Tag Archives: Italian traditions
I Racconti di Luisa – Il Falò Posted by Geoff on Feb 19, 2015
Story by Luisa with an introduction by Geoff A good friend of ours, Luisa, grew up in Vittoria, Sicilia. Sometimes when we’re chatting she opens up her ‘box of memories’ as she calls it, and recounts episodes from her youth. “Do you like writing?” I asked her one day, “yes, I used to” she replied…
The Tree of Life – Part 1 Posted by Geoff on Jan 21, 2015
Castagno = Sweet Chestnut Tree Castagna (plural castagne) = Sweet Chestnut/s Castagneto = Chestnut Plantation Up until just a few decades ago, the humble castagna was a vital part of the Italian contadino’s (peasant’s) diet. Il castagno, often referred to in times past as l’albero del pane (the bread tree) proliferated around small towns and…