L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano The Hortus Conclusus of a monastery – the garden of medicinal plants, aromatic herbs and flowering plants c a l l e d l a t e r O r t o d e i Semplici – lifted the mind and spirit and was an aid to contemplation. It had multi- ple functions of spirituality, health and utility. L a F a r m a c i a d i D i o brings to readers centuries of lore about daily holistic remedies from monastic tra- ditions. But we know that the complete formulas for the preparation of remedies might be well-kept secrets. The book shares profiles o f b e n e f i c i a l p l a n t s a n d h e r b s t o s a f e l y a d d r e s s a wide range of everyday ail- ments. It has a part dedicat- ed to personal care. I am attracted to a cream sug- gested by Mrs. Foli. It is an aloe facial moisturizer made b y A n t i c a s p e z i e r i a Sant'Anna dei Carmelitani Scalzi di Genova. The label shows it is clean: aloe, jojo- ba oil, olive oil, witch-hazel, v i n e , a r g a n o i l a n d h y a l u r o n i c a c i d . A l o e ' s soothing properties make it ideal for daily use. It is suit- able for sensitive skin and full of vitamins, enzymes, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants such as vitamin A (beta-carotene), C and E, B12, folic acid and choline. Among the ultra-gentle shampoos, Foli mentions Marigold (Calendula) sham- poo, a product suitable for the entire family. It is pre- pared by the Camaldolesi monks in Tuscany. "Due to its soothing and moisturiz- ing properties, it improves cell regeneration, moistur- izes and nourishes hair," she says. The Holy Hermitage a n d M o n a s t e r y o f C a m a l d o l i is millenary. Located in an ancient forest in the Tuscan Apennines in the municipality of Poppi, it carries a sense of deep spiri- tual connection that takes you out, far out, of time and this world. Internationally known as the ancestral seat o f t h e Camaldolese Benedictin e s , t h e m o n a s t e r y w a s founded in 1012 by Saint R o m u a l d , a m o n k f r o m Ravenna. T h e C a m a l d o l e s i h e r - mits continue making their wonderful cosmetics, herbal r e m e d i e s , c h o c o l a t e b a r s and creams, and many tra- ditional liqueurs including N o c i n o ( a w a l n u t b a s e d d i g e s t i f ) , L a c r i m a d i Abeto made from a mix of A l p i n e h e r b s , A m a r o R a b a r b a r o ( r h u b a r b - based bitter liqueur) and the Elisir dell'Eremita (The Hermit Elixir), an alcoholic beverage derived from med- icinal herbs that surround the Camaldoli Hermitage. I g e t a h o l d o f F a t h e r Ugo, who tells me that the Camaldolesi had a tradition of importing some medici- n a l h e r b s f r o m t h e Americas, while "we bought the glass for storing syrups in Venice, and our pottery c o n t a i n e r s i n M o n t e l u p o F i o r e n t i n o , D e r u t a a n d Faenza." Their spezieria (herbal pharmacy) houses ancient books ranging from herbari- ums to texts on anatomy, s u r g e r y a n d c h e m i s t r y , including the first Italian- language edition of the c o m p l e t e w o r k b y Antoine Lavoisier, con- sidered the father of mod- ern chemistry. T h e f i r s t d o c u m e n t t o prove the existence of a spe- zieria annexed to the hospi- tal dates back to 1331, when Prior Bonaventura entrust- ed the monks Baldinuccio and Guido with the respon- sibility to rebuild the hospi- tal and the attached phar- macy after a devastating fire in 1276. The English word "hospi- tal" or hospitium in Latin – m e a n i n g " l o d g i n g f o r strangers" – derives from the Latin word hospes, -ĭtis, which translates as ospite in I t a l i a n a n d a s " g u e s t " i n E n g l i s h . A l l t h e s e t e r m s h i g h l i g h t t h e a n c i e n t B e n e d i c t i n e r u l e o f w e l - coming guests. St. Benedict instructed h i s m o n k s t o r e c e i v e a l l guests as Christ, "For he will say, 'I was a stranger and you welcomed me'" (Rule of B e n e d i c t , 5 3 : 1 ; M a t t h e w 2 5 : 3 5 ) . T h e B e n e d i c t i n e sense of hospitality is strong in the Camaldolese spiritual- ity, which is a branch of the g r e a t B e n e d i c t i n e f a m i l y tree. The Camaldolese her- mits are delighted to wel- come guests at their foreste- r i a o r g u e s t h o u s e i n Tuscany and also at their h e r m i t a g e i n B i g S u r , C a l i f o r n i a , f o r a t i m e o f retreat and spiritual renew- al. Their way of receiving guests is deeply rooted into t h e i r d a i l y l i f e t h r o u g h prayer and work. LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE Some of the many herbal products produced at the Antica Farmacia-Erboristeria Sant'Anna in Genoa, and Friar Ezio (Copyright: Antica Farmacia-Erbori- steria Sant'Anna dei Frati Carmelitani di Genova) Continued from page 12

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