Read published article at Italian Notebook

I wound my way up the narrow road towards the tiny, secluded sanctuary of S. Lucia in Sassinoro. I was on my way to meet Giovanna, a volunteer in the shrine’s wee gift shop.  She and her husband Giorgio were part of the family I was researching for a heritage tour.

Like many holy places, the legend surrounding S. Lucia in Sassinoro began in the spring of 1600 as a shepherd’s tale.  A number of sheep had been mysteriously disappearing and just as mysteriously reappearing again after a few minutes, so the shepherds decided to follow the flock as they grazed.  They discovered that the animals were going in and out of a split in the rocky face of the mountain.  They squeezed through the narrow crack and made their way into the hillside until they reached a grotto where they were suddenly blinded by the appearance of a beautiful woman and a handsome young man bathed in shimmering light.

They ran home to tell of their miraculous encounter and returned with the town priest to verify the account.  In the grotto they found a statue of S. Lucia and S. Michele!  The town fathers decided to erect a place of worship on the spot and construction of the sanctuary began in 1622 and was completed in 1643.

Today this quaint little church nestles quietly into the mountain above the village of Sassinoro. But once inside, the feeling becomes one of awe as the apse is dramatically set into the huge overhanging face of the grotto. It is still possible to squeeze through the original path which the shepherds took on all fours, to view the ancient statues of S. Lucia and S. Michele.

S. Lucia is the patron saint of the blind and a small room off the side of the church is filled with reliquaries containing silver ex-votos donated by faithful worshipers who have regained their sight after praying to her.

A Circus Comes to Sassinoro

On the day of my visit to the sanctuary, I had an experience so glorious in its absurdity that it had to be documented and shared.

While admiring the inside of the church of S. Lucia in Sassinoro, my host Giovanna pointed out the last-minute preparations being made for a wedding that was to take place shortly: the bride and groom’s seats and pew had been padded with white satin drapery; the central aisle carpeted with a white runner and strewn carefully with orange rose petals.  Bouquets of yellow flowers decorated the pews on either side of the carpet, creating a strong visual perspective towards the magnificent, suspended cross with its incredible, rocky backdrop.

As we walked out into the dappled sunlight I began to say my goodbyes, but my eyes were drawn to a strange apparition on the far side of the courtyard, standing directly opposite a white marble statue of Padre Pio.  Like the glimmering image of St. Michael in the dark grotto of 1600, a young man stood, emanating a blinding light.  I had to blinked twice to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me.

He was olive-skinned and decked from head to toe in shades of cream and white.  A diamond-studded clasp closed the lapels of a jacket made out of what seemed to be upholstery fabric; a smaller pin glinted at his throat in place of a tie.  While the unhemmed pants billowed out over his cream-coloured boots, a jauntily-held white cane brought my gaze back to ruffled shirt-cuffs peaking out from the jacket sleeves.  The whole thing was topped off by a top hat studded with sequins.

Could this be St. Barnum or Bailey, I wondered, or was it a character out of a Savoyard production of Gilbert & Sullivan? The total effect was of a ring-leader at a circus and I watched, tranfixed, to see whether he would pull a rabbit out of his hat.

“Oh my God”, I gasped slowly, “It’s the groom!”

Two considertions broke into my mind.  What kind of person could have suggested this bizarre outfit and had the young man had to pay for it?

At that moment the bride’s entourage pulled up at the the gate below, cars piling up behind the her 10-meter limousine which huffed to a halt at the bottom of the stairs.  Out spilled a cresting wave of white tulle.

This gal must have been a long-standing member of the congregation of S. Lucia because the lenses of her glasses were thick as bottle-bottoms. Her father  - also dressed in white, but with an interesting shade of purple shirt and tie – helped her out of the car and proudly led her up the stairs.  Not to be outdone, her mother wore a red strapless gown while her aunt videoed the procession from behind in a tight-fitting black dress with a striking cleavage.  Someone at the top of the steps shouted down to the bride as she bravely navigated the stairs that she was lifting her dress too high for decency…

The riotous assembly regrouped in the sunlit churchyard, as the four-year-old bridesmaid augustly took her place behind the couple and holding the end of veil in her tiny hands.

Padre Pio, unperturbed by the garish show, calmly blessed everyone as they entered into the shadows of the church.

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Coming Soon - A Savour the Sannio Culinary Adventure

The Sannio is renowned for its excellent honey. Graced with fertile land and temperate climate, the meadows and heirloom orchards of the Beneventano provide an ideal environment for busy honey bees. It comes as no surprise therefore that the Sannio is one of Italy’s largest producers of honey.

Life on Earth as we know it depends on the honey bee, Nature’s hardest working citizens. “No bees, no honey; no work, no money” the old saying goes: master ecologists, they are essential for the pollination of many fruit, nuts and vegetable crops. It is said that were the honey bee to disappear from the face of the globe, Man would quickly follow.

Little-known facts about bees:
Bees have 5 eyes, can fly at 20 mph and have two pairs of wings; an average hive can hold over 50,000 bees in the summer; the queen bee lays over 1500 eggs per day which is equivalent to the weight of her own body; losing its stinger will cause a bee to die; bees carry pollen on their hind legs; to make one pound of honey foragers must collect nectar from 2 million flowers; the average forager will make about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime.

What a buzz! So take the day to appreciate the product of these noble creatures while enjoying the fresh air and sunshine in the company of the Razzano family at their beautiful organic farm. A glorious day out for family and friends! A jar of honey makes a great gift.

PROGRAM
10:00 - 11am –Guided visits to the beehives. We will put on protective gear and visit the bees’ waxy homes to see how they live and are cared for.
11:00 - 12 am – Take part in the process of honey-making
12:00 – 1:00 pm – Jam-Making. Over an open fire guests will be able to participate in the ritual stirring of the season’s first jams.
1:30 pm – 4 course lunch with wine.
After lunch relax in the gardens, children can have fun at the playground or visit the farm animals or visit Sant’Agata de’ Goti.

“Honey, even more than wine, is a reflection of place. If the process of grape to glass is alchemy, then the trail from blossom to bottle is one of reflection. The nectar collected by the bee is the spirit and sap of the plant, its sweetest juice. Honey is the flower transmuted, its scent and beauty transformed into aroma and taste.” - Stephanie Rosenbaum

Bees work for man, and yet they never bruise
Their Master’s flower, but leave it having done,
As fair as ever and as fit to use;
So both the flower doth stay and honey run. - George Herbert

And last but not least, a reminder: unless you want to be pollinated by bees, don’t wear perfume  in the garden!

DIRECTIONS BY CAR FROM ROME
1. take the AI motorway south towards Naples and exit at CAIANELLO (125km from the Roma Sud tollgate).
2. take the SS 372 Telesina (first right) towards Benevento.
3. after 35 km take the exit for S. Agata dei Goti and Naples.
4. you will now be on the Fondo Valle dell’Isclero  (call us at this point.  You are about 15 minutes away)
5. Take exit for Sant’Agata dei Goti.  Follow this road for about 1km and look out for the wooden sign with Ape Regina on your right.

By respecting all the speed limits the trip should take no more that 3 1/2 hours.

DIRECTIONS BY CAR FROM NAPLES take the A1 Motorway north and exit at Caserta Sud.  Follow the signs for Benevento and Telese. After passing the Carolino Aqueduct, take the second exit marked Sant’Agata dei Goti. (call us at this point.  You are about 5 minutes away)  Follow this road for about 1km and look out for the wooden sign with Ape Regina on your right.

(Many thanks to David Traylor for the title of this event)

Watch the fascinating TED video on bees.

Una Gustosa Avventura con Savour the Sannio

Click here for English version

Il Sannio è noto per il suo miele di qualità: le api trovano ancora in questa regione ampie campagne e paesaggi arricchiti da colline, montagne, orti e frutteti. Non sorprende che questo ricco ambiente regali un prodotto ottimo e vario.

La vita come la conosciamo sulla Terra dipende molto dall’ape: è uno dei nostri più utili ed instancabili concittadini, conosciuta fin dall’antichità come proverbiale simbolo di grande lavoratrice. Oggi apprezziamo anche il ruolo di questi insetti nella indispensabile impollinazione di molti raccolti di frutta e verdure.
Si dice che se l’ape dovesse scomparire dal pianeta l’Uomo non sopravviverebbe a lungo.

Alcuni dati poco noti sulle api:
Sono dotate di 5 occhi e  volano ad oltre 35 km/h con le loro due paia di ali; un alveare in estate può ospitare in media 50.000 individui; la regina è l’unica a deporre uova, oltre 1500 al giorno, pari al peso del suo corpo; un’ape muore se perde il pungiglione; il polline viene trasportato sulle zampe posteriori; per produrre 1 etto di miele le operaie bottinatrici devono visitare mezzo milione di fiori; quindi nella sua breve vita un’operaia ne  produce mezzo cucchiaino.

C’è di che farsi ronzare le orecchie! Quindi approfittate dell’occasione per conoscere da vicino queste grandi piccole creature, e godere una giornata all’aperto in compagnia della famiglia Razzano, nella loro Azienda biologica. Sarà una magnifica scampagnata per famiglie, bambini ed amici. Ed un barattolo di miele è sempre un dolce regalo.

PROGRAMMA
10:00 -11:00 – Visite guidate alle arnie. Indosseremo le protezioni per vedere da vicino come le api vivono e sono curate nelle loro case di cera.
11:00 – 12:00 – Dimostrazione della raccolta del miele
12:00 – 13:00 – Preparazione delle marmellate. Gli ospiti potranno vedere e partecipare alle tradizionali confetture della prima frutta di stagione.
13:30 – Pranzo di 4 portate ed ottimo vino della casa
Relax dopo pranzo nei giardini, i piccoli troveranno giochi ed animali da avvicinare; oppure passeggiata in S. Agata.

“Il miele, ancor più del vino, rispecchia un luogo. Se dal grappolo al bicchiere è un cammino di alchimia, allora dal fiore al vaso è uno di riflessione. Il nettare raccolto dall’ape è spirito ed essenza della pianta, il suo succo più dolce. Il miele è il fiore trasmutato, il suo profumo e bellezza cambiati in aroma e gusto.” -Stephanie Rosenbaum.

“Le api lavorano per l’uomo, eppure mai rovinano
Il fiore del padron; ma volate, lo lasciano,
Bello e sano come sempre;
Così insieme vive il fiore e scorre il miele.” - George Herbert

Ed infine, ma da non trascurare, meglio evitare di mettere profumo, quando si sta vicino alle api!

DIREZIONI PER S. AGATA DEI GOTI DA ROMA
1. Prendere l’Autostrada del Sole AI verso Napoli e uscire a CAIANELLO (125km dal casello di Roma Sud).
2. Prendere la SS 372 Telesina (prima destra) verso Benevento.
3. Dopo 35 km prendere l’uscita per S. Agata dei Goti e Napoli.
4. Siete sul Fondo Valle dell’Isclero  (Chiamateci a questo punto.  Mancano circa 15 minuti di strada)

5. Prendere l’uscita per Sant’Agata dei Goti.  Seguire questa strada fino all’ultima uscita, girare a sinistra e poi a destra.  Questa stradina vi porterà al bivio per l’Ape Regina (sulla destra) dopo circa un kilometro.

Rispettando tutti i limiti di velocità il tempo di percorrenza non supera 3 ore e mezza.

DA NAPOLI prendere l’Autostrada del Sole A1 verso nord e uscire a Caserta Sud.  Seguire indicazioni per Marcianise o Benevento.  Circa 1km seguire indicazioni verso destra per Benevento/Maddaloni/Telese.  Dopo 3.5 km uscire a destra per Benevento.  Dopo circa 4km girare a sinistra seguendo indicazioni per Telese/Sant’Agata dei Goti.  Dopo aver passati sotto l’Aquedotto Carolino, dopo circa 9km prendere la seconda uscita che indica Sant’Agata dei Goti. (chiamateci a questo punto.  Mancano circa 5 minuti)  Questa stradina vi porterà al bivio per l’Ape Regina (sulla destra) dopo circa un kilometro.

by Leslie Xavier– 03/17/2009

I was recently invited by some friends to tour the Biblioteca Nazionale located in the Royal Palace.  When I think of old libraries I think Trinity College,  New York City Public Library or Harvard Library;

prodigious centers of learning and scholarly research with huge tomes containing secrets long forgotten.  Bespectacled clerks solemnly stamping endless piles of books in the reverent silence;  dim research

rooms lined with ceiling-high bookshelves lit only by the small lamps with green glass shades in the precise center of each research table.  And finally, the smell – that sweet stuffy smell of old books and old

wood or the carbon matter of brains burning brightly.  Needless to say, I was thrilled to join them.

My tour starts with a “cappuccio” at Gran Café Gambrinus, one of Naples oldest and most venerable cafés.  This is an adventure in itself.  Rumored to have been the hangout of Oscar Wilde, its polished and

often snooty staff now serve pricey coffee and cocktails to an interesting cross-section of humanity.  Don’t get me wrong, the show is worth the cost of admission (have a coffee, but at the bar).  The clientele

vary from local gentry nodding and talking to their favorite waiter, the chic exec impressing a date or clients,  ragazzi gathered in raucous groups or the smitten tourist bedazzled with just being

in Naples.  For those of you who love to people-watch, this is a real treat.

After coffee we headed across the street to the East Branch of the Royal Palace which is on Piazza Trieste e Trento.  We enter through  the lush gardens designed by botanist Denardt and pass the massive Main Entrance to the Royal Apartments.  There’s a sumptuous staircase laden with pink marble from Madragone, Portovenere and Vitulano and crushed stone from Sicily.  It is not difficult to imagine gallant courtiers arriving on mounts and others lingering to enjoy the shade of the garden with its exotic plants.

We step into the library entrance and meet our tour guide, Lucia Marinelli, who is with the American Section.  Yes, I said American Section.  The library maintains an excellent collection of American works.

Lucia is the unoffical English speaking embassador for the library.

We begin in the heart of the library – the research areas.  I’m thrilled to see it just as I had imagined but I would certainly have a difficult time studying here as I would find my time spent studying the art and

architecture over my books. Lucia explains the lovely rooms with its baroque decorations along with stories behind the elegant moldings.  Rumor has it that the queen used certain moldings to spy on courtiers

to insure she was the most elegant woman there before presenting herself to court.

The library’s holdings have an incredible history starting with its inception in 1734 around the Farnese collection from Capodimonte and increasing in size with the addition of new material from monastic libraries after the dissolution of religious orders as well as from donations and acquisitions of private collections.  The library was officially opened in 1804 to the public.  We wound our way through a miriad of book collections and unusual rooms.

We eventually found our way to the Papyri Room. The room contains 1,792 ancient papyri from the city of Herculaneum which was destroyed along with Pompeii in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D.  When the Villa of the Papyri was was excavated in the 18th century, many of the papyri were thought to be merely charred pieces of wood. On display are a few of the carbonized papyri along with a peculiar machine invented by Antonio Piaggio to miraculously unroll them (it took nearly 40 years to unroll the 900 that are visible today). We were actually able to actually see the papyri – its texture like a dried leaf that at the slightest touch would crumble.  Tthe curator Agnese Travaglione explained the efforts being made to photograph, preserve and decipher the ancient texts on these scrolls which are thought to be from the 3rd century to the 1st century AD.  Modern day spectral analysis and computer-enhanced photography done by Brigham Young University have done an incredible job of saving the contents for posterity.  Mrs. Travaglione provided a very informative commentary on the research and significance of these texts, comparing them to other literary works of the time.  All of this translated for us by Lucia in great detail and with great enthusiasm and expertise.

Next, the Fondo Aosta Room, a collection of memorabilia from the French duchess Elena d’Aosta, wife of Emanuel Filiberto, Duke of Aosta.  This has to be one of the most eccentric exhibits I’ve seen in

Italy.  The exhibit contains two rooms of trophy animals and some 9,000 pictures documenting the life and times of the woman who won the hearts and imagination of the Neapolitans.   Imagine the head and

pelt of a huge giraffe mounted on the wall across from a now extinct triple-horned black rhino.  Don’t trip on the Zebra head that is part of a rug.  Black and white photos tell the story of an intrepid

adventuress as well as a decorated nurse and explorer.  I felt a bit chagrined though as Lucia explained that the exhibit was important as many of the animals displayed there are now extinct.  Hmmmm, maybe

we took one too many trophies?  Regardless, you cannot help but feel the exhilaration of her personality still there among her belongings.  This exhibit is open to the public only upon special request.

Finally we ended our tour with the “Manuscripts and Rare Items Section” which is one of the most important archives of its type in Europe. The curator,  Maria Rosaria Grizzuti, was waiting for our group and filled us with enthusiasm for her work and that of the library.  How could she not be excited with the delicious assortment of manuscripts: from examples of the 11th century “Scriptura Beneventana” to a manuscript of the “Gerusalemme Conquistata” by Tasso.  In all, I believe the library’s archies hold over 32,000 manuscripts; the ones display were used as teaching tools and her explanations of the history of the illuminated texts were wonderful.  I came away with a much broader understanding of manuscripts in general.

What a fabulous tour and the cost?????  Zero, nada, niente – that’s right nothing!  This is a service offered to the public free of charge.  How do you get into the library and see these wonderful sights?  The

Room of the Papyri is open each day and you are free to visit.  Check out this link to the library’s site in English -  http://www.bnnonline.it/traduzio/eng/info.htm .  Here you can get the hours for your visit as

well as a map and directions to the library.  The manuscript room and the Fondo Aosta Room require a guide.  You can reserve an English speaking guide.  I will be scheduling a small tour like this one in

April in conjunction with our April tour.  I will post information on this later so stay tuned and check out the site http://www.iasnaples.org/index2.htm.

APRIL 17th, 24th and MAY 1st, 2010

(versione italiana)

Fresh, hot bread.  A rush of old memories.   Who can resist the smell of it, or the temptation to rush into the baker’s and buy a slab of hot pizza bianca?

My grandfather had a clever saying on how to remember where the sun rises and sets.  “It’s like bread”, he’d say in his thick yiddish accent. “It rises in the yeast and it sets behind the vest.”

Although small bakeries are getting harder to find in the big cities, we are fortunate to live in a part of Italy where people still make home-made bread that stays fresh for days, baked in their outdoor wooden-burning ovens.

And that’s an experience we’d like to share with you: a hands-on experience; kneading the dough, baking the pizzas and brushing off the loaves of casareccio - mixed with laughter, friendship and fine food.

With the collaboration the Mustilli family, famous for their exceptional Falanghina and Aglianico, Savour the Sannio invites you to spend a weekend in the region where, in addition to learning a few local recipes you will also taste the region’s superb wines.

My grandmother used to say, “If you can bake bread, you can make a living”. Come and learn from locals.

Calling all vegetarians! This is the perfect outing for you!

PROGRAM-Day One (Saturday)

-Arrival in Sant’Agata dei Goti and check-in at the Agriturismo Mustilli

-Welcome aperitivo in the gardens of the Mustilli home for a tasting of their latest wine: Spumante di Falanghina.

-Lunch and wine-tasting at Palazzo Rainone. Owner and enologist Leonardo Mustilli will explain the process of making wine today and guide us through a tasting of his renowned Falanghina and Aglianico.

-Visit to the 16th century wine cellars hewn into the tufa rock.

- Preparing the bread and kneading the dough.
- Cooking lesson: Pancotto.  A traditional recipe made with dried bread, vegetables and extravirgin olive oil.
-Preparation of the wood-burning oven and baking of the bread.
-Dinner with at the Mustilli wine bar

PROGRAM-Day Two (Sunday)
-Breakfast
-Visit to the outdoor market
-Guided tour of the city.

PRICE
Adults: 185,00 euro per person with double room occupancy
Children ages 0-3: Free  (you pay only for their meals)
Children ages 3-6: Half price.

Price includes:

- double room occupancy with breakfast
-Welcome aperitivo
- Three course lunch with bottled wine
- wine-tasting
- bread-baking and cooking lessons
- Visit to the Mustilli winery and wine museum
- Dinner with music
- personal guide and interpreter
- Guided tour of S. Agata dei Goti

Click here to read about last year’s tour.

To reserve your place contact Barbara Goldfield at barbaragoldfield@savourthesannio.com or call 0823.953663 or 347.1416866

This exclusive event is limited to no more than 8 people per date.  The B&B requires two weeks advance notice so please sign up immediately to reserve your place.
We must reach a minimum of 6 people to hold this event.

DIRECTIONS BY CAR TO S. AGATA DEI GOTI FROM ROME
1. take the AI motorway south towards Naples and exit at CAIANELLO (125km from the Roma Sud tollgate).
2. take the SS 372 Telesina (first right) towards Benevento.
3. after 35 km take the exit for S. Agata dei Goti and Naples.
4. you will now be on the Fondo Valle dell’Isclero  (call us at this point.  You are about 15 minutes away)
5. Take exit for Sant’Agata dei Goti.  Follow this road to its natural end, then take a left and then a right.  This winding road will take you to the central square of Sant’Agata where we will be waiting for you.

By respecting all the speed limits the trip should take no more that 3 1/2 hours.

FROM NAPLES take the A1 Motorway north and exit at Caserta Sud.  Follow the signs for Benevento and Telese. After passing the Carolino Aqueduct, take the second exit marked Sant’Agata dei Goti. (call us at this point.  You are about 5 minutes away)  Follow this road for 5 km, then turn left, cross the bridge to central square of Sant’Agata where we will be waiting for you.