A WELCOME RETURN

It was wonderful to see the return of our lovely chocolate festival, ChocoModica, from 7th - 10th December, the first time it had been held since the pandemic. I've always loved the atmosphere of this festival where there is something for everyone, with cookery demonstations, book launches, concerts and chocolate sculpting among the many events. And of course, there are chocolate stalls, local food stalls and craft stalls to browse. 

Here are some photos (some of which I have had to crop so as not to show the faces of children). I did my best!

Who can resist a chocolate-flavoured panettone? Not me!
The fine gentleman in the chef's hat was handing out free tubs of freshly made chocolate ice cream.

Chocolate sculpting

Cocoa bean pods and cocoa beans

I like the craft stalls.

Who wants a chocolate coffee-maker? (In the background on the right.)

Well done, Modica!

WELL DONE, LE MAMME!

 

Foto: "La coperta delle mamme di Modica"
Facebook page.

In 2019 Arianna Salemi came up with the idea of "clothing" the steps of the San Giovanni Evangelista Church in Modica Alta with knitted or crocheted 20 cm x 20 cm "tiles", worked by the mamme di Modica, to create a beautiful sight and then to give the "tiles" to those who will be in need of them in the cold weather to come. And the mamme did it! The "tiles" were on view on from midnight Saturday - Sunday to midnight Sunday - Monday and people were invited to go and look, and bring along a book to read on the steps if they wanted to. How I wish I could have gone!

I was also delighted to read that Liliana Segre, the 90-year-old Life Senator, writer and Auschwitz survivor, had not only sent some wool to the mamme when she heard of the project, but sent them a beautiful message yesterday:

"L’eguaglianza è un sentimento che fa rima con tolleranza ed accoglienza. Ecco il punto. Quando ci si apre a l’altro, ci si prende cura , si arricchisce il proprio patrimonio sentimentale, sociale, culturale e si diventa biodiversi dunque più umani. Le vostre mattonelle sono un patchwork di tolleranza, pietre d’inciampo dell’accoglienza, fili intrecciati come i destini che si incrociano nel mare nostrum. Grazie infinite care donne di Modica, siete preziose.”

"Equality is a sentiment that rhymes* with tolerance and welcome. The point is this: when we are open to the other, we take care of ourselves, we enrich our own emotional, social and cultural heritage and we become multicultural and therefore more human. Your tiles are a patchwork of tolerance, Stolpersteine** of  welcome, intertwining threads like the destinies which cross each other in the Mediterranean. Thank you, dearest women of Modica - you are treasures."

*in Italian, obviously

** Stolpersteine are memorials to Holocaust victims and I think it is to these that Liliana Segre is referring.

Liliana Segre is a heroine of mine and I recently read her book Ho scelto la vita.

IGNAZIELLA'S CRAFTS

These are some of the lovely objects (not the photocopier!) my friend Ignaziella has made this year.  They are on display in her shop. Isn't she clever?

CHOCOMODICA 2017

Hello and yes, I know, it's been a while again. This can be put down to trying to keep up with, and fight, Brexit and the fact that, with age, I am becoming rather grumpy. Or is it Brexit that's making me grumpy?  (Whatever your opinion on the matter, the impact is serious for expats.)

However, something that makes me less grumpy is our ChocoModica festival, which always begins on the 8th December holiday and signifies, for me, the beginning of the festivities. Here are some pictures to give you a flavour:

The torta di Savoia cake being finished below left, of which samples were offered to everyone, was the best I have ever tasted. The gentleman on the right seemed justifiably proud of his sculpture:

Lots of intricate work to admire and not only on chocolate:

How to choose which chocolate to buy? In the end I bought a slab of white chocolate topped with forest fruits because it is just.... well, you'll have to taste it to find out!  No trip to Modica Bassa is complete without calling in at the Latteria and Modican chocolate ice cream goes down a treat in the middle of winter. Only next time, turn the heating on, guys - please!

More chocolate sculpture work:

Sculptures of a different kind on display, made from clay and wood. Regular readers will recognise the Duomo di San Giorgio, Castello dei Conti and Teatro Garibaldi:

And finally, some more lovely crafts, among many others at the stalls which always accompany a Sicilian festival:

Well done again, Modica!

JOLLY GELATO

I was sorry my new-found sister could not be with me in Noto the other week, so I sent her this jolly fabric gelato from the craft market there:

A PAPAL BESTSELLER

In the lovely church of Santa Maria di Betlemme in Modica Bassa there is an exquisite terracotta presepe [crib] made in 1882. It has 66 statuettes and the onlookers at the nativity scene are depicted as Sicilian countrymen and women. It is an absolutely stunning sight.

You will see a crib in nearly every Sicilian home at this time of year and some of the figurines will be family heirlooms. The custom of filling the crib with statuettes dressed in Sicilian costume continues and I think this must make it easier for children to identify with the characters. The Holy Family, though, are depicted traditionally and one figurine, that of the baby Jesus, is not added to the scene until Christmas Eve.

In Sicily the city of Caltagirone is particularly famous for the craftsmanship of its cribs but, as many of you will know, the "crib capital" of Italy is Napoli. The tradition began there in the Baroque era of the 18th century, when the carving of wooden figurines was elevated to an art form.  Now, in the via San Gregorio Armeno, you can find not only traditional figurines and figurines inspired by Italian country life, but representations of politicians, royals and celebrities. 

So who is "in" and who is "out" [literally] in this year's cribs? Well, Silvio Berlusconi, who has been prominent among the figurines for decades, and who was even represented, in the past, alongside figurines of some of the ladies who, at the very least, enjoyed his parties, features less often in 2013. If you must, however, you can still find a figurine of him holding a card declaring, "Sono decaduto" ["I have decayed" and a reference to his decadenza - fall from power]. You can also add the entire Napoli football squad to your decorations and representations - complete with his beloved iPhone - of Matteo Renzi, the Mayor of Florence and recently elected leader of the Democratic Party, are said to be selling well. Figurines of Nelson Mandela are available, as you would expect, but the overall bestsellers this year are figurines of Papa Francesco - a worthy winner, in my opinion.

This year the Archdiocese of Naples has the honour, for the first time, of sponsoring the Vatican's Nativity Scene, which will be unveiled in St Peter's Square on Christmas Eve. The background has been inspired by the Campania countryside and the figurines have been crafted in 18th century Neapolitan tradition by Antonio Cantone of Cantone & Costabile. The scene is entitled Francesco 1223 - Francesco 2013, a reference to the date when St Francis created a living crib in Greccio and, of course, to the current, popular Pope.

ITALY MAGAZINE ROUND-UP - 21

Here is my pick of last week's Italy Magazine articles:

It was the week in which we discovered that the Milanese have the most extramarital affairs in Italy and Mr Berlusconi's love life came under the media spotlight once again as the term bunga bunga entered the Italian language.  The passing of Paul the psychic octopus - who was, of course, Italian and really called Paolo - was mourned and if the CEO of Fiat gets his way Italians will soon also be mourning a national icon.  It wasn't all gloom, however, with Christina Hendricks telling us that living in Italy made her both curvier and sexier whilst a young man from Cervia [Emilia-Romagna] was declared the world's best sommelier. 

Here is a Venetian festival that I would love to attend this month.  How about you?

For my Patti Chiari column, I had the pleasure of inteviewing my friend Giusy Asta, a Modican wedding planner with a difference.  Giusy's shop in Modica Bassa is one of my favourite places here.  Take a look at the article to understand why.

Happy reading.

CHRISTMAS COLLAGE

This is Gino the artist's Christmas collage, in which he has used natural materials, such as carob pods, nuts and asparagus leaves [traditionally used to decorate crib scenes in Sicily] to suggest the shapes, colours and forms of Christmas.  I know that Gino would love to receive some comments from you.

LUCIA'S CRIB

Kind Lucia was scandalised that I didn't have a crib with figurines based on Sicilian characters so she brought me a base, a fire and some figurines and animals to start me off. I added a Holy Family.

SO LONG AT THE FAIR

The fiera della contea is taking place in Modica this week so this evening I thought I'd stroll along and see what was going on there. "18.00 - 23.00" say the notices, but this is what happens when, just like a Brit, you arrive on time!

Yes, most of the stalls were still closed, partly, I think, because many of the exhibitors are also running their own shops with very little help and don't want to close them too early, but also because we are, after all, in Italy! By 7 pm things had livened up and I loved these cheese and salame stalls where you could have a taste of whatever took your fancy:

The Nduja advertised in the first picture is a very hot and spicy salame from Calabria. Just look at the size of the provolone cheeses on the left of the third photo! The Nero di Sicilia cheese in the fourth photo is a pecorino seasoned with black pepper. Below you can see some ricotta in the traditional cavagne. These containers used to be hung up with a stopper at the bottom to prevent mice from getting at the cheese:

Stalls selling some very pretty wares indeed had opened by 7:

Guess which bag caught my eye! I didn't even dare ask the price....

This is my haul from the occasion: I've got some spaghetti flavoured with red pepper, some of the Nduja salame in front of it, cheeses flavoured with parsley and red pepper and pistacchio, rucula [rocket] and radicchio next to that and some of the Nero di Sicilia cheese on the left. You wouldn't think the straw mules would be comfortable, but I assure you that they are.

The water melon did not come from the fair but I put it on the table for artistic effect, having found it hanging in a bag from my apartment's door knob when I got back. [It's a wonder the door knob and lock mechanism didn't collapse!] It had been placed there by kind Lucia. My favourite purchase from the fair is this tiny, hand-painted, papier-maché basket ornament, for I can appreciate the time and trouble that has gone into its making:

There were still several stores that had yet to open by the time I left so I can imagine that there is a very jolly atmosphere by now.

2 TYPES OF WORKMANSHIP

It is the Liberation Day holiday today and earlier I had an unexpected visitor: it was the neighbour's daughter whom I had helped with some research before Christmas. She came bearing these lovely Sicilian pastries and this beautiful, handmade pencil case from Bardonnecchia in the mountains around Turin, where she is now working. I could gaze at objects like this for hours, imagining the workmanship and love that has gone into their making. The fact that someone whom I had only met once before would go to Bardonecchia, see it and think of me makes it all the more special.