L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 8 MANUELA CARACCIOLO T h e r e a r e p l a c e s w h e r e starting over thanks to the g e n e r o s i t y o f o t h e r s i s possible: people willing to give the opportunity to work, live and hope even after a tragedy as dra- m a t i c a s t h e A u g u s t 2 0 1 6 Amatrice earthquake, a tragedy that broke in half the heart of Italy. This is the story of a return to normality, the most precious of things after loosing it all. Thanks to the generosity of Giovanni and Giuliana Bottero, a family of restaurateurs from Le Marche got the opportunity to run, for free, the agriturismo Girasole in San Bernardo, a hamlet near Limone in the Cuneo province of Piedmont. Rebirth takes place here, among the green pastures of the Val Vermenagna. I n M a r c h 2 0 1 7 , a f t e r t h e e a r t h q u a k e t o o k t h e i r o w n restaurant, Barcollo, and home in Torrita di Amatrice, Enrico and Veronica Neroni came to live here with their twin daugh- ters, in a beautiful wood and stone cabin with restaurant, pool and B&B. Giovanni, 66, has run it for 15 years, but was forced to close b e c a u s e o f p e r s o n a l h e a l t h issues. Then one day, while looking a t t h e t r a g i c i m a g e s o f l a s t S u m m e r ' s e a r t h q u a k e o n t v , Giovanni took a decision: "I imagined to be in those people's shoes. I imagined to be one of those restaurateurs who, all of a sudden, had lost the work of a life time. I thought about how I would have felt: desperate, dis- heartened, helpless. Feeling the earth trembling and crushing your own creature. It all made me think a lot, then I had an idea." "So I made this appeal on Facebook 'I would like to let someone run my fully equipped restaurant, for free, until you'll be back on your feet and manage to start over again with your own. I'm not looking for money, rent nor anything else.'" The appeal goes viral. The agreement, which lasts f o r t w o y e a r s , i n c l u d e s f r e e accommodation and wood for chimneys and ovens. "A friend from Asti rang us. W e t h o u g h t i t w a s a j o k e - Enrico and Valeria, 39, recount. We contacted Giovanni: it was all true. We came to Limone before New Year's Eve to see t h e a g r i t u r i s m o , w e t h o u g h t about for quite a long time...then we decided to accept the offer." Initially, Enrico and Veronica wanted to meet Giovanni out of curiosity, then with increasing awareness. And they finally accepted. In this little hamlet a couple of kilometers out of the village, they found again the mountains, the snow, the silence. All that t h e y h a d a n d l o v e d a l s o i n Amatrice. "It's the right place to start over. With the hope, we can't deny it, to go back home one day. However, we know a disas- ter like that earthquake is kind on nothing and nobody. We still h a v e f r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y i n Amatrice who lost their activi- ties, their homes, their jobs. Tourism disappeared and many businesses gave up or are about to do it. The day after the earth- q u a k e w e t o o k a c o u p l e o f things and went to Rome. We know well the way of recon- struction is going to be very long and this is why we decided to move our family up here. We've been lucky: locals wel- comed us with enthusiasm and a f f e c t i o n , s t a r t i n g f r o m t h e mayor, who made sure all legal p r a c t i c e s f o r t h e m o v e r a n smoothly and helped us register our girls in school, to Limone's people all, generous and wel- coming." An action, that of Mr Bottero, that became contagious. Antonio Delpiano, a retailer from Canale d'Alba, donated all tablecloths for the grand reopening of the restaurant; parents of Limone's kindergarten decided to share the costs of Valeria and Enrico's girls school registration. People truly made an effort in Limone to make this family welcome. Enrico and Veronica have f o n d m e m o r i e s o f t h e i r o l d restaurant in Torrita, a small h a m l e t a b o u t 6 k m f r o m Amatrice. "When a restaurateur looses everything, it's very hard to start over again somewhere else. In the last few months, w e ' v e b e e n a r o u n d c o o k i n g Amatriciana in several different places. A colleague from Aglié, near Ivrea, told us he was going to give us everything to start o v e r . B u t w e c o m e f r o m t h e mountains, that's why we pre- ferred to move to Limone, in this beautiful valley." The agriturismo, which is part of the Guida dei Ristoranti della Tavolozza, represents a gastro- n o m i c t r a d i t i o n t h a t d o e s n ' t belong to the area where it's located, but meets the values of solidarity and hospitality typical of the association, which brings together restaurants faithful to the food tradition of their territo- ry. T h e m e n u a t t h e G i r a s o l e restaurant is typically "amatri- ciano," with some gluten free d i s h e s . " W e ' l l t r y t o l e a r n - Enrico says - in all humbleness, to cook local dishes, too. We're starting over at 40. With a bit of foolishness, resourcefulness and courage, we aim to win this bet. W e w a n t t o p a s s o n t o t h e Piedmontese the quasi obsessive passion we Southerners have for food." This is the reason why, on the walls of the restaurant, you find the fundamental ingredients of Amatriciana pasta "guanciale, tomatoes, white wine and...pas- sion!" Many of the ingredients come d i r e c t l y f r o m t h e d e v a s t a t e d lands of Le Marche, where some local producers still resist: "we choose them also to help people in the Amatrice area rise from this tragedy. Many have given up and many, sadly, still will. B u t w e k e e p t h e f a i t h , e v e n though our home, now, is here." M o r e p o s i t i v e n e w s h a v e recently brought hope to the quake stricken area. Lentil har- vesting has started in Norcia, another town hardly hit by the earthquake. Lentils are a tradi- tional produce of Le Marche: "Castelluccio lentils are a typical produce of our territory, bought and appreciated a bit everywhere I ' m I t a l y . O n e e v e r y t h r e e Italians coming here buys them," say Coldiretti farmers. "Buying local produce and products is one of the most common forms Italians showed us their solidari- ty and demonstrated their sup- port throughout this last year." Farmers have also been cele- b r a t i n g t h e s l o w , y e t s t a b l e , return of tourism to the area. " T o u r i s m i s d e t e r m i n a n t f o r farmers, people who have never left, and remained guarding these broken lands emptied by the forced exodus of those who lost i t a l l , " s a y s t h e p r e s i d e n t o f Coldiretti Roberto Moncalvo. A small, yet important step, just like the return of horses and the first spring blooming after the quake. In Norcia, another business came back successfully after the e a r t h q u a k e : t h e B e n e d i c t i n e monks' brewery. All important signals of a slow yet undeniable return to normality that, here, means espe- cially survival and desire to start over. Amatrice, which was reduced to rubble by the powerful earthquake of August 24, 2016 Enrico and Veronica Neroni moved to Limone after the earthquake took their own restaurant, Barcollo, and home in Torrita di Amatrice One of Italy's most famous sauces, Amatriciana, originated in Amatrice Solidarity and commitment after the 2016 earthquakes: Italy is getting back on her feet Veronica Neroni with assistant chef Daniele Genio NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS

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