L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 3 and the well-known local taste for food and wine. I n n o r t h e r n I t a l y , p o p u l a r events are held in major cities like Bologna or Venice as well as in small towns. For example i n F a e n z a , E m i l i a R o m a g n a r e g i o n , t h e e f f i g y o f a n o l d woman – the Befana, a personi- fication of the bygone year – is brought to the main square on a c a r t d r a w n b y o x e n , t o b e burned and bid farewell with a toast of the local mulled wine. Fire and wine are also featured in an ancient ritual performed on the night of January 5 in the p r o v i n c e o f T r e v i s o , V e n e t o region, where the harvest trend of the New Year is predicted according to the direction of the flames. While Venice celebrates the Epiphany with a typical boat race along the Canal Grande, between two teams of rowers dressed up like the Befana or S a n t a C l a u s , V e r o n a h o s t s a p a r a d e o f v i n t a g e c a r s a n d motorcycles, carrying gifts to be donated to local charities. In Lombardy region, the tra- ditional Christmas stockings – w h i c h i n I t a l y a r e u s u a l l y a Befana's prerogative - hung f r o m t h e w i n d o w s a n d b a l - c o n i e s , w a i t i n g f o r t h e o l d woman to fill them with sweets or coal, depending on the chil- I t ' s w i n t e r i n M i l a n , n o question about it. Grey skies and a chilled drizzle character- ize this non-jolly time of year, sending residence scurrying for the warmth of a nearby café or bar. Nevertheless, this winter there was one more reason to celebrate under the weary skies of the northern Italian capitol. A monument commemorating the importance of the Lambretta scooter was unveiled in Milan, drawing attention from all cor- ners of the world, the same cor- ners in which Lambretta has p l a y e d a n i n f l u e n t i a l r o l e throughout the second half of the 20th century. At first you may not recognize the name, Lambretta, perhaps because it has been overshadowed by its younger brother of sorts, the Vespa. After World War II, Ferdinando Innocenti, founder of Lambretta, saw a need for cheap, private transport around the city of Milan. As a precur- sor to Italy's economic boom, Italians were not yet able to afford personal cars, instead Innocenti wanted a scooter for every family with the capacity to carry a passenger, be dri- v a b l e b y b o t h g e n d e r s a n d unlike a motorcycle, keep the riders relatively clean: in other words, city transportation. He hired, Corradino D'Ascanio, an aeronautical engineer, to design the first scooter for Lambretta, but D'Ascanio left the company over creative differences with owner Innocenti, taking with him his design to competitor Enrico Piaggio, producer of the V e s p a . T h e f i r s t L a m b r e t t a (named after the Lambro river in Milan) became available for purchase in 1947, a full year a f t e r t h e V e s p a ' s d e b u t . D e s p i t e t h e e a r l y d e f e a t t o Vespa, Lambretta quickly start- ed being manufactured under license in Argentina, Brazil, C h i l e , C o l o m b i a , I n d i a a n d Spain. In fact, India, finding itself in a similar position of n e e d i n g a f f o r d a b l e , p r i v a t e transit, purchased the factory in M i l a n a n d t h e r i g h t s t o t h e L a m b r e t t a n a m e i n 1 9 7 2 . Nowadays you can still find m o t o r s c o o t e r s b e a r i n g t h e Lambretta name, but they are manufactured outside of Bella I t a l i a , a n d a r e o w n e d b y Scooters India Ltd (Ltd). The shift in ownership has only cre- ated a greater demand for the o r i g i n a l I t a l i a n L a m b r e t t a , which is coveted worldwide by t h e m a n y m e m b e r s o f Lambretta scooter clubs. So this holiday season, as we ask our respective gift-givers for all things new, let us not forget the old innovators who started it all, the Innocenti of the world. Lambretta: out with the old, in with the…old dren's behavior. T a l k i n g o f s t o c k i n g s , t h e small town of Santa Maria a Monte in Tuscany is home of the world's longest one, 260 meters, filled with thousands of colourful balloons to be popped at the end of the celebration. Another Epiphany tradition is represented by live perfor- mances inspired either by the religious or the pagan origin of the festivity. In Florence and Rome - but also in many towns of Campania region, which is famous for hosting spectacular living nativity scenes - the jour- n e y o f t h e T h r e e W i s e M e n bringing gifts to the baby Jesus is staged on January 6 in the street of the historic city center. While inquisition trials and rit- uals against witchcraft are re- e n a c t e d i n t h e p r o v i n c e o f Trento, with the participation of over 100 characters wearing medieval clothing, more cheer- ful performances take place in U r b a n i a , M a r c h e r e g i o n , o r Altamura in Apulia, where the Befana flies down the town's bell tower, distributing candies and gifts to the children. And to all those who wish the holiday season to last longer, she offers one more occasion to celebrate with family and friends. Italian "Befane" ready to distribute candies and gifts to the children A vintage Lambretta ad PAIGE HOFFMAN Continued from page 1 The small town of Santa Maria a Monte in Tuscany is the home of the world's longest stocking, filled with thousands of balloons

• Cover