L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021 L'Italo-Americano H appy Epi- f a n i a t o e v e r y o n e ! M a n y o f y o u k n o w I t a l y h a s a n e x t r a d a y o f c e l e b r a t i o n s d u r i n g t h e Christmas holidays dedica- ted to the most famous old l a d y i n t h e c o u n t r y , l a Befana. As the old saying recites, she flies on a broom- stick during the night, with broken shoes, a roman-style h a t o n h e r h e a d a n d t h e whole world loves her. Her name, "Befana," comes from that of the actual Catholic feast of the 6th of January, the Epifania, when faith- fuls remember the first reve- l a t i o n ( o r " e p i p h a n y " ) o f Jesus to the world, the visit of the three Wise Kings. Our Befana is known for bringing one last round of presents to kids, usually left beside the Presepe (or so it was in past times) or near the chimney, rigorously insi- de stockings. Because she is generous, but not wealthy, Befana's gifts are usually smaller than those brought by Baby Jesus and Santa, but this doesn't make her less loved. We all remember the years of childhood well and nothing has changed for the kids of today: candy is just as appreciated as the nicest of toys. La Befana is a special per- son, indeed, but not much is known about her wherea- bouts during the year. We can help though, because we found out where she lives and, needless to say, it's in Italy. The lovely, quaint town of U r b a n i a , i n t h e M a r c h e province of Pesaro-Urbino, h a s b e e n t h e h o m e o f l a Befana for quite sometime and has become famous for it. To be fair, Urbania — known until the 17th century a s C a s t e l d u r a n t e — i s a b e a u t i f u l p l a c e , w i t h o f without Befana, but if you happen to be around during the first week of January, you can add Befana celebra- t i o n s t o t h e l i s t o f l o c a l attractions to enjoy. From t h e 4 t h t o t h e 6 t h o f January, Urbania is home to the Festa Nazionale della B e f a n a ( t h e B e f a n a N a t i o n a l F a i r ) , w h e n t h e t o w n f i l l s w i t h m a g i c , s t o c k i n g s — m o r e t h a n 4000 are used to decorate its streets, and the longest in t h e w o r l d w a s p r o d u c e d h e r e , t o o — g a m e s , f o o d stands and parades. There is more, though, because in Urbania one can meet the Befana all year round. Her simple dwellings are located in the Palazzo Civico, just beside the belfry. On the days of her feast, she even shows to visitors how she makes the (in)famous sugar coal she delivers to naughty kids, and how she weaves stockings. But the days of the Festa d e l l a B e f a n a a r e a l s o a n opportunity for Urbania to valorize its heritage, art and h i s t o r y , a n d t o m a k e i t known to a larger public. Many of the events are cen- tered on local food and culi- nary tradition and itinera- ries focused on local artistic treasures and heritage — U r b a n i a i s k n o w n f o r i t s pottery, for instance — are developed and proposed. Palazzo Ducale is the historical heart of the town: perched on a hill, it used to be a fortress, but today it's home to Urbania's intere- sting Museo Civico, where a large number of handma- de pottery and a large col- lection of paintings can be admired. History and geo- graphy buffs may be pleased to know that two works by Renaissance seminal carto- g r a p h e r a n d g e o g r a p h e r M e r c a t o r e a r e h e r e o n display. Palazzo Ducale also hosts the town library, the local historical archives and a n o t h e r m u s e u m , t h e M u s e o d i S t o r i a d e l l ' A g r i c o l t u r a e dell'Artigianato — dedi- c a t e d t o a g r i c u l t u r e a n d craftsmanship. Urbania has something also for those with a pen- chant for the spooky and the unknown. Indeed, there is a c h u r c h i n t o w n c a l l e d Chiesa dei Morti, or chur- ch of the Dead, known for i t s C i m i t e r o d e l l e M u m m i e , a m u m m i e s ' cemetery. Beside its main altar, 18 naturally mummi- f i e d b o d i e s a r e k e p t a n d cared for. Apparently, the presence of a particular type of mold allowed their pre- servation. I f y o u ' r e n o t a f a n o f mummies, you can just take a walk around the town's historical centre, which is beautiful and rich in archi- tecture and history. Of parti- c u l a r v a l u e a r e t h e S a n C r i s t o f o r o M a r t i r e Cathedral, the Ponte del R i s c a t t o and the P o n t e d e i C o p p i . F a n c y s o m e shopping? Urbania has a lot to offer for you, too, espe- cially if you love traditional pottery which, we mentio- ned it already, is one of the most well known local pro- ductions. Without a doubt, Urbania is a beautiful place worth a visit, with or without Befana, but for many, the old lady and her home remain the main attraction here: her long nose and pointy chin, p a t c h e d u p s k i r t a n d , o f course, her broom, the very one she uses to bring pre- CHIARA D'ALESSIO sents to all children, are a staple of Italians' collective imagination. On the night between the 5th and 6th of January, she flies around t h e w o r l d a n d , j u s t l i k e S a n t a , s h e c l i m b s d o w n c h i m n e y s t o l e a v e s m a l l toys, candy and sweet coal to children. In exchange, they prepare a snack for her, just like they do for Santa, but don't expect cookies and milk here: our Befana is old- school and loves nothing more than an orange or a mandarin and, of course, a nice glass of wine. Surely enough, in the morning the plate where the orange was w i l l b e f i l l e d w i t h a s h e s where the Befana left her handprint. Not far, of cour- se, a socking filled with pre- sents. W h i l e s h e r e t u r n s t o U r b a n i a , a f t e r a n i g h t o f deliveries, the Befana brings Christmas festivities to an end. But don't be too sad: i t ' s t i m e t o t h i n k a b o u t C a r n e v a l e c e l e b r a t i o n s already! Urbania, decorated with hundreds of stockings (Photo: Danilo Mongello/Dreamstime) "La Befana vien di notte" and lives in Urbania! LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE

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