International Women’s Day in Italy

Last Friday, March 8th, was International Women’s Day. The origins of the day lie in 1922 as a protest against the terrible working conditions that led to the deaths of women working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York.  First celebrated in Italy in the 1920’s, the United Nations proclaimed it an international day in 1977. 

Today the day recognizes the many contributions of women – social, political, cultural  – as well as the persistent issues that women face.

In Italy the day is marked in shades of yellow as the traditional gift is a bouquet of mimosa blossoms.  The bright blooms arrive in March and are both bright and hardy, a perfect symbol of the women they represent on this day.

To celebrate La Festa della Donna, I picked up a bunch of mimosas and studied the posters with quotes from famous women that were in the shop windows in Chiasso Barletti. (text and translations at end of this post).

I also participated in a walking tour that told the stories of several of Lucca’s famous (and infamous) historical women.  What fun to listen to Ilaria, our guide, as she recounted their stories. Our walk took us to several places associated with these women - churches where they were wed, palazzi, towers, and scenes of murder.

The body of Santa Zita during her April feast day celebration

Lucca has no shortage of long-ago women who have contributed to its culture, history, and mythology.  The women included on the walking tour represented a wide range of characteristics. Some were saintly, others not so much. For a saintly example there is Lucca’s patroness Santa Zita. Zita was a poor servant, who cared for the needy and is credited with many miracles. Today she rests in a glass coffin inside the church of San Frediano.  Her legend is so important in Lucca that she has her own feast day in April.

The Torre Guinigi, part of the Guinigi home and today the most recognized symbol of Lucca.

One of Lucca’s women of history was a model of marital fidelity and motherhood.  Her name was Ilaria del Carretto, the second wife of Paolo Guinigi. Paolo was an important political figure in Lucca during the early 1400’s and Ilaria was his young bride. In two years of marriage, Ilaria gave birth to two children, a son and a daughter, Sadly, she died of pregnancy related complications shortly after her daughter’s birth. The faithful Ilaria was memorialized by her husband with an elaborate marble sarcophagus, a sculptural masterpiece by Jacobo della Quercia.  The sarcophagus is topped with a life-sized figure of Ilaria, elegantly dressed in stylish robes. Her hair is beautifully styled, her head rests serenely on pillows.  A faithful little dog lies at her feet. Her empty sarcophagus now lies in the sacristy of Lucca’s Duomo (the Cathedral of San Martino) while Ilaria’s remains are in the church of San Francesco where the Guinigi family had a chapel.  So many people rubbed the nose of Ilaria’s marble likeness, hoping to find true love, that the nose was nearly worn off and had to be restored.  The sarcophagus is one of Lucca’s most important historic monuments. And don’t be surprised if you find a lot of Lucchese girls named Ilaria.

The sarcophagus of Ilaria del Carretto, Cathedral of San Martino, Lucca

The cortile of Palazzo Mansi with a carriage very like Lucida’s.

 Another of Lucca’s legendary women was Lucida Mansi.  Her story is neither saintly nor faithful. Lucida was young and widowed after the death of her first husband. She eventually remarried a rich, older man, Gaspar di Nicolao Mansi. It does not seem that she was faithful to her second husband and there were rumors of many lovers. That part is history, the next is legend. Lucida was said to be beautiful, very vain, and quite attached to her mirrors.  Noticing signs of aging – gasp! a wrinkle! – she made a pact with the devil for 30 more years of youthful beauty in exchange for her soul.  At the end of 30 years, she climbed Lucca’s clock tower to try to stop time. When that failed, she attempted to flee the devil along Lucca’s walls in her horse drawn carriage.  But the carriage flew off the walls, landed in a lake, and she drowned.  That’s the legend. In truth, she died of plague in 1649. Today the Palazzo Mansi is a museum where visitors can visit her home and see a replica of that doomed carriage. And the lake that she supposedly drowned in is part of Lucca’s Orto Botanico. Look closely during the full moon and you just might see her reflection in the water.

Does the spirit of Lucida still haunt this lake in Lucca’s Orto Botanico?

 Another of Lucca’s women was even more scandalous.  Lucrezia Malpigli married Lelio Buonviso of the rich and powerful Buonvisi family of Lucca.   The marriage was arranged by her family, the groom was not her choice. Lucrezia was in love with another man, Massimiliano Arnolfini. He was from a wealthy, but not noble, Lucchese family and so was not acceptable to her father as a potential husband. But they longed to be together despite the obstacle of the husband. He simply had to go. Both Lucrezia and Arnolfini were implicated in the murder of Lelio Buonvisi. 

The former cloisters of Santa Maria dei Servi church (today a city library) sits on the street where Lelio Buonvisi was murdered in 1593. Today it is a peaceful spot.

After the murder of her husband, Lucrezia fled to a convent where she became a nun. She was in isolation and doomed to a vow of silence for many years.  Arnolfini was arrested and died in prison. Their doomed love is part of Lucca’s history.

Lucky for me there are not so many murders in Lucca these days. And lucky for the women of Lucca that arranged marriages are a thing of the past! That is something to celebrate on this International Day of Women.

Text and translations of posters: Top row, left to right: Mia illustre signoria le mostrerò che cosa può fare una donna (My illustrious lordship I will show you what a woman can do). Artemisia Gentileschi, Italian Painter 1593 - 1653. Non hai bisogno di un uomo, tutto ciò di cui hai bisogno è sapere che puoi (You don’t need a man, all you need is to know that you can). Roxanne Shanté, American Rapper

Bottom row, left to right: Abitare la contraddizione è il metodo che include (To inhabit the contradiction is the method that includes). Michela Murgia, Italian author and feminist. Una bambino, un insegnante, una penna, e un libro possono cambiare il mondo (a young girl, a teacher, a pen, and a book can change the world) Malala Yousafzai

Lucca’s flower market for la Festa della Donna

March in Lucca

The month of March starts off slow in Lucca and then builds towards the first hints of spring, an explosion of flowers, the beginning of the busy visitor season and, finally, Spring.

But so far, the first week of March isn’t feeling much different than February.  It’s still raining.  With gray skies and bare trees, most of the color comes from a rainbow of umbrellas. 

And while the temperatures are slowly creeping up, it is still chilly. Perfect weather for soup, pots of tea, afternoon naps, and catching up with friends. 

Even better if the catching up happens over a cappuccino in an elegant cafe.

I’ve been back in Lucca for two weeks now, after a long visit to the US over the holidays and all through January. A walk around town, even in the drizzly weather, is a good remedy for the prolonged case of jet lag that has hounded me since my return.  

This statue of Luigi Boccherini is always there to greet me when I return to Lucca. He sits outside the Boccherini Institute, a music school. It isn’t far from my apartment so I pass by often. Walking past and hearing the sounds of students practicing is always a sure sign that I am back in Lucca.

As I walk, I enjoy seeing familiar places as well as small forgotten details and surprise finds. 

Stumbling across a little vignette like this one is always a delightful surprise.

I am always delighted by how many new details I find even after 5 years of living here - a previously unnoticed stretch of decorative brick, a bit of street art, a beautiful art deco piece decorating a building, a fanciful torch holder, a unique door knocker, beautiful decorative ironwork, a statue.    

 On my recent walks I’ve also tried to pay attention to the signs of the season in Lucca.  The nearly empty weekday streets are a sure sign that it is still late winter. 

The many temporarily closed cafes and bars signify the owners’ chance to grab a bit of rest after the holidays and the excitement of Carnevale and before the hubbub of events that surround Easter.

The bare branches of this tree are like a sculpture against the backdrop of the old brick and stone church wall.

At this time of year there is a stark beauty in the bare trees and vines.  In a few weeks the wisteria will begin to flower and the trees will turn green with leaves.  And the visitors will arrive.  But not just yet.  And, with all those bare branches, what a wonderful surprise this week to turn a corner and find a whole street of magnolias already in bloom. 

Mimosas are the traditional gift for la Festa della Donna

I am looking forward to several events that will come later this month. March 8th marks the Festa della Donna (International Women’s Day), a day to celebrate the achievements of women in all fields. Bright yellow bunches of mimosas are a traditional part of the day.

After that comes the Festa di San Giuseppe (Feast of Saint Joseph) on the 19th.  I admit that it is the traditional feast day frittelle that I really look forward to.  I’ll take two cream filled ones please.

Later in March, Good Friday will be marked with a traditional and very solemn procession through the streets of Lucca.  

It is an historic and moving event and one that always marks the beginning of spring for me. March will conclude with Easter. It arrives early this year, on March 31st. 

The Good Friday procession in Lucca

There are also some unique events happening this month. One is an exhibit of works by Antonio Canova (it runs through September). That exhibit will be a good thing to do on one of these a rainy March afternoons.

2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Giacomo Puccini. And Puccini is a big deal here in Lucca where he was born. He started his musical career playing in local churches and spent much of his adult life in the area. He spent a lot of time in Lucca’s Caffe di Simo (in Puccini’s time it was known as Café Caselli).  Sadly, that cafe has been closed for more than a decade now, sitting empty on Via Fillungo.  It is a legendary place that has not been significantly changed since Puccini last met his friends there. It will reopen (temporarily) for several special events during the Puccini celebrations this year.  It’s one of those abandoned, dusty places that I have long wanted to see. I am looking forward to being able to get inside! 

This pretty cat made me smile on one of my wanders through Lucca. Here he sits outside the church where Puccini was baptized.

After its slow and quiet start, March promises to be a busy month in Lucca with lots of activities, celebrations, and the slow unfolding of spring. 

I’m ready!

Planning Spring and Summer Travel

The end of February, the longest short month of the year, is in sight.  The last few days have been damp and chilly in Lucca. Today, there is a constant rain pouring down. That makes it perfect weather for staying inside and writing.   I always forget that 50 degrees in Lucca, with its deeply shaded medieval streets, cold stone buildings, and dampness, feels a lot colder than 50 degrees in the sunshine and dryness of New Mexico.  Add in some rain and the chill is inescapable.

And while the end of February may have us dreaming of warm weather, in Lucca we are still in scarfs and warm coats. But the desire to shrug them off and unpack a spring wardrobe is strong.  I wouldn’t mind hanging up my umbrella either.

A summer vision along the Ligurian coast.

With spring just around the corner, and summer not that far behind, I have been daydreaming of warm weather, breezes coming off the sea, lake vistas, blooming flowers, and drinks on sunny piazzas. 

The rainy days also have me looking through my cache of photos and daydreaming about past and future travel. It is time to get serious about planning some adventures for spring and early summer.

Living in Italy, the whole of Europe is within reach. The only problem is deciding where to go.

In the spirit of travel planning, today I will share photos of spring and summer European travel ideas. I hope they serve as inspiration as you daydream about your own spring and summer plans. They are definitely giving me some ideas.

I found that the daffodils were beautiful in the Netherlands the first week of April last year. It was a bit too early for tulips which were still a few weeks away.

Below (left to right) are some fun things to do in Spring within easy reach of Lucca: riding the funiculare up to Montecatini Alto, April in the Cinque Terre (before the summer crowds arrive), Montecarlo as seen from the old Fortezza, and Bagnone, a charming small town along the Magra river in the Lunigiana region.

The south of France is lovely in spring and early summer. This year I will avoid the Olympic crowds near Paris, but would welcome some time in the south. To that end, a Viking Cruise along the Rhône river from Lyon to Avignon is on my spring bucket list. Below: photos from the market in Uzès, a small village in the Languedoc region, and a wonderful place to visit.

Spain is another good spring and early summer destination. It is not a place I know well, but the time I spent in Barcelona a few years ago was memorable. I would definitely jump at the chance for a return trip. Some favorites, below: a panoramic view from the department store at Plaza de Catalunya, Park Guell, La Sagrada Familia Basilica, the Palau de la Musica

In the heat of summer, England and Scotland can offer a cooler get-away. Below top row: Chawton House and its gardens (perfect for fans of Jane Austen). Bottom row: the ruins of the chapel at Holyrood House and the famous Grayfriars Bobby Pub in Edinborough. Chilly even in August!

Back in Italy, a summer vacation at Lake Como brings hot temperatures and crowds, but gorgeous views and a chance to catch breezes while riding the boats that crisscross the water.

Lake Como is always a good place for spring and summer fun.

The Ligurian coast is a wonderful early summer destination - views, beaches, charming fishing villages, pesto, and fabulous seafood!

Camogli, a small fishing village on the Portofino peninsula.

Do you have other recommendations for spring and summer travel? Let us all know on the Two Parts Italy Facebook page.

Carousel, Marseille

Carnevale Lucca Style

Venice, 2020

 If you come to Italy during the month of February, be prepared for some excitement.  February is the month of Carnevale - the big post-Christmas season event that brings fun and celebration in anticipation of the more restrained period of the 40 days of Lent which precede Easter.

 Picture processions, costumes, fantastic masks, balls, parties, sweets and lots and lots of confetti. 

The character of the celebrations may vary, from the elegance of Venice, to the satire of Viareggio, and the many celebrations in large and small towns throughout Italy.  Fun and a chance to cut loose prior to Lent are the common denominators.

 Lucca, where I live, is just about 30 minutes from the seaside town of Viareggio.  Viareggio plays host to Italy’s 2nd largest Carnevale event (just behind Venice’s) on successive weekends throughout most of February. 

Viareggio, 2019

Paper-mâché floats are the centerpieces of the Corso Mascherato (masked route) procession which takes place along Viareggio’s seaside promenade.  Some of the floats are huge, requiring a whole team to propel them forward and move their various extremities  - nothing is mechanized, it’s all human powered.  

Others are smaller, but all are works of art created by a carrista, a master craftsman / artisan / maker of floats.  Their creations make comments, allegorical and satirical, on society, politics, culture, and a host of modern-day issues. Over the course of the month half a million plus visitors will come to Viareggio to enjoy the procession. 

For the first several years that I lived in Lucca there was barely a hint of Carnevale here.  A few children’s parties, some glitter and confetti, but not much else.  With Viareggio just a short train ride away, none of the action came our way.  

That changed in 2023 with the advent of Lucca in Maschera, a collaboration between the cities of Lucca and Viareggio to bring some of the Carnevale magic here to Lucca. 

This year the festivities began on February 4th with a parade of masked groups, some 400 people strong, and some of the smaller floats / figures from Viareggio, along Lucca’s historic walls. And that was just the beginning. This year I watched the excitement of the parade from afar, as I was still in New Mexico visiting family. A big thanks to Lucca resident Sandra Liliana Pucci for the parade photos below.

Several large installations remain on display in the piazzas throughout town. I was delighted that they were still in place when I returned to Lucca last week. Walking through town to discover the various works was a great welcome home for me!

Paper-mâché Rolling Stones tower over Piazza Napoleone in memory of their concert here several years ago.  A huge tiger sits under the loggia in Piazza San Michele. 

This Shaman made its way from the parade on the walls to Piazza Anfiteatro. Thanks to M.A. Fisher for this photo

The whale from the Pinocchio tale fills the space in front of the tourist information center in Piazzale Verdi and huge Shamans work some magic in Piazza Anfiteatro. 

 Throughout February a host of other Carnevale activities are taking place.   Events in Lucca include children’s celebrations, a masked ball, the return of a historic masquerade in Piazza San Francesco (an event that has been missing for several years), musical performances, and lots of good Carnevale sweets in the pastry shops. 

I won’t make it to Viareggio this year, much less to Venice, but I am enjoying the Carnevale events in Lucca. Even the leftover confetti on the streets make me smile.

A British Style Sweet With an Italian Twist

Before I get to the description and recipe for this British-with-an-Italian-twist sweet, we must take a minute to talk about the word “pudding”.

Date “pudding”, served alongside some fruit, goes well with a morning coffee.

I remember being quite confused hearing my friend, a lovely English lady whom I was visiting in Hampshire, ask her cat if he was ready for his pudding. Pudding for a cat?  I must have misunderstood.  My friend explained that in this context pudding simply meant a mid-afternoon treat. Not literally what I thought of as a pudding.  An English pudding, in a general sense, can also refer to an after dinner desert. Dinner is over, bring on the pudding! Again, not what we Americans think of as pudding (a milk-based custard that definitely requires a spoon), but any type of a sweet desert.   Ok, I thought that I was beginning to understand (maybe).

If only it were that simple. But it’s not, because there is also a more specific meaning to the word pudding, British style. Historically, pudding is a steamed concoction which can be either sweet or savory.  At least it was originally steamed.  These days it might just as easily be baked. The one I am most familiar with is Sticky Toffee Pudding. Though as an American I would describe that as a type of very moist, very sweet cake with a sauce on top. 

As for an Italian equivalent of a British steamed pudding, I am not aware of one.  There are wonderful custard based Italian desserts (budino, zuppa inglese, tiramisu) but these are neither steamed nor baked and so are a different thing entirely.

Call this dense, moist, sweet a pudding, a cake, or a loaf. It is delicious no matter what it’s called.

This leads me to my British-with-an-Italian-twist sweet.  I first had this at an American friend’s home in Lucca.  She referred to it as Date Pudding, the name given in the recipe from the King Arthur Baking Company.  For just a bit more confusion – King Arthur sounds like it should be a British company, but it is actually an American flour producer.  And yet…. pudding.   What she served was a wonderful, not too sweet, very moist, slightly sticky cake. No jiggly American style pudding in sight. 

 My friend had tinkered with the recipe some, substituting a whole grain flour for the King Arthur white and decreasing the sugar to make a healthier version.  Whether it was called pudding or cake it was delicious.

Because I had been experimenting with Italian farina di castagna (chestnut flour), I decided to try the recipe using half chestnut and half white flour.  Like my friend I decreased the sugar by 25% and I upped the spices a bit.  The chestnut flour added an extra dimension of nuttiness to the flavor, and added the Italian twist. The original recipe called for baking the “pudding” in a square pan, but I tried it in a loaf pan with a slight increase in baking time which worked great. I liked being able to turn it out of the loaf pan and slice it for serving

 I made this recently for a morning coffee with a friend in New Mexico.  I could not find any chestnut flour in my local stores, so substituted all white flour.  I missed the nuttiness of the chestnut flour a bit, but it was still delicious and made for a very nice mid-morning coffee treat. It seems the type of flour is quite flexible with this recipe (shh… don’t tell King Arthur, he might not be pleased).

A morning coffee with date loaf as the centerpiece. It is normal for this moist loaf to sink in the middle.

Here’s my version of the recipe, which I will call Date Loaf rather than pudding. A big thanks to King Arthur for the original and my friend in Lucca for introducing me to this treat.

 Date Loaf Recipe

1 cup pitted dates, chopped (be sure to use unsweetened dates, not the kind dipped in glucose syrup)

¾ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon butter (omit for a vegan version)

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ rounded teaspoon ground ginger

The batter will be quite moist

1 cup boiling water

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

1 1/3 cups flour (half chestnut, half white is my go to blend)

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Chop the dates and add the sugar, butter, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger.

Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the date mixture.   Let cool to room temperature.

Stir in the flour and the nuts. The batter will be wet.

Put the batter into the prepared loaf pan (it’s ok to lick the spoon since there are no raw eggs in the batter; taste and add more ginger if you want!)

Bake for 30 minutes until set but moist.   A toothpick will come out sticky but without any wet batter clinging. (Baking time may be longer if using a long, narrow European loaf pan rather than a wider US style loaf pan and shorter for an 8x8 square pan).

Cool in pan on a rack x 10 minutes.  Turn out of loaf pan and remove parchment paper.

Serve warm or at room temperature. The loaf slices best with a serrated knife.

 The date loaf is tasty served plain for a coffee or a tea gathering. It works well as a dessert too, just top with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Leftovers keep in the fridge for a few days.

Topped with vanilla ice cream, date loaf makes a nice dessert