L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano MARIELLA RADAELLI T here are w ell-kept secrets hidden behind the southern Appen- nine M ountains in the remote, charming village of M uro Lucano, s et amid the rugged beauty of the Basilicata region. Here in the "instep" of Italy's boot, which borders Campania to the west, Puglia to the northeast and Calabria to the south, the mountains make up just under half of the region, a place where the secrets of battles and dreams connect the past with the pre- sent. Perched on a steep ridge atop Mount Paratiello, Muro Lucano looks like a natural nativity set at sunset this time a year. Potenza is an hour's drive away to the south; Matera is 100 miles to the northeas t w hile Naples is 50 miles to the north. "There w as in the air the glamor of a battle, the holy battle raging for the assertion of a new truth. My youth plunged full in it," w rote A merican futuris t painter Joseph Stella, an Italian immigrant from Muro Lucano who arrived in New York City at age 19 in need of a self-expres- sion almost as verbal as it was vis ual and mys terious .The Museo Archeologico Nazionale of Muro houses a permanent col- lection of Stella's work. Muro Lucano was built over the ruins of Numistri, a Roman outpost where Consul Marcus Claudius M arcellus fought against Hannibal with great suc- cess. It was in 210 BC, during the S econd P unic War, the fourth time Claudius Marcellus and Hannibal met in a battle. And the one at Muro Lucano was quite bloody. More than 20 centuries later, a dark-haired, earthy beauty was born in the Bronx to a working class family that emigrated from Muro. The bubbly Italian-Amer- ican girl named Anna Maria Louis e Italiano became the celebrity known as Anne Ban- croft. Her father Michael Italiano was a dress pattern maker, her mother Mildred Di Napoli was a telephone operator. A head- strong woman, Anne worked hard to prove her masterful and versatile talent. The role of lonely housewife Mrs. Robinson in the movie The Graduate transformed her into an award-winning sensation. She was married to Mel Brooks for 41 years until her death in 2005, a passing that surprised even her friends. She proved herself in her own battle by keeping all private. In 1980, Muro was severely damaged by an earthquake, the Irpinia quake that killed almost 3,000 people in the region. Most of houses were destroyed, but today after 37 years more than 90 percent have been rebuilt. Extensive work was put into the reconstruction. I love Muro's old town, the ancient borgo named il Pianello, with its piazza and steep streets, its maze of alleys. It is a timeless corner of southern Italy, with its 5,000 souls. Now being regenerated, it remains one of Europe's hidden gems. A medieval castle originally built by the Lombards in the 9th century still sits there overlook- ing the quaint village. The remaining ruins are a tribute to the castle's fascinating and vio- lent history. In 1382, beautiful Joanna I, Queen of Naples (Gio- vanna d'Angiò), didn't win her battle. She died at the castle at 27, allegedly strangled with a silken chord while kneeling in prayer in the private chapel. She was killed by four Hungarian soldiers. Joanna's death was ordered by her cousin Charles, Duke of Durazzo (the future Charles III), who regarded him- self as the legitimate king of Naples. She was kept prisoner there, locked up in a tower. The castle's panoramic view over the Melandro and Marmo Streams Valley is mesmerizing. As you leave its ruins and take a short walk down through the vil- lage, you will find many tratto- rias serving superb dishes from the hills of Irpinia, an aptly named oasis of antique flavors. This place is on the radar of food lovers thanks to simple, rus- tic but gorgeous dishes. Muresi can conjure up the most deli- cious specialties with home-pro- duced olive oil, cheese, pasta, bread and mountain potatoes. Amazing are the ravioli with burnt garlic and walnut filling, with seasonal variations bringing truffles, mushrooms and locally sourced meats including wild boar. Sausages and hams are the gourmet specialties in Muro cui- sine: try capocollo di cinghiale lucano, a cured ham made from the neck of local wild boar – dark red and intensely flavored. M y favorite is pr os ciutto di maiale lucano, a ham made from the hoofed hind legs of wild boar, aged for nearly a year. Muro is somewhat considered the spiritual capital of Basilicata, being the birthplace of St. Gerard M ajella, patron s aint of the region. He is venerated as a pro- tector of pregnant mothers and children. In the U S s everal Catholic parishes are dedicated to him, including St. Gerard Majella Church at 4439 Ingle- wood Boulevard, Los Angeles. Muro is a beautiful land of dreams and sunlight, a place of hope, a site of not only territorial battles. Ron Galella, known as the King of Paparazzi and an honorary citizen of Muro, had to face other kinds of battles, legal battles. He also got beat up, most famously by Marlon Brando, who punched him in the face, broke his jaw and knocked out five teeth. Climbing up that "muro" was the only goal Ron had. Perched on a steep ridge atop Mount Paratiello, Muro Lucano looks like a natural nativity set. Photo: Associazione Pro Loco di Muro Lucano. Muro is a beautiful land of dreams and sunlight. Photo: Luviano Remollino ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES Magnificent Muro Lucano, buds of hope after battles

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