Wednesday 11th of November was la festa di San Martino, a date which has particular significance for the contadini (farm labourers, or peasants) as it brings to a close the agricultural year.

Fare San Martino

‘Fare S.Martino’ (literally: to do S.Martino), is an expression used in the vast agricultural plains of the Pianura Padana, which means both to traslocarsi (move house) and to change one’s place of work. The expression goes back to the time when a significant part of the population of the pianura worked as braccianti (farm hands, or labourers). The farm labourer’s annual contract expired at the beginning of November, and if the contract wasn’t renewed by the proprietario terriero (landowner) for the following year, the bracciante had to find work elsewhere. This entailed moving himself, his family, and all their possessions to una nuova dimora (a new dwelling place, or residence). The date chosen for il trasloco (the move) was traditionally the 11th November, la festa di S.Martino, and there was a very practical reason for selecting that date: l’estate di San Martino.

‘L’estate di San Martino, tre giorni e un pocolino’ – detto popolare. (‘S.Martino’s Summer, three days and a little bit’ – popular saying)

L’estate di San Martino is the name given to a short period following the first really cold weather during the late autumn. At that time, if we’re lucky, we have a brief reprieve, and things warm up again for several days. I have to say, looking out of the window at the snow capped mountains which occasionally emerge from gloomy grey clouds: quest’anno sembra che sia poco probabile (this year it seems very unlikely!) Ma chissà! (but who knows!).

A famous example of the use of the expression ‘fare San Martino’ comes from Italy’s second war of independence in 1859. At the great battle of San Martino (a small town located in Northern Italy), King Vittorio Emanuele II famously resorted to dialect as he desperately tried to rally his struggling troops, using the phrase: ‘Fioeui, o i piuma San Martin o i auti an fa fé San Martin a nui!’ which in Italian means ‘Ragazzi, o prendiamo San Martino o gli altri ci fanno fare San Martino a noi!’ (Lads, either we take San Martino or the others will make us ‘fare San Martino’ i.e. will throw us out!)

This year however, the expression ‘fare S.Martino’ has particular significance for us because we are in the middle of the gruelling process of moving my elderly parents from their palazzo (block of flats) in the suburbs of Lucca to an appartamento here in Pontremoli in order to be able to look after them better, però, devo dire che è un lavoro snervante!  (however, I have to say that it’s an exhausting job!).

Oh well, in order to reward ourselves we can always follow yet another old tradition that takes place at this time of year, il primo assaggio del vino novello, che solitamente viene abbinato alle prime castagne (the first tasting of the new wine, which is usually accompanied with the first chestnuts). This tradition is celebrated in a famous poem by Giosuè Carducci (1835 – 1907) which we had to learn at school:

San Martino

La nebbia a gl’irti colli
piovigginando sale,
e sotto il maestrale
urla e biancheggia il mar;

Ma per le vie del borgo
dal ribollir de’ tini
va l’aspro odor de i vini
l’anime a rallegrar.

Gira su’ ceppi accesi
lo spiedo scoppiettando:
sta il cacciator fischiando
su l’uscio a rimirar

tra le rossastre nubi
stormi d’uccelli neri,
com’esuli pensieri,
nel vespero migrar.

The drizzling fog
climbs the rugged hills,
and beneath the mistral
the sea howls and foams;

but in the village streets
from the seething vats
the pungent smell of wine goes forth
to cheer the souls.

On fiery logs the spit
turns and crackles;
the hunter stands whistling
and from his door watches

amongst reddish clouds
the black flocks of birds,
like forlorn thoughts,
at dusk migrate.