L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano O r a t i n o i s a q u a i n t l i t t l e village in the p r o v i n c e o f C a m p o b a s - so, Molise. With its 1,450 inhabitants, of which only about 200 live within the old borough, Oratino well embodies the image many of us have of the "traditional Italian hamlet" we learned to love. The earliest attestation of i t s e x i s t e n c e d a t e s f r o m 1251: it was the inventory of all the objects and art pieces b e l o n g i n g t o M o l i s a n c h u r c h e s , i n c l u d i n g t h a t o f S a n t a M a r i a c a s t r i Lorateni. Indeed, the name of the village has changed t h r o u g h t h e c e n t u r i e s : i t was Loretinum in the 12th century, then Ratino in the 1 5 t h , f r o m w h i c h w e g o t L o r a t i n o f i r s t a n d t h e n , finally, Oratino. The original village was destroyed by an earthquake in the 15th cen- tury, and was subsequently r e b u i l t h i g h e r u p o n t h e slopes of a hill: that's the O r a t i n o w e k n o w t o d a y which, from its almost 800 m e t e r s o f a l t i t u d e ( o v e r 2 , 6 0 0 f e e t ) , b e a u t i f u l l y overlooks the valley below. P e r h a p s i t w a s t h e delightful views you could – and still can! – enjoy from there to make it, curiously f o r s u c h a s m a l l p l a c e , a very lively artistic center, e s p e c i a l l y f r o m t h e 1 8 t h century onward. Giuseppe Maria Galanti, a known rep- resentative of Southern Ital- ian Enlightenment wrote, in 1781, that in Oratino "many tasteful arts are practiced," e x p l a i n i n g t h a t , i n t h o s e years, the village was partic- ularly known for its painters and gilders. T h e p e o p l e a t the Borghi più Belli d'I- talia association, of which O r a t i n o i s a p r o u d a n d deserving member, say that O r a t i n o o f f e r s a g o o d opportunity to its visitors to d i s c o v e r a l i t t l e - k n o w n , almost "forgotten" part of Molise, a region less popu- lar than others surrounding i t – P u g l i a , C a m p a n i a , A b r u z z o a n d L a z i o – b u t equally beautiful and well d e s e r v i n g a v i s i t . F r o m Oratino, for instance, you c a n a l s o r e a c h A g n o n e , known for its connection w i t h t h e a n c i e n t c r a f t o f bell-making. But don't think of Oratino as a simple start- ing point to discover other p l a c e s , b e c a u s e t h i s i s a pretty place to be: perched as it is on top of a hill, the village is a delightful criss- crossing of medieval alleys a n d s t r e e t s , l i n e d w i t h beautiful stone homes built m o s t l y b e t w e e n t h e 1 7 t h and 19th century when the v i l l a g e w a s r u l e d b y t h e D u k e s o f G i o r d a n o , known for their passion for the arts. It is also thanks to their support for all crafts a n d a r t s , t h a t t h e v i l l a g e developed so, despite being so small. One of its most n o t a b l e b u i l d i n g s i s t h e Palazzo Ducale, the dukes palace, built in the 14th cen- tury: it is a private property today, but we can still enjoy the beauty of its façade and stone portals while walking Oratino's streets. A v i s i t t o O r a t i n o w i l l please you at every time of the year, also thanks to the many events that animate it. On the day dedicated to S a n t ' A n t o n i o A b a t e , t h e 1 7 t h o f J a n u a r y , p e o p l e gather around a propitiato- ry bonfire lit in front of the church of Santa Maria di Loreto; during the event, you can enjoy le lessate, a traditional dish made with l e g u m e s a n d c e r e a l s . I n May, the village celebrates p o e t r y w i t h t h e P r e m i o Nazionale di Poesia Arturo G i o v a n n i t t i w h i l e , o n Christmas Eve, it's time to celebrate with la faglia, a 12 meters-high (40 feet) wood t o r c h s e t o n f i r e i n t h e hours leading to the birth of C h r i s t . I n i t i a l l y , t h e faglia was certainly associ- ated with fertility rites, but then it turned into a symbol of spiritual unity during the "most magical" night of the year. T h e B i f e r n o V a l l e y , where Oratino is located, is k n o w n f o r i t s g o o d f o o d : here, you can enjoy mines- tra di laganelle e fagioli, a soup made with fresh pasta similar to small lasagna and beans, and also cacio e ova con salsiccia, a dish made with goat cheese and eggs, c o o k e d i n a r i c h s a u s a g e sauce. T here are so many r e a s o n s t o l o v e Firenze, one of I t a l y ' s m o s t a m a z i n g c i t i e s : its history, its art, its food, its atmosphere. And it was the home of Dante Alighieri, so poetry permeates every- t h i n g h e r e : t h e c r a d l e o f R e n a i s s a n c e , F i r e n z e i s where modern Europe was born. Firenze is also at the heart of a glorious wine-mak- ing region, let's not forget, so it's not surprising that, at t h e e n d S e p t e m b e r , when vendemmia is either on the way or has just ended, y o u c a n e n j o y t r a d i t i o n a l end-of-harvest celebrations i n i t s s t r e e t s . O n e o f t h e m o s t p i c t u r e s q u e i s t h e a r r i v o d e l C a r r o M a t t o , the arrival of the "crazy cart," if we want to t r a n s l a t e i t i n t o E n g l i s h . T o d a y , t h e C a r r o M a t t o wants to celebrate the tradi- tional role of Tuscany as a wine-producing region, but at its inception, the event took place to cheer and have f u n w h e n w i n e f r o m t h e nearby area of Chianti Rufi- na would come to town. We are talking 14th century, so t h e c u s t o m i s p r e t t y o l d indeed. B u t w h a t w a s t h e d e a l with the coming of wine to Florence and why was it so important? Because it's not like Florentines celebrated just because they could get drunk on good Chianti: the city was the place of produc- tion of the famous fiaschi – the traditional round-bellied, long-necked, straw-wrapped bottles we get Chianti wine in – where Chianti was to be bottled and, then, sold both locally and in other regions. The coming of wine to town, bottled in locally-made bot- tles, was, therefore, also an important moment for the economy of the city, as well as, of course, a reason for pride and … partying. T h e C a r r o M a t t o i s t o d a y ' s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f those glorious days of cele- brations: an old-fashioned cart is loaded with more than 2 , 0 0 0 b o t t l e s o f C h i a n t i , piled strategically so that they can't fall, just like our a n c e s t o r s o f o l d e n t i m e s used to do. In the afternoon, t h e C a r r o M a t t o i s p u l l e d from Piazza del Duomo to t h e P a l a g i o d i T o r r e Guelfa by two white oxen, b a c k a g a i n t o P i a z z a d e l Duomo, where it's blessed, and then through Via Calza- iuoli, passing the Church of San Carlo dei Lombardi, to reach Piazza della Signoria, w h e r e t h e C o r t e o S t o r i c o della Repubblica Fiorentina, a group of professional his- t o r i c a l p e r f o r m e r s , a n d s b a n d i e r a t o r i f r o m the Bandierai degli Uffizi perform. Of course, wine is served and cheer is guaran- teed. T h i s y e a r , F i r e n z e w i l l welcome the nuovo vino and the harvest with its Carro Matto on Saturday, the 24th of September. LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Tradition of the month: Firenze's "festa del Carro Matto" Oratino, "il solitario del Sannio" I borghi Italiani Oratino is a small but charming village in Molise (Photo: Giambattista Lazazzera/Shutterstock) Il Carro Matto, the crazy cart that travels through the city to celebrate the harvest (Photo: Zummolo2014/Dreamstime)

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