Sons of Italy, Central Gulf Coast Lodge #2708

Settembrata

10/3/2012

Presented to the General Membership on Octover 22, 2012

Settembrata on Anacapri (on Isla Capri) means
Italian musicians singing in the street,
pacchiane (local women dressed in Neapolitan garb) carrying baskets of grapes on their heads, and contadini (farmers) pushing wooden wagons piled high with the first seasons grapes. This is la festa dell'uva e della vendemmia, the festival of the grape and wine harvest. The festa takes its name from September, it blesses the coming vendemmia, and kisses summer good bye. Settembratta was first started in 1923 by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Edwin Cerio and LIno Lipinsky. It was paused only once in 1931 due to war times, however it reconvened and the seven day celebration has continued ever since.

Torte Caprese, * the classical flour-less cake is made by the local women and passed out to allfrom La Porta, Boffe to Caprile and all the little quarters of Anacapri. Small children dressed in Neopolitan costumes sing and dance in the street. As the week continues, each neighborhood in Anacapri hosts celebrations with local foods and folk music.

From italiannotebook.com/events/settembrata

* The recipe for Torte Caprese will soon be posted under Italian Recipes. Check back soon.
"Ana" is an ancient Greek prefix meaning up or above, so Anacapri is a comune at a higher elevation that the rest of the Island of Capri. Alternately, the districts competing for prizes include, La Porta, La Boffe, La Pietra and Le Stalle.

Oh My! What a Fiasco

9/24/2012

Presented at the General Membership Meeting on September 12, 2012

In some circles a fiasco is an utterly humiliating failure. In the glass- making village of Piegaro, it is a source of great pride; it is the name of the traditional straw covered wine bottles.

The men of Piegaro were masters of blowing the fine glass bottles, and because the bottoms were round, they needed something as a base, hence the evolution of the woven straw jacket. The women of Piegaro still carry on this tradition of weaving the straw fiasci today.

The Musea del Vetro of Piegaro displays many fisachi, over 750 years of glassmaking and straw weaving! The patterns are as varied as the weaver, each of whom would be famous for her particular weaving style.

Nowadays, friends Peppinta, Maria and Silvana, sit in the piazza on summer evenings with a long bag of straw at their feet deftly twirling the strands to create an indestructable line of straw, pulling it through with a long needle. They will happily give you a beautiful souvenir of Piegaro for a small donation to the Borgo.

Visitors to Piegaro, old and young alike, enjoy learning this medival tradition from "le belle donne della piazza".

Article printed from ItalianNotebook: http://www.italiannotebook.com/local-interest/fiasco

That's Amore

2/9/2012

Presented at the general membership meeting 1/23/2012
Right around the corner is Valentine’s Day.  From Rudolph Valentino to George Clooney, from Fabio to even Silvio Berlusconi, who knows how to celebrate love and romance better than the Italians.

You may already know that Valentine’s Day is named for St. Valentine, a Roman jailed for being a Christian.  He often passed notes to his fellow prisoners to cheer them up.  It is interesting to recall the story of how he fell in love with his jailer’s daughter. His final note to her, before he was executed read “From Your Valentine”.  He died on February 14, 269.

Of course, the most famous lovers of all time are Romeo and Juliette. If all the world’s a stage, Shakespeare certainly knew how tragic love was played out in Italy. Shakespeare set his tale in Verona. But Romeo and Juliet was a re-telling of the classic theme of ill fated lovers which had been told many times over many centuries.  Romeo and Juleit borrows from a tradition of tragic love stories dating back to antiquity. One of the earliest is Pyramus and Thisbe, from Ovid's "Metamorphoses", which contains parallels to Shakespeare's story.

It is worth noting that Ovid was born in what is now Sulmonna, L'Aquila. He was a prolific writer. Among his works are many which feature love and erotic themes.  Titles include, "Amores" (The Loves), "Ars Amatoria" or (The Art of Love), "Remedia Amoris" (The Cure for Love)  and "Heroides" (the Heroine) which examines the emotions of partners who are separated, and their pleas for their lovers return.

Another ill fated pair was Paolo and Francesca from Dante’s The Divine Comedy. In the Second Circle of Hell, Francesca confesses to adultery with her brother-in-law, Paolo.  Italians do not divorce as frequently as Americans do. Instead, Francesca’s husband kills her.

According to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., the noun Casanova means “Lover; esp: a man who is a promiscuous and unscrupulous lover”.   So besides Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, or a bedroom, where would you
have found Casanova?   A little further east from Verona to Venice and you’ll be in the neighborhood of one of the world’s greatest lovers, Giacomo Casanova.  During the 1700’s, Venice was considered the pleasure capital of
Europe. Famous for its Carnival, gambling and courtesans, Casanova was the master of seduction.

Even today, Italians may not all be seducers, but it seems they all love to flirt. I once read that “Italian men flirt like other men breathe – regularly and naturally.” http://www.italiansrus.com/articles/ourpaesani/italianmen.htm
But perhaps the flirting is an expression of playfulness even if nothing romantic is expected.

So how do the Italians celebrate Valentines Day?  It is not common to send cards to family members, friends and classmates as we do. They are not as commercialized as Americans are.  Valentines Day is only for lovers.  Roses, dinner, perfume are the usual expressions of love. And Baci Perugina, a chocolate and hazelnut candy which comes wrapped in love notes, messages of love, friendship and affection. But let’s not forget diamonds, which are always popular expressions of love.  Especially as an engagement rings.  Diamonds have been popular engagement rings in Italy since the 1400s.

So on Valentine’s Day, when he tells you COMO SEI BELLA and you answer TI AMO.  You tell him TI PENSO SEMPRE. Then he asks for some BACI. Baddabing --that’s Amore – Italian Style.

Buon Natale

2/8/2012

OSIA Cultural Report
Presented to the General Membership November 28, 2011

Buon Natale
The traditional greeting of this season is “Merry Christmas”.  But, if we were in Italy, we’d be saying …….
BUON NATALE!

Spending Christmas in Italy sounds wonderful and hopefully, one day we may get to celebrate there. For now, I thought it might be interesting to see what we know and don’t know about how Christmas is celebrated in Italy.

Italians love a party and Christmas in Italy is no different.  Christmas celebrations officially start on December 8 with the feast of L’Immaculata Concezione. The Christmas Novena begins on December 17.  Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are of course celebrated, but the Christmas season doesn't officially conclude until January 6. This is the Feast of Epiphany. Epiphany is the main day of gift giving in Italy. Tradition tells us that Epiphany is when the Wise Men brought gifts to Gesu Bambino.  In Italy, presents are brought to the children by La Befana, a kindly old witch. La Befana was asked to accompany the Wise Men to find Gesu Bambino, but La Befana was too busy sweeping her house to go with the Wise Men. Later, she regeted her bad decision. Because of this, La Befana flys on her broom still looking for Baby Jesus.  She brings presents to the homes of children, hoping to find him in the homes she visits. She fills children’s shoes or stockings with gifts for good children or il carbone (coal) if they have been bad.  If you live in Venice, your gifts might be brought by Santa Lucia instead.

Since Italian Catholics observe Christmas Eve as a day of abstinence from meat, it is traditional to serve a meal of 7 fishes.  The seven fishes represents the seven sacraments.  There are references to meals of 9 fishes, the number of the Trinity squared.  You could find any combinations of seafood, but the most common dises are baccala (cod), shrimp, zuppa de pesce, seafood salad, clams, mussels, calamari (squid) and scungilli (conch).   Eel, also called Capitone, is considered a delicacy and is served roasted baked or fried in Southern Italy.

Desserts are deserve a special note. Panettone has become a traditional Christmas dessert. It originated in Milan, but is popular throughout Italy at Christmas time.  If you’ve never had this, it is a tall cylindrical sweet bread filled with dried fruit and nuts. Also popular is Pandoro or golden bread.  It is baked in a star shaped pan, and often dusted with powdered sugar, which gives it the appearance of a snow capped mountain. Panaforte is another bread, but this is flavored with hazelnuts, almonds and honey. Struffolli are honey balls made with honey and toasted pine nuts. Nuts have been popular ingredients as peasants thought that the nuts added to the fertility of the earth, which would lead to the increase of flocks and families.   The use of honey was thought to sweeten the New Year.

Some Christmas decorations are similar to what we use, but others are different. Very important to the Italian
celebration of the season is the Presepe, or crib.  It is like our crèche, or nativity scene. This is displayed in homes, and
churches, but also in the piazzas and sometimes performed as living nativity scenes.  Presepe carries more importance in Italy than in America. Prayers are often offered in front of the Presepe each day of the Novena.

Some decorated Christmas trees are seen in Italy, but The Tree of Light has a different place in Italy. The Tree of Light is also call the Creppo. The Creppo is a pyramidal shaped wooden frame which may be several feet high.  It has several shelves which hold small gifts, fruit and candy.  The Creppo is decorated with pinecones, candles and small pennants.  At the top is a star or small doll, reminiscent of the star or angel that tops our Christmas trees.

Another Italian tradition is the burning of the Yule Log.   Christian legend tells how the Virgin Mary enters the homes of the humble at midnight while the people are away at Midnight Mass and warms her newborn child before the blazing log. Traditionally the Yule Log must stay alight until New Year's Day.

All around the world, an old man with a long white beard and red suit, trimmed in white is known by different names. Always he brings good wishes, and sometimes gifts for little children.  In Uzbekistan he is called “Qor Bobo” or Grandfather Snow.  In Afghanistan, it’s Baba Chaghaloo. We call him Santa Claus or St. Nick. But in Italy, he is Babbo
Natale, Father Christmas. Today, Italian children write to him, as they do here, but they also write to their parents, telling them how much they love them, and promising to be good in the coming year. This letter is usually placed under their father’s plate. He will read it at the end of the Christmas Eve dinner.

No matter what Christmas traditions your family may follow, here’s an easy one to add.  When you celebrate Christmas, raise a glass of spumante, maybe with a sugar cube and say Buon Natale.

Ancient Treasures

2/8/2012

(This is the narrative of a multi-media presentation made to the general membership October 24, 2011 )

This past May, a number of members of this Lodge were privileged to attend a special birthday party. This year marks the 150th birthday of the country of Italy. While Italy’s culture goes back thousands of years, this is the first time that the various principalities, duchies and city states were united since the days of the Roman Empire.

For those fortunate enough to have visited Italy, the thing most people want to do, besides enjoying the wonderful Italian cuisine, is to visit the many historical sites. Some of the most spectacular are from the glory days of Rome.

Tonight, I invite you to make that journey.

I have 2 books available, one on Rome and one on Pompeii, each with a DVD. The 2 DVDs will play on the laptops. Through animation, it will show many of the sites from Rome and Pompeii. Each book has overlays showing some of the most famous sites of Rome and Pompeii, depicting them as they look today, and as it looked 2000 years ago.

The overlays in the book on Rome covers:

The Roman Forum which is the oldest part of the city of Rome. It is a collection of buildings around a rectangular square or plaza. It was originally the market place, a sort of Roman Countryside Mall, but evolved into a collection of government buildings, palaces and temples. Some of the buildings date from the monarchy, prior to 500 BC.

Included in the area of the Forum are:

The House of the Vestal Virgins was built during the 6th century BC.

The 6 vestal virgins were priestesses of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. The virgins were the keepers of the sacred fire and were to draw water for special occasions. Their well being was thought to be tied to the well being of Rome itself. The virgins were sworn to chastity for 30 years. The cult of the Vestals continued for 900 years.

The Temple of Castor and Pollux, dating from about 484 BC, was where the Senate met, the weights and measures were kept. It was also a depository for the state treasuries.

Temple of Saturn 497 BC a monument to the God of agriculture.

The Basilica Julia dedicated by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, rebuilt in 12 AD and 283 AD used mainly for civil courts, it was also a favorite public meeting place.

The Domus Aurea, meaning Golden House was built by Nero after Rome burned in 64 AD. It got its name from the gold leaf which was used extensively, as well as semi-precious stones imbedded in the stuccoed ceilings, marble and inlaid ivory. It was estimated to be between 100 to 300 acres, with 500 rooms. This was a party villa with extensive use of fountains and a man-made lake in the center of Rome. Even for Rome it was considered an excess. Domus Aurea was documented by Pliny the Elder, historian of the time. It is fortunate for us that it was documented since after Nero’s suicide in 68 AD, the whole complex became an embarrassment to his successors. It was filled with earth and built over. Notably, it was discovered at the end of the 15th century when a young Roman fell through a small narrow opening in the hillside which covered Nero’s Golden House.

The Coliseum was begun in 72 AD by Vespasian on part of the grounds of the Domus Aurea, It was completed in 80 AD by his son Titus. It was originally called the Flavian Amphitheatre, and it could accommodate 50,000 spectators.

The Temple of Vespasian 87 AD

Trajan’s Forum and Markets built around 100 AD are very intact by comparison with some of the other buildings and it contains remnants of a library.

The Pantheon built about 126 AD is significant because of its rotunda, which has a coffered concrete dome with a hole in the center. Called an occulus, the opening is 142 feet high and 142 feet in diameter. It is the world’s largest unreinforced dome --- 2000 years later.

Hadrian’s Mausoleum / Castel Sant’ Angelo was built in 138 AD. It held the cremains of Hadrian and his family and other emporers till Caracalla in 217 AD. It was turned into a military fortress in 401 AD. In the 1400, the popes converted the Mausoleum into a castle. In 1277 the Passetto di Borgo was constructed. At almost ½ mile, it connected Castel Sant’Angelo to St Peter’s Basilica and offered safe passage for the popes and others at various times of turbulence.

The Temple of Antonius and Faustina, begun in 141 AD, later consecrated as the Roman Catholic Church San Lorenzo in Miranda maybe as early as the 7th century AD.

This book also touches on other aspects of the Vatican and briefly on Pompeii.

Pompeii is of course more thoroughly covered in the second book, with overlays depicting the Eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Pompeii was buried under up to 20 feet of ash until its rediscovery in 1749. At this time, this area of Italy was under the control of Charles, the King of Naples and Sicily who was a member of the Bourbon dynasty. Excavations began almost immediately, but very haphazardly. Archaeology was not the science that is now practiced. Instead, the goal was to gather as many artifacts that the moneyed gentry would purchase.

Until the Unification in 1861, the control of this region was under the control of the Spanish House of Borbonne, the Austian Hapsburgs and the French under Napoleon. Napoleon’s sister Caroline had a great interest in the excavation of the site and invested her personal wealth and prestige to continue the work.

After the Unification, work started again with improved excavation techniques and greater interest and care given to preservation.

From 1910 to 1961, excavation was almost feverish. The boundaries of the city were finally established. Vittorio Spinazolla was the director of Archeological Works from 1910 until 1924. Under his guidance the route from the Amphitheater was united with the center of the city. More importantly, he was convinced and later proved that prior excavations had not only damaged intact roofs, but also misrepresented buildings which originally had more than one story.

Spinazolla was succeeded by Amedeo Maiuri in 1924. His work continued until 1961. In the 1930, he was able to fully identify the boundary walls of the city. He also was able to successfully and scientifically remove all of the piles of earth from previous excavations so that the whole archeological area was usable.

Since 1961, the emphasis has been on the preservation and restoration of what has already been uncovered. In November 2010, the House of the Gladiators collapsed. The cause of the collapse has not been fully established, but it is believed to have been caused by water infiltration due to heavy rains. Pompeii is visited annually by 2 ½ million people each year.

Other structures covered include the Temple of Apollo, the Basilica, the Forum, and the Temple of the Genius of Vespasian. The House of the Tragic Poet is notable for a floor mosaic of a dog which decorates the entry. Under the dog are the words Cave Canem, which roughly translates to “Beware of the Dog”.

The House of the Faun is a large and aristocratic dwelling. The House of the Faun also has an interesting mosaic on the floor of its entry. Spelled out is “HAVE”, a variation of “Ave”, a greeting for meeting and parting, making it mosaic a kind of welcome mat. The House of the Vettii (named for 2 freedmen who owned the house.). Modestums Bakery is complete with millstones for grinding grain. The millstones were turned by slaves or donkeys. Benches where the dough
was prepared and even the ovens are intact, along with 81 carbonized loaves of bread. Photo overlays also cover the Stabian Baths and the Temple of Isis.

Cultural Segment Information

12/23/2011

At each of our General membership meetings, we include a segment about Italy's traditions, customs, regions, and famous Italians. We hope you enjoy as you can read over our segments here.

Ciao!

Settembrata

Oh My! What a Fiasco

That's Amore

Buon Natale

Ancient Treasures

Cultural Segment Information

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