March 25, 2007: Mediaeval Tuscany: Feast of the Annunciation and the Hill Towns

March 25, 2007:  Mediaeval Tuscany: Feast of the Annunciation and the Hill Towns

 

Feast of the Annunciation: Florence’s own New Year’s Day

The traditional Florentine New Year, on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25, began today at the Palazzo Vecchio with a morning parade filling the streets. Several corps of marchers in mediaeval dress (with colorfully feathered hats), playing drums, sounding trumpet fanfares and waving flags, march from the Palazzo Vecchio through the Piazza del Duomo and into the Church SS Annunciata.   They receive thanks, a blessing, and march back.  Until 1750, Florence refused to accept the Gregorian calendar year that begins on January 1.  Florence still unofficially observes New Year on the feast of the Annunciation.

 

Hill Towns

The small cities of mediaeval Tuscany were built on hilltops (the steeper the better) surrounded by stone walls for military defense.  Those that survive unchanged are amazing — park the car outside the walls and walk into the sixteenth century.  It’s Disneyland but it’s really real.  Everything is three-quarter size: doorways, streets, storefronts.  All made of rough-cut stone, often with inset plaques or — for those with fame or pretensions — family crests. 

 

The towns typically have one or several high stone towers for two sorts of defense — as a viewpoint on the surrounding lands and as a castle-keep in the event of invasion or a hostile local mob.  The countryside is familiar:  just look at the background in the Mona Lisa.  Distinctive rolling hills, not quite mountains but often achieving serious heights, covered in grassland pastures (inhabited by sheep and cattle) alternating with woods, olive orchards, and vineyards.  The land is also home to the local favorite pig: Cinghale Sinese (Sienese Boar with distinctive belted coloring and ample rich fat).  Agriturismo thrives: working farms with foot-thick stone-walled farmhouses have been converted to small country inns. 

 

Volterra (http://www.volterra.net/)

A walled city of towers, piazze, grand views over the countryside, a Roman amphitheatre and 800 years of history.  Florentine coats of arms on the town palazzo reflect that it was eventually conquered by Florence.  Inside the palazzo, a room where Dante is reputed to have addressed the city fathers, recruiting them to the Guelph side, its walls now covered with frescoes. 

 

Pienza (http://www.pienza.com/)

Hometown (then known as Corsignano) of Pope Pius II in the 15^th century.  The pope decided to turn it into a gem of a papal summer residence.  There’s a mini-cathedral commanding views of the countryside.

 

San Gimignano (http://www.sangimignano.com/sghomei.htm)

Home of the most prominent Tuscan white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano.  Full on mediaeval Tuscan treatment:  a walled city with fourteen surviving towers, narrow streets bounded by several-story tall buildings, so that the streets remain in shadow most of the day.  The streets feed in to a main square with the 13^th century Torre Grosso at the center.   Visitors can walk up to a steep ladder atop the Torre and see what the San Gimignanans of seven hundred years ago saw: no invading army could approach unannounced. 

 

March 18, 2007: Foods of Tuscany II, A Florentine Food Fair

March 18, 2007

Foods of Tuscany II: A Florentine Food Fair

Florence’s second annual food fair, “Taste in Viaggio, con le diversita del gusto,” http://www.pittimmagine.com/it/fiere/taste/ , (in English at http://www.pittimmagine.com/clists/cfiles/13/TasteN2_ING.pdf) takes place this weekend. Over a hundred exhibitors presenting pasta, coffee, wine, prosciutto, salame, cheese, smoked fish, marmalade, honey, olives, olive oil, capers, chocolate, cookies, cakes, mushrooms and truffles. A noon-hour visit with dozens of small tastes constitutes an ample lunch.

Wines of Italy

There were the distinctive Tuscan wines: Chianti Classico and Vernacia (dry white). More surpising were wines from outside the region. Sweet wines from the island of Elba, made with grapes dried to raisins (without pouriture noble) and fully fermented (strong without fortification, 14.5 alcohol); sweet, flavorful, refreshing, without the complexity of sauternes.

Olive oil

Two dozen olive oil producers were represented, all offering samples (for smelling) of the aromatic oil, some offering small oily tastes. Hog heaven for connoisseurs of the olive. There’s a remarkable variety (especially for those of us unused to olive oil tasting). Some mild, some peppery (presumably from the spicy taste of the underlying olives, not from added flavor).

Prosciutto

Sicilian prosciutto was rich and moist, Tuscan drier and saltier.

Cheese

The cheeses were really in their element at the food fair. Ricotta: Rich mild slightly sweet. Fresh mozzarella di bufala with complexity unparalleled even on India St. Soft goat cheese (formaggi di capra) surprisingly sweet with the earthy character of goat.

The shop at the exit

Most of the foods are not easily available in Florence. But the retail shop at the exhibit hall was doing a fine business. We stocked up, enough cheese for the next week, even with family visiting.

March 15, 2007: Foods of Tuscany I

March 15, 2007

Foods of Tuscany I

Tuscany is justly proud of its indigenous food and drink: olive oil, Chianti classico (red wine from the well-defined Chianti region), Vernaccia di San Gimiano (dry white wine), peccorino (sheep’s milk) cheese, bistecca fiorentina (beefsteak from range-fed cattle).
This note concentrates on a few distinctive dishes, typical of how the food is served.

Ribollita

The most typical of Tuscan foods, sometimes (misleadingly) described as “stale bread soup.” The Tuscan counterpart of cassoulet, a thick hearty soup full of white beans, bread, black kale (cavallo nero), redolent of garlic and onion, enriched with olive oil. At its best, this is a rich, lively, filling dish. “Ribollita” literally translates as “reboiled;” the dish is a pot-au-feu, prepared, reheated, and suitable to be served over several days.

Pasta al zucca

Pasta with “pumpkin.” Any of the many forms of pasta prepared with a sauce of sweet rich fruity squash — pumpkin is close though the squash looks greener on the outside. Surprisingly complex and flavorful.

Carpaccio di pesce affumicato

Smoked (uncooked) fish. Very moist and fresh. Typically swordfish (spada), salmon (salmone), and tuna (tonnato). Distinctive fresh complex mild flavors. If you like novy (Nova Scotia lox), you’ll love carpaccio di pesce affumicato.

Tagliate di manzo

Tuscan beefsteak grilled rare and sliced, served in a green salad including radiccio and thin-sliced peccorino, dressed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Lively and rich.

March 4 2007: Carnevale at Viareggio

Carnevale at Viareggio, Italy, February 25, 2007

February 26, 2007: A Flat in Florence’s Centro Storico

                                                                                    February 26, 2007

 

A Flat in Florence’s Centro Storico 

Our apartment at 13 Via delle Terme, Florence, Italy, is on the mezzanine floor in the rear half of a mediaeval tower (the typical rich fifteenth century Florentine’s architecture) in the historic center (il centro storico) of Florence.  Open-beamed ceilings, with grand major beams, high ceilings, archways, emphasize age and solidity of the structure and a Mediterranean air.  

Our tower is on the (extended) list of Florence’s monuments and attractions!  The Blue Guide to Florence says:  “Via delle Terme, a pretty medieval street … takes its name from the Roman baths which were in this area.  The back of the medieval … Palazzo di Parte Guelfa and a number of medieval tower houses can be seen from here…The palace at no. 9 has a renaissance courtyard and there is a medieval tower at no. 13.” 

The centro storico is host to innumerable tourists.  At midday on our nearest main street, Via Porto Santa Maria leading to the Ponte Vecchio, English is the language most commonly spoken.  For an area so densely populated and intensely used, it is remarkably clean.  Trash is collected and the streets are washed daily.  

The flat commands a grand view of the wall across Chiasso Cornino, the cross street (alley? corridor?) at Via delle Terme.  For a 500-year old building, we’re doing remarkably well.  Plumbing and electricity work well.  The nerve center of the flat is a twenty-first-century high-speed internet ethernet hub.  The web, e-mail, and news of the world, all make their way there through the mediaeval walls.  The six-hour time difference from New York, nine- from California, creates some detachment.   By comparison to most Florentine apartments, ours is large:   Master bedroom, guest bedroom and a half, two (?) baths, large living room/dining area, kitchen. 

The centro storico is lively.  Every morning and every late afternoon at the flat is punctuated by rolling thunder: the sound of pushcarts moving over the rough stone streets to and from their daytime occupation in the Mercato Nuovo; their  nightly storage is in garages in the centro, some on Chiasso Cornino.   The centro storico is closed to private cars.  That leaves it free to police cars (of at least three independent police departments — municipale, carabinieri, finanzera), taxis, delivery vehicles, motor scooters, motorcycles.  We  walk on the narrow streets and step lively out of the way of  cops and taxis.  

The centro storico is an amazing location: 5 minutes walk to the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi; 2 minutes to the Ponte Vecchio; 4 to the Mercato Nuovo (home of the Porcellino statue and an uncountable number of souvenir and leather-goods vendors); 7 to the Duomo.  It takes from 20 seconds to 10 minutes to walk to several dozen ristorante and trattorie, whose dinners vary between very sound and remarkably good.