L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano W h e n I u s e d t o l i v e i n Liguria, t h e r e was a place I loved particu- larly. It wasn't a beach, nor a p r o m e n a d e , a s y o u m a y expect, perhaps, in a region known for its seaside beauty. It was a convent. In Loano, on top of a hill overlooking the town and the sea, the Convento dei Frati Carmeli- tani Scalzi, or Monte Carme- lo for the locals, is a place where finding peace, reset- ting priorities and soothing the soul is possible. Just off the cloister, you'll find a small shop, an apothecary filled with old fashioned jars and dark wood furniture: there, the Brothers sell natu- ral products made with the fruits of the land they work. O l d r e c i p e s , s c e n t s t h a t b r i n g b a c k m e m o r i e s o f childhood, of fresh air and simplicity. Healing the soul, through prayer and meditation, hea- ling the body through natu- re. M y v i s i t s t o M o n t e Carmelo always left me with a yearning for more peace and more spirituality. But, as a historian, I was curious, too: the link between mona- sticism and herbal medicine and remedies is well known, but where did it all start and why? What's the philosophy behind it and how does this approach, one that brings together the care of the body with the care of the soul — something today we'd call "holistic" — fit into our cul- tural and religious tradition? I didn't really need to look far to find the right place a n d t h e r i g h t p e r s o n t o answer my questions. All I needed to do was to move E a s t f r o m L o a n o — a 4 5 minutes car ride, nothing m o r e — a n d v i s i t G e n o a . Mind, we're in Covid times a n d I , i n t h e m e a n w h i l e , moved to Piedmont, so my trip was virtual rather than physical. In a quaint corner of Genoa, we were saying, you'll find the oldest of all D i s c a l c e d C a r m e l i t e s c o m m u n i t i e s i n t h e r e g i o n , t h e o n e o f t h e Convent of Sant'Anna. W i t h a f o u r c e n t u r i e s history on its shoulders, this r e l i g i o u s c o m m u n i t y i s known also for its renowned herbalist tradition, a tradi- tion founded on the know- ledge and respect of nature and on the importance of "healing" as a process that should embrace the mind, the body and the soul. The c o n v e n t ' s p h a r m a c y , t h e A n t i c a F a r m a c i a Sant'Anna, is known all o v e r t h e c o u n t r y f o r i t s remedies and for its incredi- ble history, which bears wit- ness to both the strength of our traditions — it has been operating since the late 17th century — and the accuracy of our ancestors' knowledge of nature and science — as you'll read about below. In the past few weeks, I Healing the body, healing the soul: the centuries- long mission of Antica Farmacia Sant'Anna CHIARA D'ALESSIO had the luck and honor, on b e h a l f o f L ' I t a l o - Americano, to connect and chat with Frate Ezio, the c h e m i s t a t A n t i c a F a r m a c i a S a n t ' A n n a . With immense friendliness and great knowledge, he introduced me to the history and the secrets of the phar- macy, to the science behind the remedies and to a reality where science and spiritua- lity don't need to be mutual- l y e x c l u s i v e a t a l l c o s t . A fascinating journey, we are happy to share with our rea- ders. T h e D i s c a l c e d Carmelites community in Genoa dates back to the end of the 16th cen- tury. The first records of its spezieria (an early version of a pharmacy) are from 1650, and are associated to the work of F r a M a r t i n o d i S . Antonio, the "first" che- mist of Sant'Anna. How did this union between y o u r c o m m u n i t y a n d the world of herbal hea- ling come to be? The connection between h e r b a l m e d i c i n e a n d monasticism is as old as monasticism itself, so the link between the healing power of natural ingredients and our community has exi- s t e d f o r l o n g e r t h a n t h e pharmacy itself. Especially in the earlier centuries of their history, monasteries were closed, self sufficient realities, so it was natural for monks to take care of their own health with what was produced in loco, in the orto dei semplici and the giardino dei semplici: fruit, vegetables and herbs. About t h e p h a r m a c y , w e d o n ' t know exactly when it opened t o t h e p u b l i c , b u t w e c a n m a k e a n e d u c a t e d g u e s s about the reason it did: offe- ring health remedies and health care to the poor, who could not afford seeing a doctor, and to the farming c o m m u n i t y a r o u n d t h e LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE Continued to page 18 Frate Ezio, pharmacist at the Antica Farmacia Sant'Anna, behind his counter. Photo: Antica Famacia Sant'Anna

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