Little Paris: The Art of Welcoming

Pope Paul III portrayed by Titian in 1543 at the
age of 75. 

Celebrating an important event that took place in Piegaro on September 20th, 1547, welcoming Pope Paul III who enjoyed staying in Piegaro.
-----------------------------------------------------

Last year in January I moved to the village of Piegaro on the border between Tuscany and Umbria. In my small house at the town entrance, which was once the toll house for all merchants entering the main door, I spend my days working on my research and enjoying learning about Italian Renaissance art and history.

The red area is the Piegaro municipality, the blue area
is the Deruta territory. In the Renaissance
period, Piegaro was an "Estate" and Deruta was
a "Castle". 

I selected Piegaro by accident because I am renting from one of my best friends and he happened to have a home for rent in Piegaro. What I knew about Piegaro was that there was a famous glass factory organized as a cooperative (I love cooperatives) and an American lady I knew the existence of from Slowtravel, she had remodeled the most ancient glass factory of Piegaro by turning it into a villa with apartments and she wrote on Slowtravel.
Little by little the town of Piegaro became very meaningful to me because it is located near Città della Pieve, the hometown of the artist Perugino. I imagined the artist on his horse riding to Deruta, which was a town of interest for very important family members in the Renaissance period such as the Borgias, the Sforza family, the Farnese family, and the Medicis along with the Baglioni's, owners of the castle of Deruta. Pietro Vannucci known as Perugino was a major artist of that time. He inspired the ceramic tradition immensely, besides painting a famous fresco for the castle of Deruta.

In the Church of St. Silvester in Piegaro
the chandelier in front of the altar was made in
one of its glass factories. 

So the first person I contacted when I arrived in Piegaro was this American lady, by email because in the month of January she was in the United States. Then I started exploring the town and found out that people were extremely welcoming!

the cathedral of Orvieto's glass windows
were made in Piegaro. In this
window:
"St.Paul with Angels"

Until the 1960s Piegaro produced
this kind of bottle called
"fiasco". Straw was
applied by hand. 

Indeed the piegarese are very cheerful and friendly, treasurers of a tradition of glory thanks to the glass factories which have been part of their culture since the 13th century with different productions. They are used to receiving people for the glass factories business, for travelers stopping by and from the fact that many piegarese expatriated and eventually came back to their land of origin, attracting people from the places they had lived in. Last but not least Italians and foreigners have been selecting Piegaro as a favorite place to move in and some of them have contributed to enhancing the town experience.
For a certain period of time in more recent years, specifically in the 1960s, Piegaro was called "La Piccola Parigi" (tr. Little Paris), because its downtown area was full of small selected stores with many different artisans, of social life traditions such as early evening promenades, which were a must for the married couples of Piegaro. The town was more lively than ever reaching its highest peak from the Renaissance times.
                                                                       
In my recent readings about Piegaro, I discovered that the welcoming tradition belongs to the history of Piegaro itself and it is also witnessed by a very refined and distinguished person, Pope Paul III (1468-1549), a member of the Farnese family in Rome, born Alessandro Farnese. Pope Paul III visited Piegaro five times on his way from Rome to Perugia and he was delighted by the place and its people. Pope Paul III is remembered as one of the greatest patrons of the arts of the Renaissance period, he was in touch with very important artists such as Titian and Michelangelo; to this latter, he commissioned the Last Judgement and the Capitol Square in Rome. Paul III is remembered as one of the greatest Popes of all time.

The modern glass factory in Piegaro has
specialized in making bottles for
famous companies such as Martini.

In the book "Storia di Piegaro e delle sue vetrerie" (tr. history of Piegaro and its glass factories, 1976) by Senofonte Pistelli we may read the story of Pope Paul III visiting Piegaro and this is a summary of it: 

"Pope Paul III visited Piegaro for the fifth time in 1547 and within that occasion, he wanted to thank the Piegarese for their affectionate welcoming and the warmth they expressed towards him by giving them three gifts: the wall clock for the Church bell-tower, secondly the exemption from a tax called "Gabella dei quattro Piedi" (tr. duty of the four feet) for the 18 years to follow and finally Pope Paul III proclaimed Piegaro "Terra" (tr. Estate), the highest title for a town at that time. Piegaro was honored with these presents on September 20th, 1547. Pope Paul III died two years later but Piegaro remained in great consideration at the Roman Curia."

Lucretia Borgia was among the visitors of the
Castle of Deruta. According to history, she
had blue eyes and dark hair (brunettes used
to dye their hair blonde at that time, a tradition that
we still have in Italy). This is a rare painting with Lucretia's
original hair color.

Renaissance wall plate with the writing:
"La Giulia Bella" (Giulia The Beautiful)
16th Century - namely Lady Giulia Farnese.
 (Deruta Ceramics Museum)

Ceramic wall plate with the Farnese Family Coat of Arms,
namely Pier Luigi Farnese, and made in Deruta (A.D. 1537). 

Farnese
Coat of Arms

Pope Paul III had a famous sister, Lady Giulia Farnese (1474-1524), known as "La Giulia Bella" (Giulia the Beautiful). Giulia Farnese was a friend of another famous lady of the Renaissance period, Lady Lucrezia Borgia, who is mentioned among the visitors of Deruta. Indeed at that time a  famous wall plate with the writing "La Giulia Bella" was produced in Deruta and is part of the collection of the Deruta Ceramics Museum. 

Additionally at the Deruta Ceramics Museum we may notice a commemorative wall plate with the Farnese Family Coat of Arms and dedicated to the election of Pier Luigi Farnese as Duke in 1537. The reason why members of papal families were visiting Deruta may rely on the fact that during the so called "Salt War" of 1540 between Perugia and the papal states, Deruta stand for the Pope, thus ending the dominion of the Baglioni family in our town. In Deruta as a consequence of this war we have been using unsalted bread since that time as well as they do in Piegaro. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: "Terra" (Estate) was the highest title out of three: 1. Terra (Estate), 2. Castrum (Castle), 3. Villa (Village). "Gabella dei Quattro Piedi": Tax of the four feet apparently refers to a length unit= 1 'piede' ('pes' in Latin)=0,2957 m. 

----------------------------------------- 



Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -



FRIENDS OF CAMA 


Join the Facebook Page to Receive Blog Updates 


NEW!


Now on Twitter

The Importance of Being Earnest

St.Sebastian by Pietro Perugino (1448-1523), ca. 1495
On the arrow the classical writing in Latin:
"Petrus perusinus pinxit" (tr. painted by Pietro Perugino).

We may find the image of St. Sebastian in many churches in Umbria. He is among the most popular icons of Italian art history and of the history of the Catholic Church (he is the third most important Saint of the Church of Rome, after St. Peter and St. Paul) probably because he was considered an anti-pestiferous and several plagues occurred in Umbria in the Middle Ages and early Renaissance period. In Deruta, the last plague occurred in 1476;  in the area of Fontignano- Piegaro-Città Della Pieve in 1523 and caused the death of one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance art: Pietro Vannucci also known as Pietro Perugino.
Pietro Perugino painted the wonderful St. Sebastian of this image probably around 1495, now the property of the State Ermitage Museum of St.Petersburg, Russia.

Martyrdom of St. Sebastian, Church of St. Sebastian, Panicale
(ca. 1505) 

On the contrary, the St. Sebastian Pietro Perugino painted for the Church of Panicale, Italy (about 15 km. away from Piegaro) is still part of the original church decorations.
--------------------------------

The striking beauty of St. Sebastian by Pietro Perugino is an example of Renaissance art whose aim went beyond the faithful portrait of reality. Art was a way to describe a spiritual rebirth. As a consequence what came through was an idealization of the values of the person in the fresco, who was painted here as a handsome, kind, charitable and earnest young man: an angel.

-----------------------------------
St. Sebastian was probably born in Milan and died in Rome (256-288 A.D.). His father was originally from France and his mother was Milanese. He became a Roman soldier and was martyrized because of his joining the Christian faith. He would help prisoners and people in need, he became so pure that he could make miracles, he converted important Romans to the Christian religion to such an extent that his Emperor felt betrayed, being Sebastian one of his most faithful soldiers. Upon his martyrdom St. Sebastian's body was filled with so many arrows that he looked like a porcupine, the story says. St Sebastian benefitted from a miracle himself because he didn't die because of this original martyrdom. A miracle occurred. He died as a consequence of the later flagellation by the order of the same Emperor Diocletian. His body was buried in the catacombs later called after his name: Catacombs of St. Sebastian.

-----------------------------------------

- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

FRIENDS OF CAMA 

Join the Facebook Page to Receive Blog Updates 

NEW!
Now on Twitter

SINE SOLE SILEO

An Italian wall sundial with the writing: "Torna il Sole, non
il tempo" (tr. "sun will return, your time won't"). The rooster and the owls
are the symbols of the dawn and the sunset, the time span of the sundial
being of 12 hours. 

SINE SOLE SILEO (Latin)=NO SUN, NO SHADE. 

Many years before solar panels were invented, solar clocks made their entrance into the world of useful tools operated by the sun and usually accompanied by inspiring sayings mostly written in Latin. In Italy, the making of solar clocks, specifically "sundials", was considered as an art including scientific studies of longitudes, latitudes and other astronomic data of places of interest. Sundials in Italy are usually part of walls, rarely laying flat which is how they originally started in the dawn of time, the first examples going back to the 3rd millennium B.C. in China.

Herewith follow some examples of Latin sayings that may be found on sundials in Italy: 

Non sine lumine (tr. not without light), Utere hora quae hodie tua (tr. use your time today), Sol omnibus lucet (tr. sun shines for all), Omnia Mutantur (tr. everything changes), Omnia habet tempus (tr. everything has its time).  

"Sine Sole Sileo" is Latin and literally means "Without the sun, I am
dumb" or as a free translation: "No sun, no shade".  Example of a modern
project for sundials with classical horoscope signs and
Roman numbers. 

The difficult part is now that I do not know how to read these clocks. This is the problem of lost traditions, it takes a longer time to understand them and use them in this case. In these works of art, there are usually pieces of information regarding the months of the year (by the help of horoscope signs), of the equinox and of seasons. The seasons of the year are usually written in Latin and they are as follows: Autumnus (fall), Hiems (winter), Aestas (summer), Ver (springs) with several short information about the coordinates of the place (see the example on the above image): LONG stands for "longitudine" (longitude), LAT stands for "Latitudine" (latitude), DEC stands for "Declinazione della Parete" or "Azimut" (wall declination or Azimuth), C stands for "Costante Locale" (local constant) and Slm stands for "Sul Livello del Mare" (above sea level) It takes an engineer to make a sundial or an amateur of astronomical geography, nevertheless to cope with this difficult task there are nowadays dedicated computer programs.  

A flat (horizontal) sundial with Roman numbers and motto in English
"I Tell Only Sunny Hours". The stick is called gnomon
and is necessary to create the shade which will catch the time. Metal.  

Sundials are usually slow compared to modern and perfect wristwatches, usually by half an hour. Slow vs Fast, the two adjectives in use for time measuring. Slow makes me think of Slowness (vs Speed) which has been a new concept in modern lifestyle for several years now: i.e. slow food, slow art, slow travel, an invitation to slow down in a world where the rhythms of industrial technologies seem to teach us about a fast way to live our personal life, which on the contrary needs slow times in order to fully enjoy health, peace and joy. In this regards the beauty of slowness is described by the famous Renaissance motto of Cosimo de' Medici which is "Festina Lente" (Italian translation: agisci presto ma con calma - English translation: act quickly but calmly) which is apparently an oxymoron but rather the description of art itself, the Art of Slowness that may be applied to the modern era and help us fight stress, anxieties and frustrations, going hand in hand with the benefits of contemporary technologies but with us mastering the time, which is a precious tool in our hands, therefore something to use wisely.

-----------------------------------------

- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

FRIENDS OF CAMA 

Join the Facebook Page to Receive Blog Updates 

NEW!
Now on Twitter

IMAGO VITAE

Ikon with St. Joachim, Mary, and her mother Anne

JULY 26TH,  
St. Anne's Day

On July 26th in Italy, we celebrate the Feast Day of St.Anne, Mary's mother. St.Anne is usually juxtaposed to the message of fertility which is expressed in this ikon by her green dress. Anne means "favor" or "grace" and the name comes from Hebrew.

The cult of St.Anne existed in the Eastern civilizations since the 6th century and arrived in Western Europe in the 10th century.

Like the Virgin Mary, St.Anne is a religious translation of existing pagan myths and goddesses and we find St.Anne in many cultures. She is a translation of the concept of fertility and as a consequence of life, growth, and future.

In Deruta, one of the Churches is dedicated to St.Anne and is located in the borough of Deruta, the lower part of town, where the ceramics art tradition got started.

St.Anne was much venerated by the community of peasants and artisans in Deruta who celebrated this day with an important farmers market and attractions for visitors from out of town, in particular from Perugia. The tradition was brought back to life not too long ago, July 26th is once again an important Feast Day for the community of Deruta.

On top of the altar of the Church of S. Anne, a dedication written in Latin and dated 1744:

"STERILITAS FECUNDATA EXPIA • DEVOT [ION] E FELICIS •  ET CAROLI DETIRA TELLIS • ERECTUM A 1744". The translation to Italian is as follows: "“Per sacro voto di Felice e Carlo Tiratelli si erige questo altare nell’anno del Signore 1744 a ricordo della sterilità resa feconda”, in English "Out of gratitude we build this altar in the year 1744 as a memory of the healed sterility by (the families of) Felice and Carlo Tiratelli".

It was probably a thank you for the birth of Luigi Tiratelli, Carlo's only child, last heir of the Tiratelli family in Deruta, who on his turn had no children like his uncle Felice. 

The brothers Felice and Carlo Tiratelli were the owners of the Church since the late 17th century, in earlier years this Church was a hospital for pilgrims on the way from St. Jacques of Compostela to Rome (about 2,400 kilometers with Assisi as an additional destination) according to the latest theories about this site. The original entrance plaque to the hospital is dated 1594 and is preserved in the ceramic art museum of Deruta. 

The ceramic plaque of the hospital of St. Jacques in Deruta
dated 1594 and still active in 1649 according to Giuseppe Fabretti (1787-1869),
a Derutese born in Casalina (a locality of Deruta) and in love with the history
of Deruta and Umbria. It is through Giuseppe Fabretti that we get to know
much about our past. (credit: Ceramic art Museum of Deruta).

The writing on the plaque is in Latin, language in use in Renaissance times as a rule: "Hospitalis Iacobi Sub Regim Comunis" (tr. The Hospital of S. Jacques under the control of the Commune").

Around the mid 17th century, the hospital of St. Jacques was transferred to downtown Deruta because it had gotten too small and this is when the hospital was turned into a Church and restored for this purpose.

The man in the plaque carries messages of life as well, on his left shoulder he has a shell, a symbol of the pilgrimage, the shell, in particular, meant that the person had been to St.Jacques of Compostela in Spain. This shell allowed the pilgrim to receive discounts on taxes due and special prices on tolls to be paid on the way back. The shell had to be sewn on the mantel. The tradition still exists and nowadays pilgrims sew their shells on modern backpacks. Also in the origin, the shell was a practical tool to drink surface water from ponds on the round trip to and from the Sanctuary of St. Jacques of Compostela. Because this person has no halo around his head, we may suppose he was the example of a pilgrim (the cane, the bundle, and the Gospel in his right hand are additional symbols). 

Finally, in Renaissance art, the shell was the pagan symbol of fertility as per paintings such as the "Birth of Venus" by Botticelli, in this painting Botticelli painted the shell by inscribing it in the golden number.

Sandro Botticelli, "Birth of Venus" (circa 1482-1485), the shell is a symbol of fertility, Venus
is the image of life, Imago Vitae in Latin.

RIDING THE HORSE - DIRECTION: DERUTA

The votive offering was painted by Perugino for the community
of Deruta (1477-1478). The plague was over in the town.
Saints Rocco and Romano were considered anti-pestiferous.
(Deruta Painting Gallery, originally in the Church of Saint
Francis in Deruta) 

The castle of Deruta in a ceramic plaque of the 1940s  (photo by Roberta Niccacci)

If you are in the  Piegaro - Città della Pieve - Fontignano area you might think of yourself as belonging to the flourishing Renaissance history of Deruta; by accompanying Maestro Pietro Vannucci known as "Perugino" (1448-1523) from Città della Pieve to Deruta in one of his trips to the town of ceramics.
This great artist of Italian art history was born in Città della Pieve and died in Fontignano, where he is buried. Perugino was one of the most important local and famous artists who inspired the ceramic art of Deruta, together with Bernardino di Betto known as "Pinturicchio" (1452-1513).
Between 1477-1478 the community of Deruta commissioned Perugino a votive offering (that we call "ex-voto" using the Latin expression) as a thank you for the end of the town's plague. This is one of the reasons why Perugino came to Deruta often, painting his fresco for the town of Deruta.

Also during the Renaissance period, Deruta was a famous place for VIPs such as the Borgia and Sforza families, artists, merchants, and bankers.

Detail of a fresco by Perugino from the "Nobile Collegio
del Cambio" in Perugia (money exchange office)
Deruta ceramic artists took their inspiration
from this hat's floral swirls as an example. 

At that time according to available literature, there were about ten ceramic workshops, churches, a hospital for pilgrims, and a few banks with a population of about one thousand Derutese.

Reproduction of a ceramic pitcher
from the origins of the history
of ceramic in Deruta. 

In the same years Perugino worked in Deruta (1477-1478), elegant ladies used to come to Deruta and visit the castle which was a property of the Municipality of Perugia. Indeed in the late 15th century and in the 16th century, Deruta became famous for creating decorative floor tiles for Churches and Chapels. Examples are the "Cappella Bella" (beautiful chapel) in Spello, namely for the Baglioni Family, nobles of Perugia, and the benedictine Church of Saint Peter in Perugia.

Detail of a Deruta handpainted wall plate from a fresco by
Pinturicchio. The writing is in Latin: "Ab Amicis Iusta
et Honesta Petamus" (tr. Don't ask your friends too much)
by famous Latin writer Cicero.

Deruta ceramic history probably started in the late 13th century. The first document witnessing a delivery of pitchers to a convent in Assisi goes back to 1282, which is a very recent discovery. The tradition definitely started in Deruta thanks to the availability of clay on the banks of the river Tiber, which runs in the town outskirts as well as the availability of woods on the hills over Deruta, necessary for furnaces. The art of ceramics itself probably came from the influence of Etruscan and  Roman cultures. Rome in particular was specialized in accessories for the table and its ceramicists worked at that time along the river Tiber's banks.

Handpainted Reproduction of the famous work of
art by Leonardo da Vinci "Lady with an Ermine"
(By Romano Ranieri)

In the origins, colors in use were only a few: green and manganese on white glaze. In town, there are a few studios that still do faithful reproductions of this style considered as sort of rustic compared to the Renaissance style productions.

Indeed with the passing of time, the ceramic tradition evolved to more elaborate designs which are distinguishing Deruta. Namely creating historical drawings such as the"Raffaellesco" and "Ricco Deruta" patterns; with a wide palette of colors from blue to yellow, orange, rust, green and red. Inspired by Renaissance talented artists they started reproducing scenes, profiles, and decorations into ceramic pieces, imitating the noble art of frescoes.

A second Renaissance period of Deruta ceramics dates back to the 1920s, thanks to the passionate research of the savants of the town of Deruta. The tradition came back to life towards the end of the 19th century after a long period of absence as a consequence of the Industrial Revolutions.

The original painting by Leonardo da Vinci,
"Lady with an Ermine" (about A.D. 1490) 

Latin was the language in use in both Renaissance periods and also in use nowadays for important writings on decorative plates, show plates, and decorative home accessories.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria is the Patron Saint of Deruta ceramicists and is celebrated every year on November 25th. Her symbol is the wheel, known as Catherine's wheel:  Deruta is famous for round shapes and terracotta's most production is made on the kick wheel. This is what Deruta is famous for and why this Saint is so meaningful to ceramic artists.

Rue on top of the

tower.  this is where

the name Deruta

comes from.

Detail of the crest 

of Deruta 

Deruta ceramics go under the name of "majolica" or simply "maiolica". "J" in Italian is an old-fashioned way of writing "i", no longer in use... More information and curiosities are in this blog. Follow www.friendsofcama.blogspot.it, like my Facebook page to receive blog updates!


p.s. Piegaro is about 40 km away from Deruta by car, an estimate 50 minutes drive.

-----------------------------------------

- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

FRIENDS OF CAMA 

Join the Facebook Page to Receive Blog Updates 

NEW!
Now on Twitter

PARADISE LOST

John Milton (1608-1674) at the age of 21. He
wrote "Paradise Lost" at the age of 59.  

Hieronymus Bosch (The Netherlands 1453-1516),
Owl, detail from "The Garden of  Delights"
(1480-1490) 

The first thought when I read the title 'Paradise Lost' goes to John Milton, English author of "Paradise Lost", epic poem dated 1667. Indeed Albert Einstein in his book "The World As I See It" dedicates a short chapter to what he calls "paradise lost": the time before which Latin was the language of scholars, artists, inventors, and intellectuals from all over the world.

Until that time in Europe innovators were united by common ideals and politics could not interfere much with their mutual beliefs. Albert Einstein stresses out that Latin as a common language reinforced the power of savants in society. This attitude lasted in Europe until the 17th century - the title of the chapter by Einstein "Paradise Lost" may not be a coincidence belonging to the poem by John Milton to the 17th century. John Milton' book sealed the end of important periods such as the Italian Renaissance,

Allegory of the Owl from
the Famous Contrade of Siena

What makes it a paradise lost according to Albert Einstein is the fact that since that time politicians have taken the place of savants in the society and have become representatives of international ideas that were once under the intellectuals' surveillance.

This is a concept that Albert Einstein wrote about in the first half of the 20th century. Nowadays Latin is a dead and abandoned language in Italy. Latin is interesting to understand the origin of words i.e. in etymology; for limited usage of scholars in specific fields such as epigraphy. In order to be a lawyer or a doctor, it is not necessary to study Latin in school anymore.

Herewith follows the original text by Prof. Albert Einstein from "The World As I See It":

Paradise Lost

Semper Solus (tr."forever alone)

"As late as the seventeenth century the savants and artists of all Europe were so closely united by the bond of a common idea that co-operation between them was scarcely affected by political events. This unity was further strengthened by the general use of the Latin language. Today we look back at this state of affairs as a lost paradise. The passions of nationalism have destroyed this community of the intellect, and the Latin language, which once united the whole world, is dead. The men of learning have become the chief mouthpieces of national tradition and lost their sense of an intellectual commonwealth. Nowadays we are faced with the curious fact that the politicians, the practical men of affairs, have become the exponents of international ideas. It is they who have created the League of Nations."

In the same book, Albert Einstein writes about the Italian Renaissance. The chapter is entitled "Society and Personality"). Herewith follows an abstract:

Official Emblem of the Contrade of the Owl
Siena, Italy  

 [...] "Only the individual can think, and thereby create new values for society--nay, even set up new moral standards to which the life of the community conforms.
Without creative, independently thinking and judging personalities the upward development of society is as unthinkable as the development of the individual personality without the nourishing soil of the community.
The health of society thus depends quite as much on the independence of the individuals composing it as on their close political cohesion. It has been very justly said that Græco-Europeo-American culture as a whole, and in particular their brilliant flowering in the Italian Renaissance, which put an end to the stagnation of mediæval Europe, is based on the liberation and comparative isolation of the individual." [...]

From the critical essays and the literature available about these distinguished personalities, Albert Einstein and John Milton, it is possible to notice that John Milton and Albert Einstein both wrote out of their passion. They were among the greatest thinkers and promoters of independent thinking.

However, I am wondering if the reference to the "paradise lost" is just a coincidence of Prof. Albert Einstein as a man of humanities or as a freemason. Indeed Prof. Albert Einstein is listed as a freemason among many scientists and important people in the world.

Despite John Milton was not a freemason himself because of the time limit - the modern organization started as an initiatory order in the early 1700s -  there are many descriptions in the poem by John Milton that the Freemasons have used as their manifesto. I wish I knew more about what freemasonry really means or has meant for the United States. This is so fascinating!  There are several masonic symbols in the US dollar bills as an example, including an owl which is almost invisible to the naked eye. The owl is also a symbol of secret societies.

I am now thinking of the owl, specifically the "owl of Minerva" (a goddess also known as Athena) and the date in the bill at the foot of the pyramid. This piece of information takes us back to the so-called "Order of the Enlightened" which was founded in Germany in 1776 as a response to the Freemasons and on the same year of the United States of America's declaration of independence.

Albrecht Dürer (Germany, 1471-1528), Owl, 1508

The owl of Minerva is the symbol of rational knowledge (influence: moon, reflected light) versus intuitive knowledge (influence: sun, direct light) whose symbol is the eagle. The owl can see where others can only see shades and darkness. This bird is also the symbol of wisdom and the symbol of philosophy.

The owl of Minerva is a symbol
of the "Order of the Enlightened"

****************************************************************************

-----------------------------------------

- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

FRIENDS OF CAMA 

Join the Facebook Page to Receive Blog Updates 

NEW!
Now on Twitter

FERIAE AUGUSTI

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."

-----------------------------------------

- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

FRIENDS OF CAMA 

Join the Facebook Page to Receive Blog Updates 

NEW!
Now on Twitter