L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano S arteano is a vil- l a g e o f a l m o s t 5,000, located in t h e p r o v i n c e o f Siena, 525 meters along the slopes of Mount Cetona. Narrow alleys and beauti- f u l l y p r e s e r v e d m e d i e v a l squares made this small but l i v e l y s e t t l e m e n t i n t h e Senese hills a fantastic desti- nation for all history lovers, who want to enjoy timeless atmosphere and breathtaking scenery. Sarteano is known especially for two things: its i m p o s i n g 1 4 t h - c e n t u r y f o r t r e s s a n d t h e f a m o u s Giostra del Saracino, a medieval-style tournament where each contrada fights against the "Saracino." The r e - e n a c t m e n t , w h i c h i s k n o w n a c r o s s I t a l y , t a k e s place every year on the 15th of August and attracts many tourists. Here, there is plenty to see all year round and plenty to do, especially at Christmas- time. In the village center, we can admire the elegance of three Renaissance palaces, Palazzo Berdini, Palazzo Cennini and the Palazzo del Podestà: the first dates back to the 14th century, just like Sarteano's fortress; the second was built in the 15th, while the Palazzo del Podestà evolved architecturally over two centuries, the 14th and the 15th, and today is divided i n t o p r i v a t e h o m e s a n d stores. P a l a z z o G a b r i e l l i , another interesting building constructed between the late Middle Ages and the early Renaissance, is today home to the local Museo Civico Archeologico, known espe- cially for its wealth of Etr- uscan artifacts. Indeed, it is v e r y l i k e l y t h a t t h e E t r - uscans were the first to set- tle in the area, centuries and centuries ago, so it isn't cer- tainly by chance that one of t h e m o s t s i g n i f i c a n t E t r - uscan archeological discov- e r i e s o f r e c e n t y e a r s w a s made here, in the Necropoli delle Pianacce: we are talk- ing about the Tomba della Quadriga Infernale, with its beautifully preserved wall paintings. The fortezza, however, remains the true queen of Sarteano's architectural her- itage. It majestically looks over the village from above and, with its double walls and towers, it truly looks like a picture-perfect Tuscan medieval castle. The fortress is mentioned for the first time in historical sources from 1038, making it one of the oldest buildings in town. From its roof, one can enjoy a b r e a t h t a k i n g v i e w o f Sarteano's surroundings, all the way to the Val di Chiana and the Trasimeno Lake. T h i s t i m e o f t h e y e a r , S a r t e a n o a l s o b e c o m e s a great Christmas-centric destination. Its communi- ty organizes a plethora of i n i t i a t i v e s , e s p e c i a l l y t o honor the quintessentially Italian tradition of the pre- s e p e . E v e r y y e a r , f o r instance, sarteanesi orga- n i z e t h e P r e s e p i d e l l e Cinque Contrade event, where the people of each of S a r t e a n o ' s f i v e b o r o u g h s create presepi to be exhibit- e d a l o n g t h e s t r e e t s a n d s q u a r e s o f t h e h i s t o r i c a l c e n t e r . S a r t e a n o i s a l s o home to a museum dedicat- e d t o t h e p r e s e p e , t h e M u s e o d e i P r e s e p i d a l Mondo, where more than 6 0 0 n a t i v i t i e s c r a f t e d i n every corner of the world are collected. I n t o w n , y o u c a n a l s o e n j o y a s t r o l l a m o n g t h e stall of a traditional Christ- mas market, if this is what you fancy! And if you are tir ed of wal king, you can always stop for a bite to eat: as you would expect in any c o r n e r o f T u s c a n y - a n d Italy, for that matter! - food i s a s e r i o u s t h i n g i n Sarteano. Think hearty dish- es, with an accent on game a n d c u c i n a c o n t a d i n a . H e r e , y o u c a n e n j o y cinghiale alla cacciatora, a stew made with wild boar, tomatoes, onions, rosemary and red wine. When the sea- son is right, wild boar is also served with mushrooms on a b e d o f c r e a m y p o l e n t a . A n o t h e r p o p u l a r d i s h i s l e p r e a i t r e v i n i , " t h r e e wines hare," where this tasty meat is made more delicate thanks to a marinade of red and white wines, as well as juniper, carrots, onions and lard. After a night, the hare is cooked, adding Vin Santo and vinegar. Of course, you can also find Tuscan culi- nary icons like ribollita and p a n z a n e l l a . A n d i f y o u fancy a slice of cake, ask for t o r t a c o ' b i s c h e r i , a t a r t made with shortcrust pastry and a filling of rice, eggs, chocolate, candied fruit, sul- tanas, pinenuts and nutmeg. P angiallo, which l i t e r a l l y m e a n s "yellow bread," is a t r a d i t i o n a l C h r i s t m a s dessert in our capital and in the region of Lazio. In fact, this flavorsome bun is heir to a recipe known already by t h e a n c i e n t R o m a n s , s o t h e r e i s n o t h i n g q u i t e a s Roman as Rome's pangial- lo! It is a bun made with a v a r i e t y o f n u t s a n d d r i e d fruits, along with chocolate, h o n e y a n d s p i c e s . T o d a y , r e c i p e s c a n v a r y i n t h e quantity and type of fruit and nuts used, but they all m a i n t a i n t h e w i n t e r - l i k e scent and golden hue that make this cake so popular. Its name comes from its color, which is golden yellow thanks to a glaze made with olive oil, a bit of flour and saffron, even though other recipes call for egg white, sugar, flour and cocoa. The Romans - who clearly used neither sugar nor cocoa, as these ingredients came from the New World one thou- sand years after the end of the Western Roman Empire - made it on the day of the winter solstice, as a way to honor the sun while waiting f o r i t s r e t u r n : i n d e e d , w e find its recipe in Apicius' De Re Coquinaria. In time, pangiallo - the recipe of which remains very close in essence to that sug- gested by Apicius himself - l o s t i t s a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h pagan rituals, but remained a traditional, well-wishing gift to offer during the win- ter months, in particular at Christmas. E v e r y b a k e r y i n R o m e makes pangiallo for Christ- mas, a way to celebrate the heritage of the city since its v e r y f o u n d a t i o n , b u t i t i s o f t e n m a d e a t h o m e , t o o . W h a t m a k e s p a n g i a l l o s o special is not only how tied it is to the history of the city, but also how it is, often, tied also to the history of each and every bakery and family: there are as many variants of i t a s t h e r e a r e p e o p l e i n Rome! Some use almonds, while others prefer hazel- n u t s . S o m e m a k e a g l a z e with royal icing, others with olive oil and saffron. Others simply add a plain egg wash c o a t t o i t . W h a t d o e s n ' t change is its deep connec- t i o n w i t h R o m e a n d w i t h C h r i s t m a s i n t h e E t e r n a l City. LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE T r a d i t i o n o f t h e m o n t h : Rome's Christmas "pangiallo" A traditional pangiallo from Rome (Photo: (null) (null)/Dreamstime) A beautiful view of the Tuscan village of Sarteano (Photo: Daliu80/Dreamstime) Village of the month: Sarteano

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