 |
| A coin from the time of Emperor Augustus (63 B.C.-14 A.D.) "Caesar Augustus -Divi F(ilius) - Pater Patriae" (tr. `Caesar Augustus, Son of God, Father of His Country') |
August has been for many decades the official month in which to take the annual Italian holiday. Everybody took their holidays in August. One reason is that August is the hottest month of the year in our peninsula. Therefore the perfect occasion for a two to four weeks vacation for many Italian families.
I have always wondered why there were so many Italians born in May? As there are nine months from August to May...there is the answer. August is definitely a hot month of the year in Italy!
This year in particular we are having torrid heat waves called "Lucifero" (tr. Lucifer), "Acheronte" (tr. Acheron), "Minosse" (tr. Minos), and "Caligola" (tr. Caligula) with reference to Hell in the epics as well as to classical Greek mythology. Luckily "Beatrice" (Beatrix was the beloved of Dante, the author of the Divine Comedy and who described Hell in a very original way) will come and deliver us from the heat with her summer storms on Sunday!
While the month of July is dedicated to Julius Caesar, the month of August is dedicated to Emperor Augustus. in order to have the same month length, in 8 B.C. the Senate of Rome decided to add one day to the month of August by deleting one day from the month of February.
The fact of being August the traditional month for vacations in Italy, for rest ("Feriae" in Latin, "Ferie" in Italian) is maybe the reason why they say that no one is in Rome in August. everyone goes to the country in August enjoying events such as the Renaissance corteges and Festivals in small towns and villages. There are so many events everywhere in Italy in August!
August 15th is the most important feast day in August and probably the second most important Feast Day of the whole year in Italy besides Christmas for the Catholic Church. This day for the profane is known as "Ferragosto", originating from the Latin "Feriae Augusti" (tr." Augustus' Day Off/Rest"). For the official religion, it is the day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary to Paradise. This is why August 15th is a holiday in Italy. All stores, offices, and factories are closed.
 |
| Bettona, Italy is a small village near Torgiano, they are specialized in cooking roasted geese and they organize a dedicated festival every year. |
On August 15th in my region, Umbria (sister region of Tuscany, Marche, and Lazio just like the four corner states in the United States), we enjoy the tradition of eating "Oca Arrosto" (tr. roasted goose) with family and friends for lunch, usually accompanied by potatoes. Here in Piegaro, Italy they serve the "Oco Arrosto", the male goose. This idea made me laugh so hard when I first heard it! They call it "Oco" (tr. male-goose).
In reminding ourselves of Rome's history, it is strange to think that August is the name of a Roman Emperor and at the same time the month in which the Umbrian people eat geese. Indeed geese were the sacred animals of the Goddess Juno (or Hera) and geese are the heroes of a famous legend that is part of Roman history. The story takes place about 390 B.C. and is about the failed attack of the Gauls on the city of Rome: On the Campidoglio (tr. Capitol of Rome) at the Temple of Juno, many sacred geese were used to wander freely. Highly respected by the Romans, geese were faithful watchers, considered better than watchdogs. So one night the Gauls attacked the Temple of Juno while the Roman soldiers were asleep. Because geese were awake in order to watch the Temple day and night, they awoke the Roman soldiers with their cackling. In response, the Roman soldiers delivered the Temple from the Barbarians with great energy. Therefore it is said that Rome was once saved by the cackling of its geese.
Despite the above story is known as a legend, we know that later on a new temple was built on the Capitol of Rome, called Iuno Monetae (tr. "Admonitory Juno"). Secondly, a new building was added producing coins, which was called "Officina Moneta" (tr. "coins workshop"). The name was inspired by the closeness of the Temple of Juno Monetae. As a consequence, the name "Moneta" was extended to the coins themselves. In Italian, we still currently call coins with the name of "Moneta" (singular noun) and "Monete" (plural noun). How beautiful to know the origins of the words and the things that we use!
 |
| Prof. Albert Einstein (Ulm, Germany 1879- Princeton, USA 1955) |
Professor Albert Einstein mentioned the legend of the faithful geese in one of his attendances in the United States. It became one of his famous quotes published in his book by the title: "The World As I See It", which is following herewith:
"Reply to the Women of America -
An American Women's League felt called upon to protest against Einstein's visit to their country. They received the following answer.
Never yet have I experienced from the fair sex such energetic rejection of all advances; or, if I have, never from so many at once. But are they not quite right, these watchful citizens?
Why should one open one's doors to a person who devours hard-boiled capitalists with as much appetite and gusto as the Cretan Minotaur in days gone by devoured luscious Greek maidens, and on top of that is low-down enough to reject every sort of war, except the unavoidable war with one's own wife? Therefore give heed to your clever and patriotic women-folk and remember that the Capitol of mighty Rome was once saved by the cackling of its faithful geese."
-----------------------------------------
FRIENDS OF CAMA
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento