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An Evening With Brigands
For many people the view of il Mezzogiorno, the south of Italy, is that you must sta attenti (watch out) and be always on your guard because “Basilicata is the land of brigands”. Yeah, whatever! We always passed off such derogatory comments as uninformed.
It turns out, there are brigands in Basilicata, and they put on one helluva performance. Every weekend from the end of July through mid-September the era of i briganti comes to life at La Grancia outside tiny Brinidisi di Montagna.
In a huge open-air, natural amphitheatre below townis Il Parco Storico La Grancia, a multi-venue historical theme park with six areas for education, theatre, music and art. There is Il Borgo, a sort of Lucanian frontier-town where artisans in period costumes demonstrate traditional crafts, and -this being Italy-there are several stands and restaurants where you can eat locally-produced delicacies that would have been served during the brigantaggio years, the late 1800s. Music and dance performances are designed to reflect the area’s particular history and culture.
 Brindisi Montagna as the backdrop to the show. But the main event of this park is La Storia Bandita, a grand production dubbed as a “cinespettacolo”. It is a beautiful blending of impassioned live performance, dramatically-devised video projection, and astounding special effects, utilizing the bare cliff wall opposite and the ruins of the 11th century castle perched above Brindisi. Seriously, this is one amazing show.
Interestingly, La Storia Bandita means “the history of the bandits” but could also be translated as “banned history”. It is a clever word play for the period when many Lucani felt that their culture and history had been marginalized, trivialized and tyrannized. Tired of invasions and overly dominating landowners that kept them poor, oppressed and disillusioned, the period of the Risorgimento (the unification of Italy) proved to be a flashpoint for many southern peasants who joined together and formed a band of bandits. They became known as i briganti.
 The Briganti leader Crocco La Storia Bandita tells a dramatized version of this period, focusing on the charismatic leader of the pack, Carmine Crocco, who was called the ‘General of the Briganti’. From events in his childhood and disillusionment with the unification forces, the story shows how and why the briganti took things into their own hands to protect their lands and traditions.
The production is astounding, with hundreds of participants in an all-volunteer cast and crew. Dance and music reflect the rural Lucanian life at the time. Crocco authored an autobiography and some of his rousing prose is movingly recited. But the effects! When the forces invade, the castle is set aflame. Gunfire echoes loudly in the canyon and the flashes illuminate the mountain formations. Images are projected behind the set on the rock. A waterwall shoots up in a stirring finale.
 The Finale You don’t have to understand much Italian to follow the show. The performances play it all out before your eyes, unfolding in the peasant village, as well as tents and caves, representing how the briganti had to hide out in the hills. This is a show worth seeing.
WHAT: La Storia Bandita, a live performance utilizing special effects, the hundreds of people who comprise the cast and crew are all volunteers.
 The cast at La Grancia WHERE: Il Parco Storico La Grancia, Brindisi di Montagna (Potenza Province). It is located just off the Basentana superstrada.
WHEN: Every weekend from the end of July through mid-September
COST: 18 euro
Ferie in Italia
August is the traditional month for Italians to go on vacation, leaving the cities and towns in droves for beach and mountain destinations. The vacation season peaks in the middle of the month on the 15th with Ferragosto, the major summer holiday for Italy. Why this particular day? It is an old-age festa day, based on an ancient Roman festival as well as the Catholic holiday Assunzione S. Vergine, or the Feast of the Assumption. Many businesses of all types will close around this date, some for as long as three weeks.
You will spot businesses with signs on their doors “Chuiso per ferie” with various start and ending dates. You may also encounter reduced hours for businesses and government offices.
 Closed fo Ferie sign Many of the towns and cities in Italy seem like ghost towns as the locals head to the beach or the mountains for some fresh air and relaxation. This can mean that you will find minimal services available in some areas, but excessive crowds along the beach and in the mountains. The weekends around Ferragosto will also mean heavily delayed traffic and congestion on the motorways.
There are, however, plenty of events taking place in Italy during this period to make up for the hassles, from sagre to concerts to historic palio events…and many of these are free.
 Ripatransone Ripatransone, Marche
Everyone has visions of narrow streets paved with stone or brick winding through a pretty hilltop hamlet, but there is one town that boasts the narrowest.
 Only 43 cm wide! Ripatransone is situated on a ridge above the Tesino Valley, just 12 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea. It has incomparable views unfurling from Mount Conero to the Grand Sasso. Ripatransone is known locally as “il Belvedere del Piceno.” As you walk through the town you will notice a sign for the narrowest alley in Italy, Vicolo Stretto, a passageway that connects two pretty pedestrian streets and is no more than two feet wide.
We have been to two other towns trying to stake their claim on this same fame, but careful examination, and a measuring tape, proves that the Vicolo Stretto is the real deal, the narrowest alley in Italy.
 Shoulder to shoulder with the walls. Ripatransone is one of the oldest centers of the province of Ascoli Piceno. Walking through its streets you will note the numerous plaques attached to houses giving details of the important historic person orartist who once lived there, such as Luigi Mercantini, who penned the national anthem.
The town is crowned by Piazza XX Settembre where you will find the Tourist Information office as well as the opulent Opera House, the stoic Palazzo del Podesta and the municipal offices. A park on the very peak of the town offers stunning views, especially magical at sunrise.
Ripatransone has been awarded the Italian Touring Club Orange Flag due to its outstanding beauty and the facilities that it offers. The town has also been awarded the Green Flag for its agriculture. Situated in the heart of one of the most important D.O.C wine and extra virgin olive oil-producing areas of Le Marche, agriculture remains important to the town. Excursions to nearby wine cellars and olive mills are enjoyable experiences.
 View from Ripatransone
 La Quintana! Medieval Sights and Sounds
Every year Ascoli Piceno transforms back into the important and bustling Middle Ages city it once was. La Quintana, Ascoli’s high-energy medieval jousting match, rivals the excitement of Siena’s Palio but without the crushing crowds. The beautiful centro storico fills with colorful banners and resplendent costumes as the city pays homage to its storied past.
Carried on since the early 1300s, the thrilling, historical events take place over a month-long period, starting with the flag-throwers competition. Forget any image you may have of a majorette with a baton. These guys, called sbandieratori, are athletes with great balance, strength, coordination, stamina and a touch of showmanship. They launch the heavy flags in a show of artistry filling the space above the piazza with a blaze of unfurling color, some working as many five flags at a time, deftly using their feet as well as their hands to fling the banners skyward in an explosion of waving glory.
 Groups Sbandieratore competition The most amazing sbandieratore event is the large-group competitions, whose choreography incorporat the movements and intermingling of the musicians, making American marching bands look positively bland. Drummers twirled in formation while long wooden-handled flags whipped past their heads. Without flinching. Slender elongated brass trumpets blast while their players weave among the host of characters. The entire scene looks like an elaborate, beautiful dance. Oh yes, and all of this is performed while wearing heavy brocade and velvet costumes.
Preceding the jousting match is the mother of all pageants, the corteo storico, in which 1400 participants in costume parade through the travertine-paved piazzas and streets in a grand procession. Knights in actual armor and women in glorious gowns are accompanied by citizens representing old-world themes, such as archers, falconers, mountaineers, and more, and is fascinating to watch.
It’s a step back to the Middle Ages when the noble families and their courtiers, along with the valiant cavaliers who defended the city amassed before the common folk to show their power, prestige, skill and beauty.
 The colors of the costumes and banners The events of La Quintana culminate in the high-energy and highly heated jousting match where the sestieri (districts) inhabitants root loudly for their neighborhood’s horse and cavalier to win the cherished Palio.
The joust utilizes a unique figure 8-shaped track; in the middle is a target called the Saracen or the Moor. (No, political correctness hasn’t invaded medieval traditions.) The cavalieri must ride the horse around the perimeter of the track, enter the figure 8 and skillfully maneuver the horse on the tight turns while grasping a long, heavy wooden lance that he uses to pound the target, all at full speed.
 On Target! It is an exciting and heart-pounding event played out before thousands of spectators, all of whom have strong affiliation with their sestieri. The preliminary joust in July serves to rile people up so that when the August edition rolls around the fans scream curses about the opposing cavaliers’ mothers, the other districts’ intelligence levels, and other epithets. No wonder city-state wars broke out so frequently in the Middle Ages.
Following the competition, the winner is announced, the Palio is awarded, and the teams parade out of the stadium in the order of placement, a long tradition which allows the citizens to see how their teams fared. With rhythmic drumbeats they march home, accompanied by their neighbors, to celebrate or mourn the day’s wins and losses.
 Citta della Quintana
 Welcome! Trattoria da Middio
Ascoli Piceno, Marche Province
This unobtrusive eatery is easy to miss; at first pass it looks like an ordinary shop window. Those fortunate enough to find it – and find an open table – will be amply rewarded. You may be seated at an already-occupied table in communal fashion in order to fit you in.
This trattoria started life as a coffee bar run by the lovable Middio, and turned into a full-fledged eatery. Middio passed away, but his legacy is carried on, run by an all-female family staff.
Unabashedly Communist, the owners have the sickle and hammer prominently featured on their receipts and shirts, cutely replacing the hammer with a fork, and pride themselves in serving delicious regional fare at egalitarian prices.
This is a good choice for vegetarians as they always have a couple vegetable-based pasta plates and will happily serve their insalata di farro (cold spelt salad) as a main dish upon request.
Reservations are recommended if you don’t want to risk being turned away. At dinner there is an ample spread of antipasti, as many as eight different items will appear; tell them when you’ve had enough and are ready to move on to the primi.
The menu changes constantly and is recited, though a sampling of what may possibly be among the offerings is posted on the door. The penne with zucchini is noteworthy, as is the orrechiette with peppery broccoletti. Secondi (main dishes) usually feature lamb, veal and/or pork in some form, but also sometimes chicken and fish dishes. Contorni are basic, normally tending toward potatoes, salad and sautéed greens, or peas with prosciutto.
There is a fair selection of regional wines, including some nice organic samplings. We’ve never been offered dessert but nor have we inquired; we are always too full by the end of every meal.
 If you aren't careful, you might walk past it. Via delle Canterine. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Trattoria da Middio is a member of Slow Food.
 The unique style of Pisticci Pisticci
Matera Province, Basilicata
17,800 Inhabitants, 250 Meter Altitude
Don’t you love it when you “discover” a place that feels vibrant, maintains its traditions, and boasts beautiful scenery and distinctive architecture? That is what you will find when you visit Pisticci, in southern Basilicata. What is often described as a “tiny town” is actually a pretty hopping place of proud Pisticcesi. Stretching along a ridge, it takes in some pretty impressive views of blunt-topped mesas, cultivated valleys, eroded ravines, and distant mountains. The eastern side slopes down to the plains at the Ionian coast.
Pisticci extends a lengthy distance, unfolding across three hills and so it feels larger than perhaps it would if it were all clumped up together. The white-washed buildings practically sparkle in the sunlight. You can stroll the bustling Corso Regina Margherita along with the locals, peering into the windows of elegant-looking shops and stopping for an espresso in one of the classy cafes. The pedestrian street is worn so smooth in some areas that it gleams as if it is wet, and it is clearly the popular passeggiata point.
 Castello above the retaining wall The town suffered a landslide in 1688 that carried away nearly half of the settlement. Not to be deterred, an arched retaining wall was built to shore it up, and a new neighborhood was constructed below the partially-ruined castle. A short climb up the narrow streets will lead you to the cathedral, fashioned from stolid stone which contrasted with the whiteness that makes up most of Pisticci. From the panoramic piazza in front of the Romanesque church you will gaze up on the remains of the Norman castello, and look down upon that new rione, dubbed the Dirupa district (meaning “precipice”). The ordered rows of sugar-cube houses all lined up like they are embracing, with their low-peaked rooflines distinguishing one house from the next.
And for those that are amaro fans, Pisticci is the home of Amaro Lucano, their factory is located on the plains east of the town.
 Welcome! La Sagra
Summer means sagre and festivals, making it the ideal time to travel and experience life like a local.
A sagra in Italy is akin to a county fair in Midwest America … but better. Deriving from the term sacra festa, they are frequently held in conjunction with a religious festival or a patron saint’s feast day and feature some type of religious observation or procession as part of the activity line-up. But for the most part, as with everything in Italy, it boils down to the food. While it may proclaim a saint’s day, the bigger headline is the type of delicacy they will be cooking up. Make that delicious, delectable delicacies.
If there is a food item in Italy, there is a sagra dedicated to it. There are sagre to celebrate the local wines, and polenta fests with a variety of toppings (sausage, fish, clams, or snails, take your pick). Truffles and porcini mushrooms are perennially popular in many areas with numerous festivals dedicated to pork, either roasted in its entirety, served as a grilled chop, or in one of its processed forms such as sausage and prosciutto.
Many sagre have fund-raising efforts for the church or organization hosting the party, which usually takes the form of the Pesca di Beneficenza, a kind of raffle lottery. You pay a few euros and receive prizes based on the corresponding numbers you draw. The most prized award is frequently a whole prosciutto.
Music is obligatory at sagre, normally local groups churning out a combination of folk songs and rock tunes before a wildly appreciative audience. The crowd loves it and dancing always ensues at each of these events. It’s all a lot of home-spun fun with good food at low prices, and a pleasant way to pass a summer evening in the company of fun-loving locals.
Which is the other reason to love a good sagra…the company. Most festivals offer long, rectangular communal tables for dining. In our sagra experience, we’ve found that people are generally congenial and, at nearly every festival we’ve attended, we’ve had someone chat with us and offer us wine from their pitcher. “È troppo,” they tell us. “We have too much wine for just the two of us, take some.” Since Italians don’t feel a meal is complete without wine, they always buy a liter. Since most of them drink only a glass or two, they know they’ll not consume it all, so it’s customary to offer some to whoever happens to be sitting nearby.
 Typical sagra posters So how do you find a sagra or festa? Most towns have a wall dedicated to posters to inform the citizens of upcoming events. Look them over to see what foods and festivals are highlighted. Ask your hosts, the barista of your favorite caffe, or the tourist information office.
This summer, if you find yourself in Italy, try out a festival or two. You’re guaranteed a good time and a good meal, and you just might make yourself a friend or two along the way.
To find sagre and festivals in Italy, check these helpful websites:
Eventi e Sagre
Tutte Le Sagre
Limoncello
 Limoncello, courtesy of Wikimedia Once you have peeled your eyes away from the stupendous scenery of the Amalfi Coast, one of the first things you’re bound to notice is the large lemons hanging from the trees. The enormous orbs are used to produce the locally-loved Limoncello, a liqueur gaining popularity around the world. It is an infusion of lemon peels in alcohol that is sweetened, sort of like a strong lemonade for grown-ups.
There have been cultivated lemon groves in and around Sorrento dating back many centuries. Limoncello was first made by monks, who traditionally produce medicinal elixirs and herbal liqueurs. Nowadays it is still considered good medicine when drinking it after a meal as a digestive. Little glasses of it are proffered with dessert at most restaurants along the Amalfi Coast. Fanciful bottles of the yellow liquid line shop shelves. Sorrento Lemons are perfect for the liqueur as their peels are very rich in lemon oils.
 Sorrento lemons Whether you drink it as an aperitivo, between courses to cleanse the palate, or as an after-dinner drink, limoncello is like a shot of sunshine from Sorrento.
Want to make limoncello at home?
Arcevia
Ancona Provence, Marche
Population: 5300 Inhabitants; 535 Meter altitude
 The charming town of Arcevia Draped over a hilltop with panoramic views of the wide valleys around her, Arcevia enjoys a beautiful piece of Le Marche. Previously known as Roccacontrada, the town that is primarily medieval in atmosphere actually dates back to the 8th century.
For a small city Arcevia has a surprisingly rich collection of artwork, as at one time it had been a favorite destination for noble families and their collections. The painter Ercole Ramazzani was born here in 1500, and the same famed Tuscan painter Luca Signorelli worked in the city from 1507-1508. His work can be seen most impressively in the church of San Medardo. In the nearby cloister of San Francesco you will find the civic library and another interesting collection of artwork.
 Medieval Porta San Lucia You can still see remains of the stone walls that played am important part in the town defenses during the medieval period. A walk through the fortified gates, of which S. Agostino and S. Pietro are particularly impressive, will give you a feel for the town splendid past. The town’s old fortress used to stand on Monte Cischiano’s highest point which is now home to the lovely, relaxing Leopardi Gardens.
 Piazza Leopardi overlooking the town Wandering the streets you will find several noble palazzi and churches and in Piazza Garibaldi the civic buildings and a tower.
Be sure to visit in June as the 8th is the feast of the patron saint S. Medardo .Arcevia makes a good location for visiting the northern portions of central Le Marche and the impressive Grotte di Frasassi. There are several small but charming castelli in the area that were once subject to Arcevia and are worth a visit.
For additional information: arceviaweb
Have you ever wondered how to get milk from a herd of buffalo? The bufala in question is not the hump-backed variety that once roamed the Great Plains of the American West, but is instead a species of water buffalo introduced to Italy in the 7th century. The beasts of burden produced such sweet milk that cheese has been made with it since the 12th century.
 Bufala...not the cutest beast. The porcelain-white delicacy bears little resemblance to the cow’s milk type, which is more rubbery. Bufala, as it is commonly called, is elastic but soft and creamy with a nearly liquid center. The taste is delicate yet distinctive.
Mozzarella di Bufala is created at caseifici in the Campania region. The milk is heated and curdled, then like bread the curds are stirred and kneaded vigorously. The cheese is then formed into various shapes, ranging from large balls to little marbles, or braided ropes. The product is then soaked in brine. Mozzarella di Bufala should be eaten within a few days of its production.
 Typical caseificio sign along the highway There are several caseifici that offer guided visits and samples of this classic southern Italy specialty. Our favorite is Vannulo, located near the ancient Greek city of Paestum. They produce mouth-watering, organic mozzarella as well as buffalo-milk yogurt and gelato. Glass windows allow you to view the cheese-making in progress, and you are free to wander the extensive grounds to get up close and personal with the milk-giving beasts themselves.
Tenuta Vannulo: Paestum, Campania
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