Monthly Archives: January 2021

A Turtle Dove of a Rococo Opera

Posted on by
Reply

One of the unexpected highlights of our visit to Malta was a performance of ‘Zanaida’, an opera by Johann Christian Bach, the youngest son of Johann Sebastian, at the Manoel Theatre, La Valletta.

I had never realized that Malta has one of the finest baroque theatres in the world quite on a par with those at Drottningholm, Prague and Bologna. Every year it holds a festival of baroque (and rococo) music.

To hear an eighteenth century opera in a theatre dating from 1731 on a tiny island in the Mediterranean was absolutely irresistible!

The Manoel theatre was commissioned by Antonio Manoel de Vilhena, Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, “for an honest recreation of the people”. This motto was inscribed on the main entrance of the building and it’s still there to this day.  In the next half of the century, the theatrical repertoire expanded to include operas by Johann Adolf Hasse, Niccolò Piccini and Baldassare Galuppi.

The theatre suffered a period of decline in the nineteenth century when the new opera house (mentioned in my previous Maltese posts) was built and during the Second World War it became a collection center for the victims of the bombing of the Axis forces.

After the destruction of the Royal Opera House by enemy bombings in 1942, the Manoel Theatre was restored to its ancient splendour.  The adjacent 18th century Palazzo Bonnici was added to the theatre and this is where the bar and ticket office are located.

The theatre is not very large. It has 623 seats and an oval-shaped auditorium which is built entirely of gilded wood and with a beautiful painted ceiling.   We managed to book seats near the top tier (using the internet facility of my now historic Kindle which actually worked there, unlike Italy and the UK).

Our seats were a little like standing at the edge of a cliff; it was a slightly uneasy experience, but the stage was fully visible and when the opera began I was utterly bowled over by the theatre’s acoustics. They were so clear, so immediate – an absolutely seductive experience.

‘Zanaida’ was premiered in London at the King’s theatre in 1763 and was J. C. Bach’s second opera composed for that city. It was so successful that Johann Christian decided to make his home in London where he is buried in St Pancras old churchyard (see my post on that at https://longoio3.com/2017/12/03/dove-si-fidanzarano-percy-bysshe-e-mary-shelley/).

However, the score of Zanaida was lost until it turned up in someone’s library in 2010. In this respect do check your own library to see if there are any lost opera manuscripts lurking there. I examined my own modest collection and, lo and behold, an ancient  libretto of an opera by Piccini (not to be confused with Puccini!) turned up. So there!

Based on political and sentimental intrigues between Persia and Turkey ‘Zanaida’ capitalizes on the vogue for oriental subjects which produced such masterpieces as Mozart’s ‘Abduction for the Seraglio’ and is based on ‘Siface’ by the great opera librettist Pietro Metastasio.

Turkish Princess Zanaida is an ideal of opera seria feminine tolerance who eventually finds herself in the midst of pitiless psychopaths who almost execute her. The music, however, is certainly not violent but beautifully expressive with gorgeous arias and elegant minuets. There is a particularly stunning virtuoso piece called ‘Tortorella abbandonata’ (‘abandoned turtle dove’) specially composed by Johann Christian for soprano Anna de Amicis. It has one of the first obbligato uses of a new instrument in that century, the clarinet. You can hear it here performed by Sara Hershkowitz from the Opera Fuoco production we attended:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHQjKWRVcmo

I found out that Zanaida is also appropriately the name of a dove. The Zanaida dove is native to the West Indies and the Yucatán peninsula. The name, which is attributed to the species by French ornithologist Carlo Luciano Bonaparte, commemorates his wife Zénaïde Bonaparte, daughter of Giuseppe Bonaparte and Julie Clary.

Incidentally, why is the turtle dove described with the word of an animal to which it bears absolutely no resemblance? It’s because that word actually derives from the bird’s soft ‘turr turr’ call (in Italian ‘tortora’). Biblical references, like the ‘Song of Songs’ to turtle doves and the birds’ strong pair bonds have turned them into symbols of devoted love….just like the sentiments expressed in the opera aria ‘Tortorella abbandonata’.

The full performance of ‘Zanaida’ that we heard is recorded live here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEwmNf0Edn8

Parenthetically, Anna de Amicis went on to sing in the sixteen-year-old Mozart’s opera ‘Lucio Silla’ which we too heard in a concert performance at London’s Spitalfields church festival conducted by the late Richard Hickox. When Wolfgang wrote poignantly about Bach’s death in one of his letters it was clearly Johann Christian and not Johann Sebastian he was referring to. How wonderful that Anna was able to premiere works by both J. C. Bach and Mozart!

The performers in Malta were members of ‘Opera Fuoco’, a French lyric ensemble founded by David Stern in 2003 and dedicated to the performance of operatic repertoire from the beginning of the 18th to the end of the 19th centuries. I could not fault them in any way. The production was faithful to eighteenth century practice, including appropriate contemporary costumes and the use of baroque hand gestures to express emotions. I get rather fed up when performances of eighteenth century opera are historically informed as to the use of period instruments and singing but completely philistine as far as pretentious modern costumes and scenery are concerned, just to please the egos of pompous producers.

It was quite an experience, after the excellent performance, to walk out into the mild winter evening of La Valletta and find our way to that hotel which we always had some difficulty in locating. We truly had had an honest recreation.

The Bread of Life

Posted on by
2

I stepped into the kitchen of my friend’s London Thames riverside flat and noticed an odd machine in its corner – something that the Italians call ‘elettrodomestico’ – i.e. an electrically powered household appliance. I asked my friend what it was used for. ‘Why’, she said in surprise. ‘It’s my bread-maker, of course.’ Until that moment I’d never suspected that such machines existed. It was not long, however, that I purchased my own bread-maker and I have never looked back. There is nothing like setting the machine in the evening with the appropriate ingredients and waking up in the morning to the smell of fresh bread: one’s very own bakery in fact.

In Italy, of course, one might say that the local bread is so good that one doesn’t need a bread-maker. As a child brought up in that city I thought how appetizing were those crusty Milanese ‘michette’. This bread roll is the symbol of Milan like the ‘baguette’ is that of Paris. It’s so soft and perfect especially when stuffed with a few slices of salami or, best of all, Nutella.  Getting up early and walking down a street in Milan one is seduced by the smell of freshly baked ‘michette’.

Meanwhile in the UK we had the ‘Wonderloaf’ about which my grandad would quip: ‘It’s called  “Wonderloaf” because it’s a wonder anybody buys it!’ Certainly the sliced, mushy, weak- crusted loaf was, in my opinion, only good for making toast and I hankered after that deliciously crunchy Italian bread. Now ironically the ‘wonderloaf’ type of bread has become quite popular in Italy where it is called ‘pane in cassetta’ which translates as ‘bread in a box’. It’s also known as ‘pancarré’ from the French for square bread.

(PS You can view an original ‘Wonderloaf’ TV advert here: https://youtu.be/yq5zgpsot7I)

When I first tasted Tuscan bread it seemed to compare a little poorly with the Milanese ‘michetta’. However, that’s because the Florentines (and the Lucchesi) often use no salt in their baking. The end product is, indeed, called ‘pane sciocco’ which translates as ‘stupid bread’. Salt used to be expensive in mediaeval times and some parsimonious lucchesi still think it is. Of course, it remains delicious and the focaccie, crostini and bruschette here are to die for.

What is the difference between a ‘panificio’ and a ‘panetteria’? In the UK the same word ‘bakery’ is used for both terms.  But the ‘panificio’ is that part of the business where bread is made. The ‘panetteria’ on the other hand, is the shop where bread and other baked goods are sold.

Longoio has its own ‘panificio’ run by Michela and Celine. Like all panifici they work at night so that the oven-fresh bread is ready for the morning deliveries to the ‘panetterie’. I have sometime stopped there on my way back from teaching English language evening classes and, especially in the often freezing winter, it’s truly a welcome stop to warm oneself in front of the wood-burning oven.

Needless to say the Longoio bread is fabulous – a true crusty farmhouse loaf either baked with white or wholemeal flour and sold in various outlets in Bagni di Lucca. For instance, one can find it at the ‘bottega Del Pane’ which is managed by Silvana opposite the bar Roma.

Penny Market, our local discount at Borgo a Mozzano, has been baking its own bread in-store for some time although obviously the dough is brought in ‘oven-ready’ from outside. More interesting for me, however, is the arrival at ‘Penny’ of three varieties of flour mix which are ready for baking one’s own ‘pane’ in a bread-making machine.

The three varieties are:

Sunflower bread flour.

Multi-cereal bread flour:

Ciabatta bread flour:

I was surprised to find that the ciabatta, which is one of my favourite Italian bread varieties, first introduced into the UK in 1985 by Marks and Sparks and also available in such supermarkets as Waitrose, is a very recent arrival on the bread scene.  ‘Ciabatta’ is Italian for ‘slipper’ and the bread’s flattish shape is supposed to remind one of a pair of bedroom foot-ware. This bread is characterised by the large holes in its soft part (a process known as alveolation – you can see this in the picture on the label of the flour above) and by its brown crunchy crust.  The ciabatta was developed in Adria in the Veneto province of Rovigo by master bakers Arnaldo Cavallari and Francesco Favaron and in 1982, Cavallari registered it as a commercial brand with the name of “Ciabatta Italia”.

I have now tried all three varieties of ‘penny’ flour and can say that the results are quite mouth-wateringly good. In each case the method to be used is quite simple:

Empty first 300 ml of water and then 500 gms of flour into the bread-maker’s container.

I like to add a teaspoonful of olive oil and a little yeast, either in dried or wet form  Strictly speaking the yeast is not needed but for me it gives an extra bounce to the loaf.

Sometimes I add some type 00 flour to give more body to the bread:

I always use the standard programme for making bread. Nothing fancy. I tend to go for the machine’s soft crust setting but medium or hard crust will work with all the flours. It all depends how you like your bread’s outside. Incidentally the Italian for crust is ‘crosta’ and the white (or brown) soft bit of the bread is called ‘mollica’.

Other flour varieties can also be purchased at Fornoli’s Coop and Bagni di Lucca’s Conad. For instance there’s ‘farina integrale’ (wholemeal flour) and also a dark flour variety which is very nice. However, I still have to find flour to make ‘pane segale’ (rye bread) and there’s nothing to beat home-made Irish soda bread as prepared by a visitor from the Emerald Isle who I hope to see again later this year.

I haven’t mentioned the classic potato bread of the upper Garfagnana which lasts for ages after it comes out of the oven or the classic ‘cecina’, a chick-pea flatbread. It’ll just have to wait for another time.

(Today’s fresh bread: multicereale!)

Musing on Valletta’s Museums

Posted on by
Reply

There is so much crammed into the compact area of La Valletta. Having admired its old houses from the outside we wanted to see their interiors and get a glimpse of how the Maltese aristocracy live.  The casa Rocca Piccola, otherwise known as the Messina palace, is owned by the Marquis Nicholas de Piro and dates from 1580. It is now open to the public and is very well presented. I would have loved to have attended a dinner party in its elegant dining room which transported us to a more leisurely century. I especially loved seeing the galleriji or wooden balconies encircling the house from the inside.

There are several museums in La Valletta and we managed to see the following:

The Grand Master’s palace, State rooms and armoury. Every Knight of Saint John on his death bed would bequeath his suit of armour to the grand master and once there were 25,000 such suits.  Napoleon pinched a lot of them but what remains is still remarkable!

Looking at loads of flintlocks can be a bit exhausting after a while, no matter how finely detailed they are. They are paradoxically truly artistic instruments of war in a way that today’s guided missiles hardly are!

The Fine Arts museum housed in the former admiralty is full of interesting paintings of Maltese scenes and it has a fine collection of Italian baroque painter Mattia Preti’s works. As mentioned in my previous post Preti was adopted by the Maltese and contributed to the decoration of some of their most spectacular buildings like Saint John’s co-cathedral.

I was also surprised to find water-colours by Edward Lear (who loved Malta). Absolutely no nonsense here!

There was also a fabulous picture of the Grand Harbour by Turner (who never actually visited Malta.)

I was particularly interested in Malta’s archaeological museum which gave us much insight into the fascinating Neolithic temples and burial sites we would visit.

Some of the earliest known representations of the human figure are here including the famous ‘sleeping lady of Malta’.

Clearly in those prehistoric times fat and well-endowed women were particularly prized as they represented fertility figures. No slim-fits here!

It’s good that all these museums are maintained by the ‘Heritage Malta’ government department. There was a time when Malta was  known just as a sun-and-beach holiday destination and, unfortunately, its rich heritage was neglected. Today the islands’ historical monuments are being revalued and, with the help of funds from European Union, there’s a full scale restoration going on in the island.

The fortifications, for example, are looking more splendid than ever.

Like many Italian seaside resorts, Rimini for example with its imposing Malatesta temple and Amalfi, once one of Italy’s great maritime republics (recall the other three?) Malta is equally worth visiting because of its fascinating heritage just as much for its sun and sand (though, actually, there isn’t too much of the latter, as we found out…)

Valletta’s Giant Treasure Casket

Posted on by
Reply

The centre piece of La Valletta is St John’s co-cathedral, the conventual church, dating from 1577, of the order of the Knights of Saint John. It’s called a co-cathedral since Malta has another cathedral in its former capital of Mdina.

The exterior, flanked by two bell towers, is rather sober:

It certainly doesn’t prepare for the enveloping sumptuousness on stepping inside. One gets the feeling of  entering a huge golden treasure casket:

The barrel vault is magnificently decorated in baroque style with much work completed in 1666 by the Calabrian painter Mattia Preti. One of Italy’s major seventeenth century artists Preti is also responsible for works in many other Maltese churches and is buried in the cathedral to which he devoted so much of his art.

Yet one does not visit St John’s to principally see Preti’s paintings but instead to admire a masterpiece from the hand of one of the most controversial baroque artists, Michelangelo Merisi known as ‘Il Caravaggio’. Fleeing to Malta from a murder he was involved with in Naples (his violent temper often got him into scrapes and he later had to flee from Malta itself) Caravaggio painted the altar-piece in the oratory depicting the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. It’s the largest painting he produced and the only one he signed. The tough realism and his virtuoso ‘chiaroscuro’ (’light ‘dark’) technique are absolutely stunning.

The cathedral’s side chapels are dedicated to the eight langues or divisions of the order of Saint John and contain funerary monuments of the Grand Masters.  The splendid inlaid marble floor is made up of tombstones, decorated with heraldic devices of the knights.

We also visited the cathedral museum which holds a collection of rich ecclesiastical vestments and a magnificent collection of Flemish tapestries.

The richness of the furnishing of La Valletta’s St John’s cathedral gave us an indication of how much wealth the Knights of Saint John must have possessed in their heyday. It was a wealth to which every major European power contributed for La Valletta stood (and still symbolically stands, as the Pope’s visits demonstrate) as a bastion of Christianity against the onslaught of Mohammedanism.

Today a different kind of onslaught is occurring. Rather than military it is a desperate one: the arrival of refuges across the sea from Africa landing on the shores of this tiny nation. Indeed, relations between Italy and Malta have often been somewhat strained because of this situation and it continues to remain a very difficult matter.

La Valletta’s Galleriji

Posted on by
2

La Valletta, Malta’s capital, may lay claim to be one of the first planned cities of modern Europe. After the Great Siege of 1565 and the defeat of the Ottoman forces the Knights of Saint John felt the need to build a new fortified centre on the island as a defence against possible further incursions from the Turk. La Valletta was, therefore, founded in 1566 by the Knights who gave it the name of their Grand Master, Jean de la Valette.

Laid out in a grid pattern and surrounded by massive fortifications Valletta enchants one as soon the main gate is crossed. The grid pattern itself is not just designed to be neat, for its straight streets lined by tall buildings enable the capital to be well-ventilated and shaded thus attenuating the ferocious summer heat.

(1723 Plan of La Valletta)

What is less enchanting, however, is the innovative development at the gate. This consists of new parliament buildings designed by Enzo Piano which have given rise to much controversy, largely because they contrast so much with the sixteenth-century architecture of the city. During our visit the buildings were being constructed and under wraps so we could not fairly judge for ourselves.

Certainly, the adaption of Fort Saint Elmo, for example, might have given the Maltese parliament a more respectful building.

Next to the parliament building are the ruins of the grand nineteenth century opera house bombed by those supreme opera-lovers, the Italian air force, when they entered the war in 1940. Again, we did not yet see what ‘Shard’ Piano was going to do with this building. He has, nonetheless, preserved the opera house’s ruined status but converted it into an open-air theatre.

This conversion seems less controversial. In any case La Valletta has one of the most beautiful original eighteenth century theatres in the world which still retains its supreme importance in Maltese cultural life. The Teatru Manoel could not allow something else to steal its fire. But I anticipate….

We loved wandering through the streets of La Valletta. In particular I enjoyed gazing at the traditional Maltese balconies built to shade its inhabitants from the summer heat. Called ‘gallariji’ in Maltese (note the Italian linguistic influence) these charming features are supported on stone corbels called saljaturi (c.f. Italian : sogliature) with the hinged glass flaps known as are purtelli (cf. Italian sportelli) and their blinds are known as tendini (cf. Italian: tendine).

Apart from shading the occupants from the heat the gallariji are used for hanging out the washing and, formerly, as a way for marriageable belles to disport themselves before prospective suitors while safely being tucked away from the perils of the streets.

Galleriji come in all shapes and sizes and have often finely carved ‘saljaturi’. Here is a small selection of them. I love the way some of them curve round the corners of the buildings.

As you can see I just couldn’t get enough of these marvellous architectural features which are so characteristic of traditional Maltese buildings. I sometimes think that with the smaller galleriji affixed onto terraced houses there is a connection with the love of English suburbia for bay windows. Both extend from the main building and both allow extra light to enter their houses.

Later in our visit to Malta we were able to see the elegant interiors of the more aristocratic of these houses and walk down a gallerija. But that must await another post…

 

 

Towards the Little Bee

Posted on by
Reply

I love islands. I suppose that’s quite natural since I was born on one famously described by Shakespeare as ’this sceptered isle, this fortress built by Nature for herself against infection and the hand of war, this little world, this precious stone set in the silver sea’.

It’s just a pity that infection has indeed invaded the sceptered isle. As recently noted by some politicians if only this island had truly become a fortress last March then the current health crisis would not have afflicted it in the dire way it continues to do. There is no such island in the centre of China, yet the inhabitants of Wuhan, where the first cases of Covid-19 arose, are now living normal mask-less lives just one year later and celebrating the fact.

I have been island hopping on four of the five world’s continents. These hops have taken me from the lone Atlantic isle of St Kilda to the lush tropicana of Bali, from the Caribbean sands of Antigua to the pearl that is Sri Lanka. Living in a Mediterranean country I am surrounded by a variety of islands of all shapes and sizes. The isles of Greece, from Cephalonia to Chios, and those around Italy have been destinations filled with lovely memories. We have not only landed on Italy’s two big islands of Sardinia and Sicily but also those smaller gems such as Elba, and Giglio. And French Corsica too (although it was Italian once).

Eight years ago we visited an island which might have had the possibility of being Italian but instead steadfastly maintained its own identity. Malta is indeed a linchpin joining the Arab to the European world. Part of the European Union it is the only member speaking a Semitic language: Maltese combines Arabic with Sicilian Italian. Yet it is the only Semitic language written using the western alphabet. Moreover, the islanders are fervently Roman Catholic and only 2% are of Muslim religion.

I’d always thought of Malta as a typical summer holiday island especially popular with brits and it certainly is that. But it’s a lot more as well. Prehistoric settlers built some of the finest Neolithic temples to be found anywhere. During the Bronze Age they were succeeded by a new wave of immigrants.  Then followed the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Muslims, the Normans, the Spanish and the Knights of Saint John who made Malta’s minuscule capital La Valletta into one of the finest fortified cities of Europe quite on a par with places like Lucca and Palmanova. Napoleon held the island for some years before it passed to the British who made it into a key naval base protecting their Mediterranean fleet.

During the Second World War Malta suffered terribly from bombardments and its population were close to starvation in a siege lasting nearly a year. But it survived and all its inhabitants were awarded the George Cross for valour. Indeed, if it hadn’t been for the island’s steadfastness the axis forces would never have been defeated in North Africa and the allied invasion of Italy, operation Husky, would never have taken place.

Malta has been able to defend itself well during the current health crisis. Unlike the UK its lock-down was immediate and very strict and the population of half a million inhabitants has had 248 Covid-19 deaths so far, all unfortunately since last September and all part of the ghastly second wave.

I only starting blogging regularly in March  2013 and so Malta missed my scrutiny. However, I have always kept files of the places I visit filled with relevant material of the sights seen and, of course, there is my photographic record.

The airline ticket shows that we flew from Pisa airport to Malta on the 8th of January 2013 at 18.05 and landed at Malta airport less than two hours later.

We hired a car and then drove to our pre-booked hotel at Bugibba in the north-eastern part of Malta by the sea.

It was a slightly annoying feature of our holiday that we could never quite locate the Relax Inn Hotel, as it was called, after our journeys around the island. This may have probably been because it was a singularly undistinguished building although our room was comfortable and the facilities were quite adequate. Bugibba is a concrete sprawl catering principally for bucket-and-spade holiday makers and with a plentiful supply of pubs. There are more characteristically Maltese places to stay in La Valletta but we were fairly happy to be sojourning in Bugibba and it proved an excellent base for visiting the island’s sights. Malta is anyway so compact – just a fifth of the size of London!

Even in January there were several brits in the hotel. Evidently spending winter in Malta is rather cheaper than forking out money on those UK fuel bills. Unhappily, however, tourism has all but collapsed in Malta this last year. I do not think there will be many able to abandon Malden for Malta.

Next morning we headed for La Valletta to begin our exploration. Although a republic since 1974, a part of the European Union since 2004 and of the Eurozone since 2008, Malta is also a member of the Commonwealth and continues with various idiosyncratic British traditions, not least that of driving on the left-hand side of the road!

We crossed a bridge and entered inside the mighty bastions of La Valletta.

We were  soon reminded that the island had once belonged to the United Kingdom. The special character of la Valletta was beginning to unfold itself before us.

Some of you may wonder why this post is titled ‘Towards the Little Bee’. That’s because the ancient name of Malta was Melita and Melita is Greek for ‘little bee’. Malta is, indeed, famous for its honey. The liquid gold is produced throughout the year, altering its flavour as the flowers change.  Busy bees collect spring nectar from a wide variety of wild flowers including white thistle, sulla, borage, dandelion, wild mustard and also citrus trees. It is popular as a remedy against allergies and hay fever. Summer honey comes from highly aromatic thyme. Autumn honey is flavoured by carob and eucalyptus trees. It was the Phoenicians who introduced bee-keeping in Melita so the tradition is a very long one indeed.

Divide and Rule?

Posted on by
2

On this murky morning in the Val di Lima, after much of our very heavy snowfalls have melted away, one thing is clear: we shall be spared another four years of one of the most divisive political leaders the world has seen for some time. The USA has a long history of what it has called ‘splendid isolationism’. Pearl harbour changed all that and if it hadn’t Europe would be suffering under the successors of another divisive leadership – the one appointed as chancellor of a certain nation in 1933. OK, the Capitol attackers were eventually thrown out. But so were the Munich bier Keller putsch adherents in 1923. Let us hope and trust, however, that this won’t happen again in another ten years’ time despite the promise (or threat) that ‘we will return’

A good political leader unites – a bad political leader divides. It’s that simple and that’s why so many of the issues that set us apart from others including, sadly, some of our family and (now former) friends were instigated by political machinations.

I was amazed to discover that in Bagni di Lucca there are people around who still believe that the previous POTUS was the best thing since sliced bread. Even more, that he had been unfairly treated. How could a person who diminished the USA’s prestige in the world, someone who, in the midst of all the news he condemned as ‘fake’, was the biggest fake himself; someone who has left a nation (and much of the world) in a position desperately needing hope and healing feel deceitfully treated?

Luckily the new POTUS in a true atmosphere of benevolent grandfatherliness has already signed several decrees reversing the damage that would have continued under the previous office holder: damage to the environment, damage to the efforts to contain the worst pandemic seen for over a hundred years, damage to the social fabric itself and much else.

Sadly, the maiming that was encouraged under the USA’s previous administration will be difficult to be repaired in at least one other country: the United Kingdom. The new president has little time for the B word and the UK had always been seen as the gateway into Europe not just in terms of trade but quintessentially as the way to cease that continent’s near-Armageddon in the two World Wars of the last century.

(Sandra meeting a soldier from the Roman Army when England was part of a previous European Union called the Roman Empire.)

The wall that the UK has built around itself cannot be physically seen but only felt in the increasing number of bureaucratic and fiscal barriers being knocked against by the continent’s inhabitants. We already know about finny beings dumped into the sea because of inoperable trade agreements and the confiscation of bacon butties from truck drivers by the customs authorities because of import restrictions. There is now a lot more of this sort of thing on the way ready to make the UK feel itself ever more a separate nation cut off from the continent not just by today’s fog but by further red tape in the form of hardened fiscal controls and taxes. Already everyone from large organisations to individuals is starting to suffer. The great financial institutions, which have made the City of London into a world hub, are already establishing office s in the EU and increasingly will transact business from those offices.  We all know now about the limited mobility thrust upon our passports and the confiscation of a whole citizenship from them. Everything from roaming charges to pet passports is being affected. Let us trust that all citizens are now sufficiently well-informed. What is especially significant in these times of on-line trading is that UK inhabitants will be forced to pay considerable duties on previously duty-free items shipped from the EU. More and yet more will follow. Everyone in the UK will be worse off than before for at least another twenty years…

It took four years for the majority of the American people to fully realise what kind of president they had voted for. I just hope it won’t take longer than that for the UK to finally realise what a futile exercise brexit is.

We are all free to hold our own opinions in a democracy but there is no room for schadenfreude in this ‘fortress UK’ situation. The white cliffs of Dover will still be standing and continue to form part of the same geological chalk belt that extends into northern France.

(When Dover was blocked against barbarians by the Roman army instead of being blocked by queues of HGV’s on the M2. Our photos dating from 1987…)

There is no great need to say ‘I told you so’ for it will be on all our heads. What is now needed is for the majority to fully realise the tragedy that has befallen the UK and to unite in ways that may restore at the very least the membership of a customs union and a trade concordat. Let us hope that those still believing that Britain has regained its ‘sovereignty’ in spite of the fact that it is now at the mercy of the rest of the world and effectively grovelling to sign trade agreements which will never be as good as those it had when a member of the EU.

(A local mountain, the Balzo Nero, now more appropriately to be called  ‘Balzo Bianco’ because of the recent snows)

However, what is even more pressing today is to consider how to terminate the world health crisis before it terminates us. In a democracy we are plainly entitled to hold our views on vaccination and decide whether to go for the jab or not. Yet even this issue is dividing people as much as anything else can divide. I do not care if a person holds views against vaccination. They will have their reasons for holding such views, perhaps because of personal experiences under previous vaccinations they may have had. (I am less enthusiastic about ‘religious reasons’). My maxim is ‘stand fast to your own views but be prepared to modify them if new facts come to light. And never spend the rest of your life trying to convince others that they must embrace your way of thinking about issues.’  After all it would be a dull world if everyone held the identical opinion – a world rather like those synchronically marching in step soldiers one views in victory parades from the northern half of an East Asian peninsula.

That’s why a facebook group centred on those living in our beautiful nearby city of Lucca gives me great concern. A member of the admin group vetting contributions from senders appears to be using the platform to expound views against vaccination in an almost obsessive way merely instilling dissent and consternation among other group members. Admin should be neutral in such matters, rather like the Speaker in the UK’s House of Commons.

Perhaps we should restrict our discussions as to which bar serves the best ‘pezzi dolci’ or which is the easiest footpath to get to the top of Monte Incoronata (actually there is only one here: the ’Via degli Avi’ recently restored to much acclaim). However, we must also realise that it’s no good playing the violin while fires rage around us (to paraphrase what a Roman emperor is supposed to have done).

The saddest thing of all, however, is that friendships and alliances will be almost irreparably damaged if I, for example, find that someone else’s views on global warming, Trump, vaccination, fascism, Brexit, flying saucers, some religious organizations, meat-eating, flat earth theory etc. etc. are so different from mine as to render any rational communication impossible with them. When friendships are broken this way then it’s truly a tragedy… perhaps often worse than most other things that occur in this troubled world.

All Change at Pisa San Rossore?

Posted on by
Reply

Railway and Underground stations have not always been known by their current names. Taking London’s Piccadilly line as an example the following stations have changed their names since they were first built:

‘Acton Town’ was originally called ‘Mill Hill Park’ when it opened in 1879. ‘Green Park’ was once named ‘Dover Street’ and Alperton formerly had a double-barrelled name, ‘Perivale-Alperton’.

There seems to have been little protest by Londoners at the name changes since these reflect the need of the underground system to more accurately reflect their geographical situation in the great metropolis.

There have been comparable name changes in Italy’s railway stations. Recently, for example, it has been suggested that stations in and around Turin should be modified to indicate important historical sights near the station so as to add to tourist interest.  In this example ‘Collegno’ becomes ‘Collegno Certosa’ reflecting the majestic Royal Charterhouse nearby. ‘Dora’ becomes ‘Dora Parco Dora’, ‘Lingotto’ becomes ‘Lingotto Fiere e Congressi’ indicating its conference and international trade fair facilities, ‘Moncalieri’ becomes ‘Moncalieri Castello di Moncalieri’ alluding to the marvellous castle in that town, ‘Nichelino’ becomes ‘Nichelino palazzina di Stupinigi’ since this where one alights to visit the elegant Royal hunting lodge there and ‘Rosta’ is changed into ‘Rosta Sant’Antonio di Ranverso’ which is the name of the beautiful mediaeval abbey there.

Here are some picture of the abbey taken by me as a teenager:

A similar method could have been used at Pisa for one of its stations, that of San Rossore which might have simply had ‘Torre Pendente’ added to it, alluding to the fact that if one just wants to see the city’s famous Leaning Tower it is possible to alight here rather than proceeding to Pisa’s Central Station. Instead, the municipal authorities have considered changing the name entirely and calling it instead ‘Piazza dei Miracoli’ (Square of the Miracles) a square which, incidentally does not exist on any street map of Pisa but is the popular name given to the complex of Pisa’s cathedral, Leaning Tower, baptistery and Campo Santo.

This blatant renaming proposal has particularly aroused the ire of the ‘Ippolito Rosellini’ cultural association, a conservation and local historical group presided over by my friend Giovanni Fascetti who is also the guardian of the imposing castle of Vicopisano designed by Brunelleschi, the architect of Florence cathedral’s dome, and which is described in my post at https://longoio.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/vicopisano-and-brunelleschis-military-architecture/

I have translated the letter written to the municipal authorities of Pisa and it is worth quoting it here to appreciate the unwarranted name change to San Rossore station.

“The ‘Ippolito Rosellini’ Cultural Group expresses its total opposition regarding the decision taken by the Municipality of Pisa to change the name of the Pisa – San Rossore railway station. Two negative effects are produced by this rash action: first of all the cancellation of the city’s historical memory since the name of the station is linked to the Royal estate of San Rossore which was once frequented by the Savoy monarchy every summer since the reign of King Victor Emmanuel II. The elegant and luxurious royal train stopped at San Rossore Station where the royal family and their entourage, continued in a carriage. The station’s name recalls a precious heritage that is part of the city and its history, including the regional park, proclaimed a MAB (‘Man and Biosphere’) Nature Reserve by UNESCO, one of the few in Italy.

The second reason against this renaming is the imposition of a place name, that of “Piazza dei Miracoli”, which is absolutely bogus. It’s not shown on any road map but is just a nickname. The  authentic name appearing on maps is ‘Piazza del Duomo’. As such it is known throughout the world, and has been included in the World Heritage List since 1987. If the intent is to promote the square in the light of a possible boost to tourism, this is certainly a disservice to the city since most tourists travelling by train alight at Pisa Central Station and, on the way to the cathedral square, discover that in addition to the Leaning Tower and its associated buildings there are also other wonderful city sights including monuments, churches, museums and restaurants which remain very poorly publicized .

Finally, let’s keep quiet about the condition of the Pisa-San Rossore railway station which certainly does not offer an adequate welcome to tourists, major sources of income for the city and for whom we should roll out a red carpet if we want  our economy to recover and not treat them as flocks of sheep to be sent away once they’ve been fleeced. Citizens and administrators do go and see for yourselves – when there is no lockdown, of course – the real conditions of a station that was once a Royal stop. Gangs of pickpockets gather here from the Piazza del Duomo, purloin bags and purses in green spaces that resemble a wateland. Syringes abound, and one may note down-and-outs defecating and urinating. There is no staff present and in the evening the place presents an utterly sad desolation.

We hope that the New Year will bring everyone a little wisdom!

The President Prof. Giovanni Ranieri Fascetti.”

***

I should add a few more facts about the San Rossore Royal estate and refer you to my post at https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2016/05/14/il-gombo-pisas-ex-presidential-seaside-villa-and-park/ for more details about this magical place which is so near to the centre of Pisa.

San Rossore station itself originally dates 1846 as part of the Lucca-Pisa line. In 1861, Italy’s year of unification, the new section of the Tyrrhenian railway between Pisa and Pietrasanta was completed turning the station into a junction.

The former royal train shed still stands and is now a commercial unit.

In December 1998, during the works for the construction of a building that was to house the headquarters of the new goverment command and control System in Pisa, remains of ancient Roman boats and ships began to be unearthed by the excavations. This amazing discovery gave life to the fascinating Museum of Ancient Ships in Pisa about which I have written a post at https://longoio3.com/2019/12/23/italys-maritime-pompeii/

Finally, San Rossore station also serves as the main stop for students alighting for Pisa’s university whose main buildings are found in this area.

I think you would agree that the station should remain as San Rossore. At the very most an explanatory sign could be placed below the station’s name indicating that this is the main stop to alight for Pisa University and those visitors who only have time to see the Leaning Tower.

 

.

Amaretti: Bitter-Sweets

Posted on by
2

During my days in Italy as a child I used to love it when my grandfather placed a tin box of ‘Amaretti di Saronno’ biscuits on the dinner table for dessert. He would unroll the rice paper wrapping two hemispheric amaretti and we’d be handed the delicious biscuits. My grandfather then spooled the very thin tissue paper into a tube and placed it on a plate. He lit the paper which, consumed by the flames, rose up towards the room’s ceiling. We expressed a wish and if the paper touched the ceiling our wish was supposed to be fulfilled. I was utterly transfixed by these pyrotechnics and the paper’s defiance of gravity … even if my wishes were rarely granted.

In these bitter-sweet times the Italian pastry biscuit made with almond paste, sugar, egg white and sweet and bitter almonds known as ‘amaretto’ (sometimes translated as ‘macaroon’ in English) continues to make the perfect dessert. The word ‘amaretto’ translates as ‘little bitter’. I am not entirely sure whether this means that the biscuit is small in size or whether the biscuit has a slightly bitter taste.  Perhaps both.

The Amaretti di Saronno with their famous paddle steamer logo are the classic and best-tasting amaretti. A box of these amaretti even appears in a scene from the film ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’!

There are, however, several amaretti regional variants. Apart from the crunchy and crumbly Saronno amaretto there is the Sassello-type amaretto, soft and more comparable to marzipan. In our local Penny discount store I found these Sassello-type amaretti made in Mombaruzzo, a town near Asti in Piedmont, in which, in addition to the usual ingredients – sweet and bitter almonds, egg white and sugar – are armellines, the seeds contained in the apricot’s kernel, which give the amaretti a hint of bitter taste mixing with the usual sweet one.

As a sufferer of ‘biscuititis’ – a disease which can be defined as an addiction to the eating of biscuits (and not knowing when to stop!) – I love both of these types of amaretti.

Actually the amaretto does not originate from Italy but was introduced by the Arabs during their conquest of Sicily in the ninth century. From thence it spread throughout the peninsula. Well done Arabs- If your physical conquest lasted less than a hundred years your culinary one continues to the present times.

Amaretti go very well dipped in dessert wines like Pantelleria. They are also delicious with peaches and tiramisu where they can replace the Savoyard biscuits.

However, amaretti are sometimes also mixed with salty dishes.  In Lombardy they are often used for particular fillings, such as pumpkin tortelli, or crumbled as a substitute for grated cheese in some vegetable dishes and in Piedmont they are one of the ingredients of the Piedmontese mixed fry, together with apples and sweet semolina pancakes.

Incidentally, the Italian word ‘biscotto’, from which we get the English ‘biscuit’, means ‘twice cooked’ and derives from the method in which biscuits are produced.  I’d certainly prefer these twice-cooked than those half-baked dishes served during these weird times!

Don’t forget that there is also a great liqueur called Amaretto di Saronno. Like many recipes based on almonds, it is of ancient tradition and has its origins in 1500. In the city of Saronno a fresco depicting the Madonna and the Adoration of the Magi was commissioned to the painter Bernardino Luini. The fresco is still visible today in the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Miracles. Legend has it that during the time the painter was in Saronno he was staying at an inn whose landlady was so beautiful, that he fell in love to the point of using her as a model for his Madonna.

(Luini’s fresco in Saronno)

To thank him, she offered him an elixir of herbs, toasted sugar, bitter almonds and brandy which was immediately appreciated. This liqueur, therefore, has always kept a meaning of affection and friendship.

Who launched the modern version of this liqueur in the United Kingdom? Clement Freud. My wife was the interpreter, the perfect model for a Luini Madonna, even as a teenager!

 

The Light at the end of the tunnel

Posted on by
Reply

Press release from the Mayor of Bagni di Lucca

Good evening,

I am updating you on the Covid19 situation in our municipality. The updated news is comforting as there are currently just 7 positive cases and no hospital admissions.

There are 3 persons in quarantine while those who have recovered from the second wave (from October to today) are 155 in total.
I continue to ask all citizens to respect the anti-contagion provisions.

Bagni di Lucca is proving very respectful given the latest data.

The Mayor