Befana

With Christmas coming up very soon, I decided to write this blog about Befana.  Befana is the italian tradition of Santa Claus, and her tradition stands out among all nationalities. First of all, she’s a women.  She is an old witch that delivers presents to children on the the eve of the feast of the Epiphany ( the night of January 5th).  She can be scene wearing a black shawl and riding a broomstick.  She also carries a bag filled with presents and baked goods.  The presents and baked good are for children throughout the world, including the newborn baby Jesus.

Her traditional story is that days before the 3 Wise Men visited the newborn Jesus Christ in a manager, they met Befana.  Befana gave them a place to stay in a local village.  The men asked Befana to join them on their journey to find Chirst, but she denied.  After they left she had a change of heart, and went out searching for baby Jesus, but she couldn’t find Him.  To this day she is still searching throughout centuries for baby Jesus, and on her journey she flies into chimneys leaving presents for good boys and girls and coal for the bad children.

Much like the American Santa Claus, Befana’s image and tradition is highly celebrated throughout Italy at Christmas time, and is even incorporated in Italian Christmas carols.

Michelangelo

Michelangelo is a true inspiration amongst artist.  He is one of the greatest artists of all time, and has hundreds of famous masterpieces throughout the world.  He is most famous for his work and contributions to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy.He was born on March 6, 1475 in Tuscany, Italy, but raised in Florence, Italy.  He was the second of five brothers, and his mother died when he was very young.  He was raised by his father, who recognized his intelligence at an early age and put him in school.  In school, Michelangelo studied Latin, and developed a passion for art.  Friend and fellow student, Francesco Granacci, encouraged Michelangelo to take his passion for art and painting to the next level.  Michelangelo’s father was not happy with Michelangelo’s career path he choose. Going against his father’s wishes, he apprenticed painter Domenico Ghirlandaio and eventually went to sculpture school when he was about 14 years old.  Also in school he study the anatomy of the human body, and saw it as a beautiful form of art, as highlighted in many of his masterpieces.    

         In 1508, after years of building his skills, he started to paint the Sistine Chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica.  He finished his most famous masterpiece in 1512.  Some of his other famous works and statues include Pieta, David, and The Tomb of Julius II, which can also be found in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Pizza!

I love pizza – who doesn’t? I thought for the sake of today’s blog I would take the time to discover the background and history about one of my favorite foods.

Pizza has been around since the 1700s, originated from Naples, Italy.  Actually from the beginning, pizza wasn’t appreciated as much as it is today.  Pizza was a inexpensive food and almost considered barbaric food option for lower class Neapolitans.  It was very simple and easy to put together, and only contained a few cheap ingredients.  Eventually pizzerias did began to form throughout Italy, and it became very popular, especially when King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of France visited Naples in 1861.  They were bored with their traditional French cuisine, and desired to try this new phenomenon.  They went to Pizzeria Brandi in Naples.  The Queen loved pizza mozzarella, which is the traditional plain pizza americans love today.  What also made the traditional pizza mozzarella so special is that consisted the colors of the Italian flag; tomato sauce – red, mozzarella – white, and basil – green.

Pizza didn’t become popular in the United States till the 1940s, when italian immigrants came to America and settled in major cities including: New York, Trenton, New Haven, Boston, Chicago, and St. Louis.  Families opened their own pizzerias and America quickly fell in love with Pizza, and is still very much in love with it today!

Pinocchio

In 1883, Carlo Collodi’s children novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio was published.  To this day it is still classic throughout Italy and in America.  It became famous in America  when Walt Disney studios made it into an animated movie in 1940.  

Carlo Collodi has written many children classics but The Adventures of Pinocchio is his most famous work.  Carlo is from Florence, Italy and lived there his whole life.  The Adventures of Pinocchio is about magic puppet made by a poor carpenter named Geppetto.  Geppetto names his marionette puppet Pinocchio and treats him like a son.  Pinocchio is quite mischievous and every time he lies his nose grows.  As soon as Pinocchio learns to walk he runs away from home and gets himself into a lot of trouble.  Throughout his adventure Pinocchio runs into a talking cricket, an evil puppet master, a fox and a cat, and eventually a fairy with turquoise hair that ultimately changes Pinocchio and makes him into a good puppet.  It is a very intense story and a lot darker than the Disney version we all grew up with.  In Italy Pinocchio is very popular icon and you can buy wooden Pinocchio toys in shops throughout Italy.  I actually have a traditional Pinocchio handmade wooden toy in my room at home that my parents bought for me when they went to Italy when I was little.

 

St. Peter’s Basilica

           Through out my life I have been to many exciting places and experiences, and I treasure the memories of all of them.  It’s a shame though that I have been to one of the most amazing cities on this earth and I barely remember a thing!

            When I was 7 years old, my family was asked by my grandfather’s family in Rome to come to Rome to celebrate my grandparent’s 50^th Wedding anniversary.  My grandparents were married in Rome and wanted to renew their vows in the Church they got married.  My whole family, including all my cousins, aunts, and uncles, went to Rome for a week to celebrate our grandparents, our family, and our Italian culture.  That week in Rome we saw it all including the Coliseum, St. Peter’s Basilica, Trevi Fountain, Sicily, and even a glimpse of the Pope John Paul II from a far!  Unfortunately I was too young to appreciate and remember it all, and I only remember bits and pieces.  This makes me so mad because I highly appreciate these things now and I absolutely dream of revisiting Rome some day.

            Out of all the things I saw in Rome and don’t remember, I am most mad about not remembering barely anything about St. Peter’s Basilica.   Being a devout Catholic, it is more than a dream for me to go and admire St. Peter’s beauty and history.  Going to St. Peter’s and attending mass with the Pope as the celebrant is on top of my “bucket list”.

             St. Peter’s remarkable history can be traced back hundreds of years.  St. Peter himself is buried 20ft directly under the main alter of the Basilica.  I personally think this is really cool for “Peter” means “rock”, Jesus told Peter, “on this rock you will build my Church, and St. Peter not only did lead the Catholic Church as the first Pope but they literally built the main Catholic Church of the world on him.  St. Peter’s is where the Pope lives and guides the Church, and it is also where they have elected the Popes processors for hundreds of years.  Along with its unique history, St. Peter’s is also famous for containing some of the most remarkable pieces of art and human artifacts that ever was.  Michelangelo had the greatest art influence on the Basilica and some of his famous pieces include architecting the exterior and interior, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Dome of St. Peter’s, his beautiful sculpture of Mary and Jesus called “Pietà”, and many more genius works of art.  Because St. Peter’s is a sacred place – tourist are forbidden from taking pictures – Basilica guards will literally take your camera from you.  The only pictures we have are from those that were granted special permission and through paintings.  It is such a remarkable human masterpiece that even a photo can’t capture its beauty and one has to experience for their selves.

 

 

Biscotti: An Italian Tradition.

I grew up in an Italian family that is very dedicated to its roots and traditions.  Growing up Italian definitely has its perks, especially when it comes to food.  My parents have a passion for cooking and baking, and it is rare that I don’t have a home cooked meal or dessert.  I am indeed very spoiled when it comes to food, and my parents constantly remind me!  Out of all the delicious things my parents make, one of my favorites is my mother’s homemade biscotti. I love biscotti, and for the sake of this blog I thought it would be cool to find out the history behind it.

 Biscotti are a popular traditional Italian cookie.  It was originally created in Tuscany and has been made for centuries throughout the world.  Biscotti were the perfect food for travelers, sailors, and soldiers, for it is very portable and satiable. It also was the perfect side for a cup of espresso or a glass of Tuscan wine.

The word biscotti itself means “twice baked” which is the process in which it is made.  It is a very simple process using only flour, sugar, baking soda, and eggs, and can be made in less than an hour. It takes an hour to complete the cookie, because they are baked twice, but ask anyone who ever had homemade biscotti, and they will tell you its well worth the wait! It was originally flavored with almonds, but today there are hundreds of flavor options.  No flavor is too bizarre for biscotti; it’s as creative as you want it to be!

            I believe that biscotti are a great part of Italian culture and a recipe every good Italian grandmother knows by heart.  It is a food that is truly Italian and its delicious taste has won the hearts of millions of people throughout the world.