Massa Marittima

On the third day of our weekend getaway in the Maremma, my friends opted to skip the beach and instead visit the town of Massa Marittima on our way back to Florence.  I had not been to this town, and truth be told, had not heard of it.  Sergio mentioned that I would get to see the famous fresco of a "cock tree".  I wasn't sure how to imagine this fresco, and Sergio just said to wait and see.  I was intrigued.  

Shortly after we left the B and B, we turned off onto a dirt road. "Where does this lead?" I asked?  The reply, "To the house up ahead."  Our first stop was at a farm to buy some of their favorite jarred veggies and sauces.  First we chatted.  Then, we selected vegetables that were picked that morning-- pomodorini, lettuce, zucchini blossoms, an assortment of peppers.  We crossed the lot from the farm area into the shop where there are cupboards of jarred vegetables.  A specialty of this shop is the artichokes.  After a comprehensive selection, payment and more conversation, we were on our way.  

Since we were still in the hills of Tuscany, the drive was beautiful.  We reached the municipal parking lot of Massa Marittima in time to get one of the last spots.  It was Sunday, good weather, and a mountain bike race ending in the town!  Our first stop was the fresco.  

Try to look closely and see the "unusual fruit" hanging from the tree and that the women are collecting.  The fresco is located behind a trough where women would go to wash clothes.  It was hidden behind a plaster wall and discovered in 1999!!  The fresco is dated between 1265 and 1335 and referred to as the "Tree of Fertility".  It might also have been symbolic for an abundant harvest.  

The area of the town dates back to prehistoric times.  There were Etruscan settlements nearby.  It was caught between the wars of Siena and Florence. In more recent history, Massa Marittima  was an important site for the mining of minerals such as iron, mercury and copper.  The last mines closed in 1994, and now its main income is tourism. And, apparently, mountain biking.  

The construction on this cathedral dates to the 1200's.  It is dedicated to San Cerbone, Saint Cerbonius, who had a long and unusual life.  His story is told in bas relief around his tomb inside the church and also above the door on the outside of the cathedral.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerbonius

https://www.turismomassamarittima.it/en/la-cattedrale-di-san-cerbone/

The day we visited Massa Marittima, was also the day of a mountain bike race.  For me, this was quite special as it brought back memories of the many times I accompanied my son to various mountain bike races and courses, especially before he could drive.  In this piazza, the contrast of the young riders and the ancient buildings was notable.  

http://www.thetrailbrothers.com/en/

The day was wonderful and filled with the joy of being in Italy-- good friends, surprising art, ancient history, great food, and the sign of new life in old surroundings.

Be sure to add Massa Marittima to your travel list for Tuscany!  Ciao for now! 

Layers

If you are a regular reader of The New York Times, you might recall this article from April, 2015, about a family in Lecce, Italy, who discovered remnants from ancient civilizations under the floor of their building.  The story is that Mr. Faggiano was digging to find a sewer pipe when he found underground rooms, tombs, and relics.  On my trip to Lecce, I visited what is now the Faggiano Museum and had an informative talk with Andrea Faggiano, who is running the museum. 

The Faggiano Museum is on a quiet side street in the historical center of Lecce.  While there is a small sign at the corner pointing to the museum entrance, it wasn't until I saw the blow-up of the front page of the New York Times article that I connected the family name to the story.   Fortunately, I had plenty of time to stop for a visit. 

As I was paying the entrance fee, I mentioned to the gentleman behind the desk that I remembered reading the article that was in the NY Times.  He was excited to hear that and introduced himself as Andrea, one of the sons mentioned in the article.  Andrea was living in London, in part to escape from the digging, but returned to help run the museum. He filled in other details of the story.  The journalist who wrote the article was in Lecce to write about a tree blight.  He knew of the "digging" and visited.  His wife encouraged him to write about the Faggiano family, which he did.  Andrea said the journalist figured the article would appear in the travel section of the newspaper.  Instead, it was on the front page of the New York edition, the International edition, and the Asian edition! Maybe April 14, 2015 was a slow news day? Needless to say, the museum got busy quickly, and now the fees help to support the family.  

Andrea provided an overview of the museum layout, gave me a document in English that explained each of the numbered items in the museum, and told me I was free to take photographs.  So, I set out to explore. 

The museum provides a glimpse into different civilizations, each built on top of the other.  While many items are on display, others have been taken into state custody.  Because of their discoveries, the Faggiano family has achieved some celebrity status.  They were honored in New York City by members of the Italian-American Museum.  In turn, when visitors with the Italian-American Museum decided to visit Lecce, they were given a warm welcome and a party at the Faggiano Museum.  

I asked Andrea if his father was still digging, and if he ever opened his trattoria.  The answer to both questions was "Yes!"  Mr. Faggiano purchased the building next door to continue his excavations.  And, a block away he was able to open his own cafe.  

Here's the link to the article.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/world/europe/centuries-of-italian-history-are-unearthed-in-quest-to-fix-toilet.html

Go for Baroque

After my stay in Bari, I decided to go further south to reach Lecce.  If you look at a map of Italy, you will see that Lecce is located in the heel of the boot, almost as far south as you can go. Often, Lecce is referred to as the "Florence of the South", though other than artisan shops and open piazzas, I didn't see other similarities.  Lecce is unique. 

Lecce is over 2,000 years old, with a long connection to Greek culture.  (However, I did not observe modern ties to Greek foods or traditions.) The Baroque monuments were added in the 1600's and it is a significant feature that is distinctive to Lecce.  

Pictured here are the Lecce Duomo (cathedral), the Basilica di Santa Croce,  interior of Santa Croce, the Roman amphitheater (2nd Century AD), a public garden and park (Giardini Pubblici Giuseppe Garibaldi), and my post-breakfast snack of cappuccino and pasticciotto Leccese.  

The pasticciotto is a rich pastry filled with egg custard.  I ate the entire pastry one morning as a "snack". The following day on the way back to Florence, I lamented that I didn't buy one to eat on the train.  Each region has its own food, and these pastries are particular to Lecce.  

I liked everything about Lecce. The city is both elegant and lively. The shops are a mix of artisans, upscale, and funk. (I purchased a beautiful linen robe and table napkins at Society Limonta, which also has online shopping.) There is a wide range of restaurants from traditional cuisine, to pizza, to salads. There are plenty of places to enjoy a glass of primitivo and to buy taralli. I would happily return, but it's a long trek by train. (NB- It is possible to fly from Florence to Bari, though I prefer the train.)

Check out the link below for the restaurant Alle due Corti to learn about the local pasta dish called "Ciceri e tria". I ate at the restaurant and greatly enjoyed this traditional fare.  

http://alleduecorti.com/reloaded/index.php/2019/07/17/italian-traditional-recipe-ciceri-e-tria/?lang=en

Progress

From the city of Bari, it is easy to visit both Matera and Alberobello.  I like having a guide at historical sites, so I searched online and got lucky with a wonderful guide through "Tours by Locals". Giorgio met me at my hotel and we proceeded first to Matera, which is about an hour away.  En route, I learned about the history of Bari, which includes complicated Mafia connections.  The south of Italy does not have the wealth and prestige as the north, and life was/is run a bit differently!  

Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the many in Italy. It is in the region of Basilicata, next to Puglia. You may recall that in 2019, Matera was named the European Cultural Capital.  And years before that, it was the setting of Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of Christ". Matera is an area of "Sassi" or cave dwellings.  The oldest dwellings are eight thousand years old, opposite the more "modern" dwellings.  They are divided by a ravine, which was once a river.   

The Sassi of Matera are regarded as "one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world." The area was occupied by many different groups.  By the 1800's, Matera had extreme poverty, poor sanitation and disease.  In the 1950's, it was called "the shame of Italy" and the townspeople were forced to evacuate to modern housing in the "new" Matera.  For years, the dwellings were abandoned until the 1980's when the town became a historical tourist attraction.  Now, there are hotels, restaurants, shops and artist studios. 

There are several empty caves that are open to visitors.  One has been reconstructed to show what life might have looked like when the caves were inhabited.  There was a small kitchen and table.  Animals were housed inside the cave to provide heat.  The matrimonial bed has the toilet nearby and a loft above for children.  We can imagine that there was no privacy at all!! 

After lunch in the modern section of Matera, we got back on the road to reach Alberobello.  The guide pointed out the change in the landscape when we crossed from Basilicata into Puglia.  The olive groves returned in abundance.  

Alberobello is the home of the famous "trulli" and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  We arrived first into the inhabited area of Alberobello. My guide, Giorgio, stopped to say hello to a family living in a trullo. The wife of the couple showed me her garden. Outside her door she had a table with fresh figs, at no charge, and I helped myself.  Mamma mia- delicioso! 

There were trulli that were open to walk through and imagine life in the round home with the conical roof. My guide explained that the original design of the roof was a way to avoid taxes.  The workers for the feudal lord Count Acquaviva lived in Alberobello, but he didn't want it to be considered a "town". So,  the stones on the roof were not joined with mortar, and when the keystone was removed, the roof would collapse. Thus, the building was no longer considered a house and so the area was not officially a town.  This was changed in 1797, and now each roof is permanent.  

A long post for a long and wonderful day!  I am always glad to see respect given to old ways of life. People live with what they know and what they are given, until something happens to improve their lives.  Even then, someone might like some of the old ways best of all. 

Heading South

With rain in the forecast and no activities in Florence, I decided to chase the sun and head south, all the way to the "heel of the boot" in fact.  My first stop was in Bari to see the "old town" and from there visit the villages of Matera and Alberobello.  Then, I planned to continue further south to Lecce. 

In order to reach Bari by train, I first went north to Bologna, and then along the coast to Bari.  The train ride is picturesque, with views of the hills and then the coast for many miles.  Since the trains are still running at 50% capacity, travel feels safe and relaxing.  

While the narrow streets of the "old town" do have souvenir stands, there is also a sense of real life-- small coffee shops, butchers, fruit and vegetable stands, non-touristy panino spots.  One church was setting up for a wedding. There were elderly out doing the shopping and stopping to talk.  There was an odd calmness between all the twisting streets.  

In the evening, the old town filled with youngsters on scooters, teenagers, adults and families.  It was exciting!  I had an aperitivo while looking at the sea, then walked to Piazza Mercantile (around the corner!) and enjoyed outdoor dining at a wonderful restaurant.  I was overjoyed at the sight of the bread basket alone!

In the picture, the restaurant tables are under the large umbrellas.  To the right, was a woman selling squares of freshly fried polenta.  (On my tour the next day, the guide said that she is there every day.) 

The region of Puglia is well known for seafood, burrata, focaccia, and taralli.  There would be plenty of all of that in the days ahead!  

Permesso Update

In previous posts, I explained the lengthy process to apply for a visa and then obtain a "permesso di soggiorno", or permission to stay, in Italy.  Here's an update.

My original appointment of March 17 was cancelled due to the lockdown in Italy and subsequently changed three more times.  This change required two additional health insurance policies- short term from July 30 to September 17, then long term for one additional year, ending July 31, 2021.

On September 17, my scheduled time to arrive at the questura was 10:40.  The person who is working with me went early and arrived at 6:40am and got on line.  At 7:30 she called me to ask if I could arrive by 8:00 instead of our agreed 8:30, because the police officer said there were many people working and the line was moving quickly.  This was good news! 

Shortly after I arrived, my number was called.  I had a folder of documents about my apartment, financial resources and health insurance.  I had all the back-up material from my application in New York City.  The only papers that were requested were for my private health insurance, and my four passport photos. (We had filed other papers upon my arrival in Florence.) By 9:00am, the first step was finished.

The next task was to get fingerprinted.  I was assured that this happened only one time, and then I would not need to be fingerprinted again in all of Europe.  Since the first task went quickly, we assumed the second part would go quickly as well, especially since I had a low number and would be in the second group to be called.  However, the wait was nearly three hours.  Bathrooms were locked.  There were a few places to sit down.  The windows were open, but there were no fans and certainly no air conditioning.  This is an immigration center and police headquarters in a large, cement block of a building. Since the Covid situation, people were required to line up outside instead of inside, which helped.

The fingerprinting itself took less than two minutes.  

After that, we said our goodbyes.  I went to have lunch and Ulrike went home to rest since she had to return with a client in the afternoon.  Maybe in a month, most likely two months, I'll return to get my residence card.  Hopefully, it won't already be expired, which happens in some cases.  

I walked a bit before deciding to have lunch at the well-known Trattoria Sergio Gozzi, in the San Lorenzo neighborhood, near the Central Market, since 1915.  They are famous for their bistecca, but I couldn't resist ravioli. 

Happy Memories

Readers of my blog have asked me to include some photos of myself!  Well, this isn't all that easy since I am often exploring on my own.  However, my neighbor and friend, Ursula, emailed me photos of our trip together that coincided with my birthday and Sergio's birthday.  You can see that we are alive and well! Amidst the chaos, frustration and sadness, I have also been blessed with happy memories.  

Pre-lunch aperitivo enjoyed in Calcata, (in Viterbo) Italy.

Sergio and I are strolling around.

Outside the Basilica di Sant' Elia.

Our trio at Villa Farnese, Caprarola, 1500's 

Note- I also tried to include other photos that I took, especially of the interiors, but the formats were not compatible and the alignment was incorrect.  Sorry! 

Remember to Look Up!

I arrived in Pesaro in time for lunch.  Pesaro is in the region of Le Marche on the eastern coast of Italy, along the Adriatic Sea.  It's a popular seaside destination.  I reserved a hotel for three days, with a loose plan to explore the city, take the bus to the nearby medieval village of Urbino for one day, and have another day to relax at the beach.  After leaving my bags in my somewhat bleak hotel room and eating a mediocre lunch, I hoped the day would improve as I set out for a walk through the city center. 

Well, I was pleasantly surprised at the charm-- quaint streets, shops, and interesting fixtures overhead on many of the side streets.  I truly smiled when I reached the street with the hanging umbrellas!  I have seen photos of this display, and did not know that it was in Pesaro!  

I asked my neighbor, Sergio, who seems to know almost everything about Italian history and art, to explain the significance of the umbrellas.  He replied that it was just for fun.  That is a good enough reason for me! Though, I did wonder if the lanterns with the musical notes connected to the composer Gioachino Rossini.  Pesaro is his birthplace and the annual Rossini Opera Festival was happening while I was there. (Outdoor and indoor performances.) 

Perfect symmetry! 

Colors

The soap of Acqua dell'Elba perfectly matches the color of the water surrounding the island. This is a grand design of marketing genius, and a soothing color wherever it is found. 

Lists

While in the Maremma, we could see the distant outline of Isola d'Elba, an island I was interested in visiting. Back in Florence, I read about all the island offered- a variety of beaches, hiking, snorkeling, sunshine, and Napoleon's villa during his one year exile on the island.  Elba is accessible via public transportation from Florence.  This was a good destination for a seaside vacation.  I  read  lists of "best" hotels and selected Hotel del Golfo, with its own sandy beach and swimming pools.  Then, I wrote a couple of lists to take with me-- other beaches to visit, historical sites to see, restaurants to try.  I was ready!  

The journey took five hours with two trains, a ferry and a taxi to reach the hotel.  I arrived in the late afternoon, checked in to my room, changed for the beach.  A swim followed by a late dinner facing the sea ended the day.  My list would wait. 

The next morning after breakfast, I stopped by the front desk and met the hotel manager, Massimo.  He patiently talked with me about my list.  He opened a map on his computer and showed me the different beaches, explaining the process to reach each one via bus.  The beach at Sant'Andrea was an hour one way, then a walk to the beach. Napoleon's villa- also an hour by bus.  Of course, I could rent a car or a motor scooter.  I declined.  After fifteen minutes, Massimo looked at me and in a kind voice said, "Madam, please go enjoy the sunbed and relax.  This list is stress.  If you want stress, you can come behind this desk.  Please, go to the sunbed for me, since I cannot go myself."  I nodded in agreement.  

On the walk back to my room, I reconsidered my list.  Did I really care about seeing Napoleon's villa?  No.  Did I need to take a bus to another beach when I had a beautiful beach right here with my own sunbed and umbrella?  No. So,  I put away the list, gathered my beach bag and walked to sunbed #84, where I happily remained for the next six days.