For my upcoming ZOOM presentation (October 10th) on the art and cultural history of wine from pre-Roman times to the present, I wanted to include a vineyard visit in the Montefalco area where one of Umbria’s coveted indigenous grapes, il sagrantino is cultivated. The maiolica cups with the grape motif in Luca’s Assisi store launched…
For my next ZOOM (October 10th) on the culture, folklore and artistic traditions of wine from the Romans until today, an interview with Peppa on wine’s use in rural cultures must be included. Recently, Peppa enthusiastically shared with me rural wine lore over lunchtime pasta at her farmhouse. When she was a child and…
Flags and banners are integral to the celebration of Calendimaggio in Assisi and not just those representing the two districts, La Magnifica Parte di Sopra and La nobilissima Parte de Sopra…. ..but all those colorful banners flung, twirled, hurled upwards in an astounding show of acrobatic splendor by Assisi’s sbandieratori: The sbandieratori (literally, “wavers…
Preparing my September 26th hour-long ZOOM presentation “Assisi’s Calendimaggio: From Roman Rites to Medieval Splendor” has been a challenge: so much to share! Just the subject of the banners and flags alone could be a full lecture. Flags are certainly an integral part of the splendid Assisi medieval May festival, Calendimaggio. Each of the two…
Assisi’s glorious celebration of springtime, Calendimaggio, is above all una festa di amore, “a festival of love,” the love and passione of the assisani of all ages for their beloved early May medieval festival. In my ZOOM presentation of September 26, 2020, you’ll feel the joy and the passion during the celebration of this centuries-old…
Actually, when walking through Assisi, you won’t want to “zoom” past the over fifty outdoor frescoes and small shrines adorning the walls of homes, medieval city gates, and entrances to medieval guildhalls. But you can see them, learn about their history – and restoration – and enjoy them leisurely in the video of my early September,…
When Pino and I eat at home during these hot August nights, dinner is light. My favorite dinner? Prosciutto and melon and Pino’s goats’ milk cheese on our tomatoes, right from the garden on wheat bread. Our olive oil drizzled on top, logicamente. A bit of salt, too, and diced basil. Not all our dinners are light,…
In my late August 29th 2020 ZOOM talk, “Italy’s Islands of Refuge, ” I took you along with me to the “islands of refuge” that Pino and I have come to love. Over 200 kilometers south of Sicily – and only about 116 km from Tunisia – the island of Lampedusa is southern-most point of…
What joy to do the research for my most recent ZOOM presentation, “Sicily’s Age-old Culinary Mosaic.” Such fascinating new tidbits I unearthed as I researched Sicily culinary wonders. I centered my talk on Palermo and western Sicily…… ……as the various areas of Sicily and the small islands surrounding la bellissima Sicilia each boast their own…
We’re eating late late late these nights: the only disadvantage to Pino’s goat cheese-making. He milks five of our tweny-seven goats each morning and then again each evening – but with the last light of day when it’s cooler. The goats give us about three liters of milk per day and Pino makes cheese and…