano, Luca Zingaretti, Province of Ragusa

Comments 22 Comments
Categories Italian countryside, Italian Film, Italian History, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Sicily

← Older Entries

Newer Entries →

Search

Blogging In Italy

Weekend in Review

Make Days Good Days!

Re-entry…

Andrea Camilleri

Cortona Medieval Marriage and Joust

Medieval Market Cortona

Happy Mother’s Day 2019- Buona Festa della Mamma!

Productive Relaxation, Italian Style

Easter Weekend In Cortona

Re-entry!

Our Montalbano Tour

Follow this Blog via Email

Blog Stats

Calendar

Categories

Blogging In Italy

Past Posts

© Blogginginitaly.com, 2011-2024

Search

Make Days Good Days!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Follow this Blog via Email

Blog Stats

Calendar

Categories

Past Posts

© Blogginginitaly.com, 2011-2024