Circle of fire around Ascoli Piceno

Ascoli Piceno e’ un inferno

The devastating fires in Greece have been in the news this week but the wildfires continue in Italy, too. There was an article in one of the national papers earlier this week that said last week alone there were over 320 wildfires in Italy, mostly in the southern half of the boot. Ascoli Piceno has seen these fires up close.

I wrote before about some of the fires and the Canadair planes used to combat them but this week there has been a series of fires only a few kilometers from the centro storico. Tuesday and Wednesday we could hear and see the Canadair tankers as they flew low over the city to drop water in the hills west of Ascoli Piceno. The skies were darkened by the thick smoke and the smoke smell settled into the narrow streets. By Wednesday evening the drum of planes stopped and it appeared the fires were over.

One newspaper article I saw Thursday morning while at the pasticceria said the fires were fought with two Canadair tankers, a helicopter and only thirty-three firefighters on the ground.

Thursday morning we drove west along the Via Salaria to visit Arquata del Tronto and we could see some of the areas that burned earlier this week. Valerie commented that there were still some areas smoking but we could see or hear no efforts to quench these hotspots. By the time we reached Arquata del Tronto there were strong winds blowing from the west.

As we returned to Ascoli that afternoon there was a pillar of smoke rising above the Via Salaria. We found the source near Rosara, about 4 kilometers from Ascoli, and stopped to see what efforts were underway to control the flames. As we watched, the strong winds blew the fire east and new fires started on adjacent hills. Within twenty minutes the fire had spread, covering the 4 kilometers to the hills northwest of Ascoli Piceno.

After we parked the car and headed down the hill to our apartment we could see the smoke and fires just beyond the roof tops of the city. There were news reports of up to 500 people having to be evacuated from their homes as the fire approached the outskirts of city. Friends of ours have a home in that area and they reported their home was undamaged but filled with the smell of smoke. The drone of planes continued until dark and started again this morning and have continued off and on all day.

Now there is a dark covering of clouds that we pray will bring some much-needed rain, something Ascoli Piceno has not experienced in measurable quantities for most of this summer.

Why is that here?

Bidet

This is a continuation of those things that are unique in Italy for Americans. When you go into a bathroom in Italy one of the things you will notice is an extra toilet, or so that is what many people think. This is actually a bidet which is a French term for a bathroom fixture adopted in much of Europe. You will find these in bathrooms in every home and hotel and I have also seen some in public bathrooms. You may not be able to find a bathtub or shower enclosure but you will be sure to find a bidet.

What do you do with it? This is where you have a seat and clean yourself. Many Americans find this a little weird but many Europeans think Americans are dirty because we do not have and use bidets. They are also great for washing and soaking your feet after a hot day in sandals. We find that with these fixtures that once you get used to using it they are very practical. One of the things in life that before you had one you did not know that you needed one…like a microwave oven.

Piazza transformation

Ascoli Piceno uses her piazze like a stage both figuratively as the people parade through everyday as part of passeggiata but also literally as they become the location for various events. These events can range from simple playing fields for games of soccer to elaborate stages for national touring music or theatrical groups.

For Carnivale Piazza del Popolo is transformed into a huge ballroom with hanging chandeliers. For Pasqua season there are kids’ shows and dancers suspended from balloons over the crowds. In the summer stages appear for concerts. Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Arringo are the focal points of the La Quintana events hosting sbandieratori, arcieri and hundreds of costumed figuranti.

Many times a stage will be erected in the morning for an evening event and then be gone by the following morning. Some events are staged in church chiostri and on the main streets. All but a few of the events are free. Piazza del Popolo is turned into a closed theater for some of the major events where tickets are required. This is accomplished by erecting steel doors on the eight entrances to the piazza. Of course the caffes that line the piazza are none too thrilled when this happens as they are shut down for those events.

The grande piazze are the center stage for life here in Ascoli Piceno. These beautiful and historic public areas make for very interesting backdrops for any event.

Street flowers

Rua dei Fiori

The centro storico of Ascoli Piceno has many interesting and unique areas and one of these is a neighborhood with street flowers. There are about five streets in this medieval section, all paved with stones, that have flowers growing up through the stones in front of houses. Of course there is a street here named Rua dei Fiori, Road of Flowers. The flowers only bloom during the cool temperatures of the evening after the sun has set.

This is a pleasant area to stroll through with the red, white and yellow flowers sprouting from the street and you hear the clatter of plates in homes, see little old ladies in their chairs outside their front doors and kids chasing pigeons. I imagine this as an area where the same families have lived for generations and everyone knows the person next door.

Whose TV is that?

Noise

Both of us have always lived in a rural or suburban setting until we moved to the centro storico of Ascoli Piceno last fall. In New Mexico we had an acre lot surrounded by sage and cactus and only the sounds of distant coyotes. This summer has proven an experience in noise that to which we are not accustomed. The street below our apartment is about seven feet wide and all of the buildings are stone and at least three stories tall. Air conditioning is not common here so in the summer everyone opens their windows in the evenings to enjoy the cooler temperatures.

The problem with this close proximity to everyone is the noise. This week most of Ascoli has returned from their vacanza and with the continuing warm weather, evenings see everyone with open windows. This creates a problem as everyone also seems to own a television with adequate speakers, which they turn up to hear over the neighbor who also has their television on.

Add to this a periodically barking dog, screaming baby, the motorcycle, Ape’, cars and motorini that park on our street and there is a nightly orchestra of sounds. Unfortunately many of these sounds do not cease until after midnight as many Italians stay up late. Those that do not stay up late are up by 7:00 AM starting their vehicle on the street below as they head off to locations unknown to us.

In additional to the sounds from the nearby homes we also have a couple workshops located on our short street and the cross street at the end is a major exit route from the centro storico. With the narrow street all of these sounds seem to echo up the buildings and into our windows. We enjoy all of the convenience and activities that the centro storico has to offer but we long for cooler temperatures when we can close our windows and enjoy some nights of calm.

This has prompted us to begin the search for another apartment, specifically in a location that is piu tranquillo.

Vending machines

Distributore automatico

America is the land of the vending machine: you find them in front of grocery stores, you find them in airports, you find them in hotels and you will find them on the side of the street. Italy lacks vending machines, and I think this is no loss. In Italy you don’t need a vending machine for snacks or drinks as there is always a bar nearby that will sell those things to you.

However there are three vending machines I regularly see in Italy: for DVDs, for cigarettes and for prophylactics.

All of the video rental stores I have seen have vending machines where registered members can rent and return DVDs anytime day or night.

Many tabaccheria have cigarette vending machines that can be accessed through their roll down gates all night long. Despite strict laws against smoking in public buildings, including bars and restaurants, smoking is prevalent in Italy

And there are frequently vending machines on the outside of a farmacia, with the green crosses, for prophylactics.

Pranzo at Vena Piccola

Many expat novels about Italy have the requisite story where the American meets the old man or woman on the street who then invites them into their humble home for an intimate meal. A friend of ours commented once that she has read several of these and she is tired of seeing the same story over and over again. We have not had that specific experience but several similar ones involving Italian hospitality, the most recent was this past weekend.

Our friend Giorgio Tomasetti from Un anno a stelle e strisce sent us an email a couple weeks ago that his family would like to invite us to lunch at his grandparents’ home in the hills outside of Ascoli Piceno. I called Giorgio this past week and we arranged to go on Saturday for pranzo to meet his parents, sister and grandparents at the small borgo of Vena Piccola. Their home is surrounded by cultivated land with various fruit trees, olives, vines and of course a garden. They also are raising a pig, chickens and rabbits for their table. Vena Piccola sits on a ridge with grand views of the Sibillini Mountains and Mount Ascensione.

Giorgio’s parents, Cinzia and Gianfranco, his sister Valeria, and their grandparents were just as friendly and welcoming as we could have hoped for. Our meal was full of the fruits of their garden as well as their own wine and a little vino cotto. We spent time talking about their trips to America and our experiences here in Ascoli Piceno. When we left, Giorgio’s grandfather gave us a bottle of his own stock of vino cotto to take with us which is a strong cooked wine used as a digestivo.

We have had several experiences where families have taken us into their homes as friends and the food and company has always been a wonderful experience. This is true Italian hospitality.

No summer blockbusters here

Free movies

Hollywood can not count on the Italian movie market to contribute to the summer blockbuster phenomenon common in the US. This past week Ascoli Piceno has been showing movies for free in Chiostro San Agostino every night to a full house. These are movies that were in theaters just a few months ago. Last night we were in Offida and they were showing a movie on the wall of a small piazza. This is like going to the drive-in but without the nachos.

The centro commerciale between Ascoli Piceno and San Benedeto that has the multiplex is also showing recent movies for 2€ a person on selected nights through-out the summer. The theaters here are also only open in the evening; there are no midday shows to escape the heat in air conditioning that many people in the US expect.

Summers for Italians are spent in the open either at the beach soaking up some sun or enjoying cooler mountain scenery during the day and in the piazze at night mingling with friends.

Another movie related item I have noticed is that movies here are advertised based primarily on the director, not the actors.

Buon Ferragosto

Ferie

Today is Ferragosto, the major summer holiday for Italy. This day is based on the Catholic holiday Assunzione S. Vergine, or the ascent of Mary. This is the height of the holiday/vacation season in Italy. Last year when we lived in Anzio we saw an influx of people in that beach area, this year we are seeing the opposite in Ascoli Piceno. With La Quintana being over, signs have sprung up on shop windows that they are closed for at least part of August. There is a marked decrease in traffic and the usual passeggiata crowds are very thin. The percentage of tourists with their maps and cameras is greatly increased, the local papers have noted that the city will be vacant of residents and only the tourists will remain…and us. We prefer to avoid the holiday crowds.

This sign is in a bar window: Closed for vacation Opening Friday August 24,(Perhaps). Someone then wrote “But don’t say that”

Southern hospitality

Anzi

We drove down the Adriatic coast to visit Valerie’s cousin and his family in central Basilicata, which is situated in the instep of the Italian boot. We have wanted to get back to Valerie’s ancestral town of Anzi since we first met Michele last fall and, since this was the towns Festa di San Donato, we decided this would be a good opportunity.

The drive along the Adriatic Coast was uneventful as we crossed the plains of northern Puglia until we entered the rolling hill country of central Puglia and northern Basilicata. This area is spotted with medieval hilltop castles of Federico II overlooking fields of olives, wheat, corn and vines. We also made a short stop at a town named Ascoli Satriano, the only other town we know of named Ascoli. Once we passed Potenza we climbed the mountains of the southern Apennines.

Anzi is situated on a mountain at 1000 meters (3000 feet) and we were looking forward to the cooler temperatures at that elevation and the quieter atmosphere of a small town after the heat and activity that has been Ascoli Piceno this summer. The weather was an improvement and we even donned jackets in the evenings. Quiet was another issue.

Many of the sons and daughters of Anzi have moved off to other parts of the country for work but the Festa di San Donato, their patron saint, sees the population of this town of 2000 double as many return home to see family and friends. We found ourselves in the middle of this huge reunion. Michele’s friends were more than happy to help entertain us, the stranieri.

We arrived to see the evening procession of San Donato snake down 3 kilometers from Anzi to the Chiesa di San Donato below town and a small fireworks display. This of course was followed by food and drink and we did not return to our lodgings until almost 2AM. The next day we were back in town to witness the procession of San Donato back up into Anzi. That night the small central piazza was packed with a stage and people as a favorite southern Italy group played until midnight. Again we were not back to bed until almost 2AM.

The final night we had dinner with Michele’s family and friends and then returned to Anzi for fireworks above town. All of Italy has been experiencing drought and wildfire conditions and Anzi is no different. We watched not only the fireworks in the sky but the resulting grassfire below that created a glow in the sky. Fortunately this burned out quickly on the steep rocky slope. Again it was close to 2AM before we put our heads on our pillows.

We have been to Anzi on two previous trips for less than half a day, and have seen little of the town other than the main piazza. This time we had the opportunity to visit the 13^th century church above the town, a neighboring lake and to drive through some of the surrounding countryside. Like our home state of New Mexico this area has pine covered mountains and has a lot of uninhabited country. Also the food is great and the people are very friendly.

La Quintana and La Festa

La Quintana finito

Just a warning that this blog will be a long one as there was a lot going on in Ascoli Piceno during the last few days of La Quintana.

The final week of La Quintana is also the week of La Festa di Sant’ Emidio, the patron saint our adopted hometown. The past week-end was full of processions for both events, of coursee patron saint of numerous special masses for La Festa, another giostre for La Quintana, a bridge painting competition amongst the sestiere, nightly concerts in the cattedrale and piazze, a Tombola di Sant Emidio (lottery drawing for cash prizes) and each night ended with lots of fireworks.

Saturday evening there was the Offerta dei Ceri which is a procession of costumed participants through the centro storico to the cattedrale where the surrounding castelli and local sestiere present candles to the church symbolic of the candles used to light the interior in years past. The procession filled half of Piazza Arringo once they all arrived amongst pounding drums and trumpets.

This was immediately followed by the Sorteggio Giostra de Sant Emidio which is a blessing of the participants in the final giostra. Each sestiere presented their horse and rider for the blessing as the entire procession bowed forward in prayer.

That night there was a concert in Piazza del Popolo that concluded just before midnight to give people time to walk to the banks of Torrente Castellano to witness the pirotecnico display that echoed in the valley and against the stone buildings. We have noticed that the fireworks displays here in Italy are preceded by one or two loud bangs to inform everyone they are ready to begin. Then at the end of the show, instead of a finale, there are several loud bangs to signal the end of the show.

Sunday was the big culmination of La Quintana and La Festa di Sant’ Emidio with bands playing in the streets and the Processione dei figuranti della Giostra della Quintana e Corteo that included 1500 costumed participants, plus animals, parading through the historic center. This was larger than the processione that we witnessed in July and included falcons and dogs in addition to the horses participating in the competition. There were knights in armor, ladies and gentlemen of the court, sbandieratori, musicians, shepherds, falconers, arcieri, town officials, banner carriers and of course the cavalieri. This processione ended at the Campo dei Giochi where the cavalieri competed for the palio which was won by Porta Romana.

A few hours after this there was the Processione in onore di Sant’ Emidio that made a circular route from the cattedrale along the streets around Piazza del Popolo and back to the cattedrale. This was a much more solemn affair as the nuns, monks, priests and local faithful chanted quietly while an ox pulled a cart carrying the silver statue of the patron saint.

This final night was capped by the Tombola di Sant Emidio where there was a balcony attached to the front of Palazzo Arengo and numbers were drawn until there was a winner proclaimed for the lottery, tickets cost 5€ and the top prize being 10,000€. As usual, we were not winners. At 1:00 AM the finale was a spettacolo pirotecnico over the Torrente Castellano that lasted almost an hour. This made for another long night as we finally plopped into bed well after 2 AM with the fireworks still ringing in our ears.

We will be looking forward to some quite time when we head south to visit family in a small town in Basilicata next week.

Escape Artist article

I’ve been published!

EscapeArtists.com’s Offshore Real Estate Magazine’s most recent on-line issue has an article that I submitted earlier this summer. This article is titled “The Who’s Who in Italian Real Estate” and identifies some of the people involved in real estate transactions for those who are new to the real estate market in Italy.

I openly admit that this was heavily edited by Valerie, who is the real writer in our family, before I submitted it to EscapeArtist.com. Grammar and spelling were not my strong subjects in school.

City Fish Market

Pescheria Comunale

Ascoli Piceno is only twenty minutes from the Adriatic Sea so you would think seafood would be in abundance here in town, but it is not. While every Friday is fish day at every restaurant, the menus in town are heavy on pork and lamb products. There are one or two places that specialize in seafood and I have also seen two or three shops that sell solely fish, whether fresh or frozen.

There is also a small store front that is the weekly fish market for town called the Pescheria Comunale. This small shop on a side street is only open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings from 6AM to 1PM. The few times we have been by there we were not overly impressed with the offerings considering our proximity to the sea.