L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano who, in 1960 together with o t h e r a r t i s t s a n d h i p p i e s from all over Europe, estab- lished an international arts community there. Despite the government's threat to vacate the site because of safety concerns, the town continues to thrive to this day, with its myriad art fairs that should not be missed by any art aficionado. More art and history are also conveniently found by g o i n g t o D o l c e a c q u a , a nearby fortress town, one of the most ancient (6 th centu- ry BC) settlements in the area, founded by Celts and then held by Romans. The town's documents from 1151 t e l l h o w t h e C o u n t s o f Ventimiglia built its impos- ing castle, also destroyed by the 1887 earthquake (but today restored), which was p u r 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 m e d i e v a l d o m a i n o f t h e p o w e r f u l Genoese family. A town with many tradi- tions, the month of August s e e s t h e F e s t a d e l l a Michetta which commemo- rates the abolishment of the j u s p r i m a e n o c t i s b y a rebellion of the populace a g a i n s t t h e n o b l e l o r d ' s salacious intrusion on the first night of newly married couples. Another interesting event occurs at Christmas time: massive bonfires are set off in the two principal piazzas of the town, when the population celebrates great hospitality towards its citizens and travelers alike. But more festivities are a l s o t o b e f o u n d i n A p r i c a l e , a n o t h e r t o w n North of Ventimiglia. This town dates from the Bronze age and throughout its his- tory has been coveted by the noble Doria, Ventimiglia and Grimaldi lords. Today it is the site of many festivals i n c l u d i n g s o m e i n t h e Springtime (La Festa della Primavera), February (La F e s t a d i S a n V a l e n t i n o ) , a n d t h e n i n t h e F a l l , b e t w e e n t h e 8 t h a n d t h e 10 th of September, with the s w e e t p a n c a k e f e a s t ( L a Festa delle Pansarole). This is a breath-taking event, especially on the sec- ond Sunday of the month, when all the people in the hilltop town rush up to the m a i n p i a z z a t o e n g a g e i n feasting that offers music, dance, and frittelle cooked up in a huge frying pan, sev- e r a l f e e t l o n g a n d w i d e , which covers a large part of the piazza. Here, you'll find stands that offer artisanal wares of every description: poems, lace, pottery, exquis- ite wines (especially from the local Rossese vineyards). Some say all this wonder- ful chaos takes place to cele- brate the official close of the S u m m e r t o u r i s t s e a s o n . True or not, visitors who m a k e a h o t e l o r a i r b & b reservation in this moun- t a i n - t o p t o w n w i l l l e a v e q u i c k l y e n o u g h a f t e r t h e experience of hearing the s o n o r o u s , s l e e p - d e f y i n g songs of innumerable crick- ets when night falls, or in seeing vast numbers of bats soaring high above the val- ley below. All this can be heard and seen either from their rooms or from the van- tage point of some sturdily built restaurant dining plat- form jutting out of the side of the mountain, that offers a unique kind of spice to the marvelous fare being served: all in all, quite an exhilarat- i n g a n d u n i q u e g o u r m e t experiences, not to be found elsewhere. B u t b e f o r e t h e h a r s h w i n d s s t a r t t o s i g n a l t h e c o m i n g o f F a l l w i t h i t s bright colored hillsides, the history buff will surely not immediately get back on the road to the coast, but will w a n t t o g o s t i l l f u r t h e r i n l a n d t o f i n d t h e f a b l e d town of Triora, theater of m u l t i p l e w i t c h b u r n i n g s during the Renaissance. With this kind of legacy, travelers can find several film festivals that revel in the gory happenings and the o c c u l t , a m o n g w h i c h t h e August Witchcraft Festival. This annual festival is fol- lowed by two other yearly A u t u m n o n e s , T h e M u s h r o o m F e s t i v a l i n September, and Halloween, at the end of October. But there are a multitude of other happier feasts to participate in that take place throughout the year, includ- ing the Christmas bonfire on 24 December, St. John of t h e M e a d o w s , t h e l o c a l p a t r o n s a i n t ' s d a y , o n 2 3 J u n e , a C h e s t n u t F a i r i n October, an All Souls Day F a i r , a t t h e s t a r t o f November and a series of Easter parades, before, dur- ing and after Holy Week, each Spring. All in all, putting a spot- l i g h t o n t h e t o w n s m e n - tioned above readily proves b e y o n d a n y d o u b t h o w u n c o m m o n e x c u r s i o n s through the Italian country- side can many times reveal hidden gems of joy and awe that are sprinkled all over the Bel Paese. Ventimiglia has witnessed a long struggle for its possession. After the Romans, it was ravaged by Goths, Byzantines, Lombards and, in the 10th century, by Saracens. Continued from page 26 Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral, in Ventimiglia (Photo: Sergey Dzyuba/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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