The fireflies are already out and giving a fantastic display this year – much better than last year. They look much prettier from a distance than from close up as the photo from World News Update shows.
Bill and I first saw fireflies about 20 years ago when we were walking through a vineyard outside Florence. It was at the end the end of June and so, perhaps because of climate change,they are coming out earlier in the year. No matter how many times you see them they are enchanting.
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Today the 25th April the 12 Culture Week finishes in Italy. During the week there are various events organised to allow people to see places not normally open or to provide talks etc to introduce people to works of art. Pergola organised a meeting for Saturday at the Church of Mary on the Piazza. There was to be a talk about a 14th century fresco discovered in the church after an the 1997 earthquake which had badly damaged Assisi.
The meeting began at 5.00 and we got to see the fresco at 6.15. For 75 minutes we had the mayor introducting the 4 speakers. All four of the speakers were difficult to hear even with a microphone and all could have benefitted from a training course on public speaking. They all had the habit of turning to talk to the mayor and the other speakers instead of talking to the audience (100 people). All the speakers began by thanking various people, all stressed the need to inform people of Pergola’s cultural heritage and unfortunately the audience were too polite to shout out “but we’re only here for the fresco”.
We did finally see the fresco and it is worth going to see. The theme is the crucifixion complete with the devil coming to take the soul of the unrepentant thief. The fresco is probably the work of two artists. The first began work on the frescok at the beginning of the 1300s and was then continued by another artist some years later.
The central section i.e. Christ on the cross was probably destroyed when later generations wanted to create a niche in the wall for an altar. Only the head of Christ remains of this central portion.
Today, 25th April, is celebrated as Liberation Day in Italy. San Giorgio’s liberation happened in August 1944.
Background
San Giorgio lies between the Cesano and Metauro Rivers. On the 9th of August 1944 the Polish army began a two day battle which allowed the allies to each the Cesano valley. The German army withdrew to the mountain ridge between the Cesano and Metauro rivers.
The night between the 17th and 18th of august an offensive was launched by the Allies in order to take this defensive line and to weaken the German forces before the attack on the Gothic line. The plan had as its object the unhinging of the enemys defence in the Mondolfo/San Costanzo/ Cerasa/ Montemaggiore zone.
The battle lasted three days and led to the expulsion of various German defensive positions (Montecucco, San Giorgio di Pesaro, Piagge) and the conquest (22nd August) of the Metauro valley from Montemaggiore to Fossombrone. (more…)
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On Tuesday evening we went to Rimini to see a film of Bellini’s “I Puritani” staged in Bologna last year. The leads (the couple on the left) were Juan Diego Florez and Nino Machaidze the new “dream couple” of opera. The cinema was small but the screen large and the sound quality excellent. The opera started 8.30 and finished at 11.45. So a long evening well worth the journey but it meant we didn’t get home until after 1.00 am.
We went with Pam and Michael (photo on the right) who live with their dog (photo below) Max in Tavernelle, not too far from us. Their daughter Naomi joined us for the evening as she was stranded in Italy following the iceland volcanic explosions. Before the cinema we went to a restaurant called “Osteria del Borgo” which had been recommended by a friend and which was just round the corner from the cinema. This was very useful as we finished eating at 8.25. A great find both in terms of convenience and the quality of the food.
The tickets to the cinema normally cost 10 euros but we got in for 8 euros, the pensioners’ rate. Not sure how Pam convinced the person at the ticket desk that Bill and I looked over 65.
p.s. the opera’s plot is very complex but basically Arturo and Elvira are in love. Arturo leaves Elvira for various reasons. Elvira goes mad, which is indicated by her always wearing a long white nightie and forgetting to comb her hair. Arturo returns, all is forgiven, Elvira regains her sanity and they sing happily ever after.
On Monday Don Giorgio arrived to give the house its annual blessing. Last year he had not been well and instead of going to each house he held a blessing service in the church. This year he is back in top form and so was calling on each family. He was meant to arrive at 4.30 (when the house was tidy) but a funeral intervened and so he arrived about 6.30 when we were cooking and the house was not looking so pristine.
The blessing is very simple. He reads out a prayer and sprinkes the room with holy water. The only hestitation in his voice came when he said that we were all Christians in this house. As Bill goes to mass most weeks he got an assured look from Don Giorgio. For me, the look was rather more doubtful.
Each year each family is left a religious picture and this year it was an icon of the Holy Family.
Pam and Michael like opera and told us about the Tiberio Cinema in Rimini who hold viewings of operas – both recorded and live broadcasts. The cinema/theatre is managed by the local parish but forms part of the Associazione Cattolia Esercenti Cinema nd is also a member of the Federazione Italiana Cinema d’essai (art house cinema). From 2008 the cimema has new equipment capable of showing films in “high definition”.
This week we are hoping, tickets permitting, to go and see “I Puritani”. When we were back in the UK recently the friend we were staying with kept “dipping into” the Arts channel. They always seemed to repeating “I puritani”. So I have seen the end of the first act and the beginning of the second act. It will be nice to see the whole thing and find out if it has a happy ending.
Work started a couple of weeks ago on refurbishing part of an old warehouse at the start of Via Garibaldi. Apparently the new shop or shops will be the newsagents which will move from its current position on a side street. Not sure if the other shop will be separate or share the same shop with the newsagents but it will be selling Fresh Pasta. Apart from fresh pizza it will also be selling pizza and pastries.
Not sure when the new shops will open and also not sure when the new cafe at the garage will open. Apparently all the paper work is now in order and they are just waiting for the building work to start. Is it possible that in a few months time we will have a choice of places from where to buy our brioche?
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Italy will be holding regional elections on the 28 and 29th March. It has been very controversial as in Lazio region the main party (Mr Burlesconi’s party) failed to register its papers in time and so they have been barred from running. The man from the party had been in the queue to register the papers, but feeling a bit peckish decided to go for something to eat. When he returned the offices had closed. Now the Tv is full of Mr Berlusconi calling it all a plot and holding demonstrations to force the “admin system” to give his party permission to run. |
On the TV there are numerous party political broadcasts – including breakfast time. Usually they are middle age man staring at the camera and telling the electorate what they would do if elected. The Reformed Communist Party, who were almost wiped out as a political force at the last election, have also produced a political broadcast. We spluttered over our weetabix as the party broadcast for the “Reformed Communists” was aired. No boring, talking man for them. They have gone for revolution and demonstations. To see the broadcast Click here.
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Following our two lessons on the theory of olive and fruit tree pruning we were ready for the practical. The photo shows Paolo coming to start the course and wondering what he has done as the whole class had turned up secateurs in hand and ready for action. |
We had the most fantastic day for the course. It seemed that spring had suddenly arrived as there was a beautiful blue sky and the temperatures in the low 60s. Paolo began by pruning a few olive trees highlighting all the points he had made in the lessons.
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A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from John and Janet Sweeney (not a common Italian name) asking if I could let them know where to find birth and marriage certificates of Janet’s family as she wanted to claim her Italian citizenship. Her grandparents, Ulia Aniballi and Ernisto Bacchiocchi, had lived and married in San Giorgio and had then headed west to America.
Records of births and marriages are available from the local registry office and records begin in about 1866. So I was able to go to the local town hall and the very helpful Massimo Branchini who has responsibility for the records, quickly found and copied the marriage certificate and the birth certificate of the grandmother Ulia Aniballi. The marriage certificate showed that the grandfather, Ernisto Bachiocchi, had been born in Monte Porzio, a town about 10 kilometres away.
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