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Comments Send us your thoughts and comments.

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Just wanted to say how much I enjoy receiving Panoram Italia. My grandparents emigrated to Canada in the early 1900’s. My paternal grandparents were from Calabria; my maternal, Sicily. I have traveled to Italy several times and, on one trip, explored the area in Calabria where my nonna was born in the late 1980’s. I have also done quite a bit of genealogical research. I love being a Canadian but I cherish and honour my Italian heritage. I was raised as part of a large Italian family and value their traditions very much. Your magazine is very well-done. Congratulations.

Marianne Perry, Sault Ste. Marie Just a note to let you know that I have thoroughly enjoyed Panoram Italia right from the first issue, as soon as I discovered it I subscribed immediately, I have read every single page of every issue and I keep them all. The article I enjoyed most was the chronological presentation by Filippo Salvatore on the history and the making of Italy. Being an immigrant from 1961, when I was only 12 years old, Italy has been in my heart and shall always remain in my heart; my family and I have been back many times and we simply can’t get enough. You have done a wonderful job of bringing Italy to our homes and, by the way, the quality is first class.

Congratulations on a job well done!

Marcello Stirpe, Toronto I have been reading the Toronto editions for the past year or so now – what a pleasure each edition is to enjoy. Congratulations on a wonderful magazine that portrays the cultural richness, sophistication, achievements and the many contributions our community has made to Canada.

Fausto Natarelli, Toronto

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Tony Zara EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Filippo Salvatore MANAGING EDITOR Viviana Laperchia DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adam Zara MONTREAL MANAGING EDITOR Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

VICE PRESIDENT – MARKETING & SALES Earl Weiner ADVERTISING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Bruna Ruggiero ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE - DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Dom Fiore

I picked up your fourth edition at my local florist, and I love your magazine. As a second generation Canadian, my Italian is very poor. My grandparents were illiterate and my parents spoke dialect.

I spent time in Liguria this past summer and have been working on my Italian since. I loved the article on Mark Demontis, printed in both languages, because it gave me the instant opportunity to check my interpretation. I will be returning to Italy again this summer, and hope to improve my Italian.

Lynda Deganis, Mississauga I am writing to tell you how much I love reading your magazine, and also to hopefully encourage you to expand into Vancouver. As a first generation Italo-Canadian I can't tell you how happy I was to come across your publication. Finally I have found a place to celebrate and learn about Italians in Canada. In Vancouver, we have a huge Italian community and an abundance of events and activities related to the Italian community. Do you have plans to cover the Vancouver Italian scene? Please consider a Vancouver edition!

Laila Barker, Vancouver I have been very pleased to be receiving the Panoram Italia magazine over the last few months. It's a great mix of material for young and old, food and culture from both Canada and Italy. I have just taken out a 3-year subscription so I'm looking forward to many more editions.

Michael Magnatta, Toronto

ART DIRECTION David Ferreira GRAPHIC DESIGN David Ferreira Manon Massé PROOFREADER Marisa Pellegrino

CONTRIBUTORS Serena Battista Salvatore Difalco Anna Ferrari Lucia Checchia Amanda Fulginiti Romina Perrotti Daniela Di Stefano David Demarco

Alessia Sara Domanico Laura Casella Letizia Tesi Laura Ghiandoni Jenny Galati Claudia Ficca Gaia Massai Tommaso Altrui

Ola Mazzuca Alessio Galletti Diana Di Mauro Monica Gerli Nick Sabetti Dante Di Iulio Rita Simonetta

Editorial-10th Anniversary

Food & Wine

From the Publisher’s Desk ........... 8 Editor-in-Chief ............................. 9 10th Anniversary Timeline ..... 10-11

La Bistecca alla Fiorentina........... 35 College Street vendors ............... 36 Sguta: How Sweet It Is! .............. 37 Spring Classics ....................... 38-39 Advertorial: Agrimondo .............. 40 Chianti Classico under the radar .42 Vinsanto ..................................... 43

Opinioni ILVA ............................................ 12

Special Dossier: Twins Cover: Twins Times Twins .................14 Copertina: Gemelli per gemelli ........15 I gemelli nel mito e letteratura ..16-17 Man in the Iron Mask ......................18 Saints Cosmas and Damian .............19 Story of Santina and Giuseppina Foglia ........................... 20 Science behind Twins ...................... 21 DSquared: Design Duo .............. 22-23 Unexpected Twins ........................... 24

Lifestyle Living Italian Style ................. 44-45 The Vintage Appeal .................... 46 Tu vuò fa' l'italiano? .................. 47

Arts & Culture

Future Leader Sarah Liberatore .. 25 One More Day ............................ 26

Riti e tradizioni pasquale in Sicilia ................. 48-49 Stuck on Planet Earth ................. 50 Vincent John Vincent .................. 51 Bruno Billio ................................ 52 Italy: Love It or Leave It .............. 53 Emanuele Lepri .......................... 54

Travel

Advice

Life & People I wanted to share my thanks for your wonderful magazine. Not only does my whole family read the entire issue, it then gets passed on to my mother. She is Italian by birth and has adopted Canada as her home, but her heart always belongs to Italy. I know that she thoroughly enjoys the Italian articles. I have been approached to advertise in your publication and may choose to do so in the future.

In the mean time, thank you for sharing this great magazine with Toronto.

Cynthia Beretta, Beretta Farms Inc.

PHOTOGRAPHY Gregory Varano

Calabria ...................................... 27 The Gargano ......................... 28-29 Under the Italian Sun ............ 30-31 Palazzo Strozzi ........................... 33 Urbino ........................................ 34

Advertorial: Rizzotto Law Firm ... 55

Community Events Various Events ...................... 56-59

Sports Pescara’s push for Serie A .......... 60 Italy Euro 2012 ........................... 61

We look forward to hearing from you!

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Celebrating Panoram Italia’s 8

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The mirror of our communities and the tool to foster our identity as Italian-Canadians I

By Filippo Salvatore

It is with pride and joy that we at Panoram Italia - Mr. Antonio Zara as publisher, I as editor-inchief, Adam Zara as deputy editor, Gabriel Riel-Salvatore and Viviana Laperchia as managing editors of the Montreal and Toronto editions and the whole team of devoted and competent journalists - announce that our magazine is celebrating its tenth anniversary of existence.

t all began with a vision. At the beginning of the new millennium, businessman and printer Mr. Antonio Zara felt that existing Italian-Canadian publications, mostly weeklies, were catering to the Italian community of Greater Montreal in a way that needed change and improvement. Traditional written media were not able to stir interest in the growing percentage of second, third and even fourth generation Canadian-born potential readers. A new brand of italianità was needed and had to be invented.

In the Spring of 2002, Alessandra Gatti, editor of the first edition of Panorama Italiano Montreal, a yearly publication, stressed the strong connection we as ItalianCanadians had with our heritage, the great pride about who we are and where we come from, and our gratitude towards past generations that left Italy and paved the way for us in Canada, our home. We were not going to express our Italianità as ‘immigrants’ but as an integral part of the cloth of this society.

The covers and ads within the deluxe yearly editions from 2002 to 2008 were striking for the beauty of the images and the appealing and creative layout. The magazine, renamed ‘Panoram Italia’ in 2003, set a new high standard for both visuals and content. As time went by it was felt that the nature of the publication needed some change. A yearly publication was not enough to satisfy the public’s demand, so in the Fall of 2006, a new quarterly edition of the magazine was launched.

In presenting the publication of Panoram Italia’s quarterly edition, Mr. Zara underlined its new vocation:

“This new publication comes with a different look and a very different mission. Panoram Italia aspires to become the ultimate method of communication for the Quebec-Italian community. We will bring important issues to light with the hope of creating fruitful discussions, we will cover as many events as possible to foster

10

th Anniversary

a stronger sense of community and we will introduce you to young, up-and-coming members of our dynamic community.” – Antonio Zara

I was offered and accepted the task of becoming the editor-in-chief of the new Panoram Italia quarterly for the reasons I put forward in my first editorial:

“This new magazine has a lofty ambition: it wishes to become the vehicle and the mirror of what we have been, are and would like to become. The time has arrived to speak with our own voice; that of an adult community that refuses to delegate to others the right to interpret us and to interpret for us the society we live in and are an integral part of.” – Filippo Salvatore

The novelty of this new quarterly magazine was that it was written in three languages (Italian, English and French) and mailed free of charge to 54,500 households and 5,500 businesses.

Readers soon related and identified with the magazine’s many features and dossiers: babies, newlyweds, and graduates of the year; Living Italian Style; remembering our dearly departed in One More Day; the yearly selection of the best Italian wines; the trademark black and white picture and human story of the cover page told in three languages; the dossiers on topics like the need for an Italian language elementary school, Italian-Canadian literature, tailors and barbers in the community; the portraits of hundreds of common people that excel in different domains; exclusive interviews with politicians, writers, and artists; and thoughtful analyses of both the Canadian and Italian social and political reality.

In 2010, Panoram Italia’s frequency was once more increased to six issues per year (now bi-monthly) and the magazine also expanded west to include distribution and content pertaining to Ottawa’s Italian community.

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9

In June 2011, an even more significant step towards growth occured when Panoram Italia went beyond being a publication that catered mostly to Montreal’s Italian community; it became the first publication that dealt with the reality of Italian-Canadians and Italophiles across the broader sprectrums of the Greater Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto areas. The Greater Toronto Area’s bi-monthly edition – with an astounding 100,000 copies in circulation – would be bilingual (English and Italian) and with its own specificity, while also sharing some content with the Montreal edition.

“Italian-Canadians have a specific identity and Panoram Italia exists and grows to help foster and express this identity. Panoram Italia magazine’s mission for the last ten years has been to cater to an anthropological specificity: to combine and express a southern, Mediterranean sensibility, often of peasant origin, with a northern climate in a highly urbanized environment.” – Antonio Zara Panoram Italia is in 2012 the only Italian-Canadian publication with a national scope and with a circulation of 150,000 copies and a portal on the web with thousands of daily visitors. It is an independent voice that does not rely on institutional grants to exist, but rather on advertising. Each published article is unique and has an author.

Our sincere hope is that the magazine you are reading will remain or will become a source of personal and collective pride and a privileged tool to foster our identity as Canadians of Italian origin.

Another hope is that our ever-increasing readership continues to recognize the importance of having a publication such as ours. Our purpose is to inform, avoid stereotypes and provide an accurate image of who we are as Italian-Canadians. We invite each and every one of you to help us by doing your part in keeping a free voice like ours alive and well.

Thank you for 10 wonderful years as the voice of your community!

10

10 th

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2002 - 2005

Time Line

Italian-Canadian A decade’s worth of

pride

Volume I

Volume III

Volume IV

Panoram Italia launches in 2002 with a yearly magazine dedicated to all facets of Italian culture. Until 2008, Panoram publishes seven “Luxury Editions” sold on newsstands and through fine local merchants.

2009

Fall Vol. 4 No. 3 Cranial Surgeon Dr. Mirko Gilardino

Volume II

Spring Vol. 4 No. 1 Loris Ricci and David Devico special dossier on barbers

Panoram publishes Tasting Franca, a 200 page cookbook with renowned Montreal chef Franca Mazza. Recipes are published in newspapers across Canada.

2010

March Vol. 5 No. 1 - The Rizzi Family Panoram Italia becomes a bimonthly (6 issues per year) and is voted #2 in the“Magazine” category of the Montreal Mirror’s “Best of Montreal Reader’s Poll.”

2007

2006

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2008

Fall Vol. 1 No. 1 - Stephanie Lanza Panoram Italia moves to a different, Italian-Canadian community-oriented format mailed quarterly for free to 60,000 Italian-Canadian households and businesses in the Greater Montreal Area.

Winter Vol. 2 No. 4 Tony “The Butcher” Le Donne

Fall Vol. 3 No. 3 - Five Generations

2011

June/July Vol. 1 No. 1 – Doctor Maria Muraca

2012 Toronto

Montreal

Feb/March Vol. 2 No. 2– Barbers Frank Rosati and Jimmy Cogliano

Feb/March Vol. 7 No. 1 – Trainer Dominique Firetto

Feb/March Vol. 6 No. 1 The Bongiorno Triplets

Panoram publishes its first Toronto/GTA issue, with Toronto-specific content, mailed for free to 75,000 Italian-Canadian households and businesses in the Greater Toronto Area.

Babies of the Year: Panoram readers submit over 250 baby pictures, the most entries to date.

Panoram launches its new website panoramitalia.com

Taranto’s Calling: Opinioni

12

il diritto di vivere, col permesso dell’Ilva

Serena Battista

Il nome della città di Taranto è legato strettamente alla Magna Grecia, di cui fu la città principale, a quella fiorente civiltà che in Italia fornì le fondamenta allo sviluppo della cultura classica. Per “cultura classica”, giova sempre ricordarlo, si intende l’arte, la letteratura, la filosofia e la scienza che posero le basi delle civiltà occidentali. Dalla città magnogreca proveniva, per esempio, il poeta latino Livio Andronico, il primo a tradurre l’Odissea. A Taranto colleghiamo Pirro, l’eroe greco che tanto contò per le sorti dell’Impero Romano nelle Guerre Cartaginesi.

ggi Taranto è costruita al di sopra di quell’antica, potente città colonizzata dai greci, ed è bagnata da due mari, denominati quasi in maniera vezzeggiativa “Mar Piccolo” e “Mar Grande”, separati dal borgo antico, che è un’isola collegata alla terra ferma da due ponti di indescrivibile suggestione. Uno di questi è il famoso Ponte Girevole, opera ingegneristica di alto valore, risalente al 1887.

Antistante un castello aragonese ancora intatto, tale ponte apre la via al Mar Piccolo, bacino artificiale scavato nel primo Novecento. Il suo aspetto è simile a un lago intorno alle cui rive si dispongono i quartieri della città nuova, in un formidabile effetto straniante. Qui si pratica la coltivazione delle cozze, forse una delle principali caratteristiche che rendono la città famosa in tutto il mondo. La litoranea della sua provincia si affaccia sul mar Ionio offrendo agli occhi la spettacolare visione di un mare cristallino e spiagge bianche cui sono legati ricordi di ciascun cittadino: infanzie vissute a stretto contatto con la natura, in un rapporto diretto, panico, vitale che solo il mare può regalare.

Nonostante le sue incommensurabili ricchezze paesaggistiche e storiche, oggi questa città è stretta sotto la morsa di una servitù che non ha più i tratti del dominatore straniero, di un nemico che ha un nome e un’immagine fin troppo visibile o percepibile da ogni angolo. A volte lo si scruta affacciati sul lungomare, mentre si contemplano le incantevoli luci della città. Altre volte, di questo boia dal volto scoperto si avverte la presenza in tarda serata, quando si propaga un odore acre che rende l’aria irrespirabile. Il più delle volte purtroppo il suo nome è sommessamente imprecato quando una persona cara si ammala di tumore. L’identità di questo carnefice è cambiato nel corso del tempo: prima conosciuto come Italsider, poi, dopo la sua privatizzazione, è diventato Ilva S.p.a.

Costruita nel 1964 a ridosso della città, a neanche un km dal borgo antico, oggi l’Ilva è il primo produttore d’acciaio in Italia, il terzo in Europa. Tanta gloria a spese di una popolazione costretta a respirare sostanze cancerogene e velenose: un mix di diossina, idrocarburi saturi aromatici e pcb emessi senza controllo. L’aumento delle morti per cancro e la sconcertante scoperta di tracce di diossina nel latte materno ne sono alcune delle conseguenze. Fino al 2007 l’Ilva emetteva 200 grammi al metro cubo annui di diossina: oggi il valore si è abbassato a 3 grammi grazie a una legge regionale del 2008, una legge esemplare nei termini di sostenibilità ambientale.

Quanto c’è di vero in questi ultimi dati forniti dall’Arpa e fatti risonare ufficialmente dalla politica? Questione questa controversa, in quanto il monitoraggio non avviene 24 ore su 24. Un problema sentito non solo dalle organizzazione ambientaliste che da anni si sono mobilitate, ma da tutta la città. Grazie a questa così diffusa consapevolezza la Procura di Taranto ha avviato un’inchiesta in cui i proprietari e dirigenti dell’Ilva sono indagati per inquinamento e disastro ambientale. Il 17 febbraio corrente anno si è tenuta l’udienza per l’incidente probatorio, da cui è emerso, secondo uno dei periti chimici, che i danni causati al territorio dall’Ilva produrranno i loro effetti per altri 25-100 anni. Tra le ipotesi di reato quelli di disastro colposo e doloso, omissione dolosa di cautele contro gli infortuni sul lavoro, avvelenamento di sostanze alimentari, inquinamento atmosferico, danneggiamento aggravato di beni pubblici e sversamento di sostanze pericolose.

Fuori dal tribunale, una moltitudine di manifestanti, compresi i bambini delle scuole, hanno manifestato pacificamente la loro vicinanza spirituale al gip, il pm e i numerosi a costituirsi parte civile nel processo. Una città che rivendica il suo diritto a vivere e di essere ascoltata: darle voce è dovere, un dovere del quinto potere. v

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Twins Times Twins

14

Cover Story

By Salvatore Difalco

Everywhere you look these days, mothers or couples are toting twins, or, in rarer cases, triplets. Celebrities like Julia Roberts and Jennifer Lopez have made twin-bearing as chic as matching Gucci bags. In the trendier neighbourhoods of cities like Toronto, designer double and triple baby buggies have become a sidewalk-hogging commonplace. No, it’s not just a fashion thing. Thanks in part to assisted reproductive technology and fertility drugs the number of twin (and multiple) births in North America has risen dramatically over the past 30 years.

wins have always fascinated us. Our mythologies and religions teem with them: Castor and Pollux; the Biblical Jacob and Esau; and Romulus and Remus, the wolf-suckled pair of the Roman foundation myth, to name a few. Twins have figured in more recent narratives, perhaps less grandly, from the billionaire Olson twins and television’s Zack and Cody Martin, to the identical twin gynecologists of David Cronenberg’s creepy Dead Ringers.

For scientists, such genetic duplication represents a key to unlocking the mysteries of the nature versus nurture debate. The medical establishment’s interest with twins dates back more than two millennia to Hippocrates, and continues as urgently as ever with women both delaying and wanting an opportunity to bear children on demand.

Is our fascination with twins the simple appeal of symmetry to the human eye? They provoke our deepest and perhaps strangest sense of it.

Beyond aesthetics, twins may also represent the possibility of eliminating the essential loneliness of individuality while still remaining individual.

They also incarnate our subconscious dread of the doppelgänger: imagine coming face to face with your twin, à la Twilight Zone?

Real twins figure in this narrative, though less dramatically. For most folks, raising twins, however felicitous, is not glamorous or about hip designer baby couture. It’s about maintaining sanity and baby diapers.

Angela Morana of Markham, Ontario, describes the experience of raising fraternal twins in the early 1980s as a joyful but challenging blessing. For a recently emigrated, 20 year-old newlywed from Pachino, Sicily, the reality of raising one set of twins in a strange country hit hard. Then something remarkable happened about a year later (the doctor said she was lucky), a 1-in-10,000 long shot: a second set of twins arrived, this time identical.

Angela can laugh about it today, having raised Mariangela and Giuseppe, her first set of twins, and Andrea and Giorgio, the second set, into a loving and close-knit group of young adults. But she remembers “being shocked” by the second twins, and fretting about how she and husband Corrado, a factory worker, would ever manage.

Although the extended family lent assistance, no bonneted nanny reinforcements and baby tutors loomed on the horizon. So the Moranas did the only thing they could, they rolled up their shirtsleeves.

Trips to factory outlets for cut-rate diapers became a constant of their lives, Angela recalls with a chuckle, as did an elevated decibel factor. Four kinetic tots will do that. Corrado worked long hours at the Philco plant in Markham to provide for the family. The household often verged on toddler anarchy, with the two sets of angel-faced twins performing a tarantella of tantrums. But patience and love held sway; the household maintained; the children grew.

According to statistics, families with twins produce twins more often than families without. Angela Morana evidences this as a surviving twin - the other still born.

There were other twins on her mother’s and grandmother’s side of the family. Her children demonstrate the differences between fraternal (dizygotic) and identical (monozygotic) twins. Fraternal twins share only 50 per cent of their genes and result when two eggs are simultaneously fertilized at conception. The product of a single

T

Photographer: Gregory Varano Make-up artist: Desi Varano

egg, identical twins share 100 per cent of their genes, and start life so alike that even parents initially struggle to distinguish them. Angela confirms that when Andrea and Giorgio were young she had trouble telling them apart.

Mariangela, the only female of the four, recalls feeling more like a member of quadruplets than a twin. “I was so young when Andrea and Giorgio were born I don’t remember them not being there.” But being a female automatically gave her a certain autonomy from the group. Constants were companionship and closeness but also invariable struggles for independence. Understandably, the brothers may have been somewhat over-protective in high school, but that’s all good now as Mariangela, 29, is happily married with two children (no, not twins).

Her twin Giuseppe recalls a very close and lighthearted family life. “I don’t think we spent any time apart when we were little. Whatever we did we did together.”

A family trip to Sicily as children was a highlight, one they hope to relive one day.

Andrea and Giorgio (28) describe having a few more “twin moments” than their older siblings, those telepathic breakthroughs often reported among identicals.

Andrea, the bigger and more athletic twin, says he and Giorgio are best friends - he served as best man at Giorgio’s wedding last year. He’s not plagued by any separation pangs as the two see each other regularly, as all the children do. “I’m happy how things turned out,” Angela says with a sigh.

She might be amused to hear about Maddalena Granata, of Naples. As quoted in Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine (1900): “A Naples correspondent to a Paris Journal gave the following: ‘About 2 or 3 stations beyond Pompeii, in the City of Nocera, lives Maddalena Granata, aged forty-seven, who was married at twentyeight, and has given birth to 52 living and dead children, 49 being males. Dr. de Sanctis, of Nocera, states that she has had triplets 15 times.’” v

Gemelli per gemelli Cover Story

15

Salvatore Difalco

Sono molte le madri o le coppie che al giorno d’oggi portano a spasso due o, in casi più rari, tre gemelli. Grazie a dive come Julia Roberts e Jennifer Lopez, ormai è quasi chic come sfoggiare delle borse Gucci. In città come Toronto, doppi o tripli passeggini griffati hanno monopolizzato i marciapiedi dei quartieri più “in”.

No, non è solo una moda. Grazie in parte alle tecnologie di fecondazione assistita e ai farmaci per la fertilità, il numero di nascite gemellari (o plurigemellari) in Nord America è notevolmente cresciuto negli ultimi 30 anni.

gemelli ci affascinano da sempre. Il nostro patrimonio mitologico e religioso pullula di grandi esempi come Castore e Polluce, i biblici Giacobbe ed Esaù o Romolo e Remo, allattati da una lupa come vuole il mito della fondazione di Roma, per citarne alcuni. In tempi più recenti, i gemelli sono ritornati nel nostro immaginario, in misura forse ridotta, con i miliardari gemelli Olson e con la serie televisiva di Zack and Condy Martin, fino ai ginecologi omozigoti del raccapricciante Dead Ringers di David Cronenberg.

Per gli scienziati, tale duplicazione genetica rappresenta la soluzione al mistero del dibattito natura vs cultura. L’interesse scientifico verso i gemelli risale a più di duemila anni fa ai tempi di Ippocrate e continua, oggi in modo più critico, con donne che posticipano e al contempo desiderano l’opportunità di avere figli.

Ma è una semplice questione di simmetria a rendere i gemelli affascinanti all’occhio umano? In noi, essi provocano sensazioni più profonde e forse più inverosimili. Oltre al valore estetico, i gemelli rappresentano anche la possibilità di eliminare la solitudine essenza dell’individualità, pur restando individui. Essi incarnano, inoltre, la paura inconscia del doppelgänger (il doppio): immaginatevi faccia a faccia con il vostro gemello, in stile “Twilight Zone”.

I veri gemelli raffigurano queste possibilità, tuttavia in maniera meno drammatica. Sebbene una fortuna, crescere dei gemelli per molti non è tutto stile e vestitini firmati, ma buonsenso e pannolini.

Angela Morana di Markham, in Ontario, descrive l’esperienza con i suoi gemelli eterozigoti nei primi anni ’80 come una benedizione gioiosa ma difficile.

Per una sposa ventenne, da poco emigrata da Pachino, in Sicilia, scontrarsi con la realtà di dover allevare una coppia di gemelli in un paese straniero fu un duro colpo. Poi, circa un anno dopo, l’evento incredibile (il dottore la ritenne fortunata), 1 caso su 10.000: l’arrivo di una seconda coppia di gemelli, questa volta omozigoti.

Oggi Angela può riderci su, dopo aver fatto di Mariangela e Giuseppe, la sua prima coppia, e di Andrea e Giorgio, la seconda, un gruppo affiatato e compatto di giovani adulti. Ma ricorda lo stupore della seconda coppia di gemelli e l’agitazione per come lei e suo marito Corrado, operaio in fabbrica, avrebbero potuto gestire la situazione.

Nonostante il supporto dei parenti, non c'è stata nessuna bambinaia che li ha aiutati. I Morana, quindi, fecero l’unica cosa possibile. Si rimboccarono le maniche.

Scovare nei negozi a buon mercato i saldi sui pannolini divenne una costante della loro vita, ricorda Angela ridacchiando, così come lo divennero gli alti decibel.

Quattro vispi marmocchi fanno anche questo. Corrado lavorava duramente allo stabilimento Philco a Markham per sostentare la famiglia.

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Certo, con due coppie di gemelli dal volto angelico che inscenavano tarantelle di bizze e baruffe, la gestione famigliare spesso rasentava l’anarchia, ma l’amore e la pazienza sono stati d’aiuto: si manteneva un equilibrio e i bambini crescevano.

Secondo le statistiche, chi presenta dei casi di gemelli in famiglia ha più probabilità di concepirne rispetto ad altri. Angela Morana ne è testimonianza in quanto gemella sopravvissuta – l’altra è nata morta. C’erano altri gemelli nella famiglia di sua madre e di sua nonna. I suoi figli mostrano le classiche differenze tra gemelli falsi (o dizigoti) e gemelli veri (monozigoti). I gemelli falsi condividono solo il 50 per cento dei propri geni e sono il risultato di due ovuli fecondati simultaneamente nel concepimento. Frutto di un singolo ovulo, i gemelli veri condividono il 100 per cento dei propri geni e iniziano una vita così simile che persino per i genitori al principio è difficile distinguerli. Angela conferma che quando Andrea e Giorgio erano piccoli faceva fatica a identificarli.

Mariangela, l’unica donna tra i quattro, ricorda di sentirsi più come un membro di quattro gemelli che di due. “Quando Andrea e Giorgio sono nati ero così piccola che non ricordo quando non c’erano”. In quanto femmina, ha automaticamente acquisito una certa autonomia dal resto del gruppo. Costante era la voglia di compagnia e la vicinanza ma anche continue le lotte per l’indipendenza. Era comprensibile che i fratelli fossero in un certo modo iperprotettivi ai tempi delle superiori, ma è acqua passata ora che Mariangela, ventinovenne, è felicemente soposata con due bambini (no, non sono gemelli).

Il suo fratello gemello ricorda una vita famigliare molto affiatata e spensierata. “Non credo che ci siamo mai separati da piccoli. Qualsiasi cosa facessimo, la facevamo insieme”. Un momento saliente fu il loro viaggio in Sicilia da bambini, momento che un giorno sperano di rivivere. Andrea e Giorgio (28 anni) spiegano di aver avuto qualche momento “da gemelli” in più rispetto ai fratelli più grandi, quelle scoperte telepatiche spesso riscontrate tra omozigoti. Andrea , il gemello più grande e più atletico, dice che lui e Giorgio sono migliori amici e che Giorgio è stato testimone al suo matrimonio lo scorso anno. Nonostante la separazione, non è motivo di tristezza per i due che continuano a vedersi regolarmente, così come gli altri ragazzi. “Sono felice di come sono andate le cose” sospira Angela.

Si divertirebbe a sentire di Maddalena Granata di Napoli. Da Anomalie e Curiosità della Medicina (1900): “Un corrispondente di Napoli al Paris Journal ha riportato quanto segue: ‘A circa 2 o 3 stazioni da Pompei, nella città di Nocera, vive Maddalena Granata, di quarantasette anni, sposatasi a ventotto e che ha partorito 52 figli, vivi e morti, di cui 49 sono maschi. Il dott. De Sanctis di Nocera dichiara che la donna ha avuto 15 parti trigemini.’” v

Li fe &People - Twins

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I gemelli nel mito e nella letteratura italiana Anna Ferrari

In principio era Narciso: un giovinetto bellissimo, figlio di un fiume e di una ninfa, che si innamorò della propria immagine riflessa in un laghetto e respinse sdegnosamente le ragazze più belle, tra le quali Eco, che per il dolore si consumò fino a ridursi a sola voce. Narciso è l’incarnazione mitica del tema del doppio, che con quello dei gemelli presenta molti punti di contatto; una versione meno nota del mito greco racconta che Narciso aveva una sorella gemella, Narcisa, alla quale era legatissimo. Quando Narcisa morì, Narciso, disperato, non si staccò più dalla propria immagine riflessa in un laghetto, nella quale gli sembrava di riconoscere il volto della sorella: si illudeva di poter riallacciare così con lei il legame perduto. a mitologia classica conosce molti altri gemelli. Una delle coppie più celebri è rappresentata da Castore e Polluce, i Dioscuri, figli di Zeus. Essi erano identici in tutto, ma Castore era mortale, Polluce immortale. Alla morte del primo, il secondo ottenne di condividere la propria immortalità con lui, ed essi si alternarono nell’oltretomba e nel cielo, formando la costellazione dei Gemelli. I Dioscuri erano anche fratelli di Elena, destinata a scatenare per la sua bellezza la guerra di Troia: erano nati tutti contemporaneamente da Leda, amata da Zeus in forma di cigno, e perciò vennero al mondo da un uovo. Erano dunque tutti gemelli, compresa Clitennestra, gemella di Elena. Un parto quadrigemellare, da una o più uova: le genealogie del mito fanno impallidire i moderni esperimenti di ingegneria genetica.

Gemelli sono nella mitologia anche Anfione e Zeto, figli di Antiope e di Zeus; la madre li abbandonò alla nascita su una montagna, dove furono cresciuti da alcuni pastori. La loro storia assomiglia a quella dei più famosi Romolo e Remo, anch’essi gemelli, figli di Marte, il dio della guerra, e di Rea Silvia, anch’essi abbandonati, salvati da una lupa che li allattò ed allevati poi da alcuni pastori. Anfione e Zeto furono fondatori e sovrani di Tebe; Romolo e Remo, invece, legarono il loro nome alla nascita di Roma. I dissidi tra Romolo e Remo per il dominio sulla città, con l’uccisione di Remo da parte di Romolo, rispecchiano i contrasti che spesso contrappongono i membri delle coppie gemellari: sovente, infatti, un gemello è bello e l’altro brutto, uno coraggioso e l’altro pauroso, uno mite e l’altro aggressivo, e litigano fin dal ventre materno.

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Apollo e Artemide, figli di Latona e di Zeus

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Li fe &People - Twins Gemelli si trovano anche fra gli dèi, come nel caso di Apollo e Artemide, figli di Latona e di Zeus: dio solare e della luce lui, dea della caccia e dei boschi lei. Molto note erano altre coppie gemellari, come Eracle e Ificle (quest’ultimo era nato un giorno dopo Eracle, e aveva la stessa madre, ma diverso padre: Eracle era figlio di Zeus, Ificle di Anfitrione, legittimo sposo di Alcmena che li aveva messi al mondo entrambi); c’erano poi Autolico e Filammone (Autolico era il nonno del grande Ulisse), la sventurata profetessa troiana Cassandra (condannata a prevedere sempre la verità ma a non essere mai creduta) ed Eleno (anch’egli capace di prevedere il futuro); e numerosi altri.

Gemelli nella letteratura Al di fuori della mitologia, la letteratura antica sfrutta spesso il tema dei gemelli per i risvolti comici che se ne possono trarre attraverso equivoci, scambi di persona, riconoscimenti. Per primo sfrutta sapientemente questi spunti lo scrittore latino Plauto, che scrive una commedia intitolata Maenecmi imperniata sulle avventure di due fratelli gemelli, separati fin da piccoli, chiamati nello stesso modo e protagonisti di straordinarie peripezie. Questa commedia divenne molto popolare e ispirò tra gli altri Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena, autore della Calandria (1513), dove agli equivoci presupposti dalla presenza di due gemelli (qui un maschio e una femmina, Lidio e Santilla) si aggiunge anche una girandola di travestimenti e agnizioni. Pochi anni dopo la Calandria, nel 1531, i membri della senese Accademia degli Intronati composero una commedia, Gl’Ingannati, diventata famosissima, che mette in scena una vicenda imperniata su due gemelli di Modena, con scambi di persona e situazioni paradossali fino all’inevitabile lieto fine.

Il tema dei gemelli scambiati e confusi tra loro è ormai diventato così ghiotto che numerosissimi scrittori (non solo italiani: si pensi allo Shakespeare della Comedy of Errors e di The Twelfth Night, o al Lope de Rueda de Los Engaños) se ne impadroniscono per trattarlo con una ricchezza che va ben oltre il puro gioco degli equivoci e degli scambi di persona, toccando i temi spesso inquietanti dell’identità e dell’inganno, dell’essere e dell’apparire. In Italia Aretino, Bandello, Della Porta, ciascuno a suo modo offrono variazioni sul tema; Carlo Goldoni, poi, nella commedia I due gemelli veneziani (1747) ispirata a Plauto, mette in scena le maschere della commedia dell’arte (Arlecchino, Colombina, Brighella, Rosaura, il dottor Balanzoni), accanto a due gemelli, Zanetto e Tonio, dei quali il primo è la classica figura dello sciocco, mentre il secondo è il “gemello spiritoso”, incarnazione dei valori della nascente borghesia; e alla fine, dopo un variegato repertorio di trovate comiche, con una soluzione abbastanza inconsueta Goldoni fa morire in scena il gemello sciocco, decretando il trionfo dell’altro.

Dopo svariate ricomparse nella letteratura italiana successiva (una citazione per tutte: il Pirandello di Come gemelle, del 1924, nelle Novelle per un anno, storia di due

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bambine nate nello stesso momento da due madri diverse, rispettivamente moglie e amante dello stesso padre), uno sviluppo insolito ha il tema dei gemelli anche in tre romanzi novecenteschi più recenti. Il primo è Piazze d’Italia (1975) di Antonio Tabucchi, dove ai gemelli protagonisti il padre vorrebbe dare lo stesso nome, chiamandoli entrambi Garibaldo. Al rifiuto dell’impiegato dell’anagrafe, li chiamerà Quarto e Volturno (nomi adattissimi, col loro sapore risorgimentale, a una famiglia dove già figurano Garibaldo, Quarto, Anita). Il secondo romanzo, ancora di Tabucchi, è Il piccolo naviglio (1978), dove compaiono due coppie di gemelli, le sorelle Maria e Anna e i fratelli Quinto e Sesto; la somiglianza delle due sorelle è tale che nessuno saprà mai di quale si innamora il bel Corrado, che diventerà poi “unico padre di un unico figlio nato da doppia madre”: il gioco dello sdoppiamento dell’io arriva a disintegrare l’identità individuale. (Viene in mente Mark Twain, che dichiarava di aver avuto un fratello gemello, morto prima della nascita, cosicché a lui era sempre rimasto il dubbio di non essere sé stesso, ma l’altro…). Il terzo romanzo che vorrei ricordare è L’isola del giorno prima di Umberto Eco (1994). Il protagonista, il piemontese Roberto de la Grive, naufrago su una nave deserta presso un’isola irraggiungibile, ha un fratello immaginario: un gemello inesistente al quale egli attribuisce, in un gioco di specchi, le responsabilità del suo sventurato destino.

Il gemello invisibile ideato da Eco sembra una variazione sul tema di Narciso dal quale eravamo partiti: una pura immagine, che si identifica con l’io ma che ne costituisce al tempo stesso un riflesso “altro”. Nella vertigine di questo gioco di rimandi, che rende impossibile arrivare alla natura genuina dell’individuo, perennemente allontanata da un inesauribile concatenarsi di riflessi, risiede, forse, l’inquietudine sottile che il tema dei gemelli, anche nelle sue variazioni più squisitamente comiche, costantemente presenta nella letteratura di tutti i tempi. v

Echo et Narcisse John William Waterhouse 1903

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Li fe &People - Twins

The Curious Case of the Man in the

Iron Mask

By Amanda Fulginiti

For some, the dream of having a twin might have meant the possibility of using them to skip a class or to pull the eyes over a date. But what if having a twin actually meant the complications of an Imperial succession? The legend of the Man in the Iron Mask has stood the test of time and has aroused popular imagination up until today. But, who was he really and why does the quaint city of Pinerolo, a Medieval town and commune in north-western Italy, pay homage to such a mysterious figure each year? he first record of a masked prisoner is from a notebook kept by Lieutenant Etienne Du Junca, an official of the Bastille from October 1690 until his death in September 1706. The entry for Thursday, September 18, 1698, records the 3 p.m. arrival of a new governor of the Bastille, Bénigne d'Auvergne de Saint-Mars, who brought with him several prisoners whom he had in custody in Pignerol, then part of France. The town of Pinerolo was one of the main crossroads in Italy, and was therefore one of the principal fortresses of the dukes of Savoy. Its military importance was the origin of the well-known military school that still exists today. One of the prisoners, Du Junca notes, was always kept covered by a “black velvet mask” and his name had not been given or recorded. Saint-Mars was held at Pignerol from 1665 to 1681, so the Man in the Mask had been imprisoned for at least 18 years prior to his arrival at Bastille, and perhaps as long as 33 years. Five years later, on November 19, 1703, Du Junca records the death and burial of the unknown prisoner. Saint-Mars had the name “Marchialy” inscribed in the parish register.

Those are the bare facts, but the legend started almost immediately after the prisoner’s arrival in Paris, each one more outrageous than the next, and from the late eighteenth century onward, various suggestions as to his identity were made. The stories were to reach new heights particularly after his death. In the late 1700s, with revolution in the air, the growing discontent with royalty and tyranny found symbolic expression in the masked prisoner, confined for unknown reasons for 30 years, and dying masked. His prison, the Bastille, was for the French citizenry the ultimate symbol of tyranny and repression. When the Bastille was stormed during the 1789 Revolution, reports were circulated that the invaders had found the skeleton of a man, with an iron mask riveted around his head, chained to walls in one of the hidden lower prisons. He became, for some, the result of the excesses and inhumane power of the monarchy.

But, as early as 1715, authors and political authorities approached the mystery of the masked prisoner by trying to answer the main question: Why was the prisoner masked?

Most people, including French Enlightenment writer Voltaire, reasoned that the mask must have been used to conceal his identity. In those days, there were not many faces that might have been recognized by the average person on the street. Hence, many believed the prisoner must have been famous himself or strongly resembled

Louis XIV

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someone famous like royalty. The most famous story with a royal connection holds that the masked prisoner was Louis XIV's identical twin brother, hidden at birth to avoid complications in the succession, raised secretly far away from court, and imprisoned when he discovered his true identity. The mask’s purpose, obviously, would have been to hide his resemblance to the King.

Voltaire claimed that the prisoner was a son of Anne of Austria and Cardinal Mazarin, and therefore an illegitimate half-brother of King Louis XIV. It was also he who claimed that the prisoner wore an iron and not velvet mask. The ultimate version is The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas, published in 1850 as part of his trilogy on the Three Musketeers. Dumas used this theory in his book, but made the prisoner a twin brother. This book has served as the basis for many film versions of the story including Randall Wallace’s 1998 adaptation featuring two Leonardo Di Caprios.

Today, a festival recreating the man in the iron mask, Maschera di Ferro, takes place each year in the Piemontese town of Pinerolo the first weekend of October. The man in the mask is played by someone different each year. Street performances in the squares and streets of Pinerolo's historic center are the highlight of La notte dei moschettieri Saturday evening. Events on Sunday include a special mass in the cathedral, and in the afternoon, after the story is acted out, the mask is removed to reveal the man wearing it. A procession with participants dressed in period clothes is often part of the historic reenactment.

Royal twin or not, the Man in the Iron Mask captures the imagination. While his identity may forever remain a mystery, it appears that his legend will continue to peak curiosity in the streets of Pinerolo and beyond. v

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Li fe &People - Twins

19

Twin Saints Cosmas and Damian

By Lucia Checchia

Twin brothers Cosmas and Damian, known in the Orient as the “Anargiri” Saints (without money), were called upon throughout all of Christendom for their miracle working abilities. The twins would dedicate their whole lives to curing the sick, rich or poor, in a Christian spirit, without asking for anything in return.

The Unmercenary Saints came to be regarded as the patrons of physicians, surgeons, pharmacists, and nurses. aints Cosmas and Damian were born in Cilicia, part of today's Turkey, in the second half of the 3rd century to Christian parents. They would go on to study science in Syria, specializing in the medical arts. Through their medical work, which was often considered miraculous, the two managed to convert numerous pagans to Christianity. For this, they were persecuted by Roman Emperor Diocletian and arrested at the beginning of the 4th century by Lysias, the Prefect of Cilicia, who accused them of disturbing the peace and preaching an illegal religion.

According to legend, the brothers were first subjected to flagellation. After refusing to recant their faith, they were condemned to death by drowning, from which they miraculously survived. When they attempted to stone them to death, the rocks would fly backwards and strike whoever threw them, and the same with arrows. Not even flames could char their bodies. Lysias would then order for their beheading, along with their three brothers, who were by their side throughout life.

The martyrs were laid to rest in 303 in the city of Cyrrus, Syria. In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian I prayed by their grave after being cured of a serious illness thanks to their intercession. He then built a Basilica in their honour and arranged for the fortification of Cyrrus. The propagation of their cult was later enhanced through trade between Rome and the Orient.

Still in the 6th century, Pope Felix IV dedicated a Basilica to them in the Foro di Vespasiano after having brought the Saints’ relics to Rome. The height of their popularity in Italy was in the 1400’s when the Medici family made the two Saints the patrons of their family.

Today the Catholic Church celebrates their memory on September 26. Many sanctuaries and churches are dedicated to them in nearly every region of Italy. In Lazio’s province of Latina, there is a commune that bares their name: “Santi Cosma e Damiano”.

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According to tradition, the Saints once rested in a cave there while on their way to Rome.

A Church now stands on the location of the cave.

In Bitonto (BA), Puglia, their worship originates from the 14th century and relics from the Saints – their arms – were brought to the Basilica in 1572. A new Basilica was inaugurated in 1973 and the relics are kept at the foot of the main altar in a gold-coated silver reliquary. Every year, Bitonto celebrates the Saints on two days: September 26, and the third Sunday of October. In October, the feast is based on two events: the “Nottata” and the “Intorciata”, a procession during which the faithful walk barefoot with large lit candles. Many believers come from all over Italy to ask the Saints for health of body and soul.

The adoration of the Santi Medici also extends to Molise. In Isernia, on a hill not far from the center of town, there is a spiritual shrine dedicated to them that also contains their relics. Through the painted murals one can relive the principle miracles attributed to them, before and after their martyrdom, including the grafting of a leg from a recently deceased Ethiopian to replace a patient's ulcered leg, which was the subject of many paintings.

Whether or not the healing powers attributed to the twin doctors or Santi Medici are true, the accounts of their miracles attest to the fascination they have exerted over the course of time. For some, the cult of Cosmas and Damian is merely a Christian adaptation of the pagan worship of Castor and Pollux, also known as the Dioscuri. Referred to in ancient texts as “the saviours of many men”, the two were once sacred figures one would invoke for immediate help, as they would swiftly arrive on horseback to provide medical help just like Cosmas and Damian. 19th century French occultist Collin de Plancy suggested that Cosmas and Damian’s Basilica in Rome was once Castor and Pollux’s ancient temple. v

So close to you Li fe &People - Twins

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The story of Santina and Giuseppina Foglia

By Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

Imagine being so close to someone you could physically feel their pain. In the small Italian town of Grazzano Badoglio (Monferrato), Piedmonte, conjoined twins Santina and Giuseppina Foglia were once afflicted by this rare reality. The little ones were born in 1958 connected by the pelvis and lower spine, with some skin and internal organs fused together. From very early on, pictures of the carefully dressed girls made the rounds of mainstream Italian media and newsprints worldwide, until their successful separation at the age of 7.

Now 54, Santina’s recollection of her era of stardom is quite limited. The sight of her and her sibling in old pictures brings back a period in life she had once attempted to repress; when she could only use one of her two legs to walk; when going to the washroom was a daily struggle; when people stared and shied away.

In 1965, the twins were separated at Torino’s Regina Margherita Hospital by Doctor Giuseppe Solero, with an extremely high-risk six-hour operation - a procedure that had only once before been successfully accomplished in 1953 at Cleveland, Ohio’s Mount Sinai Hospital. (For the medical causes linked to conjoined twins, see page 21) Immediately following their separation, the sisters were quickly conditioned to entirely forget the six years of clinical treatments received in Torino, including the memory of Pope Paul VI blessing them for their first communion, held shortly before the operation. Following months of physical and psychological readjustment, they simply referred to this period of their life as “prima” – their first life.

Separation was like a rebirth for the Foglia sisters. The operation enabled them to

live a relatively normal life. Today, they are part of a restricted group of close to fifty healthy and happily divided conjoined twins. Giuseppina works as a clerk in a bank in Monferrato, while Santina is married to a pastry chef from Casale Monferrato, and is the proud mother of a boy named Andrea.

While the sisters admit to having lived a happy life, they also concede having only recently managed to completely free themselves from the unforgiving nature of their original condition. Besides the remaining physical scars, it was the psychological scars that were most difficult to tame. Even once divided, their success story was bittersweet.

The media attention it attracted had almost negated the independent life they had finally conquered; and they were still perceived as ‘different’. They would be recognized and still be referred to as the ‘Siamese twin sisters’. In the end, it wasn’t the calming of the public’s scrutiny that set the sisters free; it was Santina and Giuseppina’s ability to love and accept each other for who they really were that granted them the inner peace they so strived for. v

Li fe &People - Twins

21

The Science behind

Twins

By Romina Perrotti

Congratulations! You have successfully passed the pregnancy test! Whether you see a plus sign, a dark line or any other colour except clear, you’re pregnant! At some point early on in your pregnancy you start wondering: “Will I be one of the lucky ones that can go through pregnancy once and expect twins?” The physiology behind any combination type of twins is astounding. Sometimes however, nature tends to trick us and sends a little more than just two babies... here are many different types of twins. The most prevalent are monozygotic (identical) or dizygotic (fraternal) twins. Monozygotic twins develop from a single egg-sperm interaction that leads the fertilized ovum to split a couple of days post-conception. Therefore, a single source is the origin of their DNA, meaning they share the same code. These types of twins are always of the same gender unless there is a defect. Dizygotic twins develop when two separate eggs are fertilized by two different sperm. These twins are no more alike than any common sibling set and they share approximately 50% of genetic material combined uniquely from genes arising from both parents. It is crucial to understand that the development of the fetus is not only contingent on genetics. The environment the fetus matures in must be conducive to support full term growth. In some cases, one of the twins sharing the placenta may be positioned more advantageously to acquire nutrients from the mother in the womb. This condition called Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome can result in obvious physical differences between two twins where it may carry over into their adolescence. Unfortunately, there is no prevention plan that a woman can take to avert this; only nature can really dictate the absolute truth.

Even more complex are the Siamese or Conjoined twins. These twins are born with their bodies attached to the other making the survival rate an estimated 25%.

Their probability is approximately 1 in 50,000 births with a higher prevalence in South-West Asia and Africa. Their genetics are complex since the fertilized egg completely divides in two, but certain cells called stem-cells ‘search’ for their counterpart and find it on the other twin and stick to it. The result is fusion, where their bodies become attached.

How can a woman who really wants twins or multiples achieve this goal?

Unfortunately, the biological makeup of every individual is so diverse that it really depends on family history, genetics and a bit of luck as well. The odds of having twins are approximately 3.3% for the average woman. Although a proper medical

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diagnosis is the most conclusive, here are some facts that may increase your odds of having twins, triplets and even more: Age: Being over 35 increases your probability of conceiving two or more babies at a time and 17% of mothers who are over 45 give birth to twins.

Family history: The woman must carry a gene from her maternal side where somewhere along the line there is evidence of a fraternal twin. These women carry a gene for hyper-ovulation, indicating the release of more than one egg per cycle increasing the probability of having fraternal twins.

Height: Taller women who rank in the top 25th percentile for height have shown to be more likely to have fraternal twins according to a study done by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

You already have a set of fraternal twins: Just when you thought it is very unlikely to reproduce a second set of twins, you were wrong! Women who already have a set of twins are four times likelier than the average women to conceive a second set!

Clomid: Fertility enhancement drugs such as Clomid are used by most gynaecologists for couples who are eager to conceive twins by 1 in 5. Although more studies are required on the progression of fertility treatments, this drug may have a significant effect on twin conception.

Statistics for higher order multiples have actually increased throughout recent years thanks to modern reproductive technologies. If you would like to have triplets, spontaneously, with no fertility enhancers, the odds are 1 in 8,100 births. For quadruplets it is 1 in 729,000. Approximately 60% of triplets are the result of fertility enhancing treatments, and about 90% of quadruplets are due to reproductive technology. Therefore, in vitro fertilizations (IVF) do have their place in reproduction and modern medicine; however, only destiny and nature can really determine the number and extent of your offspring. v

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Li fe &People - Twins

Design Italian-Canadian twins Dean and Dan Caten make fashion history at the helm of their fashion empire DSquared2

By Alessia Sara Domanico

“Born in Canada, living in London, made in Italy,� this is how twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten (shortened from Catenacci) describe their life today.

Racy, colourful, and provocative styles have become the calling card designs of their joint label DSquared2.

Li fe &People - Twins

Duo

econd-generation Italians, Dean and Dan are the youngest of nine children born to Italian immigrant parents from Naples. Born in Toronto, - distant from the high fashion frenzy of Milan - the Caten brothers developed a passion for fashion design at an early age, which later on led them to study fashion design at the prestigious Parsons School in New York City. Following their stint there, the twins returned to Toronto where they not only formed their first label DEanDAN, but subsequently signed on as Creative Directors to established Canadian brand Ports 1961 – coincidentally, two decades later, the DSquared2 and Ports boutiques in Paris are right next door to each other on Rue Saint-Honoré.

Though they achieved success in Canada, it was ultimately the allure of Italy that beckoned the brothers to make the move to Milan and try their hand at working for an Italian casa di moda (fashion house).

Where better to begin than at Versace, a family-oriented brand with a decidedly bold and brass attitude? By the late nineties, the identical twins had moved over to creative posts at Italian street wear brand Diesel - who would ultimately become the official backer for the brothers when they launched DSquared2 in 1994.

From the very start, Dean and Dan’s charisma and edgy fashions won DSquared2 a dedicated fan following, most notably with major recording artists. Over the

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years DSquared2 has been a preferred outfitter to rockstar Lenny Kravitz, hit-maker Justin Timberlake, Canadian popstar Nelly Furtado and British bad boy Robbie Williams. It would, however, be their cowboy-inspired commission in 2002 for the Material Girl herself that solidified their status as an international fashion house. The Caten brothers designed 150 ensembles for Madonna’s infamous Drowned World Tour. Other major projects followed including the wardrobe design for Christina Aguilera’s Stripped World Tour and Britney Spears’ The Circus Starring Britney Spears tour.

In the realm of sportswear, the brothers were responsible for designing the official uniform for Juventus soccer club, a collaboration that would last four years. “It was a pleasure for us to be able to work with the historic ‘black and white’ team,” the twins said, “we were happy to have had the opportunity to bring this team into Serie A (Italy’s highest qualifying competitive soccer league) in style.”

As this talented twosome approach their label’s 15th anniversary, they can look at their fashion empire with satisfaction: a vast flagship boutique in the heart of Milan’s high fashion district tops the list of over a dozen international stores in major cities like Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong and Paris. Add to the list a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, the title of GQ Magazine’s “best designer’s of the year” and an enviable celebrity and cult following, and you have unbridled success, squared. Not bad for a couple of boys from Willowdale, Ontario. v

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Unexpected Twins 24

Li fe &People - Twins

Double the Trouble, Double the Fun

By Gemma and Maria Nicola Coia

Our names are Gemma and Maria Nicola Coia, first generation Canadians, and we’re the first set of twins in our family. We were named after both grandmothers. In the early 50s, our parents Cesidia and Sebastiano Coia immigrated to Canada from Villavallelonga, Abruzzi to start a new life in Toronto. n 1956, much to our parents’ delight, our mom was pregnant, though they did not know they were having twins until mom gave birth. We were born two months premature on July 30, 1956, weighing under 3 pounds - apparently we looked like little birds, just big enough to fit into our dad’s hands. How we survived is truly a miracle. Our mom recalls dad being in shock, holding his head with his hands and shaking it side to side. He was probably thinking, “how can we afford them both?” As new immigrants, life in the early 1950s was a hardship.

Being born premature, we needed to stay at the hospital for several months. In early September, the hospital discharged one of us. Mom and dad got used to life with one child - maybe too used to it; they could cope financially with one. Some time later, the hospital called them and asked when they were going to pick up the second child (“hopefully before she walks!”). We laugh about this now, but to this day we have never been told which one was left behind at the hospital, even if temporarily.

Mom and dad bought one crib from the Salvation Army and one package of cloth diapers. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough money for two cribs. We both slept together and as the crib was tiny, we kept kicking each other in the head! If one cried, the other would follow soon afterwards. Maybe this is why we are so close today.

We had a very sweet tooth as youngsters and candy was lacking. On one instance, we were hiding under our parent’s bed and we chewed a whole bottle of baby aspirin! Those pink aspirins tasted like candy...Our poor frantic mom worried we were going to die from a drug overdose!

While attending school we realized that being of Italian descent brought many challenges. Maria Nicola is now named Mary because in grade 6 all the “mangiacakes” made fun of her name. We were always proud of our heritage though.

Our mom thought it would be cute to dress us alike. Finally, in grade 6, Mary, who was considered the black sheep of the twins, decided that she didn’t want to dress or wear her hair like Gemma. Mom took a fit and told Mary that she would be the one “che faceva passare gli guai,” while Gemma always did what mom said. She denies it now, but Gemma was always la preferita.

Later on in life, Mary wanted to experience her Italian culture. She moved to Rome for a year to live out her fantasy of living la dolce vita and riding a motorino from Trastevere to il centro storico.

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Our dad was the greatest. Very social and always laughing. Mom, a bit more reserved, raised the family while dad worked. At times he worked two jobs to make life more comfortable for our family. Our parents instilled in their children great moral values, hard work and respect. They valued education as a tool to be our best. Today Gemma works at a large downtown law firm and Maria is a teacher at an alternative high school.

Our parents, like many immigrants, did not have a lot of money but we never felt that we lacked anything growing up. Family and love were plentiful. We still recall our Sundays each summer going to Boyd Park with our twenty closest relatives. Money can’t buy those memories. It is sad that our children will never know the simplicity of childhood in that era.

Several years later our family grew with the arrival of a sister, Anna and a brother, Leni. Dad is no longer with us but we have the fondest memories of the dad who taught us that laughter and a sense of humour are vital to one’s well-being. Mom is enjoying being a grandmother to her six grandchildren Alessia, Cassandra, Giocamo, Siena, Clare and Sebastiano.

This is just a glimpse into our wonderful life. We are truly blessed to be born twins and to have grown up as children of Italian immigrants in the 50s. v

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Sarah Liberatore Li fe &People - Future Leaders

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Vaughan native toasts to new business

By Daniela DiStefano

Wine and shoe lover Sarah Liberatore is the entrepreneur behind STLTO, a label dedicated to providing affordable and tasty Italian wines to discerning females. arah Liberatore has strutted her way into the Canadian wine industry with the launch of her wine label. With a passion for wine and fashion and a background in marketing and international business, the 24-year-old Italian-Canadian entrepreneur envisioned an easy to drink and affordable wine for her and her girlfriends to enjoy that didn’t lack on style. After two years of research, pitching and countless trips to visit 40-year-old vines in the lush Abruzzo, Italy wine region, the STLTO collection of Chardonnay and Malbec/Merlot is now widely available at the LCBO. But getting to the shelves was no easy feat. While a student at Ryerson University, Liberatore attended the prestigious Vinitaly international wine show in Verona, Italy.

There she learned Italian wines had lost their footing in the Canadian market. She immediately thought about the lack of female-friendly wine brands and set out to create a label that would be just as playful and seductive as a fabulous pair of stilettos.

Her first pitch didn’t garner the results she’d hoped for from LCBO buyers, but her persistence didn’t waiver and a few months later she left her second meeting knowing her product would be on store shelves in June 2011.

Since then, Liberatore has been building her company into a sustainable, femalefocused brand. Her wine is produced in Feudi San Pio, Abruzzo from hand harvested grapes at a family estate winery spearheaded by a female wine maker and a large number of female employees. “The whole process really embodies female empowerment,” says Liberatore. “It’s a wine made by women for women.”

Abruzzo is also of great personal significance to Liberatore, as it was one of the first places she travelled to in Italy as a child to visit her father’s relatives. “I have many family members in the region, and it’s like my second home,” says Liberatore, who has also spent a lot of time travelling through northern Italy, and visiting her mother’s family in Venezia.

STLTO stands for Sophisticated, Timeless, Lavish, Trendy and Outstanding - words that have helped Liberatore take her vision from inception to the dinner tables of chic women. “The brand is targeted to the fashionable and hard-working woman who wants to kick off her stilettos after a day at the office and savour a glass of wine with her girlfriends,” says Liberatore, who is in charge of all marketing and brand development for the label A strong admiration and appreciation for Italian food and culture was instilled in Liberatore and her older brother from a

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“It’s a wine made by women for women.”

Photographer: Gregory Varano Location: Pasta Goodness, Toronto

young age as they grew up submersed in the community of Italians who frequented their grandfather’s Toronto pasta shop, Continental Noodles. “I guess the seed was planted from a young age for me to become involved in the wine industry,” says the Woodbridge, Ontario native.

“It’s a way for me to celebrate my heritage and highlight Italy’s best assets - food, wine and fashion.”

Through her business, Liberatore has also been able to align herself with causes and initiatives close to her heart. In 2011 she ran for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, volunteered with Camp Oochigeas for children living with cancer, and helped to raise $18,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in memory of her best friend, Michael Tarquini. For 2012, Liberatore says she is planning to partner with a women’s cause to give back on a larger scale.

Liberatore was recently recognized as one of Ontario's Top 30 Under 30 within the hospitality industry. She is looking forward to using her position to mentor other young entrepreneurs.

“I know how important it is to have a strong support system,” she says. “I don’t think I would have been able to reach this point without the encouragement from my family and friends.” As a young entrepreneur, Liberatore has already experienced the pros and cons of being her own boss, from the satisfaction of being independent and in control of her future, to the stresses of decision-making and financial risks. “Some days are harder than others, but I always remember that I can only depend on myself.” v

One More Day Li fe &People

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What would you do if you had one more day to spend with a deceased loved one?

Samuele Milani

If I could spend one more day with you, I would start off by telling you how much we've all missed you and give you the biggest hug ever. After that, I would tell you all about your amazing grandchildren (Stephanie, Eric, Michael and Andrew). The ones you always dreamed about having, yet never got the chance to meet.

I would share with you the many wonderful traits they inherited from you and tell you how proud they have made us all.

Then I would take us back to our old neighbourhood, the place where we created many wonderful memories together. While reminiscing about the past, I would open up one of your last bottles of homemade red wine. The wine you took such pride in making till the bitter end. I would pour us a glass and make a toast to my Hero, my Wall of Strength, and my Dad. I would let you know how honoured I was to share your wine with our family and friends on my wedding day and tell you that I felt your presence watching over me.

Then before going our separate ways, I would ask you to do me one last honour by sharing a final dance with me. The dance we never got to share on my wedding day and have dreamed about ever since. Although 25 years would have passed this May, I hold our memories together near and dear to my heart. Until we meet again someday.

Your little girl forever, Nancy

If I could have one more day with my nonno, I would sit with him on his veranda on a summer day, and listen to his wise stories of the old country, how life was back then in his small village in Italy. You were the wisest man I have ever known, and the simple teachings you passed onto me will live with me forever. I would give anything to sit with you and hear your voice once again.

You were born on November 27, 1929, in the very small rural town of Trisungo in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, and you arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax, a handsome young man on March 13, 1957, with only a few dollars in your pocket. Yet you worked hard, you never quit, and you started a life and beautiful family here in Canada from nothing. All your life, you were the most hardworking man I knew. When I walk through the streets of Toronto, I see

I’m selfish because I would want one more lifetime with our son Stephen (Spike).

He wasn’t a big baby, just 6 pounds 12 ounces but boy did he make a grand entrance. He was the second of two boys, the mischievous one, the one who would convince a police officer to give him a lift home from school when he missed the bus, the one who rode his twowheeler down suicide hill, the one who decided that his nickname was going to be “Spike” because he was as “tough as nails.”

He was my baby, and he died February 5, 1981 of cancer; he was only 14. After fighting as hard as he could for two years, he decided that going home to God was probably for the best. He was brave and very, very courageous, giving us the strength to accept the inevitable.

If I had one more day, I would want to just sit and hold him close, listen to his voice…I miss hearing his voice, feeling his arms around my neck, and his kisses on my cheek.

If I had one more day I would tell him over and over and over again just how much I love him.

You will always be in our hearts Spike. Love you, Mom, Dad, Peter and family

you, nonno; your hands helped build so many of the landmarks of this great city: the Prince’s Gates at the CNE, the TD Tower, and Casaloma just to name a few.

Oreste Petrucci

Stephen “Spike” Joseph Cianfarani

I miss the bike rides we used take together when I was little. Because your English was a bit broken, you called the longer bike routes, “Big Turn” and the shorter ones, “Small Turn”, and to this day, now that I am 27, I will never forget those routes. You would go ahead of me and I would follow behind, and I always felt safe with you, we wouldn’t say much to each other on those bike rides, but we both understood the simple beauty around us; the man watering his flowers, the woman sweeping the veranda, and you knew them all in the neighbourhood, they would smile at us, and you would always smile and wave with a simple hello.

You were such a loving husband to nonna, Maria Vittoria Petrucci, and a wonderful father to Paolo, Elisabetta, and Renato. And you were the most wonderful nonno to me, Daniel, Maria, Paul, Peter and Anthony. You loved spending time with us, you were like a kid yourself, young at heart, always joking, always making us laugh. If we could have one more day with you nonno, we’d all sit by your side and listen to your wise words.

You will live on in all of our hearts forever.

You are gone from this world, but you are here every single day with us all.

Until we meet again, love your family who misses you so much, and your granddaughter, Diana Petrucci

Want to share your story? Send your ‘One More Day’ submission to info@panoramitalia.com along with a picture. The best entries will appear in our June / July issue.

Calabria, Tropea, Madonna dell'Isola

Scilla Sibari, archaeological site

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the Southern Soul of Italy

By David Demarco

Calabria is on the “toe� of the boot, surrounded by the splendid crystal blue Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas and separated from Sicily by the Strait of Messina. Its exquisite natural beauty, wild and mysterious nature, and rich history make Calabria unique and fascinating. Nature lovers can explore the Calabrian hinterland, discovering pure and unpolluted landscapes, while those who prefer basking in the warm rays of the sun can choose from the many charming towns along its stunning coasts. History enthusiasts will also be captivated with the wide variety of beautiful churches, castles, and ruins to discover in this former cradle of Magna Graecia.

Northern Calabria

The Heart of Calabria

Southern Calabria

Traveling east from the mountains of the Pollino massif towards the sparkling Ionian coast is Sibari. A wellestablished bathing resort, with a long sandy beach, an enchanting little town, and home to a series of ancient Greek and Roman ruins, makes Sibari a favourite Calabrian holiday destination. The nearby Piana di Sibari, Calabria’s largest plain, is used for the cultivation of the region's world-famous citrus fruit, the Calabrian clementine. From Sibari a number of important archaeological sites can be visited, such as Parco del Cavallo, Casabianca and Strombi.

Just south of Sibari is the historic Byzantine town of Rossano. The 11th-century church of San Marco is a mystical masterpiece, one of the great Byzantine monuments in southern Italy. Another fascinating church is the Cathedral of Rossano, the origins of which date back to well before 1330. Rossano is best known for its Codex Purpureus Rossanensis, a 188-page illuminated 6th-century manuscript representing the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Matthew. Its name derives from the purple parchment on which it is written. The Rossano Gospels, as they are known, are housed in the Diocesan Museum in Palazzo Arcivescovile. Before leaving Rossano, visitors should be sure to taste some of the town's famous licorice.

Cosenza is the largest city in Calabria. It is home to a distinguished university and many fine aristocratic buildings. The most romantic approach to Cosenza is from the south, beneath the 12th-century Norman castle set high on a hilltop, then on into the Old Town centered around Piazza XV Marzo. Near a Madonna by Luca Giordano is the tomb of Isabel of Aragon, who died after a fall from her horse on the return voyage from the Eighth Crusade.

While in town, it is worth spending a few moments in the serene cloisters of San Domenico, and at the 13th-century San Francesco d'Assisi church.

Heading eastward, La Sila is unlike any other spot in southern Italy. Many think of Il Mezzogiorno (anywhere south of Naples) as a sunburned rocky wilderness.

However, with its snow-capped mountains, pristine reservoirs, and lively streams and waterfalls, La Sila is actually more reminiscent of British Columbia. Today, it is considered one of Europe's most densely wooded areas, and the most famous woods are the Bosco di Fallistro, just outside of Camigliatello. Here one can admire the giganti della Sila, trees which are over 500 years old, six feet across and 130 feet tall. Camigliatello, a classical alpine village, is the best base for exploring La Sila. In summer, there are several opportunities for hiking; in winter, this is one of Italy's best cross-country skiing areas.

Heading west to the stunning Tyrrhenian shores of Calabria is the idyllic beach resort of Tropea. A favourite holiday destination on the Costa degli Dei (Coast of the Gods), Tropea is renowned for its beaches and little coves lapped by a crystal clear sea, as well as its delicious red onions. The town stands in a magical position on the promontory between the bays of Gioia Tauro and Sant'Eufemia. Its historic center has a number of noteworthy patrician town houses and impressive monumental edifices such as Palazzo Toraldo, and the 12th century Norman cathedral. The Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Isola, an historic pilgrim destination built on a tiny peninsula at the foot of the town, has become the symbol of Tropea.

Leaving the Costa degli Dei and heading southwards to the Costa Viola (Violet Coast), where the colour of the sea at sunset really does turn purple, sits the beautiful seaside town of Scilla. The town of Scilla is comprised of two centers: Marina Grande with its long beach and modern aspect, and Rione Chianalea, a characteristic fishing village complete with pretty little cottages built right on the water's edge. Dividing old and new Scilla is the town's Ruffo Castle. It is the most beautiful fortress in all of Calabria, its ramparts offering a great vantage point for La Chianalea.

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By Alessia Sara Domanico

The Gargano Southern Spring Sojourn

A pristine natural landscape, panoramic seaside and an abundance of historic sights are just a few factors behind what makes the Gargano (Foggia) in Puglia the perfect place for a spring visit.

long the Italian peninsula’s elongated form are hundreds of characteristic towns with their own particular histories, landmarks, cuisines and dialects.

Come springtime, certain regions shine more than others thanks to their natural assets. One of the loveliest spring seasons can be found in Puglia, a region too often absent from Italy guidebooks that focus touristic energies on must-sees like Rome, Venice and Florence.

Of course these major cities warrant a visit, but true, repeat offender italophiles should make it a point to explore new areas, most especially to the south where the climate is warmer, prices are more affordable and the sights are breathtaking.

The province of Foggia makes up the spur of the Italian boot form, jutting out – mid-calf – east into the Adriatic Sea. This geographic position means that Foggia enjoys a 180-degree seaside, while inland, it boasts vast green spaces, nature reserves and historic old towns, each with their own distinct charm. A nature lover’s itinerary to Foggia consists of a foray into its vast national park, Parco Nazionale del Gargano (www.parcogargano.it).

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Vieste

properly established in 1991 to protect its vast spaces from urbanization and since then, the region has developed numerous itineraries for tourists to take advantage of while visiting. Whether you’re looking for a hiking excursion, sightseeing, sailing or brave enough to take an early dip in sea, there is no limit to the activities and experiences this park packs.

The heart of Gargano is without a doubt Foresta Umbra, a woodland area brimming with flora and fauna on the promontory part of the park. Home to many different animals, such as boars, deer, woodpeckers, wolves and wildcats, the forest is divided into four sections. Zone A is exclusively home to wild life and off limits to the public, Zone B is the most uncontaminated part of the park accessible to the public – but you have to keep the noise level down – Zones C and D are accessible by car and make up more of the surrounding inhabited areas. If you decide to make Foresta Umbra a part of your visit, be sure to find the Cerro di Vico, a 300-year-old tree which was planted by a Franciscan friar. A big hole can still be seen on the side of the tree from when a storm hit over 70 years ago, causing one of the large branches to break off. Gargano’s other two principal forest areas are Bosco Quarto, which occupies the Monte Sant’Angelo area and the more inland, Spigno forest, north of Monte Sant’Angelo. Monte Spigno is home to the Pozzatina, one of the country’s largest sinkholes with a depth of 100-metres and a staggering width of 675-metres. v

Parco Nazionale del Gargano

Photo by: Giannella

Puglia’s largest green space, Gargano’s 1,211 square kilometres claim an impressively diverse range of natural resources from woodlands, valleys and limestone cliffs to beaches and salt water lakes. It stretches inland out to the Adriatic Sea, forming a promontory (the spur on the boot). The park was

Photo by: Giannella

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Three towns not to miss Vieste Perched on a hillside above the Adriatic, Vieste’s superior beaches and white cliffs make it a top notch spot.

What to see • Pizzomunno: a naturally formed, rocky white tower literally sitting on the beach. According to ancient lore, it is named for a fisherman who was turned to stone by sirens.

• Cattedrale di Vieste: a Romanesque cathedral built to resemble a Cardinal’s hat.

• Castello di Vieste: a Byzantine castle built by Frederick II in 1240.

Monte Sant’Angelo A major pilgrimage site, this breathtaking mountain top village is a sight for sore eyes. Michael the Archangel is said to have appeared to a bishop here in the 4th century AD.

What to see • Medieval Quarter: the town’s most characteristic district with winding alleyways and old chimney stacks.

• Santuario di San Michele: the grotto where St. Michael the Archangel is said to have visited.

• Tomba di Rotari: a 12th century baptistery opposite the Sanctuary of St. Michael.

Ischitella A small, hilly town with a prime position amidst green parks and a proximity to the shores of Lake Varano and the Mediterranean seaside.

What to see • The Church of the Crucifixion: a 10th century church built on the shores of Lake Varano.

• Palazzo Pinto: a 12th century castle rebuilt in the 18th century after an earthquake.

Photo by: Lorenzo Parisi

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Under the

Italian Sun

A piece of paradise awaits you in Rome, Sorrento, and Sicily

By Laura Casella

If you’re dreaming about getting away from the daily grind and immersing yourself in a different world for a period of time, picture taking in some of the most beautiful destinations Italy has to offer. We've narrowed this one down to three areas; beginning in Rome, then down the coast to Sorrento, and ending south in Sicily.

Rome Rome is the kind of place you can go to a hundred times, and always discover something new. Firsttimers cannot go without a tour of the Vatican’s Saint Peter's Square and Basilica, while Roman history buffs will check out the Coliseum and the Pantheon. They will also be glad to learn that Rome’s House of Vestal Virgins, an ancient Roman palace located beside the ruins of the imperial seat of government in the Roman Forum, has finally reopened after a twenty-year restoration. But besides taking in the city’s plethora of history, be sure to enjoy Rome's everyday life.

The Campo de' Fiori is one the liveliest piazzas in the heart of Rome. During the morning hours, except for Sundays, the square is transformed into a market where local vendors sell everything from fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, to clothes and Murano glass jewellery. Once the vendors pack up, the square becomes a popular meeting spot for locals. There are many bars and cafes that line the square for you to grab a bite, or to simply pull up a chair and enjoy an espresso while watching the hustle and bustle of passers-by. Speaking of espresso, be sure to head over to the famous Caffè Sant’Eustachio, located half-way between Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. Their unique caffè is known to be one of the best in the country.

Finally, you can't leave Rome without enjoying a delightful scoop of ice cream. While there are so many places to choose from, many would consider Il Gelato di San Crispino to be the best spot in the city. The gelato here is made on site using the freshest ingredients. The choices of flavours are boundless, including fig, pistachio, pear, and in the summertime, the delicious lampone (raspberry) is exceptional. While you enjoy your gelato, head over to the gorgeous Trevi Fountain and toss in a coin as you make a wish.

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Sorrento South of Naples along the Sorrentine Peninsula, Sorrento is a magical and beautiful place that boasts wonderful views across the Bay of Naples to Capri and Ischia. You can spend hours wandering through the small streets of the old town, visiting different boutiques, strolling through Piazza Tasso in the heart of the city, before pausing to enjoy a delicious meal at one of the many charming restaurants tucked away in a secluded alley.

Sorrento also serves as a great home base to visit other cities. The nearby volcanic Islands of Ischia or Capri are perfect for a day trip. Ischia, the Green Island, is renowned for its thermal baths and beautiful beaches, while Capri will enchant you with its striking natural beauty and authentic gastronomy. Capri’s Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto) is the most fascinating of the island's many caves. The name derives from the sunlight's refraction into the cave that creates a blue reflection in the water. The way into the cave is through a small hole about a meter and a half in diameter. Once you get there by motorboat from the port, you will have to transfer to a small wooden row boat and lie on your back to get in. Once inside, you'll be able to sit upright and enjoy the spectacular sight; you can even take a swim in the brilliant blue water. Once you’ve built up an appetite, be sure to satisfy your sweet tooth (along with a glass of limoncello) with the chocolaty torta caprese, a cake made without flour that originates from Capri. It has often been referred to as "uno dei pasticci più fortunati della storia" (one of history's most fortunate mistakes). There are many tales about this cake's origins, one being a baker who on no sleep, messed up the recipe and mistook flour for cocoa powder.

Finally, an excursion down the Amalfi coast is also highly recommended. Buses leave from Sorrento on a daily basis and the view on your way is just breathtaking. Time permitting you can also set off to nearby Ravello and Positano, or to Pompeii, where remains of a city destroyed and covered by a volcanic eruption in 79 AC are still visible today. A little over an hour away for Sorrento, Caserta’s magnificent 18th century Palazzo Reale, which rivals Châteaux Versailles and the Royal Palace in Madrid in scale, is also well worth a day trip.

Sicily From the Sorrentine Peninsula, make the trek south to Sicily, where your first stop should be Taormina, a small town on the east coast of Sicily, in the Province of Messina. This beautiful town blends its Roman and Greek past with a modern fusion of boutiques and restaurants. A must-see is Mount Etna, the tallest volcano in Europe (and still active). A great way to visit this force of nature is with a tour guide taking you 1,800 metres above sea level to enjoy breathtaking views at Rifugio Sapienza.

About an hour down the east coast, discover the once powerful Greek city of Siracusa. One of the main attractions is its Teatro Greco (Greek theatre) that dates back to the 5th century BC. The theatre once held 15,000 spectators and was the site for many famous Greek plays and speeches. Another site to see is the Roman Amphitheatre, one of the largest arenas of its kind, dating back to the 3rd century AD. This large, circular, open-aired venue was used for events such as gladiator combats, animal slayings, and executions.

In the outskirts of Palermo, the capital of Sicily, Monreale’s Cathedral is a national monument in Italy and one of Sicily's main attractions. The outside is beautiful enough, but gives no indication to what's inside: the interior mosaics which cover the Cathedral walls and roof contain 2,200 kilos of pure gold.

Finally, you cannot talk about Sicily without mentioning its cuisine. Besides an abundance of fresh fish, one of the most popular Sicilian dishes is panella, a popular finger food made with ceci (chickpeas). They’re sold in side street stands, the market, and served at restaurants. Arancine (rice balls) are another staple of Sicilian cuisine. v

This itinerary is available with Transat Holidays. Visit www.transatholidays.com for more details.

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Palazzo Strozzi, il simbolo del nuovo Rinascimento di Firenze Tra vel

33

Alla guida della "rivoluzione" culturale fiorentina l'anglo-canadese James M. Bradburne

Letizia Tesi

“Ci sono i piatti, ma non l'appetito. Fedi, ma non scambievole amore”. Il museo a cui dedica versi Wislawa Szymborska, premio Nobel nel 1996, contiene reliquie che hanno perso il soffio della vita. Nel museo più che le cose devono essere importanti le relazioni che queste riescono a creare. Lo ha capito l’anglocanadese James M. Bradburne, architetto, designer e specialista della gestione museale, direttore della Fondazione di Palazzo Strozzi, uno dei più importanti “monumenti” di Firenze, dal 2006, anno della sua fondazione. Quando Bradburne è arrivato a Firenze, scelto fra una cinquantina di candidati a livello internazionale, le porte di Palazzo Strozzi erano chiuse. L’edificio, che si erge nel cuore di Firenze, era solo un contenitore per mostre prodotte altrove e sede di altre istituzioni culturali. Per anni Firenze è rimasta fuori dalle mura di quel palazzo, capolavoro dell’architettura rinascimentale, e fino al 1937 casa privata della famiglia Strozzi, che ne aveva commissionato la costruzione nel 1489. el 2006 il palazzo era vuoto, senza nessuna accoglienza. La prima cosa che abbiamo fatto – spiega Bradburne – è stata aprire il portone, mettere delle piante, delle panchine nel cortile e un’adeguata segnaletica. L’anno dopo abbiamo aperto il Centro di Cultura Contemporanea Strozzina e ora nel cortile abbiamo anche una caffetteria, un bookshop e wireless ovunque. In poche parole abbiamo completamente trasformato la nostra offerta culturale”. Palazzo Strozzi non è più solo un contenitore, ma anche un creatore di mostre e un catalizzatore per la cultura. “La Fondazione è stata la prima espressione della volontà cittadina di tornare a un turismo di qualità. Firenze non è voluta diventare una seconda Venezia, una città che ha perso la sua anima, trasformandosi in un museo all’aperto. Ha detto no al turismo di massa: no ai pullman che arrivano la mattina e ripartono la sera, a flussi di persone che vanno agli Uffizi, comprano un panino, una birra, una t-shirt con i genitali del David e ripartono”. Uno degli obiettivi della Fondazione era veicolare il messaggio che Firenze è una città dinamica, contemporanea dove vale la pena tornare anche dopo aver visto gli Uffizi, non due, ma tre, quattro e chissà quante altre volte ancora.

Il paradosso e la grande sfida della Fondazione è stato, dunque, “ignorare il turismo”, quantomeno quel tipo di turismo che divora la città e distrugge l’esperienza dei cittadini. “Il nostro target è la città perché restituire Palazzo Strozzi a Firenze vuol dire metterlo a disposizione anche di tutti quei turisti “di qualità”, che vogliono sperimentare la città come fossero cittadini”.

Ogni attività di Palazzo Strozzi è legata in modo forte a Firenze ma con un approccio internazionale alla

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Facciata Palazzo Strozzi

Installazione site specific, Cortile Palazzo Strozzi, 2011 Fotografo: James O'Mara

Direttore James Bradburne

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organizzazione degli eventi culturali. In poche parole “pensare globale, agire locale”, il motto che riassume la filosofia della Fondazione. Tutte le didascalie del museo, per esempio, sono in italiano e in inglese, ma ci sono anche opuscoli in cinese, in russo, in francese e all’ingresso, chi vuole, può prendersi una valigia piena di giochi e di attività creative che consente alle famiglie di trasformare la visita in una esperienza “su misura”. “La valigia – spiega Bradburne – è una metafora. È un kit, disponibile anche in inglese e in cinese, il cui contenuto varia a seconda del tema della mostra con attività pensate per ogni visitatore, dai 3 anni in su. Sul fronte dell’offerta didattica siamo considerati degli innovatori a livello internazionale. Il Moma e il Metropolitan, per esempio, ci hanno chiesto una consulenza sulle loro attività didattiche”.

Per ogni mostra, poi, viene creato un “passaporto” in varie lingue con una serie di notizie e curiosità, dove è possibile collezionare timbri che offrono sconti all’accesso delle mostre. Palazzo Strozzi si è “inventato” anche il Kamishibai, un teatro portatile su una bicicletta, guidata da un artista, che presenta le mostre alla città sotto forma di performance. Molto usate anche le app per iPod e iPhone, come “Firenze in tasca”, guida alla scoperta dei tesori nascosti della città.

Insomma, uno degli esempi più belli dell’architettura rinascimentale fiorentina è diventato il simbolo del nuovo “Rinascimento” della città.

“I primi tre anni sono stati difficili – confessa Bradburne con un inconfondibile accento canadese – Concepire un museo così è come coltivare un giardino: si deve lavorare molto prima di vedere i primi risultati”. v

Urbino a piedi 34

Tra vel

Visita nel cuore dell’utopia rinascimentale

Testo e foto Laura Ghiandoni

Donato che dista circa 2 Km dal centro storico, il Mausoleo dei Duchi, che ospita al suo interno la celebre Pala di Piero della Francesca.

Risalendo per l’ora di pranzo nelle vie principali sono numerose le paninerie e pizzerie al taglio che offrono a poco prezzo genuine ghiottonerie dal sapore tradizionale. In Via Santa Margherita è situata la piadineria Da Elisa, dove è possibile trovare la tipica crescia sfogliata urbinate, assolutamente da provare farcita con i pomodori e le melanzane gratinate, oppure da assaggiare con i formaggi e salumi locali.

Un’esperienza caratteristica è gustare queste prelibatezze sui gradoni della piazza principale, dove si incontrano quotidianamente gli studenti iscritti all’Università Carlo Bo, una delle più antiche d’Europa. Per chi preferisse sedersi ad un tavolo per godersi un vero pasto luculliano, a Piazza S.Andrea l’Angolo Divino offre un’atmosfera accogliente e un’ottima carta dei vini, mentre alla Vecchia Urbino è possibile assaggiare sorprendenti specialità caserecce in un’atmosfera raffinata.

Dopo pranzo, incamminatevi in salita per via Raffaello, dove troverete la Casa dell’omonimo divino pittore e più in cima, nei giardini al Pian del Monte, la statua a lui dedicata.

Se vi capita, il mercato popolare si svolge proprio in quelle vie ogni sabato mattina. Urla di ciabattini, panettieri e pescivendoli esibiscono orgogliosi i loro prodotti sui banchi che seguono il profilo delle mura.

Infine, proprio lungo le mura, risalendo una piccola gradinata si raggiunge il Parco della Fortezza Albornoz, ottimo punto di sosta in cui è possibile rilassarsi dopo una lunga giornata e godersi dall’alto un panorama completo di questa cittadina, pregiato frutto dell’utopia rinascimentale. v

Visitare la città di Urbino, nell’interno marchigiano, al confine con la Romagna, ti permette di attraversare il meraviglioso scenario rinascimentale del 1400, quando la Corte dei Montefeltro diede il via ad un’avventura costruita, mattone su mattone per ricordare a tutti e in eterno, la potenza che possedevano questi territori. A tre ore da Venezia, un’ora e mezza da Bologna, Urbino è una meta da non perdere, una tappa del viaggio che saprà nutrire la vostra mente con la quiete dei suoi paesaggi, ed emozionarvi con le sue bellezze storico architettoniche. Vi proponiamo un itinerario attraverso questa città intimamente legata a Federico III da Montefeltro, uno dei più grandi mecenati rinascimentali italiani. urante la sua signoria Federico III offrì protezione a numerosi artisti dell’epoca tra cui Raffaello Sanzio, che qui ebbe i natali, e Piero della Francesca di cui era intimo amico. Fu lui a dipingere il doppio ritratto dei Duchi di Urbino, celebre effige del Rinascimento Italiano. Abilissimo condottiero, con i guadagni delle condotte militari rese magnifica la città di Urbino costruendo il Palazzo Ducale. Completato da diversi architetti, tra cui spiccano Luciano Laurana e Francesco Di Giorgio Martini, il palazzo diede un nuovo assetto urbanistico alla città che diventò la “città del principe”. È dal suo castello, dunque, che vi proponiamo di iniziare il tour della città. Dopo seicento anni, la straordinaria silhouette del Palazzo Ducale sorge ancora trionfante e la facciata dei torricini abbellita da tre logge sovrapposte sono un meraviglioso scorcio visibile anche dalle vallate lontane. All’interno risiede la Galleria Nazionale delle Marche che ospita nelle numerose stanze dove si svolgeva la vita di corte, una delle più belle collezioni d’arte del Rinascimento italiano che include opere di Raffaello, Piero della Francesca, Paolo Uccello e Tiziano, oltreché la più famosa biblioteca dell’epoca.

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Dal Piazzale Mercatale, l’attuale stazione degli autobus, si ammirano dal basso nella parte inferiore del Palazzo le immense Stalle Ducali (o Nota) che si dice ammettessero fino a trecento cavalli, e a nord la Rampa Elicoidale, una scalinata che consentiva il passaggio al principe e alla sua corte, dalle Stalle al Palazzo e viceversa.

Passando per la porta d’entrata principale alla città, Porta Valbona, si risale per Via Mazzini, e si raggiunge la piazza della Repubblica, luogo d’incontro per abitanti, studenti e viaggiatori.

Camminando a piedi tra le viuzze antiche chiamate piole che salgono e scendono per il borgo, è possibile osservare gli innumerevoli dettagli che differenziano Urbino da una qualsiasi altra città: la disposizione simmetrica dei mattoncini rosa d’argilla, di cui sono fatte le strade, le case, e quasi tutta l’urbanistica: gli scoli dell’acqua, i gradini, i sottopassi, le strade per carri e cavalli che si insinuano fin dentro i palazzi storici.

Passeggiando lungo le stradine che scendono verso i bordi della città, fino alle mura della fortezza, e affacciandosi ai terrazzi, si può ammirare la Valle del Metauro e il Parco Naturale delle Cesane, e sul colle San

Food & Wine

La Bistecca alla Fiorentina

35

By Alessia Sara Domanico

Florence is not only famous for its artistic and religious patrimony, but equally noteworthy for its contributions to Italian gastronomy, among which ‘La Bistecca alla Fiorentina’ can be considered one of its greatest. he origins of the bistecca in Florence derive from the early 1800s when it was common practice to distribute cuts of meat in the piazzas during the feast of St. Lawrence. Visiting Anglo-Saxon merchants would ask those handing out the meat for a beef steak, which was interpreted by the locals as ‘bif-steik’, which in turn eventually became adopted as the local way to refer to this cut of meat: ‘bistecca’.

So what exactly makes the Florentine method of cooking a steak so appealing to foodies? At first glance the Florentine-style steak is merely a Porterhouse with the filet and contre-filet separated by the T-bone. But what are the secrets behind the ‘Bistecca alla Fiorentina’?

First and foremost to consider are the breed of cow being used for the steak and its source. The Chianina – a large, white cow raised in the Val di Chiana region – is the most typical and traditional breed used by restaurants. The quality of the Chianina is up for debate in comparison to the Fassona and Scamone breeds from Piedmont, which are regarded by many to be superior in flavour and meat tenderness. Another factor to consider is the source; if an animal is well treated and fed, it will inevitably end up on the plate with a better taste.

Next to consider are the size and aging of the meat. A classic bistecca ranges from two to eight pounds. We usually see couples at restaurants splitting an order, or a party of three to four ordering a bistecca together along with a first course each. When it comes to ageing the meat: the longer it is done, the more tender and flavourful it is.

The final act before the bistecca hits the plate is the actual cooking. Old-school style is always best, which means grilling the meat (un-marinated) over coals and wood embers. Chefs can tell when the temperature is correct to place the meat because

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the coals below will have turned white. Meat is cooked from room temperature for five to seven minutes on each side and for 15 more standing on the bone.

When the bistecca arrives at your table, these are the things to look for when ascertaining its quality: it must be crunchy and well cooked on the outside, while on the inside, it should be rare (not bleeding), warm and soft enough that your knife can cut through as if it were butter.

The best wines to serve with the ‘Bistecca alla Fiorentina’ are Chianti Classico or Brunello di Montalcino. The best sides to order alongside this steak are oven baked potatoes, green salad and beans. v

Some great spots to enjoy a Da Burde ‘Bistecca alla Fiorentina’ in Florence and the surrounding area: Via Pistoiese, 6/R, Florence Antica Macelleria Cecchini/Officina Panzano in Chianti Tel. +39 055 852 020

Tel. +39 055 311 329 Osteria dei Riffaioli Via del Ponte alle Riffe, Florence Tel. +39 055 508 8070

Buca Dell’Orafo Via de’ Girolami, 28-red, Florence Tel. +39 055 213 619

Sostanza (Il Troia) Via della Porcellana, 25 r, Florence Tel. +39 055 212 691

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Sguta Food & Wine

37

How Sweet It Is!

Directions:

By Jenny Galati

Bread, it is a symbol of abundance, fertility and eternal life. As such, it is highly revered in many cultures and is often the gastronomical centerpiece of many a celebration.

Bread has long played an important role in religious ceremonies and holidays; it is often baked in symbolic shapes and includes special ingredients.

In a small saucepan, warm the milk and butter together, just till butter melts. The milk should be warm, not hot, otherwise it will kill the yeast when combined. In a large bowl, combine yeast, salt, egg, anise extract and sugar. Add the warm milk mixture and about half of the flour, and knead the dough until smooth. Slowly add the remaining flour to form a slightly stiffened dough and keep adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky (it may not be the entire 3 ½ cups).

Continue kneading until smooth, place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece to form a 1 inch thick rope about 14 inches long and, taking two pieces, twist to form a "braid", incorporating in the whole eggs. Pinch the ends together and, if desired, loop into a circle to form wreath.

Place the braids on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour). Brush each braid with the egg wash. If desired decorated with the sprinkles or pearl sugar.

Bake at 350°F until golden - about 20 minutes. Cool on rack and enjoy!

weet, leavened breads can be found in many worldly cuisines: the Jewish Challah, the Portuguese Bolo Douce, the Irish Hot Cross Buns and the Pastelli di Pasqua in Italy. In Southern Italy, this is a quintessential Calabrese Easter treat known as buccellati, cuzzupe, cuculi, cudduraci and sgute. It is a traditional and symbolic bread that is prepared during Holy Week to be shared and enjoyed with family and friends to break the Lenten fast.

The sguta is a braided bread in which whole eggs, still in their shells, are nestled into the surface of the dough. The eggs, which are typically forbidden during lent, represent rebirth, rejuvenation and immortality while the decorative bread is a symbol of Christ’s resurrection. According to belief, the bread is shaped accordingly for its intended recipient: a braid with two eggs for a married couple; for a family with the number of eggs corresponding to the number of children; or braided and formed into an Easter basket for the children. However, the first shape to be formed is that of criss-crossed strips of dough, representing the crucifix.

Sgute are typically eaten after a meal as a sweet, but are most often enjoyed for Pasquetta alongside soppressata and capicollo, fava beans and local cheeses made of goat’s milk. The sweet taste of the anise scented bread is marvelously combined with the salty and spicy flavours of the cured meats and the bitterness of the beans. In the town of Siderno, in Reggio Calabria, a sagra is held in honour of this Easter treat.

Large tables are lined up in the city square and hundreds of sgute are laid out for all to admire. After being entertained by local musicians, all the towns’ people are invited to gather around the tables to partake in the sguta together.

While the bread is a bit labourious, it is definitely worth the effort. v

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Ingedients: • 1 package instant yeast (about 2-1/4 teaspoons) • 1 ¼ cups milk • Pinch of salt • 1/3 cup butter • 2 eggs, beaten • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 tsp. of Anise extract • 3 ½ cups flour (approximate) • 1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon of water for egg wash • 6 whole eggs plain or dyed • Sprinkles or pearlized sugar (optional) *Note that the eggs do not need to be hard boiled, they will cook as they bake and can be eaten with the freshly baked bread.

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Spring Classics 38

Food & Wine

Rice Pastiera with home-made candied orange / Pastiera di riso con arancia candita fatta in casa Recipes and photography by Claudia Ficca

Pastiera Napoletana is a classic Easter dessert commonly made using cooked wheat. Here we propose a version made with arborio rice and homemade candied orange. This dessert can be made a few days before Easter to let the flavours intensify; it is traditionally made on Good Friday to be had as a dessert on Easter Sunday.

Ingredients for pastry

Ingredients for the filling

• 1/2 cup unsalted cold butter • 2 cups of flour (substitute with rice flour for a gluten free pastiera) • 1 whole egg, plus one yolk • 1 tsp vanilla essence • 1/2 cup icing sugar • Zest of 1/2 lemon

• • • • • • • • • • • •

To make the pastry Mix the flour and sugar together in a bowl. Chop the cold butter into small pieces and rub into the dry ingredients until it resembles breadcrumbs (you can also use a food processor).

Add the egg and vanilla essence, lemon zest and knead until the mixture comes together. Wrap in plastic film and chill for a couple of hours.

For more recipes visit www.panoramitalia.com

2 cups cooked arborio rice 1/2 lemon zest 1/2 orange zest 2 tbsp butter 1 cup milk 2 cups ricotta 2 whole eggs, plus two yolks 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp orange blossom water 1 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 candied orange(* recipe below)

Filling Follow the directions on the package of arborio rice to make 2 cups of cooked rice. Let cool. When you are ready to make the filling heat the rice in a saucepan over medium heat with the butter, milk and lemon and orange zest. Bring it to a low boil for about ten minutes and stir occasionally. Place the mixture in large bowl, let cool and place in the refrigerator.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the ricotta, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and orange blossom water.

Place in refrigerator. Itʼs best to make the filling one day before and allow the flavours to marry overnight in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for the candied orange • • • •

1/2 cup water 1/2 cup sugar Segments of 1 orange cut in cubes, 1/4 of the orange peel cut into tiny cubes

Candied Oranges Bring water and sugar to boil in a skillet, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add cubed orange peel to skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low and barely simmer for about 40 minutes, turning occasionally. Allow the orange to cool in the syrup. Using a slotted spoon, place the candied orange or a parchment paper until ready to use.

Instructions Roll out about two thirds of the pastry and place in a greased 11 inch springform pan or a deep tart pan with removable bottom. Gently cut off the extra pastry around the edges and add to the remaining pastry, roll out the rest of the pastry and with a crimper pastry wheel cut long strips about 1 1/2 inch wide.

Fold the rice mixture with the ricotta mixture and add the candied oranges. Fill the pastry lined spirngform pan. Gently place the lattice strips to the edge of the pastry in a criss-cross. Brush the lattice gently with some egg to make it shiny.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 395 °F. for about 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown. The house will be filled with a beautiful aroma of orange blossom. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan; itʼs best to serve it one day after. The Pastiera can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Food & Wine

39

Artichoke and Mascarpone Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage Sauce / Ravioli ai carciofi e mascarpone con salsa di burro e salvia When preparing a big meal for family or friends itʼs great to have time-saving short cuts. For this recipe we use won ton wrappers to replace fresh pasta and frozen artichoke hearts. The pre-cut noodle squares are just the size we need and the artichoke hearts, once thawed, are ready to use which saves us hours of work. Itʼs easy, fast and delicious.

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 6) • Ravioli • 1/2 box frozen won ton wrappers, thawed • 1 egg, beaten • 1 box or bag frozen • Artichoke hearts or bottoms, thawed and patted dry • 1/2 cup mascarpone • Zest of 1/2 lemon • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano • Salt and peppers to taste Sauce • 4 tablespoons butter • 8 sage leaves • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano

Roasted beet salad with goat feta and almonds / Insalata di barbabietola arrosto con formaggio di capra e mandorle This dish is fresh and light. It can be served as a starter or as a side with the lambchops. The beets can be roasted the day before and peeled when warm.

When ready to assemble take the beets out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

To make filling, pulse the thawed artichokes in a food processor until finely chopped but not puréed. In a bowl, combine chopped artichoke with mascarpone, lemon zest, Parmigiano, salt and pepper.

Put about 1 packed teaspoon filling onto won ton sheet. Brush egg along the sides of both sheets. Put second dough strip on top of first and gently press edges to seal.

Transfer ravioli to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Keep ravioli covered with a clean dishtowel until ready to cook.

Bring a large wide pot of salted water to a low boil. In the meantime melt butter in a 14-inch saute pan and continue cooking until itʼs golden brown. Add sage leaves and remove from heat.

Boil ravioli in small batches until tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to the pan with the brown butter sauce and toss on medium heat to combine. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmigiano.

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 6) • • • • •

6 beets, roasted Olive oil 1/2 cup goatʼs feta, crumbled Fresh oregano leaves Roasted almonds, crushed

To roast the beets, place washed beets on a piece of foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Fold to form packet. Place on rimmed baking sheet; roast in 400°F oven until fork-tender, about 1 hour.

Wearing rubber gloves or using a paper towel, peel and trim beets. When cool, cut into 1/4-inch cubes.

Arrange on plate, top with crumbled feta, almonds, and oregano leaves.

Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil.

Herb-crusted rack of lamb with roasted tomatoes / Costolette di agnello in crosta di pangrattato alle erbe aromatiche con pomodori arrosto Ingredients (Serves 4) • • • • • • • • •

1 8-bone lamb rack, french-trimmed 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves 1 cup plain breadcrumbs 2 tablespoon olive oil 2 vine stems of cherry tomatoes Salt and pepper

What says spring better then maple syrup? Spring lamb! This maple syrup and dijon marinated lamb tastes sweet and tangy and the fresh herb crust is a perfect match to the lamb’s rich flavour.

Marinate the lamb overnight with maple syrup and dijon.

When ready to cook, let the lamb come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush the lamb with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the fresh herbs in a bowl with bread crumbs and olive oil. Toss to combine. Press the lamb into the breadcrumbs and place on a baking tray. Place the tomato stems of the tray drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.

Heat a large non-stick pan over high heat and cook the lamb for 4 minutes on each side, just until browned and remove from heat.

Roast for 15 minutes for rare or 20 minutes for medium.

Let the rack of lamb rest for 5 minutes before serving.

European Flavors

Food & Wine

40

The Mediterranean diet is a healthy eating style thanks to its mix of wholesome foods and a wealth of quality products used to create exceptional cuisine. One of the predominant characteristics of the Mediterranean diet is that it is composed predominantly of fresh, natural, unprocessed foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables of the highest quality.

he European Flavors campaign seeks to present the various benefits of eating healthy and quality fresh produce, as found in the traditional Mediterranean diet, which is highly regarded as being effective for maintaining a healthy body. The aim is to promote the extraordinary flavors, benefits and characteristics of both fresh and processed European fruits and vegetables, produced according to Italian styles and traditions, and inspired by simple yet healthy cuisine.

The delicious products of the European Flavors campaign are Italian grown KIWIFRUIT, PEARS, CITRUS, and PLUMS.

European Flavors Spotlight: Mellow-yellow Golden kiwi If you are like most Canadians and you enjoy eating green kiwi fruit, then it is likely that you will also really enjoy the Italian Gold Kiwi.

This type of kiwifruit is a yellow-fleshed variety of traditional kiwifruit. Although gold kiwifruit is similar to its green counterpart, it still has a distinct appearance, shape and flavor.

The gold kiwi offers many health benefits, such as high levels of Vitamins C and E, anti-oxidants, and dietary fibers. Also, just like the green kiwi, the skin is edible and is known to be a good source of dietary fiber by itself. As the leading kiwi producer in the world, Italy also grows gold kiwi in the Emilia Romagna region, and gold kiwis are available to us Canadians from November to May.

Comparison of Gold and Green Kiwi

T

Gold Kiwi

Skin

● Bronze peel ● Smooth; almost no "fuzz"

● Brown peel ● Fuzzy skin

● More elongated shape

● More cylindrical to round

● Golden yellow

Flesh Shape Flavor

● Tropical ● More sweet ● Less tart

European Flavors available at: Sobeys, Metro, Sobeys Urban Fresh, Foodland, FreshCo., Price Chopper, Food Basics.

Italian Gold Kiwi & Strawberry Dessert Pizza Ingredients • • • •

For the crust: 1 cup all purpose flour 1/3 cup confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• • • •

For the toppings: 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam 3 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes 2 Italian Gold kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced 3 large strawberries, thinly sliced

Directions: To prepare the crust, start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl, and cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Press the dough into the bottom of a 9-inch pizza pan or baking sheet. Bake crust 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden.

Once the crust is ready and cooled, spread the jam mixture over the dough, leaving a ¾-inch border around the edge. Arrange the Italian gold kiwi and strawberry slices on top to look like pizza toppings. Sprinkle the top evenly with the coconut flakes.

Cut into 6-8 wedges and enjoy!

Green Kiwi

(Makes 6-8 servings)

● Bright green

● Tropical ● Less sweet ● More tart, acid

Discover the benefits of a healthy Meditarranean style diet.

Fresh fruits vegeables from Europe in your diet help Discover the benefits ofand a healthy Meditarranean stylecandiet. better andcan look help great!

Fresh fruits and vegeables from Europeyou infeel your diet

you feel better and look great!

Chianti Classico Food & Wine

42

under the Radar: Battle of the Black Rooster

By Gabriel Riel-Salvatore

amed winemaker Giacomo Tachis describes Sangiovese as “a genius of difficult and bizarre character,” a feature related to its susceptible nature that makes it very sensitive to soil and weather variations. Sangiovese is a difficult grape to tame warns enologist Vittorio Fiore, mainly because of its high level of polyphenols. Even when seemingly ripe, it may appear hard and impenetrable. On the other hand, in the right environment, which the hilly region of Chianti Classico amply provides, and if properly handled, Sangiovese can offer wines of great power and exceptional quality.

Sangiovese also has a great ability to blend well with other varieties, whether in majority or minority proportions, which partly explains why Chianti Classico is by tradition a blended wine. As Master of Wine Nicola Belfrage puts it, “the history of Chianti is the history of the various attempts to deal with Sangiovese’s high polyphenols, inclined as they are to be deficient in colouring matter and sometimes overabundant tannins.” The DOCG appellation regulating Chianti Classico allows for up to a 20% use of complementary grapes - French or Italian - and only a minority of producers are edging towards pure Sangiovese based Chianti Classico.

Belfrage uses Morello cherry and dried tea-leaf to define Sangiovese’s aromatic spectrum. Yet, rose petal and red berry fragrances supported by scents of leather, wood smoke, tar and herbs are not uncommon in Chianti Classico, often indicating

F

Illustration by David Ferreira

Sangiovese-based wines par excellence, Chianti Classicos have reached a whole new level of quality thanks in part to stricter legislation and modern Bordeaux-style influences that reveal the exceptional potential of this typically Tuscan grape.

the addition of other varieties (mostly cabernet sauvignon and merlot) to the blend.

There are two types of Chianti Classico: a simple one destined for early drinking – unofficially referred to as Normale - and a more ambitious one called Riserva adapted for aging. The former receives relatively little oak and is available a year after harvest, while the latter is only released after two years of wood-aging (barrique or cask) and three months in bottle.

The Black Rooster, the symbol of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, that regroups most of Chianti Classico producers, now acts as a strong marketing tool to promote the brand worldwide. Even though the Gallo Nero is not an unequivocal seal of quality for all 600 producers of the region, proof of the Consorzio’s respectability stands in the recent reintegration of the legendary brand Marchesi Antinori –one of the region’s leading producers - within the Consorzio.

The recent visit to Canada of important Chianti Classico producers such as Francesco Mazzei (Castello Fonterutoli) and Marco Pallanti (Castello di Ama), president of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, has enabled us to take part in comparative blind tastings involving several Chianti Classico and Sangiovese based blends from Tuscany. Let’s find out which Chianti (Classico) reigns supreme in the battle of the Black Rooster. v

Battle of the Black Rooster: Chianti Classico and Sangiovese based reds Scoring system :

Sublime (95-100) Very good (85-89) Good (80-84) Ordinary (75-79)

Score Wine 93

Castello di Ama Vigneto Bellavista Chianti Classico DOCG 2004

92

Marchesi Mazzei Castello Fonterutoli Chianti Classico DOCG 2007

92

Price

Score Wine

Price

$119.50

87

San Felice Riserva Il Grigio Chianti Classico DOCG 2009

$26.30

$45.25

87

Ruffino Ducale Riserva Chianti Classico DOCG 2007

$24.95

Castello di Ama Vigneto La Casuccia Chianti Classico DOCG 2004

$141.50

87

Santa Margherita Chianti Classico DOCG 2007

$19.95

91

Antinori Marchesi Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2007

$28.95

86

Carpineto Chianti Classico DOCG 2009

$20.25

90

Castello di Ama Castello di Ama Chianti Classico DOCG 2007

$39.75

86

Rocca Guicciarda Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2008

$27.25

89

Marchesi Mazzei Fonterutoli Toscana IGT 2009

$24.95

86

Marchesi Mazzei Poggio alla Badiola Toscana IGT 2010

$17.45 $24.75

89

Castello di Ama Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2008

$39.75

86

Barone Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico DOCG 2009

89

Marchesi Mazzei Fonterutoli Toscana IGT 2008

$24.95

85

Marchesi Mazzei Poggio alla Badiola Toscana IGT 2009

$17.45

88

Rocca delle Macie Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2006

$24.20

84

Ruffino Il Ducale Toscana IGT 2009

$18.95

88

Casa Girelli Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico DOCG 2008

$24.40

83

Barone Ricasoli Campo Ceni Toscana IGT 2010

$15.55

88

Castello di Ama Il Chiuso (Pinot Nero/Sangiovese) Toscana IGT 2010

$25.50

83

Rocca delle Macie Sasyr Toscana IGT 2009

$17.50

87

Antinori Villa Antinori Toscana IGT 2007

$23.95

82

Antinori Santa Cristina Chianti Superiore DOCG 2009

$16.95

87

San Felice Chianti Classico DOCG 2008

$20.55

82

Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Pater Sangiovese Toscana IGT 2009

$15.45

87

Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2008

$23.05

82

Carpineto Dogajolo Toscana IGT 2010

$15.10

$23.60

81

Casa Vinicola Luigi Cecchi & Figli Cecchi Toscana IGT 2010

$12.00

87

Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico DOCG 2009

Vinsanto: vino delle feste e dell'ospitalità

Food & Wine

43

Alcuni esempi di Vinsanto Doc tradizionali disponibili in Ontario: BADIA A COLTIBUONO VIN SANTO DEL CHIANTI CLASSICO 2004 DOC Badia a Coltibuono Toscana $39.95 (0033019) disponibile su Vintages Online Exclusive 16.5% Alc./Vol. 375 mL

Prodotto da uve biologiche Malvasia e Trebbiano senza aggiunta di lieviti, questo vinsanto è lasciato per quattro anni in caratelli e barriques di rovere e fa un affinamento in bottiglia per dodici mesi. Il colore è giallo dorato con sfumature ambrate, al naso presenta note di vaniglia e miele. Amabile e di buona acidità, rivela un gusto pulito e delicato di agrumi e frutta candita.

Gaia Massai

Il Vinsanto (o Vin Santo) è considerato il tesoro di ogni fattoria toscana perché frutto di intenso lavoro manuale.

Riveste l’importante ruolo di vino simbolo dell’ospitalità: ogni fattoria ne offre un bicchierino ai propri ospiti, con i cantucci o accompagnato da formaggi stagionati. il vino protagonista delle feste Pasquali e viene comunemente utilizzato durante la celebrazione della messa, da cui il nome di “Vinsanto”. Non mancano però leggende che fanno risalire il nome alle sue presunte capacità curative: nel 1348 un frate francescano senese curava, infatti, i malati di peste con questo vino passito.

Un’altra leggenda ne attribuisce il nome ad una incomprensione linguistica che vede protagonista un vescovo greco il quale, dopo aver assaggiato del vino passito (chiamato al tempo vino pretto) durante il Concilio di Firenze del 1439 esclamò: “Questo è vino di Xantos!”. I suoi commensali confusero “Xantos” con “Santo”, e così nacque il Vinsanto.

Viene prodotto da uve a bacca bianca, tipicamente Trebbiano e Malvasia o da uve a bacca rossa come il Sangiovese. Si scelgono e raccolgono a mano i grappoli migliori, piccoli e “spargoli”, ovvero con acini piccoli e a buccia spessa che permettono il passaggio dell’aria, evitando così la formazione di muffe. I grappoli vengono fatti appassire naturalmente per tre/quattro mesi, distesi su stuoie o appesi a ganci su strutture di legno chiamate castelli o penzoli. Una volta appassite, le uve vengono pigiate e il mosto trasferito in caratelli di rovere o castagno, dove riposa per almeno tre anni. Tradizionalmente non si aggiungevano lieviti e la fermentazione avveniva grazie ai lieviti indigeni presenti naturalmente nelle uve e grazie all’aggiunta della madre, ovvero la feccia proveniente da caratelli di annate precedenti. Al giorno d’oggi, invece, si tende ad aggiungere lieviti disidratati in modo da ottenere una fermentazione omogenea e completa; la madre viene usata in dosi molto ridotte perché vi si concentrano anche sostanze che dovrebbero essere estranee al vino, come ad esempio il rame proveniente dai trattamenti in campo.

La “vinsantaia” è una stanza adibita all’appassimento delle uve e all’invecchiamento in caratelli; solitamente presenta finestre munite di retine anti-insetto (api, vespe e moscerini sono fortemente attratti dalla dolcezza delle uve in appassimento) e disposte su più lati in modo da garantire una corrente d’aria costante.

La produzione del Vinsanto è fortemente regolata e controllata: non molti sanno che il vero Vinsanto è un vino DOC, sottoposto a rigidi disciplinari. Uno dei più conosciuti è indubbiamente il “Vinsanto del Chianti Doc”, nelle versioni prodotte con uve a bacca bianca o rossa (in questo ultimo caso si parla di “Vinsanto Occhio di Pernice Doc”). Il Vinsanto prodotto in modo tradizionale presenta alti costi di produzione: la bassa resa delle uve appassite e l’abbondante manodopera necessaria a seguire tutte le fasi di produzione lo rendono un vino non economico. Si presenta solitamente dal colore ambrato più o meno carico, e con profumi che ricordano frutta secca, mandorla e miele. Al giorno d’oggi si trovano in commercio alcuni vini che imitano il Vinsanto ma che in realtà sono vini liquorosi, prodotti aggiungendo alcol e sostanze coloranti. Hanno nomi che ricordano Vinsanto (“Il Santo”, “Vino Santo”, “Santovino”...): li riconoscerete dal colore scuro tendente al marrone, dalla mancanza della denominazione DOC e dal prezzo nettamente inferiore. A voi la scelta! v

È

LORNANO VINSANTO DEL CHIANTI CLASSICO 1999 DOC Fattoria Lornano Toscana $23.95 (VINTAGES # 244947) 13.9% Alc./Vol. 500 mL

Questo Vinsanto del Chianti Classico DOC è prodotto con uve Trebbiano Toscano e Malvasia bianca, lasciate appassire su stuoie per sei mesi. Il vino riposa in caratelli di rovere per sei anni e viene lasciato affinare per dodici mesi in bottiglia.

Colore ambrato intenso e profumi tipici di mandorla e frutta secca, presenta un basso residuo zuccherino, media corposità e un buon finale.

44

Living Italian Style

Lifestyle

Frank Aiello

Emanuela Zito Nickname: Frank the Tank Occupation: Marketing Associate at Just Energy Corporate Headquarters Age: 24 Generation: Second Dad from: Calabria, Italy Mom from: Toronto, Ontario Speaks: English & Italian Raised in: Toronto Passion: Sports (hockey, football) and graphic design Clothes: Le Chateau Favourite designer: Hugo Boss Boutique: Harry Rosen Restaurant: Eden Trattoria Favourite dish: Chicken Parmigiana Absolute must in the pantry: Nutella Type of drink: Rum and Coke Favourite band or singer: Tiesto Italian soccer team: AC Milan Sexiest Italian: Monica Belucci Dream car: Bugatti Veyron What you like most about our magazine: The lifestyle section and the authentic feel

Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: St Clair Ave during a Euro or World Cup match Mare o montagna: Montagna Best coffee in Toronto: My grandma’s espresso Best pizza in Toronto: The Big Slice Pet peeve: When the toilet gets flushed while in the shower You know you are Italian when or if: Every sentence comes with a hand gesture Your fashion idol: David Beckham Favourite thing to do in Toronto: La Paloma on a sunny day Most common name in your family: Frankie (2) You know you were raised Italian when: You were surprised to discover the FDA recom-

Photographer: Gregory Varano Make-up artist: Desi Varano Location: courtesy of Café Diplomatico, Toronto

mends you eat three meals a day and not seven Italian artist or actor you would like to meet: Al Pacino Favourite colour: Royal Blue Spaghetti o penne: Spaghetti Favourite flavour of gelato: Tiramisu Favourite Italian song: Ti Amo by Umberto Tozzi Favourite Italian city: Florence Best memory growing up as Italian: When Italy won the World Cup and the streets were flooded with fans Favourite thing about being Italian: The food Plans for Easter: Spending every minute with both sides of the family

Occupation: Student Age: 23 Generation: Second Dad from: Matera, Basilicata Mom from: Cosenza, Calabria Speaks: English & Italian Raised in: Toronto & Woodbridge Passion: Travel, fitness and volunteering Clothes: Zara top, Rock and Republic pants, Aldo shoes Favourite designer: Michael Kors Boutique: H&M and Zara Restaurant: Zafferano Favourite dish: Mom’s homemade cavatelli with authentic cacio ricotta sprinkled on top!

Absolute must in the pantry: Nonna’s taralli Type of wine/drink: Dad’s homemade wine Favourite Italian saying or quote: “Ma famm’ nu piacer’!” and “Chi trova un amico, trova un tesoro” Last time you went to Italy: Summer 2010 Favourite band or singer: Nek and Adele

Best Italian movie: La Vita è Bella Italian soccer team: AC Milan Dream car: Ferrari 458 or Maserati Granturismo S What you like most about our magazine: That it has a little something for everyone all while keeping our culture, traditions and history alive Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Taste of Little Italy Thing about you that would surprise most people: I’m terrified of birds Best coffee in Toronto: Golden Wheat Bakery Best pizza in Toronto: Regina Pizzeria Most common name in your family: Francesco (10+)

You know you were raised Italian when: When you refer to the most common household items in Italian and the English translation eludes you Italian artist or actor you would like to meet: Roberto Benigni Spaghetti o penne: Penne (rigate) Favourite flavour of gelato: Bacio Favourite Italian song: Vivo per Lei by Andrea Bocelli and Tutto di te by Nek Favourite Italian city: Venice Best memory growing up as Italian: Big family get togethers; our infamous family picnic meetings; dancing the tarantella with my dad and I couldn’t leave out the 2006 World Cup win!

See all past profiles on panoramitalia.com

Lifestyle

Gian Paolo Testa Nickname: GP Occupation: Bar manager at Bestellen & freelance copywriter Age: 26 Generation: Second Dad from: Patrica, Lazio Mom from: Pisticci, Basilicata Speaks: English & Italian Raised in: Toronto Passion: Food, wine and principles Clothes: Etro shirt, Levis pants, Generic Man shoes, Costume Nationale coat, Uniform Wares watch Favourite designer: Etro Boutique: Nomad and Uncle Otis Favourite dish: Bucatini con acciughe e pane grattugiato Best pizza in Toronto: Terroni (Queen St) Absolute must in the pantry: Extra virgin olive oil Type of wine/drink: Cannonau di Sardegna Favourite Italian saying or quote: “E dai, facciamoci una doppietta…”

Last time you went to Italy: 2008 (too long)

Favourite band: The Doors Best Italian movie: Ladri di Biciclette Italian soccer team: SS Lazio Sexiest Italian: Melita Toniola Dream car: Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Turning a small dinner into a large gathering Thing about you that would surprise most people: I was runner-up to appear in a Chef Boyardee commercial Best coffee in Toronto: Anywhere that serves Rufino coffee and LIT Pet peeve: Having too many people cooking in the kitchen at once

You know you are Italian when or if: You force feed house guests Your fashion idol: André Lauren Benjamin Favourite thing to do in Toronto: Ride my bike aimlessly Most common name in your family: Names beginning with Gian (3) You know you were raised Italian when: You wake up Saturdays to the sound of a vacuum Favourite flavour of gelato: Frutti di bosco Favourite Italian song: L’appuntamento by Ornella Vanoni Best memory growing up as Italian: Making fresh pasta with nonna Plans for Easter: Typical 25+ person meal

45

Daniella Pascarella Nickname: Dee, Pasc Occupation: Sales Administrator at Mercedes-Benz Maple Age: 25 Generation: Second Dad from: Baia Latina, Campania Nonni from mom’s side from: Monteleone di Puglia, Puglia Speaks: English and some Italian ‘Tinaruolo’ Raised in: Woodbridge Passion: Working hard, shoes and playing soccer Clothes: Dynamite blazer, Forever 21 jeans & top, Arturo Chiang boots Boutique: Coco Rosie Boutique Restaurant: Dessert Plus Favourite dish: Arancini Absolute must in the pantry: Nutella Type of wine/drink: Prosecco con Aperol Favourite Italian saying or quote: “Benedica” Last time you went to Italy: 1998 Favourite band or singer: Kings of Leon Best Italian movie: Ciao Professore Italian soccer team: Napoli

Sexiest Italian: Fabio Cannavaro What you like most about our magazine: It offers more then just advertising. It presents the rich Italian culture and traditions in an interesting way, and keeps Italian-Canadians informed Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: A walk on College St., a wood oven pizza and a gelato Favourite flavour of gelato: Cioccolato and Banana Best pizza in Toronto: Pizzeria Libretto Thing about you that would surprise most people: I don’t care for pasta, but I love penne alla vodka Pet peeve: Close talkers

To be considered for a photoshoot in future Living Italian Style sections, simply like Panoram Italian on Facebook, and express your interest on our wall. An administrator will get back to you with further details.

Favourite thing to do in Toronto: Rollerblading along Lake Shore Most common name in your family: Margherita (7) You know you were raised Italian when: Pasta is a staple for lunch and dinner, homemade sausage is hanging in the cantina in February and in September its time to pick tomatoes and make sauce Favourite Italian song: La notte dei desideri by Jovanotti Favourite Italian city: Rome Plans for Easter: Spend time with family and make our traditional pizza stuffed with eggs, homemade sausage and homemade cheese (“calacione”)

Lifestyle

46

Tu Vuò Fa'

By Alessia Sara Domanico

It appears effortlessly put together, so much so that one may never assume just how much creative and logistical energy is poured into that ‘Made in Italy’ style. The quintessential Italian man has remained a fashion hero for decades, evident still today in Italy’s metropolitan centres.

L’Italiano?

e spot our hero often around town in a made to measure suit with a copy of Gazzetta dello Sport tucked under his arm. He takes his espresso standing at the bar while he has a morning chat on his Bluetooth handset. His shirt is colourful or patterned, obviously creaseless, tie: woven, jacket: slim fitting and trousers stop just at the ankle to reveal pricy leather loafers that match his belt and are worn without socks (a summer 2012 menswear must). If we could transport that everyday bourgeois Italian style to the men of our fair Canadian cities, then we may just have it all.

Fashion has become universal, but demanding markets still look to Italy for trends, especially when it comes to menswear. The abito su misura, (made to measure suit) is arguably the most valuable Italian fashion export of the past generation. In the 1950s, it was Battistoni in Rome who Marlon Brando, Kirk Douglas and Humphrey Bogart sought out for their one-of-a-kind fine Italian suits.

Brands like Ermenegildo Zegna, Brioni and Canali still pride themselves on offering these personalized services that examine the posture and physical attributes of gentleman clients in order to craft his ensemble. Neapolitan tie masters E. Marinella became a phenomenon in Japan based solely on a word of mouth reputation. Their small shop in Naples’ trendy Chiaia district was systematically invaded by Asian businessmen before they got their own dedicated boutique in Tokyo several years ago. Burberry may be a British brand, but it’s no secret that a great chunk of their menswear and fine leather goods are handcrafted on Italian soil using the ‘Made in Italy’ savoir-faire.

This spring 2012 season, embrace that effortless Italian style with bold and vibrant colours. Choose lightweight suit jackets in linen or cotton and pair them with denim or chinos. Whether sandals, brogues, lace ups or slip on loafers, remember no socks and woven ties are a great bet this season in the place of classic silk ones. Use our recommended pieces shown here and you’ll look ready to step off a yacht in Portofino. v

Brioni

W

Ermenegildo Zegna

Versace

ZZegna

Versace

Lifestyle

47

Gucci

appeal

Versace

Gucci

By Alessia Sara Domanico

From flapper girls to disco queens, nostalgia for past eras is dominating the fashion industry. Trends have been recycled before, but never to the extent that we’ve seen over the past few years. Collection after collection, major designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs blatantly refer to a decade or figure of the past century as a source of inspiration. Retro fever has also hit popular culture from the upcoming film remake of “The Great Gatsby” to the CW’s hit drama Gossip Girl opening its 100th episode with a replication of Marilyn Monroe’s epic “Diamond’s are a Girl’s Best Friend.” ashion is one of the sole industries that can truly revive an archive and this season it is most noticeable at brands like Ralph Lauren, whose new Gatsby-esque collection includes slinky white silk dresses, cloche hats, feather boas and strings of pearls contrasted against masculine, tailored suits paired with pink silk ties. Gucci also embraces the Roaring Twenties with a bold collection of Art Deco designs done completely in white, black, emerald and gold.

The collection takes inspiration form iconic Twenties architecture such as New York’s Chrysler Building, which is most evident in the brand’s accessories that boast gilded high heels and boxy golden clutches. At Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld paid homage to the parisienne flair of the Twenties by bringing back the maison’s trademark tweeds, mille-feuille pleats, feathers and cardigans.

Fast-forward to the Fifties and you’ll see that Louis Vuitton has been busy crafting the ultimate debutante ball.

Their fashion show was a dream come to life with models donning beehive hairdos and tiaras while sitting on a moving white carousel. Candy colours like mint, bubblegum pink, lemon drop yellow and baby blue were splashed on oversized lace collars, buttonless evening jackets and prom-style dresses for an “Earth Angel” effect.

Prada embraced the muscle cars and Letterman jackets of the Fifties by printing caricature cars and girls all over its readyto-wear line as well as adding 3D flames to the backs of high heeled shoes and sunglass frames. The Swinging Sixties are alive and well at Burberry, while Versace brought back Seventies disco glam with its studded collection of party girl outfits.

If your mom didn’t hang onto her old (once again fabulous) clothes and second-hand shopping isn’t for you, thanks to this hot trend you’ll be sure to find a brand new piece straight off the rack with that aged flair you need to rock a vintage chic style. v

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Valentino

Burberry

Burberry

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pasquali in

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Riti e tradizioni

Tommaso Altrui

A differenza del giorno di Natale, che viene celebrato il 25 dicembre nella maggior parte del mondo, il giorno di Pasqua, festa religiosa in cui i cristiani rievocano la morte e la risurrezione di Gesù Cristo, non capita nello stesso giorno, ma cambia da paese a paese. Questa ricorrenza può essere considerata una sorta di commemorazione storico-religiosa, che riassume i più importanti eventi degli ultimi giorni della vita di Gesù. a celebrazione solenne della Pasqua, le ricreazioni drammatiche della sofferenza, della morte e la gioia della Risurrezione di Cristo viene celebrata in Italia con unicità diverse, come la sua gente.In Sicilia, in particolare, nelle grandi città e nei piccoli villaggi allo stesso modo, le processioni si snodano attraverso le strette vie e piazze.

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Trapani

Probabilmente, le manifestazioni religiose più rinomate sono i "misteri" di Trapani del Venerdì Santo, in cui i paesani trasportano statue per le strade. Ogni statua rappresenta una delle stazioni della croce ed esse sono tutte realizzate dalle varie corporazioni locali. Migliaia di siciliani in fila per le strade attendono l'arrivo della Vergine Maria "in cerca" di suo figlio.

Erice e Busetto

Erice e Busetto Palazzolo, in provincia di Trapani, hanno suggestive processioni del Venerdì Santo. A Erice le statue vengono trasportate attraverso la città, mentre a Busetto, vi è una ricreazione meravigliosa in costume delle Stazioni della Via Crucis.

Partanna-Mondello

In Partanna-Mondello, un sobborgo di Palermo, la settimana di Pasqua viene celebrata con rievocazioni in costume dell’arrivo di Cristo a Gerusalemme. Migliaia di abitanti partecipano a questo evento e l'atmosfera è di grande devozione.

Piana degli Albanesi

Di grande interesse, è la città montana di Piana degli Albanesi a sud di Palermo.

Come suggerisce il nome, Piana degli Albanesi è stata fondata da immigrati albanesi

A rts in fuga da una invasione turca nel 1488. Nonostante sia una città un po' isolata essa è riuscita a conservare gran parte delle sue tradizioni, tra le quali la celebrazione della Pasqua ortodossa. La Domenica delle Palme, si svolge una processione per le strade in occasione dell'arrivo di Gesù a Gerusalemme. La festa continua per tutta la settimana fino alla Domenica di Pasqua, quando gli abitanti indossano gli abiti tradizionali del XV secolo e con le mani benedette vengono dipinte di rosso le uova.

Dopo la Messa si svolge la processione del Sacro Velo, un pezzo di stoffa in cui i credenti possono rappresentare il volto di Cristo.

San Martino

A San Martino delle Scale, un piccolo villaggio nascosto tra le montagne appena dietro Palermo,il Lunedi di Pasqua, i monaci del monastero benedettino celebrano la Pasqua e l'arrivo della primavera liberando gli uccelli che si sono salvati dal duro inverno vissuto in montagna. Gli uccelli sono conservati in una grande voliera appositamente costruita e la loro emissione è parte di una tradizione che risale a oltre 300 anni. L'arrivo della primavera è anche celebrata con enormi composizioni floreali accompagnate da canti gregoriani che creano una splendida atmosfera di festa.

Caccamo

La Domenica delle Palme, a Caccamo, una montagna orientale della città di Palermo, ospita una processione denominata “U Signuruzzu uno Cavaddu". Al mattino le campane delle tante chiese segnalano l'avvio del procedimento e il chierichetto, cavalcando un asino, viene accompagnato per le strade dalla banda locale e da 12 bambini vestiti con tuniche rosse. Per tre ore visitano le chiese della città, ricevendo, da ognuno una calorosa accoglienza.

Prizzi

Nel frattempo, in Prizzi, sulle colline a sud di Palermo, un evento molto diverso si svolge nella Domenica di Pasqua, la cosiddetta “Danza dei Diavoli”. Vestiti di rosso e nero, maschere sataniche completi di corna e nasi grotteschi, limitano i passanti ad acquistare le bevande (una metafora per rubare le loro anime). Nella lotta che ne consegue tra il bene e il male, è Cristo e la Madonna che trionfano. Durante i festeggiamenti successivi i diavoli sono "costretti" a prendere da bere e in cannateddi, un dolce tipico pasquale, viene gratuitamente distribuito.

Adrano

La Domenica di Pasqua in Adrano, a sud-ovest fianchi del Monte Etna, il trionfo del bene sul male viene celebrato con la "Diavolata". Nella piazza centrale, viene eretto

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un palco e diviso in due parti: una dedicata all'Inferno, abitata dal diavolo e cinque demoni, e l'altro al cielo. La Diavolata è, in effetti, un gioco in cui un angelo combatte contro il Diavolo, cercando di fargli pronunciare le parole "Viva Maria".

Modica

La Domenica di Pasqua a Modica si caratterizza per la solenne processione della "Madonna Vasa Vasa". Una statua della Madonna viene portata in giro per la città prima di arrivare a Piazza San Domenico dove si incontra una statua di Gesù e lo bacia.

Scicli

Infine a Scicli, nella Domenica delle Palme un'antica statua della Madonna della Pietà- scoperta intorno al 1000 dC, dopo essere stata nascosta dai Saraceni per diverse centinaia di anni - viene trasferita dalla Chiesa di Santa Maria La Nova alla Chiesa del Carmine. v

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Honestly Speaking with

Stuck On Planet Earth

By Ola Mazzuca Photos by Juliette Jagger

Honesty is the best policy for Stuck On Planet Earth, the Vaughan-based alt-rock band with three EPs since their start in 2007, and one on the way.

“To be a good artist, you have to be honest,” says bassist/vocalist Al Capo.

“Whether we’re playing live to one person or 500 people, our genuine sincerity transcends everything.” apo describes Stuck On Planet Earth (SOPE) as “creative guys that happen to be Italian, play music and grew up in the same community,” which gave him and guitarist /vocalist Adam Bianchi their start as punk rockers in Expo.

After attending St. Michael’s College, an all-boy’s private school, Capo and Bianchi’s musical tastes began to mature upon meeting drummer Andrew Testa at defunct Toronto venue, The Rockit, where he was playing with another band.

Although the three attended strict educational institutions, they formed a bond by mutual passion for music and a sense of rebellion.

Influenced by contrasting sounds of the Police and Nirvana, SOPE also listened to Italian artists Zero Assoluto and Subsonica for different aural perspectives.

In 2007, SOPE hit the road for “The Backpack Tour”; traveling to different schools across Ontario to play an acoustic set outside at the last bell. Capo says the tour helped build a local fan base, despite trouble with authority.

“Most of the time we’d get kicked off school property by teachers, principals or the police,” he says. “But we’d get a lot of fans because we’d show up unexpected, play our songs and meet a lot of kids.”

The Backpack Tour brought opportunity for SOPE, recording their first self-titled EP shortly after with Plus Minus following in 2009.

Their latest EP, Realities, hit 40 national college rock and XM satellite radio airwaves last year with singles “Honestly Speaking” and “Gone”, garnering three tours in a span of six months.

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Being on the road for long periods of time can be a challenge, but that’s where SOPE are “most proud to be Italian.”

Testa is a trained chef and brings a stove with him in the van, while Bianchi values cleanliness when things start to resemble “month old sandwiches” in the vehicles of fellow bands.

Cultural values and creativity are not innate for SOPE, but derived from workingclass backgrounds. From attending their sold out Opera House show before an audience of 1000 last December to watching a live acoustic set on CHINTV, family is a main support system. “My grandfather used to share a joke with me and said, ‘when I was young, I used to be a musician - I played le palate! (abruzzese word for ‘spanking’)’” Testa says, using hand gestures to recount a memory with his biggest fan. “When our families saw us perform in front of that amount of people, it proved to them that we work hard.”

The band keep a porcelain capicollo sausage and wine carafe present in their practice space as Italian symbols to remind them of where they come from and how this will support them in life and on the road.

They remain true to their heritage with plans of recording the track “I Don’t Believe” from their album Realities, in Italian as “Io Non Credo” – possibly in a Tuscan villa, something Capo believes would be “bad ass”.

“We’ve never been followers,” he says.

“There are a million scenes and a million bands to come out that all sound the same, yet we’ve always held our ground and been consistent that way.” v

175 King St. Ter a Co a ON T. 905.873.2223 F. 905.873.6270 www.co a.ca

April 2012 tour dates: April 1 - Jimmy Jazz, Guelph, ON April 2 - The Spill, Peterborough, ON April 3 - The Mansion, Kingston, ON April 4 - Avant-Garde Bar, Ottawa, ON April 5 - Le Pirhana, Montreal, QC

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"Volevo che la

musica mi seguisse" Alessio Galletti

Vincent John Vincent racconta la storia dell'invenzione nata a Toronto che potrebbe cambiare il modo in cui facciamo tutto uoversi a tempo di musica non bastava più, era la musica che doveva muoversi con lui. Un’idea semplice quella di Vincent John Vincent, ma al tempo stesso così rivoluzionaria che al mondo è servito un quarto di secolo per capirla fino in fondo. Se i videogiochi hanno insegnato a una generazione, nel giro di cinque anni, cosa sia il gesture control, in tanti rischiano di non sapere quanto sia grande il debito nei confronti del performer e musicista e del suo socio Francis MacDougall, programmatore. È a lui che nel 1983 il ballerino e studente di psicoterapia di origine italiane confidò la sua idea, dando vita a un sodalizio che dura ancora oggi e che ha portato alla creazione della GestureTek, la compagnia con base a Toronto a cui giganti come Microsoft e Sony si sono dovuti rivolgere per creare i loro prodotti più avanzati, come il Kinect. Un successo che è stato riconosciuto anche lo scorso ottobre quando il nome di Vincent John Vincent è stato il primo a entrare nella Digifest Hall of Fame dell’omonimo Festival di Toronto dedicato ai “pionieri digitali” canadesi.

“Come ballerino ero abituato a muovermi seguendo la musica, con il mio corpo che reagiva ai suoni e al ritmo – racconta oggi – Quello che volevo era però poter cambiare la musica con i miei movimenti”. Il corpo doveva essere libero, immerso in un ambiente virtuale senza i legacci di un visore, di guanti o di qualsiasi altra forma di controller tanto in voga tra gli autori di fantascienza di una decina d’anni fa e oggi finiti nel dimenticatoio.

Come Vincent ha ripetuto più volte, anche recentemente sul palco di TEDx a Waterloo, la città universitaria da dove è partito il progetto, l’idea era creare lo strumento ultimo per performance artistiche. Con questa visione lui e MacDougall hanno aperto la porta a un approccio completamente diverso che, invece di creare nuove barriere e mediazioni tra il reale e il virtuale, di fatto ricuciva i due mondi fino a renderli indistinguibili. Un progetto che risulta ambizioso ancora oggi, ma che all’epoca sembrava inimmaginabile, tanto che i primi tentativi di raccogliere capitali per realizzarlo andarono a vuoto.

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La svolta fu l’uscita dell’Amiga, un computer rivoluzionario per gli anni Ottanta, che portava in dote una scheda grafica e altro ancora che, insieme a una videocamera, avrebbe permesso di realizzare il sogno di Vincent. “Ci trovammo un loft e, con l’unica distrazione di una vasca vicino alla finestra per qualche momento di relax, non facemmo altro che lavorare per otto mesi”.

Il primo risultato era un sistema capace di leggere la sagoma dell’utente e di farla interagire con strumenti musicali virtuali che esistevano solo dentro il computer: una mano colpiva nel vuoto e sullo schermo e dagli speaker rispondeva un colpo di un tamburo. Oppure una mano pizzicava una corda invisibile e un’arpa risuonava nella stanza.

Oggi sono passati quasi 30 anni da quanto Vincent ha immaginato per la prima volta quello che sarebbe stato il futuro, quella tecnologia creata insieme a MacDougall si è sviluppata con applicazioni che spaziano nei campi più disparati, dal marketing alla fisioterapia, dalla video conferenza ai videogiochi. E la capacità di leggere il movimento nello spazio potrebbe essere presto inclusa anche in automobili, televisori e altri ambiti ancora. Eppure, Vincent John Vincent è pronto a scommetterci, il meglio deve ancora venire. “Sono oltre vent’anni che assisto alla realizzazione di progetti innovativi, ma ciò che abbiamo visto fino ad oggi è solo l’inizio”. È arrivata la rete a cambiare le carte in tavola, aprendo alla possibilità dell’interazione nello stesso spazio virtuale tra più persone da luoghi reali diversi. Si immagini ad esempio una riunione con persone che si collegano dai quattro angoli della terra che si possono passare fogli, indicare diapositive e altro ancora con gli stessi gesti e la stessa immediatezza di un incontro tradizionale. Ma soprattutto sono arrivate le telecamere tridimensionali a prezzi accessibili per il grande pubblico. La loro risoluzione è ancora molto limitata e con questo la loro capacità di leggere i movimenti.

Ma come è già accaduto per le macchine fotografiche digitali, la loro risoluzione è solo destinata ad aumentare e con lei le possibilità che questa nuova tecnologia racchiude per la vita di tutti i giorni. v

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& Cu l tu re Bruno Billio outside De Luca Gallery

Stacked IKEA chairs exhibit Photo: Bruno Billio

Bruno Billio Photo: Gil Reynolds

The Space Reveals All

By Diana Di Mauro

Bruno Billio is a sculptor, installation artist, interior designer and consultant currently residing at the Gladstone Hotel, one of the most artistic venues of Queen Street West. His towering physique and tailored style fit perfectly into the organized, visually appealing and vertically structured space. started doing a lot of vertical work because of the limitation of space, and the power you get from going high, going tall,” says Billio about the design of the interior. “Being tall myself I realized at an early age that I stood out because I was tall.

Something tall grabs attention from the viewer, it becomes larger than life as well, which allows people to kind of dive into the experiences. It can almost wash over you.”

The walls of his room are elongated by towering yellow and black stacked sculptures originally created for the Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art. A series of identical yellow rhinoceroses with glittering rhinestone eyes hide coyly in a glass cabinet, peeking out from over his shoulder and creating the effect of a magical yellow herd.

The youngest of four children, Bruno was born and raised in Toronto and lived in Italy and England before returning to his Canadian roots. When he lived at home with his siblings, parents and grandparents, he made wine, preserves and prosciutti while enjoying many big family dinners. He grew up in a bit of a time warp, feeling the great separation of the reality of Italy and the fantasy of trying to relive the childhood that his parents had.

“My inspiration, I think, from the beginning of my career was my parents and my upbringing. Oddly enough, it was an expression of how I felt being who I was in my family, being Italian and Canadian. It really was a digestion of the ideas I had in my head and how to decipher these ideas through the language which is my art and my sculpture.”

A main theme of his work involves stacking objects, creating obvious hazards for the artist and the observer. “Things fall down less and less. Part of the work is that it does fall. Things do get built up and they do come crashing down. I never fought that, making something so permanent and rigid. Everything I do is just stacked.”

For one project, Bruno was given free range over products at IKEA. He was invited to create anything he wanted, using as much product as he desired, to the

“I

All about freshness

www.yangsushi.com

Photo: Gil Reynolds

Bruno Billio's 15 year retrospective, De Luca Gallery

tune of him ordering eight hundred chairs and stools, though he ended up using sixty chairs in the end.

He began by stacking. He wanted to go as high as he possibly could, supporting the chairs as he went to prevent them from tipping over. He stacked them almost to the ceiling, then at one point he took the support stick out and the entire stack bent, making a huge cracking sound. At once the stack fell into itself and locked into place. The chairs became the basis of a philosophical question, challenging the artist’s perception of the objects and then leaving the rest up to the viewer.

The height and instability of his sculptures evoke a sense of tension and excitement through the play of height, balance and proportion. The IKEA chairs are a good example of this, as is the twelve foot tall sculpture that sits in the lobby of the Hazelton Hotel. Built of precariously stacked luggage and trunks made of nickel, the smallest trunks are at the bottom while the largest sit at the top, creating a magical visual illusion.

His first series of sculptures, made at the age of twenty-four, were stacks of his personal objects, “There was no alcohol; there were no drugs. I don’t even think I had much to eat that day, but I was in this euphoric state of just creating and seeing the beauty in nothing.”

Though Bruno acknowledges how difficult it is to make a career in art, and having moments where one lacks the strength or clarity of what they are doing, he maintains that “I don’t have a choice to create or not to create, just like I don’t have a choice to breathe or not to breathe.”

Bruno’s upcoming work includes artistic direction of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Massive Party, the restoration of The Great Hall and Restaurant, and work with the Pan American Games. He would like to make a return to the Venice Biennale, where he previously participated as an artist in the Canadian pavilion and made his entrance by canoeing across the Grand Canal and building a log cabin out of wood shipped from the great white North. v

905-761-0268

3255 RUTHERFORD ROAD. Unit 15-18 Concord. Ont. L4K 5Y5

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Monica Gerli

Co-diretto da Luca Ragazzi e Gustav Hofer, il documentario Italy: love it or leave it, nasce dalla loro indecisione, comune a migliaia di giovani italiani alle prese con la dura realtà di un paese apparentemente statico: partire o restare per cercare di cambiare le cose?

Attraverso un viaggio nell’Italia di oggi, i due registi cercano di capire se esista ancora una speranza per le nuove generazioni. uca, giornalista, critico cinematografico e fotografo romano e Gustav, conduttore televisivo e regista originario di Bolzano, debuttano nel 2008 con il film Improvvisamente l’inverno scorso, che riceve una menzione speciale al festival di Berlino, nonché il Nastro d’Argento nel 2009.

Proiettato in prima mondiale al Milano Film Festival lo scorso settembre 2011, Italy: love it or leave it sarà ospite a Toronto per il festival Hot Docs 2012.

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Panoram Italia: Dopo l’enorme successo del vostro primo film, quali sono le aspettative per questo nuovo progetto?

Luca Ragazzi: “Ovviamente, dopo il successo insperato e non preventivato del primo film questa volta avevamo molta paura di deludere le aspettative, ma alla sua prima mondiale abbiamo vinto come Miglior film e come Premio del pubblico. Sapere che il proprio lavoro è arrivato a parlare alle persone è una grande soddisfazione”.

PI: Sembra crediate in un “futuro” per le nuove generazioni...

LR: “Gli italiani stanno imparando a proprie spese che per troppo tempo si sono ancorati al passato glorioso che il nostrio paese ha vissuto tra gli anni '50 e '60.

Eravamo i primi in tutto: nel cinema, nella moda, nella letteratura, nel design. Oggi la situazione è drammatica perché non è mai avvenuto un ricambio generazionale e l'Italia è ancora ostaggio di quelle persone che la governavano a tutti i livelli 40 anni fa. Non appena ci sarà il passaggio di consegne e alle giovani generazioni verrà finalmente data la possibilità di gestire questo paese, siamo sicuri che le cose cambieranno in meglio e entreremo anche noi (seppur tardivamente) nel terzo millennio”.

PI: Come pensate debbano (o possano) cercare di cambiare i giovani italiani?

LR: “I giovani italiani non hanno colpe, somo semmai i loro genitori che hanno sbagliato facendoli sentire iperprotetti, al riparo da ogni rischio. Ma era anche difficile fare altrimenti, in un paese che ha salari bassissimi, affitti altissimi e contratti a tempo

determinato. Non riuscendo a farsi una propria famiglia i giovani italiani sono rimasti eterni bambini”.

PI: Gustav ha studiato e vissuto a Vienna e a Londra, Luca ha vissuto a New York.

Ritenete utile studiare o lavorare all’estero per un periodo per poi ristabilirsi in Italia?

LR: “Entrambi riteniamo fondamentale la possibilità di un esperienza all'estero, anche e non solo per vedere il proprio paese da lontano e con una certa oggettività. È bello poter viaggiare e vivere all'estero ma è anche bello pensare di tornare a casa e mettere a frutto quanto imparato altrove. Con il nostro film non volevamo dire che è sbagliato andar via, ma solo cercare di spostare l'attenzione dal bicchiere mezzo vuoto a quello mezzo pieno”.

PI: Siete tra i pochi che attraverso il proprio lavoro cinematografico ricercano le ragioni per cui gli italiani dovrebbero restare e non vice versa.

LR: “Sapevamo che, se mai avessimo fatto un secondo documentario, sarebbe stato su qualcosa che ci riguardava molto da vicino. Purtropppo tutti i nostri più cari amici, hanno scelto negli ultimi tre anni di andarsene: chi a Berlino, chi a Barcellona, chi a Londra altri addirittura in Nuova Zelanda. Anche noi ci siamo posti la domanda se restare o partire e abbiamo deciso che sarebbe stato il tema del film”.

PI: Che tipo di reazione ha avuto il pubblico italiano all’estero?

LR: “C'è un momento molto significativo del film in cui lo scrittore Andrea Camilleri dice che chi abbandona il paese che affonda è come un disertore che scappa da un paese in guerra anziché combattere. Anche se evidentemente il paragone che Camilleri fa va visto come una provocazione intelligente, alcuni italiani all'estero presenti in sala si sono sentiti accusati o offesi. Altri invece si sono commossi e ci hanno ringraziato”.

PI: Pensate che il vostro punto di vista possa avere una certa influenza?

LR: “Volevamo far vedere i tanti problemi che il nostro paese sta vivendo ma anche la soluzione a questi problemi, che sta nelle persone, nella loro generosità e nella loro passione. Cose non così facilmente reperibili altrove. In Italia manca la fiducia nello stato e così spesso siamo condannati a rimboccarci le maniche e a fare si che le cose cambino dal basso. Nel documentario non diamo risposte definitive ma semmai induciamo lo spettatore a farsi delle domande”. v

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Bata Shoe 54

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Un fiorentino alla guida del

Museum

Emanuele Lepri: "Sono arrivato in Canada per le scarpe, resto per i valori"

Letizia Tesi

Con le scarpe è un amante fedele, ma non uno “shoeaholic”. Emanuele Lepri, italiano doc, fiorentino di nascita e canadese di adozione, è il direttore del Bata Shoe Museum dal 2004. A Toronto e nel regno delle scarpe, fondato da Sonja Bata, c’è arrivato un po’ per caso un po’ per “una sorta di messaggio dall’alto”. o risposto ad una email dei cosiddetti “cacciatori di teste” che cercavano un nuovo direttore, segnalando altri musei della calzatura. All’epoca dirigevo il Museo del Tessuto di Prato e non avevo preso minimamente in considerazione la possibilità di presentarmi come candidato. Invece, poco prima di partire per le vacanze, nell’estate del 2003, mi hanno chiamato e mi hanno proposto di candidarmi.

Ho detto “No, grazie” e sono partito per la Grecia con un romanzo di Vikram Seth, Il ragazzo giusto, la storia di una giovane indiana alla ricerca del marito ideale. La scelta alla fine ricade su un manager di Bata India, e c’è addirittura un punto in cui viene descritta una visita della signora e del signor Bata allo stabilimento indiano. L’ho interpretato come un segno e al ritorno dalle vacanze ho fatto domanda”.

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Panoram Italia: Com’è cambiato il Bata Shoe Museum sotto la sua direzione?

Emanuele Lepri: “In questi anni ho cercato di costruire i servizi di comunicazione e di accesso alla struttura, rafforzando per esempio l’uso dei social media. Uno dei miei obiettivi è stato anche aprire un dialogo con l’aspetto multiculturale di Toronto, ossia cavalcare la sua tendenza alla modernità e all’interesse per gli aspetti umani di un oggetto più che per quelli tecnici. Volevo che il museo riflettesse la società contemporanea e il microcosmo torontino, diventando parte integrante del territorio in cui vive.

Oggi, infatti, il Bata non è più solo una meta turistica, ma anche un luogo di incontro per le famiglie e per i giovani”.

PI: C’è qualcosa di italiano nel suo modo di lavorare?

EL: “Sì, il mio stile di management è fortemente italiano e si richiama un po’ al concetto della piazza. Il percorso decisionale non avviene attraverso forme istituzionalizzate

tipo meeting e circolari, ma attraverso un flusso constante di idee condivise.

Un percorso a volte un po’ farraginoso, ma che assicura un forte spirito di squadra”.

PI: Ha incontrato difficoltà?

EL: “Inizialmente c’è stato un po’ di scettismo, ma poi è stato superato perché, come diceva Don Milani, “I care”. È questa è una delle caratteristiche essenziali per chi lavora nei musei: non si sceglie questa professione per guadagnare o per mania di apparire perché è un lavoro modesto che si svolge per lo più dietro le quinte, ma lo si fa perché ci si appassiona alle collezioni e si desidera condividerle. I musei sono luoghi di rispetto: degli oggetti, dei colleghi, dei visitatori”.

PI: In che modo il Canada ha cambiato la sua vita?

EL: “Il Canada è entrato nella mia vita in modo inaspettato, come un’amicizia che si consolida pian piano. Non ha il fascino prepotente di altre nazioni, il suo è molto più sottile e delicato, però, col tempo riesce ad entrarti dentro in modo forte. Il Canada ha confermato i valori su cui voglio impostare la mia vita, che qui sono condivisi dalla maggioranza, mentre purtroppo in Italia mi sentivo parte di una minoranza. Questo paese mi ha reso più equilibrato e più in pace con me stesso”.

PI: Quali sono questi valori?

EL: “Il rispetto, la tolleranza e l’onestà. In una parola quello che in inglese si dice decency”.

PI: Da italiano all’estero come ha vissuto la fine dell’era Berlusconi nei mesi scorsi?

EL: “Con imbarazzo, sconcerto e umiliazione, sentimenti che ho provato per 18 anni consecutivi, non solo l’anno scorso. Ricordo esattamente il momento in cui ho deciso di chiedere la cittadinanza canadese. È stato durante un viaggio di Berlusconi in Brasile, quando è venuta fuori la notizia dell’ennesima battuta sulle sue prestazioni sessuali con una cameriera dell’albergo. A quel punto ho detto: “Basta”.

PI: È cambiato il suo rapporto con le scarpe da quando lavora al Bata?

EL: “Ho sempre avuto un rapporto affettivo con le mie scarpe. Le donne sono spesso amanti infedeli, adorano acquistarle ma si stufano alla svelta e passano subito a un altro “amante”, e in genere con le scarpe sono anche poliamorose. Noi uomini, invece, ci concentriamo su due o tre paia e sviluppiamo con le scarpe un rapporto di “amorosi sensi” finché le consumiamo totalmente”. v

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56

Events

Vaughan Hospital begins stage two planning

7th annual Dancing for the Children fundraiser Photographer Gmax Photo-Video - Massimiliano Galassi

Amber and Abby Bettencourt

The evening of February 4 proved to be a magical night for all of those involved with the 7th annual Dancing for the Children fundraiser. The charity dance, which was hosted by Ciao Bella dance studio at 5451 Highway 7 in Woodbridge, surpassed the success of its past editions by raising more money than ever before. The $38,000 raised is slated for the Hospital for Sick Children as well as National Service Dogs, a non-profit charity specializing in breeding, training and placing Labrador and Golden Retrievers with autistic children. But there was more to come. Twin sisters Amber and Abby Bettencourt turned the night into something quite special as they made a generous offer to cut their hair (the sisters had never had their hair cut before). Their hair was given to another charitable organization, Angel Hair for Kids, which makes wigs for cancer patients. The young girls also got a special treat as their hair was cut and styled by Antonio and Bruno Gaudio, owners of Sublime Salon in Maple, Ontario.

(Rita Simonetta)

Cooks for the Cause

1.

John Langs, chair of the Central Local Health Integration Network (left), Hospital president and CEO Altaf Stationwala, Vaughan MPP Greg Sorbara, Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and hospital board member Lou Fortini

It’s official – Vaughan’s upcoming Vaughan Hospital is becoming a reality with an important second step. Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua held a press conference in February to announce that the Province of Ontario has given the green light to stage two planning for the new facility, which will be located at Major Mackenzie Drive and Jane Street.

“This announcement is an example of what effective partnerships can deliver to the residents of our city,” said Bevilacqua. “Through disciplined effort and cooperation, this important city building project is moving forward and progressing.”

This second phase will allow the hospital to further zero in on the size and scope of the services that it will offer to the citizens of the city in terms of bed numbers and a refinement of the architectural plan.

York Central Hospital (YCH) is planning and developing the Vaughan facility.

Upon completion of the new building, YCH will operate a Health System comprising two full-service hospitals. (Rita Simonetta)

Rally for Vita Photographer: Alex Papa

No. 1: Cooks for the Cause Host Chef Luigi Beccati No. 2: Vaughan Health Care Foundation Chair, Sam Ciccolini with wife Donna (left) and Michelle Fuerst

Food gives and sustains life 2. and there’s nothing like a good meal to bring out the best in everyone. That was the case at the February 23 Cooks for the Cause fundraiser in support of the Vaughan Health Care Foundation. The dinner, which was held at A1 autostrada in Woodbridge, was a feast fit for kings and queens as lucky guests were treated to a sixcourse meal along with a wine pairing for each course.

Tuscany and all its culinary delights was the focus of the menu that was created by autostrada’s chef Luigi Beccati as well as Alida Solomon of Tutti Matti. Host chef Beccati and special guest chef Solomon served up plenty of mouth-watering dishes that were complemented by wines courtesy of Malivoire Vineyards and the Profile Wine Group. Guests were also treated to a performance by Canada’s very own Michael Burgess. Also included on the itinerary was a silent auction that included a 30 kg Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and two prosciuttos direct from il Bel Paese. Funds raised will go toward developing a hospital within a campus of care in Vaughan. (Rita Simonetta)

The Honourable David Onley (centre) with (left-right) Brian Naraine, Dunja Monaghan, Pal Di Iulio Executive Director of Villa Charities and Mrs. Onley

Vita Community Living Services got its engine revved up on Tuesday, February 28, when it unveiled its new MV-1, the first vehicle designed specially to meet the needs of those with physical disabilities. The MV-1 is a perfect addition to Vita Community Living Services, an organization that provides resources and various services for people with intellectual and physical disabilities throughout the Toronto and York regions. The organization purchased the new vehicle thanks to the funds it raised at its Rally for Vita motorcycle rally from Toronto to Barrie this past September. The MV-1, which is built and designed in the United States, got a special welcoming at the Columbus Centre with the help of Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David Onley. Vita Community Living Services is not slowing down now that it has its state-of-the-art vehicle; in fact, the organization has already planned its second annual motorcycle ride on Sunday, September 16 with all funds raised to go toward the MV-1. For more information about the organization and rally visit www.rallyforvita.com.

(Rita Simonetta)

Events

A Cure in the Future 6th Annual Retro Gala Retro Gala Committee: Back Row: Lilly Petrini, Diane Ciampaglia, Maria Isopo, John Isopo, Paul Paniccia, Maria Luisa Bianchi and Yolanda Polera Front Row: Tony Petrini, Ralph Ciampaglia, Joe Bianchi and Alex Polera

More than 650 guests including former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Wendel Clark helped raise over $60,000 as part of the sixth annual A Cure in the Future Retro Gala to raise funds to support cancer research at Princess Margaret Hospital. “It is because of the incredible support and leadership of our community that we have been able to help The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation achieve its vision ‘to conquer cancer in our lifetime’,” says cancer survivor Maria Luisa Bianchi, Member Committee and co-organizer of the Gala.

The February 18th event, which was held at Vaughan’s Bellvue Manor was a huge success in its sixth edition thanks to the ongoing dedication of the organization’s members. The Retro Gala was hosted by Breakfast Television’s Kevin Frankish who kept things rolling along smoothly as guests enjoyed every minute of the big night, which included a scrumptious dinner.

There was also plenty of live entertainment courtesy of

Sensations Live Music, while Platinum Entertainment Solutions had the crowd on the dance floor. The party continued with a live auction, a silent auction and a raffle draw.

Wendel Clark was auctioned off to sit with a lucky guest during dinner, and the former hockey star was on hand to sign photos, hockey pucks and a jersey for ardent fans. But throughout all the merriment guests did not lose sight of the reason they were there: a determination and passion to support efforts to win the fight against cancer. Guests were shown a short video presentation featuring Dr. Christopher Paige, the vice president of research at Princess Margaret Hospital, who discussed how past editions of A Cure in the Future has made groundbreaking research possible. The successful evening will be repeated next year - organizers have already announced that the seventh annual edition will take place on Saturday, February 16, 2013.

(Rita Simonetta)

1.

3.

HERO IS PROUDTO GIVE BACK THROUGH SICK KIDS 1-CENT PLEDGE

2.

1. Kevin Frankish and Maria Luisa Bianchi

2. Retro Gala Volunteers: Back Row: Michael Marchese, Gianmarco Bianchi, Luca Perri, Alessandro Perri and Marco Caccavella Front Row: Alessia Bianchi, Nicky Caccavella and Kaitlan Marchese 3. Wendel Clark

www.heroburgers.com FRANCHISES AVAILABLE

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58

Events

CIA 50+ Honours International Women’s Day The senior citizens branch of the Canadian Italian Association helped celebrate International Women’s Day this past March 8 with a Senior Information Fair at Toronto’s St. Bernard De Clairvaux Church Hall.

Visitors at the March 8 event enjoyed the various wares on display by vendors as well as a light lunch and guest speakers.

The speakers were on hand to discuss relevant topics such as tax credit for seniors as well as information about diabetes and heart disease. The Canadian Italian Association 50+ (CIA 50+) provides Italian-Canadian seniors over the age of 50 with information through workshops and lectures in the Italian language. Seniors whose first language is Italian and are more comfortable communicating in their first language are able to easily access information by means of churches, clubs, federations and many other venues. The organization has also established a partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation in order to better educate and inform Italian seniors about their health and well-being.

For more information on CIA 50+, please contact Director Emilia Capo at 647-625-5242. (Rita Simonetta)

Illustrator Giandelli at the Italian Cultural Institute

Rosa’s Centre

From left: Founder Maria Pronesti, Joseph Panetta, Rosa Panetta, Chair Franca Galati, Lucy Panetta and Vice President Antonio Panetta.

Sometimes those that are affected by struggles in life are able to transform them into a positive experience. That’s what happened with Maria Pronesti and Antonio Panetta, siblings whose brother and sister are developmentally challenged.

Their mother, Rosa Panetta, was having a difficult time providing the care and support her adult children needed as she neared old age. As a result, Pronesti and her brother Panetta decided that they had to do something to help the situation. And so Rosa’s Centre was born in 2008 in Brampton.

The facility (named for their beloved mother), offers a day program for adults with development and physical disabilities.

But in order to be able to continue to offer this level of care, Pronesti and Panetta and Rosa’s Centre will hold a charity event on Saturday, May 5 at 5:30 p.m. at La Speranza Banquet Hall, 510A Deerhurst Drive in Brampton.

Those who would like to attend can call Rosa’s Centre at 905-791-7444.

(Rita Simonetta)

IC Savings & Credit Union

If you say the word “comics” to a typical North American, chances are that he or she will associate it with images of iconic superheroes like Superman or Spiderman. But Italy also has its own proud tradition of comics or “fumetti” as they are called in the boot-shaped country. In celebration of the Toronto Comics Arts Festival to be held in May, the Italian Cultural Institute will pay homage to Gabriella Giandelli’s Interiorae (Complete Edition). The Milan-born Giandelli is one of the foremost comic book artists in Italy. In homage to her talent, she will have 100 of her original drawings presented at the Italian Cultural Institute from May 4 to September 12. On May 7, she will be on hand to discuss her career. The artist published her first comics in 1984 and went on to create the popular children’s cereal Milo, which is featured in numerous volumes published in Italy by Mondadori. Giandelli will also take part in the Toronto Comics Art Festival on May 5 and 6. For tickets to the Italian Cultural Institute event call 416-921-3802.

(Rita Simonetta)

Safia Nur Ahmed

Photo: Alex Papa

It was a reception that served as both a heart-felt welcome for a valued customer and an opportunity to continue her good work and the equally good work of a hospital oceans away. On Tuesday, March 13, IC Savings & Credit Union celebrated the return of long-time IC Savings member Safia Nur Ahmed. The Somali-Canadian is a public health nurse in Toronto who spent one month as a medical volunteer at the Banadir Hospital in Somalia. Safia talked about her experiences at the Somali medical facility where she shared her expertise and knowledge from Canada. The event, which was held at Columbus Centre in the Lower Gallery, also served as a fundraiser to raise money for the Somali medical facility. Safia hoped that the hospital continues its important work in helping those with medical needs as a result of the region’s ongoing famine. Donations to date amount $35,000. (Rita Simonetta)

Events

Non una gondola ...ma quasi!

Lo scorso 31 gennaio, gli studenti del grado sette e otto della St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy sotto la guida della loro insegnante d’italiano, Silvia Cipolletta, hanno deciso di festeggiare il Carnevale di Venezia in modo originale, partecipando una gara di velocità e resistenza in acqua presso la Swansea Public School.

In meno di due ore, durante la ricreazione, grazie alle loro conoscenze di matematica e scienza e con l’aiuto di cartone e nastro adesivo, gli studenti divisi in due squadre hanno costruito un vero e proprio battello in grado di gareggiare contro altre scuole. La prima squadra composta da Briana, Samantha, Sofia e Joya ha completato la gara in 35,7 secondi, classificandosi tra le prime dieci. La seconda squadra composta da Alex, Dante, Daniel e Vittorio, con il maggior numero di concorrenti e con un peso totale di 515 libbre, si è aggiudicata il primo posto. Con il proposito di sviluppare un approccio interattivo alla cultura italiana e sponsorizzato da Skills Canada, l’evento è stato riportato dalla CBC e festeggiato da tutta la comunità della St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy. (Viviana Laperchia)

59

Pinocchio e la Commedia dell’Arte: a teatro con la St. Clare Catholic School

Sara Brandao e Lucas Bertoia

Sono dei giovani Arlecchino, Colombina e Pulcinella ad aprire la prima di Pinocchio il 29 febbraio scorso nella palestra della St. Clare Catholic School. Lo spettacolo, andato in scena fino al 2 marzo, si inserisce in una tradizione teatrale di oltre 11 anni, oggi incoraggiata dalla preside, Maria Fantauzzi: “La letteratura e l’arte vanno di pari passo” sostiene la preside, la quale crede nelle potenzialità del teatro come strumento di coesione nella comunità di studenti.Il musical di Raffaello Lavagna, tradotto e riadattato dall’italiano da Angela Marchese e diretto da Frank Spezzano, ha visto la partecipazione di grandi e piccoli. Sono molti, infatti, gli ex studenti, ormai liceali, che continuano a collaborare con la scuola elementare per amore del teatro.

Dietro la direzione musicale di Stephania Plotnick e con l’assistenza vocale di Viola Garofalo, i giovani attori (di origine italiana e non) hanno alternato dialoghi in inglese e canzoni in italiano con disinvoltura ed entusiasmo. “Sono molto contenta” dice Sara Brandao del grado 4, la prima ad impersonare Pinocchio nella lunga programmazione di spettacoli. “Bisogna sempre andare avanti” continua, con la sicurezza di una professionista che con il suo aspetto birichino ha saputo emozionare il pubblico, nonostante i piccoli imprevisti di una prima teatrale. “È un’esperienza divertente e utile per imparare” aggiunge Veronica Horgan, contenta del suo primo ruolo nei panni della dolce fata turchina.

La St. Clare Catholic School, fondata nel 1910, che già dagli anni ‘60 accoglieva numerosi studenti italiani immigrati in Canada e che nel 1983 introduceva il programma Italian Language Heritage nel suo piano di studi, ha celebrato di recente il primo centenario. All’indomani del successo di Pinocchio, la scuola conferma ancora il suo impegno nella promozione della cultura italiana a Toronto. (Viviana Laperchia)

Valentina Peraltra, Lauren Franzoni e Giovanni Giangrande

Sports

60

Zemanlandia 2.0: Pescara’s push for Serie A

Zdenek Zeman

By Dante Di Iulio

The 1992-93 Serie A campaign was the last time that Pescara Calcio reached Italian football’s top flight. Coached

by Francesco Zucchini, I Delfini mustered up a measly 17 points while finishing dead last, making their Serie A adventure very short and forgettable. hile Pescara languished in last place in 92/93, Zdenek Zeman was stunning the calcio world with his miraculous Foggia team. The Foggia dei Miracoli team that rocked Italy over 20 years ago stood out, not only because it performed above and beyond its natural capabilities, but that it did so by scoring an incredible number of goals through the coach’s positive philosophy on how the game should be played. Goals aside, the Czech tactician also has a sixth sense when it comes to spotting budding ability and allowing it to blossom into top class talent.

The term “Zemanlandia” was then coined to indicate the style created by Zeman, and became strictly associated to the Foggia team of the 1990s. Having already written himself into Serie A folklore with his miraculous stint in Puglia, he is now threatening to do the same with a young Pescara side that had returned to Serie B two years ago.

Taking a closer look at Zeman’s Pescara, which possesses the best attack of all Italian professional teams with 63 goals scored (2.1 GPG) *, the vital signs suggest that Zemanlandia could once again be descending upon the top flight of Italian football.

Pescara Calcio, under the guidance of President Peppe De Cecco, made a decision this summer that was regarded as risky, yet courageous by the press and citizens. Their decision was to bring in a coach whose grand ideas hadn’t really worked out since the 90s to re-launch a floundering team and provide the city and its fans with a spectacular brand of calcio based on young talent.

Now, the courage of these directors is paying off while ticket sales are flourishing, mostly because Zeman’s Pescara never fails to provide a spectacle, una giostra di gol. “I’m having fun here,” responds Zeman when asked how things are going. This year’s campaign has reignited the city’s passion for calcio, the team’s desire to win and even the coach’s cigarettes, which he still refuses to give up.

Pescara is currently engaged in a four-way battle for top spot with Torino, Hellas Verona and Sassuolo. I Delfini are playing the style of football typical to a Zeman team, implementing the exhausting and all-attacking 4-3-3 formation while leaking goals left and right.

The goals are shared throughout the side, although 21-year old Juventus-owned striker Ciro Immobile leads the way with 21 goals*, making him Serie B’s current capocannoniere.

Along with Lorenzo Insigne and Marco Sansovini, the trident has combined for 45 goals* and at one point in the season, led all of Europe in scoring. However, it’s Pescara-born Marco Verratti that perhaps provides the key to the side dictating the waves of attacking pressure and perhaps showing himself to be the perfect embodiment of Zdenek Zeman’s attacking philosophy.

With 19 year-old Verratti pulling the strings, the wily Insigne has been given free reign to move as he pleases causing havoc amongst opposition defences and showing why he is so highly rated by Napoli. The defence is lead by 20 year-old Riccardo Brasco, a recent debuttante for the Azzurrini, while Carlo Pinsoglio in net is maintaining his form from the Viareggio tournament, where he was voted the tournaments best goalkeeper.

Arrigo Sacchi, former Milan and National team coach, spoke of the young Abruzzese squad as “the only team in Europe like Barcelona to have its own precise identity.” Zeman’s chaotic system of play is paying off and could push Pescara back to Serie A for the first time in 20 years. Whether or not Pescara achieves promotion, I Delfini have provided ubiquitous joy to the Stadio Adriatico and calcio fans alike, and a reason to chant “Zemàn! Zemàn!” - with an accent on the A. v

W

*Statistics valid as of March 15, 2012

Sports

61

Italy’s worrying lack of self-esteem heading into

Euro 2012

By Nick Sabetti

For the Italian National soccer team, one that is historically only second to Brazil as far as international trophies are concerned, finishing last in a group with the likes of Paraguay, Slovakia and New Zealand at the last World Cup in South Africa, was nothing short of a debacle. What was immediately troubling about Italy’s performance was its sheer lack of attacking ability. While Italy is famous for being the masters of defending, it has always produced attacking players capable of unraveling the sturdiest of defenses. In South Africa, the Azzurri weren’t even able to break down New Zealand, a team comprised of players who, for the most part, ply their trade in teams of Serie B equivalency. ortunately for Italy, ever since Cesare Prandelli took over the National team from Marcello Lippi immediately after the World Cup, its performance dramatically improved. Topping its relatively difficult European Qualification group in a convincing manner and a couple of positive friendly match performances – 1-1 against Germany and a 2-1 win against Spain – had many pundits around Europe putting Italy among the favourites for this summer’s European Cup in Poland and Ukraine.

However, long term injuries to Giuseppe Rossi and Antonio Cassano and subsequent losses in its last two outings to Uruguay and USA – they didn’t score in either – reinstated doubt into the minds of Calcio fans as to the depth and quality of Italy’s attack force.

But Prandelli’s initial remarkable turnaround came not only as a consequence of having brought the very best possible players into the fray, something that predecessor Marcello Lippi was often reluctant to do, but also because he brought a confidence and a winning mentality back into the team.

Though Lippi landed in South Africa with an almost second tier team, he still had a squad more than capable of comfortably gliding through the group stage.

F

Unfortunately, that didn’t come to pass, and, as Lippi explained to the media in the post game conference immediately following Italy’s World Cup exit, it was because the team didn’t believe in itself.“If, in an important game like this, a team shows up with fear in their legs, in their head, and in their heart, and is not able to express itself in a necessary way, it means that the coach did not prepare them well on a technical, tactical and psychological level,” said Lippi.

The same was true for Italy’s recent historic 0-1 loss to the USA in Genoa in February. Many bemoaned Prandelli’s choice of forwards, though the reality was that, considering the apparent gap in quality between the two sides, Italy should have had little to no problem winning the game. It’s obvious that the fear and self-doubt that haunted the 2010 campaign is now creeping back into Prandelli’s squad.

Even if Italy does not presently possess as vast an array of talent as it once had, it is still among the top five teams going into this summer’s Euro. If Prandelli is able to restore the pride and mental toughness that has always characterized the National team this June, there is no telling how far the Azzurri will be able to go; if he doesn’t, they may be in for another early return home. v

Nick Sabetti also covers Canadian soccer for Rogers Sportsnet and www.Goal.com Follow Nick on twitter @Nick_Sabetti

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