L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano C artapesta (kar- t a h p e h - s t a h ) m e a n s p a p i e r - mâché in English and, with corian- d o l i a n d m a s c h e r a i s t h e most quintessential of all Carnevale words. It comes from the union of c a r t a ( p a p e r ) a n d p e s t a ( p o u n d e d ) , w h i c h r e v e a l s what it is: a concoction of paper pulp bound with adhe- sive and shaped into forms limited only by the imagina- tion of its creators. T h e o r i g i n s o f p a p i e r - mâché stretch back to ancient China, where it first served practical purposes in the cre- ation of helmets and shields. However, it was during the R e n a i s s a n c e t h a t I t a l y embraced cartapesta and turned it into an art form, with Italian artisans using it to sculpt religious figures and decorative items for church- es. But nowhere is the spirit of cartapesta more alive than in the Italian Carnevale: it is here, in the shadowed alleys of Venice and the colorful streets of Viareggio, that car- tapesta truly comes to life. A r t i s a n s c a n c r a f t w i t h i t elaborate masks and tower- 1 seal, the animal 3 names 7 ( f e m i n i n e p l u r a l o f ) m y , belonging to me 8 (he) comes 9 (you/voi) read 13 sorry, excuse me 15 (a plural form of) the 16 hero 17 fingers Using the provided meanings as clues, search for the appropriate Italian word in the grid 1 hunger 2 (he) believes 4 (he) hears 5 thoughts 6 (he) wakes 10 (you/tu) cut 11 (she) exits 12 life; waist 14 use, act of using ing floats, which embody the joy and satire of the festival, but also its transient beauty. Beyond the festivities, car- tapesta can still be found, just like all those centuries ago, in the Renaissance, in the quiet sanctity of churches and the lively nature of pro- cessions, where it morphs into lifelike religious statu- ary. Its ability to mimic the drapery of fabric and the soft- ness of skin makes it an ideal medium for creating figures imbued with emotion and grace. Cartapesta is also com- monly used to create objects and decorations for the stage, where it certainly comes in h a n d y t o m a k e p r o p s a n d decorations. Che carri meravigliosi a Viareggio! Incredibile pen- sare che sia tutto fatto di cartapesta! How beautiful the Viareg- gio floats are! Incredibly, they are all made with papi- er-mâché! Tutti gli oggetti che vedi s u l p a l c o , i n c l u s a q u e l l a colonna, sono fatti di car- tapesta! A l l t h e p r o p s o n s t a g e , even that column, are made with papier-mâché! LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Cartapesta: the other word for "Carnevale" (Photo: Onigiriwords/Dreamstime) 1 to turn 2 Monday 3 girl 4 head 5 to talk 6 mother 7 light 8 door 9 to eat 10 two 11 river 12 friend 13 man 14 one 15 to drink A C R O S S D O W N ITALIAN WORD SEARCH The solution to these word games will be available on the next edition. Games courtesy of Lexis Rex

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