Tagliatelle

Our Seminar met just down the street from Trattoria La Torre whose wonderful food Ron and Bill had praised. It took me nearly 6 weeks to get there-a mistake that I hope future visitors to Siena don't repeat. You'll want to eat here your first night in the city.  You should make reservations by stopping by earlier in the day (via Salicotto, 7-9) or phoning (0577 287548). It is a small trattoria with a menu out front-but "Signor Torre" will also tell you what there is to eat. It was no struggle for me to decide on primo as this is what greeted us on entry (thanks to Sarah Chan for her wonderful photos!):

Fresh Tagliatelle and Pici Noodles (tomato, spinach, plain)

The sauce choices were ragu (a typical tomato meat sauce), cinghiale (wild boar). Naturally, we all ordered the cinghiale. Though other contorni do exist, the owner has particular ideas about what to pair with each dish. We were brought potatoes with a light red pepper sauce-tasty but I think a salad would have been a better accompaniment to the rich sauce.

We were going whole hog so we each ordered secondi.  You want a really stout appetite to eat in the Italian style of four courses-and we brought ours. Ossobucco  was the clear choice here. Each of us received an enormous portion. The meat fell off of the bone and melted in your mouth-and the marrow was sweet and velvety.

I have recently pulled out Marcella Hazan's 1962 The Classic Italian Cook Book  which was weeded out of my Aunt Anita's impressive cooking library. I think I'll try to make some tagliatelle of my own tonight-or maybe some ravioli stuffed with goat cheese and parsley. It sure won't be able to stand up to Trattoria Torre fare, but it may bring back the spirit of the wonderful evening.

Why do we travel

St. Jerome in the Capella della Madonna del Voto by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Travel is on my mind lately-not least because of the Commedia and its tale of an epic journey. Today we read the diptych Cantos 26 and 27 about the physical voyage of Ulysses (Dante came up with his own version of Homer's Odyssey) and the "spiritual" journey made by Guido de Montefeltro. Both are placed in the 8th bolgia of the 9th circle of Hell-a place reserved for those who counsel fraud.

These two Cantos just came alive in discussion today. It is interesting as much of what Dante condemns in these two travelers was underscored by experiencing the inverse. Both characters travel for personal gain and out of an individual desire for knowledge. Dante's Ulysses says " neither the sweetness of a son, nor compassion for my old father, nor the love owed to Penelope, which should have made her glad, could conquer within me the ardor that I had to gain experience of the world" (remember that this is WAY different from Homer's guy who is fiercely motivated to get back to his family). 

Guido is likewise driven by personal gain- a spot inside the gates of Heaven."I was a man of arms, and then I was a Franciscan, believing so girt, to make amends"  he says with the air of one whose deal fell through. (Both Guido and Dante's Ulysses souls are in hell for counseling others to do fraud as part of their self-centered journeys). Neither repents of the duties shirked or people injured along the way. 

It kind of reminds me of those climbers in Jon Krakauer's account of the 1997 Everest disaster. Dante's journey is just the opposite. He can't sidestep the hardships to get to the good stuff, he relies on and is grateful for the help of others, and he shares what he's learning on the way. It strikes me that reading this poem is a similar journey. It involves personal preparation and struggle, but is also dependent on others. 

After our 3 hour reading discussion, we went to the Duomo-the main cathedral-in Siena. The entire experience was just spectacular. I especially loved two 15th century statues done by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The one above, St. Jerome, is in the Capella della Madonna del Voto. Two Dante themes here-St. Jerome (347-420 c.e), who traveled quite a bit himself, is best known for translating the Bible into Latin. And the Capella is dedicated to the Madonna del Voto whose miraculous protection the Sienese credit for their victory against huge odds in the Battle of Monteperti- but that story will have to be taken up another day. A glass of wine and Purgatorio call me!

Do not delay

Gelato. Those of you who know me know that, though I love making desserts, I am more a pickle and meat girl than a sweets addict. I have, however, been ready to try some of the artful pastries and ambrosial desserts that I have heard so much about here.

Reading through Canto 28 of Inferno I came across this line: " il fornito sempre con danno l'attender sofferse" (one prepared always suffers from delay". Dante took this (according to the notes) from Lucan's Pharsalia: "tolle moras; semper nocuit diferre paratis" ("do not delay: waiting always harms those who are ready"). Thus admonished by not one but two great poets, I went out to try Gelato.

"Don't delay! Get thee to a gelateria now!"

I am four Cantos from the foot of purgatory in my reading, but my body is gazing at the radiant face of Beatrice after eating two scoops of gelato at Kopakabana Gelateria (up near the Duomo on Via San Pietro). I had cioccolata and yogurt con nutella-with little hazelnut chunks covered in chocolate as I sat watching people take their evening passagiatta through the beautiful streets of Siena.

The palio continues to wash over the city-I was able to watch the ocaioli  parade the palio to the Contrada di Draco (Dragon contrada) church-they parade to each of the churches of the 16 other contrade today. It was less a rubbing-victory-in-your-face than a blessing from the winners from my admittedly novice perspective.

The Duomo (Cathedral) of Siena-note the black and white stones reflecting the city flag.

Another interesting detail are the members of Oca walking around with pacifiers in their mouths-signifying a rebirth of their contrada after the win.

Tomorrow we go to Florence for a private showing at the Uffizi. This trip took me by surprise-I knew we would visit Dante's home town three times during the seminar-but a private showing at the Uffizi?  Words fail here (this is becoming a more frequent rejoinder the longer I am here in Italy!)

il palio

"e parve di  coloro che corrono a verona il drappo verde per la campagna;  e parve di costoro quelli che vine, non colui che perde"  

"and he seemed one of those who at Verona race for the green cloth across the fields;and of those he seemed the one who wins not the one who loses."

-Inferno, Canto 15

Oca, the contrada  of the goose, has won this years palio della provenzana.  The jockey,  Giovanni Atzeni, rode Mississippi to a spectacular finish-with four riderless horses trying their best to keep pace. 

The events of the day started with a blessing of the horses. Here is a link to see Mississippi's blessing at the Oca  church. Blessing of the horses. The contrade members, jockeys atop huge draft horses, and community members representing medieval guilds from weavers to sausage makers marched in an enormous parade. Perhaps Dante saw similar parades in Florence (one of the three largest cities in Europe during the time that he wrote the commedia). The quote at the beginning of this post reminds us that races (foot and even on bulls) were important events-culminating in the winning of the flag, cloth or palio for which today's event retains its name.

The piazza  was cool after the rains yesterday, and people were incredibly polite despite the large crowds. I was able to get up close to the fence just south east of the starting line. Several Italians helped me position my arm up high enough to take some photos. We had been warned that the crowds would feel crushing, we would be stuck inside the piazza for about 4 hours, and the heat would be oppressive. In fact, any small discomforts from standing for so long were dissipated by the excitement of the spectacle. (and another thing...since when is it a bad thing to be sandwiched for several hours between good looking Italians?) My favorite part of the event were the 15 minutes spent jockeying for position-quite literally. The jockeys circled their horses right in front of me-I could have touched them had I stretched out my arm-as each tried to claim the inside position at the starting line.

There is no starting gate, riders ride bareback, and dropping a simple thick rope like those you might find in a shipyard was the signal to start. The race can be viewed here: Siena tv by clicking on the palio coverage (upper right corner). 

The palio makes a majestic entrance in a medieval ox cart.

As I write this, the streets outside my window are throbbing with crowds of people singing and marching.The victory celebrations are centered on the street just above the fontebranda (see previous post). The palio itself will be carried through the streets by members of the contrada, and finally displayed in their contrada museum.