L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano Despite the government's threat to vacate the site because of safety concerns, the town con- tinues to thrive to this day with its myriad art fairs, that should not be missed by any art afi- cionado. More art and history is also conveniently found by going to Dolceacqua, the nearby fortress town, one of the most ancient (4th century BC) settlements, founded by Celts and then held by Romans. The town's docu- ments from 1151 tell how the Counts of Ventimiglia built its imposing castle, also destroyed by the 1887 earthquake (but today restored), which was pur- c h a s e d i n 1 2 7 0 b y C a p t a i n O b e r t o D o r i a t o b e c o m e t h e medieval domain of the power- ful Genoese family. A town with many tradi- tions, the month of August sees the Festa della Michetta which commemorates the abolishment of the jus primae noctis by a r e b e l l i o n o f t h e p o p u l a c e against noble lords' salacious intrusion on the first night of newly married couples. Another i n t e r e s t i n g e v e n t o c c u r s a t Christmas time: massive bon- fires are set off in the two prin- cipal piazzas of the town when the population celebrates great hospitality towards its citizens and travelers alike. But more festivities are also to be found in Apricale, another town North of Ventimiglia. This town dates from the Bronze age and throughout its history has been coveted by the noble Doria and Grimaldi lords. Today it is t h e s i t e o f m a n y f e s t i v a l s including some in the Spring- time (La Festa della Primavera); F e b r u a r y ( L a F e s t a d i S a n Valentino); and then in the Fall, between the 8th and the 10th of September, with the sweet pan- cake feast (La Festa delle Pansa- role). This is a breath-taking event, especially on the second Sun- day of the month, when all the people in the hilltop town rush up to the main plaza to engage in feasting that offers music, dance, and frittelle cooked up on a huge frying pan, several feet long and wide, which cov- ers a large part of the piazza. Here, many stands offer arti- sanal wares: lace, pottery, wines (especially from the local Ross- ese vineyards). Some say all this wonderful chaos takes place to celebrate the official close of the Summer tourist season. Whether true or not, visitors who make a hotel or airbnb reservation in this moun- tain-top town will leave quickly e n o u g h a f t e r h e a r i n g t h e sonorous, sleep-defying songs of innumerable crickets or after s e e i n g v a s t n u m b e r s o f b a t s soaring high above the valley below. All this can be experi- enced from their rooms, but also from the vantage point of some sturdily built restaurant's dining platform, jutting out of the side o f t h e m o u n t a i n , o f f e r i n g a unique kind of spice to the mar- velous fare being served. But before the harsh winds start to signal the coming of Fall with its bright colored hillsides, history buffs may delay their return to the coast and travel still further inland to find the fabled town of Triora, that hosted mul- tiple witch burnings during the Renaissance. W i t h t h i s k i n d o f l e g a c y , travelers can find several film festivals reveling in the gory h a p p e n i n g s a n d t h e o c c u l t , including the August Witchcraft Festival, and two others, the Mushroom Festival in Septem- ber and, of course, Halloween, at the end of October. there are a multitude of other feasts to enjoy that take place throughout the year, including t h e C h r i s t m a s b o n f i r e o n 2 4 D e c e m b e r ; S t . J o h n o f t h e M e a d o w s , t h e l o c a l p a t r o n saint's day, on 23 June; a Chest- nut Fair in October; an All Souls Day Fair, at the start of Novem- b e r ; a n d a s e r i e s o f E a s t e r parades, before, during and after Holy Week, each Spring. All in all, putting a spotlight on the towns mentioned above r e a d i l y p r o v e s , b e y o n d a n y doubt, how uncommon excur- sions through the Italian coun- tryside can many times reveal the hidden gems of joy and awe that are sprinkled all over the Bel Paese. Imperia in Italy, Riviera di Ponente © Lianem | Dreamstime.com LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE Continued from page 8

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