The Restoration of An Icon

This painting, in the Church of San Frediano, portrays the arrival of the Volta Santo on an ox cart.

In Lucca, a city where legends and mysteries abound, one such tale surrounds a religious icon known as the Volto Santo (Holy Face).  According to the legend, the crucifix with the body of Christ was carved by Nicodemus shortly after the resurrection.  Nicodemus struggled to complete the face which was miraculously completed by angels while the sculptor slept.  But that is only the beginning of the mysteries surrounding the Volta Santo.

Some 700 years later, a series of miracles took place as the crucifix went to sea on an unmanned ship, eventually landing on the coast of Italy.  From there, a driverless ox cart brought the crucifix to Lucca where it was placed in the Church of San Frediano.  After somehow disappearing from San Frediano, the crucifix reappeared near the Cathedral of San Martino.  Another miracle or a case of ancient clerical mischief?   

Miracle or not, the ancient wooden crucifix has been permanently housed in San Martino, Lucca’s main cathedral, ever since.  Each September 13th Lucca celebrates the Volto Santo with the Festival of Santa Croce (Holy Cross) and a luminaria procession in which the historic center is bathed in candlelight while religious, civic, and historical groups make their way through town.  It is a solemn and evocative event.  During the celebration, the crucifix, which most years remains in its small chapel within the cathedral, is dressed in gold vestments.  The crucifix itself is much too valuable, and too heavy, to be part of the procession. Instead, it is represented each year by a banner bearing its image and a huge cross made of flowers.

Prior to the restoration, the original colors were lost to environmental damage and repainting. Much of the expression of Christ’s face was dulled. The gold crown and collar are only placed on the crucifix during the Festival of Santa Croce each September.

Over time, the sculpture has changed in appearance.  The original colors were lost to the effects of soot from candles, repainting, and waxing over the centuries, so that the entire body took on a dark appearance.  The glass paste eyes had been painted over, losing much of their expression.  There was damage to the wood of the cross and the body.   Fearing that there would be continued deterioration, the decision was made to carefully restore the icon.

One of the first things undertaken was radiocarbon dating based on samples of the wood.  Previously, it was believed that the Volto Santo was a 12th century piece, but carbon dating proves it to be even older – 9th century – making it one of the oldest wooden crucifixes in existence,

Perhaps the most important decision in the process was restoration was to create a laboratory within the church where the work, managed by the Department of Polychrome Wooden Sculpture at the Oficio delle Pietre Dure, would take place.  This meant both that the valuable statue did not have far to move and that the public could watch the restoration process which required about 2 years to complete.   It also meant that for the last couple of years the statue was not dressed in its gold vestments during the September Luminaria festival. 

The restoration work took place in a laboratory built inside the cathedral. Slowly the original colors were revealed and restored. Photo from the website voltosantolucca.it

But all of that changed a few days ago.  On September 13th of this year, restoration complete, the Volto Santo was revealed to the public.  It has not yet been placed back in its small chapel as that structure is also undergoing restoration.  Instead, it is now positioned upright in the restoration laboratory within the cathedral where it will remain until next summer.   It is beautifully displayed and the lighting allows for appreciation of all the colors (which were determined by careful analysis of the existing traces of paint) and details.  The face is especially remarkable.  Before restoration the features were indistinct with a monotone color.  Today they are much more lifelike and expressive.  The colors and details of the robes and the crucifix itself are wonderful.   

This carefully undertaken restoration, completed just in time for the 2025 Volto Santo celebration, is a modern day miracle and guarantees that this important and historic icon will continue to hold a special place in Lucca for centuries to come.  

Many visitors - locals and tourists alike - came to see the restored Volta Santo on the day of the Luminaria of Santa Croce festival last Saturday.

As I write this, on September 13th, bells are ringing throughout Lucca and the luminaria candles are ready to be lit. It’s a good day to be in Lucca.

To see detailed photos of the restoration: voltosantolucca.it

This series of bells were set up in the piazza next to the Cathedral of San Martino and rang throughout the day of the festival.

Three Flights, 20 Hours, One Ocean and Two Continents Later

There are still plenty of tourists in town, enjoying the late summer weather.

 Whew!  I am finally back in Lucca after being away for most of the summer.  Getting here required 3 flight segments and 20+ hours of travel across the Atlantic from North America to Italy, with a layover in Germany along the way.  I don’t really enjoy the travel, or the jet lag, but the result - arrival back home to Lucca - is always worth it. 

The first glimpse of the city walls brings instant relaxation after a long journey. Stepping into my little Italian apartment is a delight.  The city of Lucca offers a warm welcome and this year it greeted me with wonderfully mild temperatures and blue skies streaked with white clouds.

One of the first things I do when I return after a period away is to walk through town to see what has changed.  And there is always change, even in an old Medieval town like Lucca.  But many things stay the same and it is good to revisit some of my favorite places.  I am glad to see that my favorite shop for old prints and framing, Cornice e Quadri on Via Sant’Andrea, remains open.  It’s a Lucca classic and the place to search for historic city maps and drawings, one of which hangs on my wall in New Mexico to remind me of Lucca when I am away.

It’s always a relief to visit one of Lucca’s historic shops. This is the best place to find antique maps and prints!

The Torre Guinigi and the Old Mercato building stood ready to welcome me back.  I know that some day when I return I will find the scaffolding down and the restoration of the Mercato complete, but this was not the year for that. When I first moved to Lucca, in 2018, I remember thinking that by the next year the Mercato work would be finished. Silly me! That was before I learned about the realities of restoration work in Italy.

There is one spot on the wall that always calls my name on my first day back.  It is “my” bench just above the Palazzo Pfanner with a good view into the gardens.  My friends know that I claim this bench, so much so that they’ve even sent me photos of other people sitting there when I am away.  Such a tease! 

When even the nuns “steal” your bench ! (Thanks to the Palmieris for this photo)

On my way to the wall I passed by the steps in front of the Church of San Frediano – just in time to see a bride and groom having their photos taken.  Later I passed by the decorated car that will whisk them away from the city after their photos.  It’s always fun to catch these happy moments.

But the very best welcome came in the form of Murabilia – Lucca’s fall garden show.  It is one of my favorite annual events and marks the end of the summer season and the beginning of autumn. 

A host of fall products are offered – braids of garlic, bright pepperoncini plants, bags of pecans, dried porcini mushrooms, vines full of grapes or figs, baskets of crisp apples, and colorful gourds and pumpkins.  There are also trees for fall plantings and educational displays about agricultural products. 

Vendors sell artisanal products – art, crafts, brooms, linens, soaps, etc.  The booths selling spices from around the world scent the air.  Wonderful cheeses, salumi, and breads are available too. 

This year I was able to do a tasting of Balsamic Vinegars from Modena at one of the booths.  The 5 that I tasted ranged from a simple young vinegar (one you might use in a salad dressing) to an exquisite one aged 20+ years – sweet and thick, it would make a fine digestive after a meal.  A drop on a piece of Parmigiano Reggiano would be heavenly. That one was beyond my budget at €100 per bottle, but the one aged 12+ years was just right in both flavor and price and that’s the bottle that went home with me. The small bottle will last me for a year, doled out just a few drops at a time.

No late summer week in Lucca would be complete without a gelato, right? In September the Uva Fragola grapes are ripe and they make the best gelato! Over the next week I will be busy catching up with friends and settling back into my Italian life. It’s good to be back in Lucca.

From My Italian Kitchen, Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Fall in Italy is pumpkin season. Pumpkin shows up in many dishes - in creamy risottos, as the filling for tortelli, and as the base for a warming soup. Each fall I look forward to the appearance of all of these dishes on the menus of local trattorie, a sure sign of fall’s arrival.

This fall I have been experimenting with recipes for two of these dishes, a risotto and a zuppa di zucca (pumpkin soup). While it is always a treat to have these dishes in a restaurant, there is something very satisfying about making them at home.

For the pumpkin soup, I have tried to recreate the one I enjoyed last fall at Cibrèo Trattoria in Florence. It was a vellutata (a smooth, velvety soup) topped off with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of sweetness from crushed amaretti. Unfortunately, their recipe was nowhere to be found, so I had to experiment to come up with something close. My version is not an exact replica of their’s, but it is pretty tasty!

The key to this soup is starting with chunks of roasted pumpkin and some roasted garlic. Canned pumpkin just won’t do - it doesn’t have the right flavor or texture. Roasting both the pumpkin and the garlic are essential for creating a complex flavor. Turmeric, cinnamon, and maple syrup pair perfectly with pumpkin. And, for a bit of tang, feta cheese. Lastly, crisp Italian Amaretti cookies add just the right touch of sweetness on top of the finished soup.

 Ingredients:

6 cups cubed pumpkin

1 head of garlic

3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) + more to garnish finished soup

1 medium potato (~ 150 grams), cooked until soft

¼ cup onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons finely diced carrot

The sweetness in the amaretti adds a perfect touch to this soup.  Be sure to use the crisp ones.

10 ounces feta, crumbled

800 ml (~ 3 1/3 cups) chicken broth

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

1 teaspoon turmeric (or more to taste)

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons maple syrup

¼ cup half and half (or whole milk)

1 package crisp Italian Amaretti cookies.  2 cookies, crumbled, per bowl of soup

 Directions:

Peel and cube the pumpkin (even easier if you can find it already peeled and cubed in the market). Toss with 2 tablespoons of EVOO and place on a rimmed baking sheet. 

Pumpkin chunks and garlic ready to roast

Cut the top third off a head of garlic, remove the loose skins, and place the intact head in the pan with the pumpkin.  Pour 1 tablespoon of EVOO directly on top of the garlic and then flip it over so that the cut side is down.  Drizzle 2 tablespoons of EVOO over the pumpkin cubes.

Roast at 400 degrees for 45 – 75 minutes until pumpkin is soft and garlic soft and fragrant.   The more the pumpkin is spread out on a large pan, and the smaller the pieces, the quicker it will cook.  60 minutes is about average.

 While the pumpkin is roasting, boil the potato, mash, and set aside.   Sautè the onion and carrots in a little bit of EVOO until softened.  Set aside.

Roasting the garlic keeps the flavor mellow, start with half the head of garlic and add more to taste

Place the roasted pumpkin, along with any accumulated juices, into a large soup pot.  Add the feta, mashed potato, and carrot / onion mixture to the warm pumpkin.  Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the mixture (depending on how much garlic flavor you like, start with half the head of garlic and then add more to suit your taste).  Mash all with a potato masher.

Add the chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian version), spices, and maple syrup.  Heat soup over low heat and simmer x 15 minutes. 

Blend with an immersion blender, then add the half and half

To serve:  drizzle a small amount of EVOO over each bowl of soup.  Top with 2 crushed amaretti cookies.  The slight sweetness of the cookies makes the soup sing!  For a bit more tang, crumble a tablespoon of feta on top.

This soup tastes even better gently reheated the next day.  It also freezes well, just defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.

My version - I may have used a bit more amaretti than Cibrèo did.  I like the sweetness.

Lucca Comics and Games 2024

I must admit that I have a bit of a “bah humbug” attitude about the huge Comic Con held each fall in Lucca. I think this is mostly due to not liking big crowds.  And Lucca is definitely crowded during Comics. Just imagine 80,000 people flowing into this small walled city each day of the 5 day event!   The streets are packed and going about normal business is pretty much impossible for those who live here.   

To escape the madness that is Comics, I usually plan an out of the city escape.  Last year, Florence.  The year before, Pontremoli. The year before that, PIenza. 

My one and only experience with Comics was in 2019, my first year living in Lucca.  But this year, I found myself in Lucca for the big event.

Perhaps my general feelings are better expressed in Italian - after all, doesn’t everything sound better in Italian?   So I will simply say that my usual attitude is Bah, che sciocchezza! (Oh, what nonsense). And yet, circumstances having conspired to keep me in Lucca this year, I decided to get out for a bit each day and experience Comics.  I found the “nonsense” to be a lot of fun!

 Even though the crowds were a bit overwhelming, I found several things to enjoy about Comics. Top of my list were the costumes.  For 5 days the streets of Lucca were filled with an amazing assortment of characters – superheroes, cartoon characters, pirates, medieval maidens, clowns, historical figures (both Dante and Jesus roamed the streets), monsters, sprites, and animals. 

 Another thing to appreciate were the children.  Comics is a family affair and a safe space to bring the kids.  The evening of Halloween was especially enjoyable due to all the costumed little ones roaming about. What’s more adorable then costumed kids, happy and smiling?

Even pets became part of the action!

The crowds, while large, were also very well behaved.  Costumed participants gladly posed for photos, there were a lot of oohs and aahs at the remarkable get ups, and everyone just seemed to want to have a good time.  Another plus - no worries about bad behavior and no safety concerns despite the huge number of people.

 A lot of the activity related to gaming, comic books, and movies took place in large tents erected throughout Lucca.  These were mostly ticketed events with lines to enter.  Definitely not my thing, but clearly a big draw to participants in the Comics and Games event.

 The pictures posted here are from the first 2 ½ days of the event.  More photos and can found on the Two Parts Italy Facebook page and IG.

Photos from the last couple of days to come next week.

The Language of Rain

A hint of blue sky and a break in the rain. Still best to bring your ombrello!

The last few weeks in northern Italy have been unusually rainy. Some days have brought intermittent light showers or drizzle.  Other have kept us mostly indoors due to rain and gloomy, dark skies.  It feels as though overnight we packed away our summer clothes in favor of raincoats, scarves, and boots.

Last week an overnight storm brought a good deal of drama.  It started with a sudden heavy rain, followed by flashes of lightning and big claps of thunder – all of which lasted for hours. As I watched the lightening outside my windows, I began to think of all the Italian words that can be used to describe a storm.

 In Italian, rain is la pioggia. There are two ways to say that it is raining: the simple piove or sta piovendo.  The first is what is most commonly heard. When it has been raining day after day you might hear someone say, with a big sigh, ancora, piove (it is still raining) or oggi è piovoso di novo (today it is rainy again).  When there is just a light sprinkle of rain, piove quattro gocce means literally that it is just raining “four drops”.

When there is a break in the rain, everything looks fresh and clean. The greens are greener and the flowers brighter. Here, a glimpse into Lucca’s “hidden park” the day after the recent rainstorm.

Colorful umbrellas brightened up my street in Lucca on a dreary day.

 A storm is una tempesta and a thunderstorm un temporale. A temporale is accompanied by tuono (thunder) and fulmine (lightning).  The storm we had here in Lucca last week was preceded by un allerta’meteo, a weather alert. The alert, which came by phone and also on-line, was warranted as this storm was huge! It might have been called an acquazzone (a downpour) or a nubifragio (a cloudburst).  There were floods (alluvioni) in some parts of Tuscany.

There is no Italian equivalent to the American expression “raining cats and dogs”, a direct translation would be meaningless to most Italians.  Rather, sta piovendo a secchiate (it is raining buckets) comes close. 

Quando piove (when it rains) out come the ombrelli (umbrellas) which fill the otherwise dreary streets with lots of color. Without an ombrelli one might have to declare sono bagnata! (I’m wet; or sono bagnato if you are male). 

Little boys and puddles - an irresistible combination. His mamma just laughed as he jumped in.

After the storm passes, the streets are full of – and this is my new favorite word in Italian – pozzanghere (puddles).  

For many years I simply called these laghetti (little lakes) because I didn’t know the correct Italian word.   But now that I’ve looked it up – pozzanghere – it’s just a fun word to say.   

And like children everywhere, there is always one who will sguazzare nella pozzanghera (splash in the puddle). This little guy certainly did!

Since I am not a little one who needs to jump into puddles, the best thing about the pozzanghere to me is how they reflect the architecture of the city. Bell towers, lamp posts, clock towers, and centuries old buildings make for great puddle art.

And sometimes, if you’re lucky, there is also an arcobaleno (rainbow) in the aftermath of the storm. 

 As I write this I am enjoying skies that are cloudy with bits of blue and not a raindrop in sight.  But I did step over a lot of leftover pozzanghere this morning.  And I had my ombrello with me just in case the rain started again.