When you have forgotten it is your favourite saint's feast day, walk into a bar and are offered a frittella in his honour, you remember why you love living in Sicily.
Frittelle are traditional for San Martino di Tours because in times gone by they could be made by rich and poor alike: They contain few ingredients, can be fried using the new oil of the season and also go very well with the vino novello which is opened on this day! In this post from 2007 I included some photos of frittelle being prepared.
According to legend, in the fourth century San Martino met a starving, freezing beggar at the gates of the city of Amiens. He cut his cloak in two with his sword and gave half to the man. For this reason, San Martino is a saint associated with the poor. It is also said that the sun came out at the very moment he tore his cloak and that is why an Indian summer here is known as an estate di san Martino.
San Martino is the protector of soldiers, innkeepers, hoteliers and beggars. He died in Candes, now Candes-Saint-Martin, in 397.
4 comments:
Sorry, Pat...I've been missing in action this past week. A few unexpected and some expected interruptions! Time has gotten away on me. :)
I know the feeling, Lee!
I hope the escaped migrants are given one.
So do I, WW.
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