Andiamo! Citalia Magazine Autumn 2023

THE ITALIAN LIFE: SEASON BY SEASON
How did you spend each season as a child?
I grew up in Rome, and so city life has a different dynamic, but as soon
as the weather becomes good, perhaps after Easter, we would be sure
to take many day trips to the countryside. We would often go to Tivoli,
which is best known for Villa d’Este.
Easter is a big deal in Italy, it’s definitely a lot less religious these days, but
still marks the passage into spring when you open the window and see
the sun. Our family would always go to St. Peter’s Square on Palm Sunday,
and buy colomba, the traditional dove-shaped Easter cake, and beautifully
ornate eggs - they are unique and nothing like you find in the UK.
If the weather was nice in October we would go
to the beach, not necessarily for swimming or
sunbathing, but just to spend time at the coast.
Up until the age of six I didn’t know much about the sea
because my grandfather loved lakes! We would go to Lago di Bolsena,
and Lago Albano by Castel Gandolfo in the south of Rome, which
incidentally is the summer residence of the pope.
When my grandfather passed away, we began visiting Ostia
and nearby beaches on the Lazio coast like Fregene
Beach, and taking trips outside the city walls to
small villages, such as Grottaferrrata or Frascati.
I was always passionate about football and
so I would play most of the year. Then, when
December came, I would get busy with my
parents in the run-up to Christmas. I loved
Befana, when the good witch comes to Italian
homes in the New Year - this was a big event for me
as a child, and a highlight of my year.
I also loved going out on New Year’s Day to watch
Mister Okay dive from one of the bridges into the
Tiber River. This is a quirky tradition that has been
going on for half a century and always attracts a crowd!
Is there anything that you would say is a common activity
across Italy?
Yes - there is one thing that all Italians have in common: the passeggiata.
It doesn’t matter the season either!
The passeggiata translates as walk, and it’s a slow walk as it’s the chance
to be convivial with people, and a time for Italian families to unite. It also
marks the close of the working day. People are a lot more relaxed and
it’s a touch of La Dolce Vita!
I usually go to Sicily in May. We’ll be at the office having a meeting and
when 5pm arrives we wander to the town centre in either Taormina or
Cefalù. What I love is that my colleague literally has to stop every 10
metres to talk to all the people he knows!
This ritual surprisingly hasn’t really changed with the pace of life - it’s the
essence of living in Italy.
Why do you think the passeggiata remains so common?
It’s a very Mediterranean activity and a great way to finish the day. It
doesn’t matter what age you are, everyone goes for the passeggiata,
which is a great way to combat loneliness and get outside for fresh air.
As the older generations tend to live as part of
the family in Italy, it’s not uncommon to find
people walking with their grandparents or
great-grandparents, well into their nineties!
There also continues to be the concept of bella figura, particularly in the
south. What this means is that people make an effort at this time of day
to be turned out, not necessarily elegant, but well-dressed.
The passeggiata is also a time to exchange views. My father’s family is
from Calabria, and I have vivid memories of my uncle and his friends
intensely discussing politics during the summers I spent there.
What about seasonal food traditions Stefano?
I feel the taste of seasonal fruit and vegetables is
always more genuine, and fresher. One of my
dearest friends will drive an hour to the
Tuscan coast to buy his fresh fish all year
round. That’s the thing about Italy,
you’re never too far from the sea!
In springtime my mother would
make broad beans with pecorino
cheese, and tripe, which I hated!
In the summer months I ate a lot of
cherries and peaches, and a typical
Roman salad called puntarelle, which is
served with an anchovy sauce. I love figs,
which are harvested in early summer and are delicious
and soft on their own or served with ice cream. In autumn we would
eat pears and cheese.
Meals really are at the centre of everything in Italy, it’s
part of convivial life and the magnet for people to sit
around and talk.
We have an expression, if you go to a place and you come back, you
never say I’ve seen this or that like you would in the English language,
you say si mangia bene - that’s a place where I ate well!
Do you think Italians will continue to live by the seasons?
I have a good friend in Orvieto, who’s a provincial policeman, and his job
is to patrol the countryside, which he absolutely loves. He would like his
son to join him rather than play on his computer, but I guess we have to
accept that it's the 21st century and the current generation may not live
with the seasons as much.
However, in more rural areas, you will still find families foraging in
autumn. I think there’s always going to be a nod towards nature’s cycle
in Italy.
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