L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano A cquasparta is a village of about 5 , 0 0 0 i n t h e T e r n i p r o v i n c e o f U m b r i a , located in the picturesque hills of this beautiful region. Its name derives from the Latin ad aquas partas, or "spread out waters," because the area has always been rich in beneficial water sources. N e a r b y , w e f i n d t h o s e o f Sangemini and Fabia, both known to all Italians, because we find their water bottled at the supermarket! Its history is all about the M i d d l e A g e s a n d t h e Renaissance, with the first attestations in documents dating from 962 AD. Some y e a r s l a t e r , t h e a b b e y s o f S a i n t B a r b a r a a n d S a i n t Nicholas were built and the first settlement developed a r o u n d t h e m . T o d a y , t h e v i l l a g e s t i l l m a i n t a i n s a traditional medieval urban plan, with a central square, winding alleys, and streets e x t e n d i n g u p t h e h i l l . W e shouldn't forget the area has a notable Roman past, too, as we can still see today in the a r c h a e o l o g i c a l a r e a o f Carsulae, an ancient Roman city built along what was to become the Via Flaminia. P a l a z z o C e s i w a s t h e home of the Cesi family who controlled the area during the Renaissance. It is probably Acquasparta's most famous m o n u m e n t : i t w a s commissioned by Cardinal F e d e r i c o C e s i a n d b u i l t between 1561 and 1579 and it is nationally known because it w a s t h e f i r s t s e e o f t h e Accademia dei Lincei, the oldest scientific academy in the world, founded by Prince Federico Cesi - same name, but not the same person! - a scientist himself. And this is why Galileo Galilei was a c u s t o m a r y g u e s t o f Acquasparta in those years. The church dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi and the one dedicated to the Madonna del Giglio (the V i r g i n o f t h e L i l y ) , t o d a y known as the Church of the Crucifix, are very different from one another but both are worth a visit: the first, w h i c h d a t e s f r o m 1 2 9 4 , e m b o d i e s p e r f e c t l y t h e simplicity that characterized t h e l i f e a n d t e a c h i n g s o f Francis; the latter, built in the 17th century, is enriched by well-preserved frescoes. T h e p a t r o n s a i n t h e r e i s Santa Cecilia and the church d e d i c a t e d t o h e r h a s a neoclassical interior, as well a s t h e t o m b s o f a l l t h e members of the Cesi family. T o r e m e m b e r i s a l s o t h e church of the Santissimo Sacramento, which is today t h e c o m m u n i t y m u s e u m , because of the presence of a Roman mosaic at the center of the nave. When you are in town, make sure you eat the most t r a d i t i o n a l l o c a l d i s h , picchiarelli, a type of fresh, handmade pasta that looks like a thick piece of thread, usually served with a spicy sauce. Another traditional delicacy is the pizza al testo, a s a v o r y c a k e m a d e w i t h water and flour, filled with s a u s a g e , h a m a n d vegetables, then baked on a c a s t i r o n r o u n d s u r f a c e called testo. There are also many local p r o d u c t s y o u s h o u l d t r y , including olive oil, truffles a n d c h e s t n u t s , w h i c h a r e usually served during the Festa del Vino Novello in November, and enjoyed with the new wine. The acqua d e l l ' A m e r i n o i s a l s o k n o w n i n t h e a r e a f o r i t s c u r a t i v e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , already appreciated during R o m a n t i m e s . I t i s particularly good for those suffering from kidney stones a n d o t h e r i s s u e s w h e r e diuresis should be improved. In the Middle Ages, it was known as " Saint Francis' w a t e r " b e c a u s e i t w a s believed the saint found it beneficial for his health. Besides celebrating the new wine, Acquasparta also holds a Renaissance fair, a Festa del Rinascimento, every year, during the first half of June. It celebrates the coming to Acquasparta of Prince Federico Cesi and his family, on the 14th of M a y 1 6 1 4 . T h e b e s t m o m e n t s o f t h e f a i r a r e usually the Corteo dei Doni, the parade of gifts, which i n v o l v e s m o r e t h a n 3 0 0 p e o p l e i n 1 7 t h - c e n t u r y c o s t u m e s , a n d t h e P i a t t o R i n a s c i m e n t a l e , a m e a l b a s e d o n t r a d i t i o n a l R e n a i s s a n c e d i s h e s . A n d while we may have to wait for 12 months to see it, it's w o r t h m e n t i o n i n g a l s o A c q u a s p a r t a ' s P r e s e p e Vivente, the living nativity, with around 150 people in costume and representations of the ancient arts and crafts of the village in the streets. I n a few days, on the 17th of January, Ital- i a n s c e l e b r a t e S a n t ' A n t o n i o A b a t e , k n o w n i n English as Saint Anthony of Egypt or Saint Anthony the Great. Anthony is a saint of the early Church and he is c o n s i d e r e d t h e f i r s t s a i n t hermit, as well as one of the fathers of monasticism. In Italy, he is traditionally con- sidered a santo contadino, that is, a saint connected with rural life and beliefs and that's why it is said that all animals, on the night of Sant'Antonio Abate, gain the faculty of speaking. His cult developed first in the East and then reached the West during the early Middle Ages when relics of h i s a r r i v e d i n P r o v e n c e . Later, with the birth of the m o n a s t i c o r d e r o f t h e Antonians, his cult spread across the Alps, to Italy. The Antonians kept alive the idea of the saint as a healer, as they were strictly associated with the care of the ill and working in hospitals. Also the connection of Anthony with animals comes from the work of the Antonians, who used to farm pigs, whose fat was necessary for the mak- ing of a balm against shin- gles (known in Italian also as f u o c o d i S a n t ' A n t o n i o ) . Anthony, so, started being represented with a pig. Soon, other animals became part of the saint's iconography and so he became the protector of all domestic animals: that's why he gives them the ability to speak people's language on the night of his festivity, a n d w h y , o n t h e 1 7 t h o f January, it is customary in I t a l y t o h a v e y o u r p e t s blessed. Traditionally, the blessing takes place on the square in front of the church, where animals of all kinds and their humans wait for their blessing. While it was certainly more common in the times of our grandpar- ents and great-grandparents, when animals were not solely l i f e c o m p a n i o n s b u t a l s o important work helpers, the practice is still widespread across the country, especially i n m o r e r u r a l a r e a s , e v e n t h o u g h b i g c i t i e s - M i l a n , P a r m a , a n d R o m e , f o r instance - do it too. The cult of Saint Anthony is also associated with fire. Il falò di Sant'Antonio is an ancient tradition that still happens in many parts of the country, always on the 17th of January. Needless to say, the use of fire is, in this case as in many others, associated with ancient pagan rituals where the hottest of the four e l e m e n t s s y m b o l i z e s l i f e b u r n i n g a n d h e a t c h a s i n g away the cold of the winter. LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Tradition of the month: the cult of Sant'Antonio Abate Sant'Antonio Abate, portrayed by Moretto da Brescia (1531) (Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons agreement. Public Domain) A traditional medieval alley in Acquasparta (Photo: Cardaio Federico/Dreamstime) Italian village of the month: Acquasparta

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