Alternatives to the Patrimonial: Italy is a Republic founded on festivals

2023 Author: Cody Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 19:13

I seek and seek. I ask Brother Google to help me. Dazed by the inordinate number of Augustan festivals, I look for something I read some time ago on Dissapore. Found it, it was time! "I do not have in my heart the love for the food festivals that go crazy from the Alps to the Lilibeo. From the Sheep Festival to the Callara di Roiano of Campli TE to the Campolese Truffle Festival in Campoli FR. From the Broccoli Festival of Custoza VR to the Radicchio Festival of Mirano VE. "I agree verbatim, of course, but for once I don't want to think so, let's say that I'm not the culprit of the writing spotted the other day on the uprights of the motorway overpass, the one that described the situation with rare effectiveness:" Tourists wake up, at festivals only frozen shit". And pass me the foul language.

Okay, even if I were well-disposed towards festivals, a few days in the Marche would be enough to change your mind. I tell you: in the Marche there is the war of festivals.

Fluorescent signs in unlikely places, nonsò, traffic lights or balconies, which proliferate around dinner time when it is clear that you can choose - oh, every night - between 5 or 6 festivals within 10 kilometers. How do we make polenta? Here with the stockfish, a little further on with the snails, a stone's throw away "exotic", which would then be with clams. Polenta transformed into gnocchi in Marina di Altidona (Fermo), while across the river Aso, gnocchi alla marinara. But in summary, in August in the Marche every course on the menu has its own festival, from appetizers to fruit. I'm not kidding, there is also the fruit festival!

"I have no confidence in the quality of the dishes served in these festivals: I remember the Octopus Festival in San Vincenzo: stewed meatballs with ship wine served in rivers on tables with linoleoum coating, at the price of lunch in a restaurant, just something less ".

I reread Dissapore and think: Pedaso Mussel Festival, even if they call you "National", how can I trust you? It could go better with the Maccheroncini di Campofilone festival or the Fried Olives, but the sevaggia signage invites me at the same time as that of pizza, fish, kebabs, snails, clams. Then there are the infinite dialectal variations, which are also strictly capitalized. Sagra de lu Porcu, de lu Scottadito, de lu Porcellino, de le Cacciannanze, de la Congola, de la Panzanella, de la Picciona (?).

Wait, it's not over. The festival of tagliatelle with duck, the festival of fried tagliatelle, even pasta with truffles and porcini has its festival in Force (AP). Pappardelle with wild boar abound despite August, perhaps they are cooked in the sun, replaceable within a few kilometers of the highly contested vincisgrassi (Castelraimondo and Montottone). Not surprisingly, the festivals of rabbit in porchetta, chicken on a spit, "chichiripieno" (?), Quail, mutton, livers, skewers, cooked wine, "scartoccio" and the vaguely immoral are not very refreshing. “Passera mbriaca” (sauce of four different animals, drunk with Passerina wine).

And the compote? Crescia, bruschetta, crispella, piadina, come: a festival is not denied to anyone! Hoping that from the neighboring town, always a little jealous, no one will think at night to tear the sign that adorns every maritime pine along the seafront, creating that pleasant "nightmare of a kneaded" effect.

The Marches are beautiful, but in the end, the usefulness of these events escapes me a little, a show by the administrations, a catwalk for the Pro Loco? Tremonti heard me, forget pensions and article 18 otherwise you get hurt. Provinces, regions and festivals above all, then yes that the maneuver will have something epic.

PS. Award for the best denomination ever: Festival of Salamina with spoon sauce Madonna Boschi di Poggio Renatico (FE).