ItalyUpdate

Not many people know that the humble little brown dried lentil has its moment of glory during the summer months when it comes into flower, mingling with thousands of wild flowers and transforming the three valleys of Pian Grande, Pian Piccolo and Pian Perduto (this last within the territory of Marche) in the Sibillini Mountains into a vast carpet of brilliant colours. The phenomenon has become an ever expanding tourist attraction with motorists arriving from all over the region to admire the spectacle. So much so that the mountain roads leading to Castelluccia di Norcia (Umbria), the centre of the lentil cultivation, risk endless bottlenecks during the weekends.

The valley lies between the regions of Umbria and Marche. When the Umbria regional government at Perugia decided to close access during the peak weekends of 3-4 July and 10-11 July in order to avoid nose-to-tail traffic jams trying to reach the village of Castelluccia, Marche protested, along with the mayors of the five other scattered villages, who all rely on day tourists for much needed municipal income.

Meanwhile, the Municipality of Norcia, whose territory encompasses Castelluccio has decreed that on the two critical weekends, prior booking for access will be required in one of five designated parking lots, some of which provide a shuttle bus service.

In latter years, 80,000 visitors have visited the tiny borgo of Castelluccio during the flowering season between mid-May to mid-July. During the last weekend of June an estimated 26,000 cars invaded Pian Grande to see the spectacle of the flowering valley floors.

Info: www.castellucciodinorcia.it info@comune.norcia.pg.it

The life-size replica of Michelangelo's DAVID, reproduced in state-of-the-art 3D technology, promises to be one of the major attractions of the coming edition of EXPO, due to open at Dubai on the 1^st October 2021.

The colossal marble statue of the biblical hero, a towering 5 metres, including its base, is considered to be one of the marvels of the Italian Renaissance. Symbolizing the Medici power in Florence, it originally stood at the entrance to Palazzo Vecchio until it was moved inside the Gallery of the Academy to preserve it from vandals and modern air pollution. It was replaced at the time by the identical marble copy that visitors can admire in Piazza della Signoria.

The Dubai replica, however, is a triumph of modern technology, requiring 40 hours of three dimensional scanning in 146 thousands-millimetres resolution, as well as hours of manual perfectionism to remove defects and create a marble look-like surface in resin and marble dust. The result is one of the largest 3D printed replicas of an art work in the world.

The David copy will grace the centre of the Italian Pavilion at the Dubai EXPO, scheduled to run until 31^st March 2022.

Info: www.italyexpo2020.it

You have to climb 2000 m up the Dolomites to visit the art and monuments of RespirArt, one of the highest open air galleries situated, as it were, at the top of the world.

The RespirArt Park is spread over the peaks and pastures of the Pampeago mountain pass in the UNESCO NATURAL HERITAGE site at Mt. Latemar, a well-known ski centre in Trentino (South Tyrol). Many international artists have contributed works, including the celebrated Japanese Hidetoshi Nagasawa, with installations and art works that blend into and enhance the surrounding panorama and new works are added every summer.

Info: www.respirart.com www.trentino.com

You have to climb 2000 m up the Dolomites to visit the art and monuments of RespirArt, one of the highest open air galleries situated, as it were, at the top of the world.

The RespirArt Park is spread over the peaks and pastures of the Pampeago mountain pass in the UNESCO NATURAL HERITAGE site at Mt. Latemar, a well-known ski centre in Trentino (South Tyrol). Many international artists have contributed works, including the celebrated Japanese Hidetoshi Nagasawa, with installations and art works that blend into and enhance the surrounding panorama and new works are added every summer.

Info: www.respirart.com www.trentino.com

Special for Cinephiles! The National Museum Salce Collection in Treviso (Veneto) is putting on a special show of historic cinema posters as a tribute to the award-winning master of this art, Renato Casaro.

Casaro is considered to be the last great maestro in this field. His eye-catching works span several generations and document the evolving world of cinema and the tastes of the public over the years. Some of his most memorable works include the celebrated posters for”Amadeus”, “Tea in the Desert”, “The Last Emperor” and the Sean Connery 007 series.

A selection of some 300 works are on show in three venues: the new National Museum Salce Collection in the Church of Santa Margherita, the San Gaetano Complex and the Civic Museum of Santa Caterina. They cover Italian and international films that illustrated landmark masterpieces by the top directors of the 20^th century.

The exhibition: “Renato Casaro The Last Cinema Poster Creator – Treviso-Rome-Hollywood” runs until the end of December 2021.

Info: Tel, +39.0422591936 www.collezionesalce.beniculturali.it

www.museicivicitreviso.it

As part of the celebrations for the 700^th anniversary of the death of Italy's greatest poet, Dante Alighiere, Ferrovie dello Stato (State Railways) is launching a series of vintage steam train trips through the Apennines along the historic Faetina line between Florence and Ravenna, where Dante has his tomb.

The trains run every weekend from July 3rd- October 10^th 2021(except the 7-8 August when the line will be closed for maintenance), leaving from Santa Maria Novella station in Florence at 9 am and arriving at Ravenna late morning. There will be four stops on route at the small country stations of Borgo San Lorenzo, Marradi, Brisighella and Faenza, to allow passengers who wish to get off and explore. The return journey from Ravenna to Florence is programmed for late afternoon.

Passenger numbers will be restricted to half capacity due to COVID restrictions.

Info: www.ferrovie.info

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• Title of the Guide to the Monuments published by the Archeoclub D'Italia: author Antonio Ribezzo, President of the Ferentino branch

  The town of Ferentino (Lazio) is spearheading an ambitious project to promote tourism to the area, centred around the excavation and restoration of the 2^nd century AD Roman Theatre, which lies in the heart of the citadel near the Casamari Gate in the old city walls. Mayor Antonio Pompeo has announced with satisfaction that the Ferentino project has been selected against stiff competition to receive a 1.5 million euro grant from the Italian Ministry of Culture in order to carry out the necessary work. At the moment, the theatre is only partially visible. When it was first discovered a century ago, it lay buried under an orchard and a house had been constructed over the stage and backstage area. Archeologists and restorers estimate that it will take a couple of years to give the fully restored 54m-diameter theatre back to the town, transformed into a safe and suitable venue for theatrical and musical events.

Ferentino has a very ancient history, dating back to pre-Roman times, and is one of the five so-called “Cities of Saturn” that dominate the region known as “Ciociaria” after the typical footwear once worn by the population.

Saturn, originally under the form of Cronos, was the god of agriculture and according to legend the period of his reign was the mythical “Golden Age” before the domineering Jove/Jupiter took over.

Like its sister cities - Anagni, Alatri, Arpino and Atina – all beginning with an “A” (Ferentino's original name was Antino) in the cluster of Saturn, Ferentino was originally built by an ancient population known as the Hernicians, constructors of the massive “Cyclopic” walls that stretch for 2.50 km and encircle the entire historic centre.

These walls are built of colossal stone blocks, so enormous that it was originally believed they were constructed by giants, or Cyclops, rather than men. Seven monumental gates give access into the town, with the Porta Casamari opening onto the old consular road towards the south. On the hillside under the gate there is a unique funeral monument dating from the 2^nd century AD. It is inscribed with the last will and testament of the Roman dignitary Aulus Quintillius Prisco, and states that he bequeaths his lands and property to the citizens of Ferentino, with the specification that every five year, on his birthday, the 9^th May, a portion of the income derived, divided between cash, mead, bread and nuts, should be bestowed on the townspeople. Apparently his wishes were followed up till recent times.

Ferentino boasts the largest number of monuments and Roman epigraphs of the area, with a collection of over 150 Latin inscriptions relating to eminent citizens of the Roman era. A living town, it has evolved over the centuries, without losing its original imprint within the city walls. Some urbanistic disasters have been avoided, such as the replacement of the Romanic 11^th century Cathedral on the Acropolis dedicated to the martyred brothers saints John and Paul, which is one of the town's most fascinating medieval churches, with a beautiful 12^th -13^th century cosmatesque pavement in coloured marbles set in intricate mosaic patterns. During the 19^th century the local bishop, Bernardo Maria Tirabassi, decided to do away with the “old” church and build a bigger and more prestigious one on the site. Fate, however, intervened. The bishop died in 1865, funds ran out and Rome was conquered by Garibaldi in 1870, greatly reducing the power of the Popes. All that Bishop Tirabassi managed to do was build the monumental porch that was to have been the entrance to the grand new church. The columns and the empty arch have been left, towering like follies on the western side of the Duomo Square.

Text & Photos by MARGARET STENHOUSE

Info: www.archeoclubitalia.org ufficiosindaco@comune.ferentino.fr.it

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n collaboration with the annual Medieval Festival (Gubbio – 22-26 September 2021), the venerable town of Poppi (Umbria) is staging a historical re-enactment of the Battle of Campaldino at the Castle of Count Guidi on the 11^th, 12^th and 13^th June 2021. The battle was fought on the 11^th June 1289 between the Florentine Guelphs and their allies against the Ghibellines of Arezzo and Pisa. 24 year-old Dante Alighiere also fought in the battle on the side of the Guelphs. The Guelphs won after a particularly bloody conflict in which a calculated 1,700 Ghibellines were slaughtered. By contrast, the triumphant Guelph faction lost only 300 men. Dante refers to the battle, which established the leadership of Florence over the rival Tuscan towns, in several passages of his “Inferno” and “Purgatorio”.

The Festival has therefore been named “L'Inferno a Campaldino” though visitors need not fear. Only fake blood will be shed at the event, which also marks the inauguration of the new Poppi Museum, dedicated to the historic battle.

For those unfamiliar with the quirks of Italian medieval history, the Guelphs supported the papacy in the long political struggle for dominance against the Holy Roman Empire, the followers of which were known as the Ghibellines.

M.STENHOUSE

Info: Tel. +39.0575 5021 www.festivaldelmedievo.it

The historic Calabrian town of Vibo Valentia has won the title of Italian “Capitale del Libro” (Capital of Books) for 2021. Following the lines of the UNESCO World Book Day, the prize was introduced a couple of years go by Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini with view to sustaining literature, libraries and book events and to promote reading habits among the general public.

Vibo Valentia competed against 23 other towns and came through tops thanks also to its “Festival Leggere e Scrivere” (Festival of Reading and Writing) literary event, running since 2012. The Festival annually attracts thousands and is run under the artistic direction of Gilberto Floriano, who created the local Libraries System – an established focal cultural point throughout the region.

The Capital of Books 20021 award carries with it a government grant of 500,000 euro towards investments in local culture.

Last year's prize went to Chiari in the Province of Brescia, one of the worst hit spots in the Covid epidemic.

Info: www.italia.it/vibovalentia

Italy is known for its vast variety of regional gastronomic specialities that range from cheeses to hams to sweets to pasta and meat and vegetable dishes. Lesser well known, but equally distinctive, is the humble biscuit, which can come in all kinds of forms and compositions.

At Castel San Pietro Romano, a small hill-top town above Palestrina (Lazio), celebrated for its imposing Temple of Fortune, you can sample the exclusive “Giglietto” (Little Lily) biscuit, which takes the form of the French fleur-de-lis. According to tradition it dates from the times of Louis XIV, the “Sun King”. The recipe (eggs, sugar, flour and lemon) is said to have been introduced from the French court by the noble Barberini family, who were the local overlords. The biscuits are produced by two local bakeries and have been awarded Slow Food listing.

Another unusual Lazio biscuit is exclusive to Frascati. This is the “Pupazza Francescana” biscuit, which comes in the form of a woman with three breasts. Its origin is unknown though it is believed to be an ancient fertility symbol. The ingredients are simple: flour, olive oil, honey and a flavouring of oranges. It has only been commercialized since the 1960s when it became promoted as the representation of a “Mammone”, the wet nurse who looked after babies when their mothers were busy with the grape harvest. Legend says she kept them quiet by giving them wine instead of milk – thus the three breasts: two for milk and the other for the wine. The “Pupazzo” is also listed in the Slow Food Arc of Taste.

Photos: Slow Food Movement

Info: www.slowfood.com