Easter in Italy: Festivals, Feasts and Slow Food

Easter Bread of Sardinia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Ashley Bartner


In Central Italy's region of Le Marche we are all abuzz for Easter! The butchers began taking orders for lamb days ago, our neighbor Pia has made dozens of the traditional Easter bread slowly cooked in a wood burning oven and the villagers are ready for the festivals of Holy Week.
Slow Food
Le nonne (the grandmother's) are busy baking crescia di pasqua, a local Marche Easter bread in two types: sweet or dolce and the more common savory, brusca. What is becoming an annual tradition of mine, I stopped off early Wednesday morning at our neighbor Pia's house to visit with her and marvel at the 50 + loaves she had rising about the house (using over 200 eggs and about 6lbs of cheese). The most incredible scene was in the bedroom: the special dolce (sweet) bread was snuggled up, wrapped tightly under layers of blankets (including an electric blanket) in their bed! Kept warm, safe & sound to rise slowly. Before electric blankets they used coals from the fire.
Other pots were nestled about the house around the fireplaces, stove & couch all huddled together. After a day of rising I returned that afternoon, Olavio had built the perfect fire for the bread in their outdoor wood burning oven. Twenty five loaves of bread in at a time - now that's an oven! I had timed it just right, arriving as they are pulling out the first loaf of bread! Pia admired her work & the beautiful toasty golden color - brava!

Food and Drink in Italy - Turin Restaurants

Image by Phillie Casablanca via Flickr By David Leigh


One of the great pleasures of visiting other countries is experiencing the local cuisine and Italy, the land of pizza and pasta, is naturally no exception.
Italian cooking is quite regional, with the local specialities a treat to find out, and so it is with Turin, which as well as having some excellent restaurants is much more affordable than many places, such as Rome, Paris or London.

Italy: Land extraordinaire

Image via Wikipedia

Author: Matrix

Often referred to as the Belpaese, meaning beautiful country in Italian, Italy is considered far and wide as the perfect place to relax and bask in the most opulent pleasures the material world has to offer. Right from food to scenic views around the landscape to the most fashionable designer-ware and strikingly illustrious art, it is all there. The country has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other, with the number going over 40 (44 to be exact) and the città d'arte (cities of art) like Florence, Rome and Venice are certainly among the key places to have more visitors than the rest of the country. It may seem like the country is purely popular based on these few sites, but there are many other attractions, albeit for different people. Milan is Italy's financial hub, and is also host to one of the largest trade fairs in the world. Venice, despite being too engrossed in the art scene, has also opened a new bridge over the Grand Canal. So, there's a lot more happening to change the perceptions

I Love Touring Italy - Springtime In Liguria

Image via Wikipedia

Little Liguria in northeast Italy is the Italian Riviera. It faces the Ligurian Sea and its climate starts to warm in the early spring. To avoid crowds plan on a spring visit. You won't regret it. The Yacht Club of the upscale resort of San Remo, population under 60 thousand, lying about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of Genoa hosts the International Italian Dragon's Cup in late March. While the entry fee is a mere 250 Euros (less than 400 dollars per boat), you do have to provide proof of insurance against claims for a minimum of one million Euros. In spite of the fact that this race is held in Italy, English is the official language of this Regatta. So maybe I will reconsider and you'll see me there.

The towns of Rapallo population about 34 thousand and Santa Margherita Ligure population about 10 thousand, and the village of Portofino population about 500, are close to each other and some 20 miles (30 kilometers) east of Liguria's capital, Genoa. In April they get together to host Cartoons on the Bay, the International Television and Multimedia Animation Festival. The 2010 edition, number 14, takes place between April 15 and April 18. Actually most activities are held in Rapallo and the closing dinner is in Portofino. The program is divided into activities for cartoon professionals and for the general public. The Seventeenth Century Villa Durago in Santa Margherita Ligure offers seminars to industry professionals. But even if you're an amateur you should visit this beautiful Villa and the surrounding city. Try to catch the San Giorgio Bonfire on the 23rd of April in the Portofino Piazzetta. By the way, you are advised to stay in the other two cities rather than in even pricier Portofino, even during the off-season.

In early May Liguria's capital, the port city of Genoa, population about 600 thousand holds a celebration of the seas that they call Slow Fish. There is a traditional fish auction, demonstrations on how to cook fish and seafood, and lots to eat. Save room for traditional Genoa desserts. This program is associated with the Slow Food Movement that concentrates on food quality and protecting the environment.

The coastal city of Camogli, population about 6 thousand is located 12 miles (20 kilometers) east of Genoa. Their Sagra del pesce (Fish festival) is held each year on the 2nd Sunday in May to celebrate the feast of St Fortunato the patron saint of fishermen. A unique feature is the monster frying pans (we're talking about 12 feet or 4 meters in diameter) that cook fresh fish in the open on the last day of the festival. Everyone, and we're talking thirty thousand participants, gets fried fish and it's free. Make sure to taste the "Camogliesi" pastry balls filled with rum-flavored custard.


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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but he prefers drinking fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and people. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel website http://www.travelitalytravel.com which includes information on Italian wine and food.

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