Tuscan Traveler

“Viva Fiorenza” bellows the crowd of over two thousand, echoed by the roar of a cannon. The noble horsemen, clad in velvet, gold and leather, gallop on huge stallions into the sand-covered piazza. “Viva Fiorenza” and the cannon booms again, the sound bounces off the imposing marble facade of the Church of Santa Croce. Armored foot soldiers, alabardieri, with Florentine iron helmets and leather corsalets, armed with halberts and swords, march forward in time to the beat of twenty drummers wearing yellow and blue silk tunics, the crimson Florentine lily emblazoned on their drums.

Escorting the Players onto the Field

“Viva Fiorenza” and trumpets blare, calling more than four hundred dignitaries — politicians, judges, bankers, military officers, wealthy merchants, and nobility — to parade around the square in their costumes of Renaissance finery. Even in the atomic age it is easy to step back in time for a few hours in Tuscany, especially in Florence.

“Viva Fiorenza” — the Ball Bearer, carrying a green and a blue soccer ball, one each hand, slowly begins to circle the field. Twenty-six infantry officers wearing multi-colored uniforms and feathered caps follow him. Two oxen drivers, dressed in white smocks and leather vests, lead in a young flower-festooned heifer, the coveted prize of the day.

“Viva Fiorenza” — the cry is louder as squads of men enter carrying huge flags on long poles. Each group is distinguished from the others by the color and decoration of the flags, which match their uniforms — short tunics, tights and soft leather boots. Of the sixteen flags groups, one represents the Masters of the Salt, those who provided for the tax on the consumption of salt which each citizen had to pay — their flags are white with a red covered cup; and another, the Masters of the Mint, providers of silver and gold coinage, have flags of blue sown with gold coins. To drum beat and trumpet refrain the bandierai wave, throw, dip and exchange their banners in elegant choreographed maneuvers. The cannon thunders as the flag teams retire the field.

“Forza Verdi”, thunders half of the assembled audience, those standing in the bleachers at the end of the piazza nearest the church. Into the arena, behind a richly costumed standard-bearer, stride twenty-eight men in dark green short-sleeved shirts, matching long green stockings, leather shoes, and mid-length voluminous green and purple striped pants gathered in a tight band below the knee. They line up at the end of the square near their admirers. The cannon reports again.

“Forza Azzurri”, clamor the people at the other end of the field, rising to their feet and rattling the metal stands in their zeal. Another resplendent standard-bearer leads in a squadron of men dressed similarly to the first except their shirts and stockings are blue, and their capacious pantaloons are blue and purple striped. They gather at the opposite end of piazza from the green team. The procession is complete. It is time for the Calcio Storico Fiorentino, the historical football game, to begin.

Defending the Neighborhood Honor

On February 17, 1530, the residents of Florence produced a similar extravaganza in Piazza Santa Croce in full view of the armies of Spain and Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, which had been laying siege to the Tuscan city for over five months. Following the pageantry, with the extreme irony that only Florentines possess, although hungry and exhausted, they thumbed their collective nose at the invaders by staging a game of football, calcio in livrea or football in livery. In modern times, that famous game is replayed every year on June 24, the feast day of Florence’s patron saint, San Giovanni, John the Baptist. It is now the grandest event and display of historical and cultural tradition in the Florentine calendar, rivaling the Palio of Siena — the yearly horse race — in pomp and rich pageantry. Like the Palio, the Calcio Storico is not only a reflection of the past, but also is a bloody, violent competition between rival neighborhoods of the city.

Played on sand in front of Santa Croce

I saw my first game almost ten years ago and have been in the stands on at least one other occasion. I was impressed by the grand pre-game procession, rich in dignity and charm; but it was the game itself that left me flabbergasted. It’s a brutal contest played on sand by men wearing tights, bloomers and t-shirts — no pads or helmets in sight. In ‘99, I sat with the victorious Reds, and the next year, with the loosing Greens.

There are four neighborhoods of Florence, each known by the major church in the area, and each represented by a team for the historical football game: Santa Croce has the Azzurri, the Blues, San Giovanni supports the Verdi, the Greens, Santo Spirito has the Bianchi, the Whites and Santa Maria Novella sponsors the Rossi, the Reds. Each June, on the two Sundays before the Festa di San Giovanni there are two play-off games to decide the finalists.

I was told that the players are volunteers in their twenties or thirties and that about ten years ago a new rule mandated that no one with a criminal record could play for a Calcio Storico team. In ‘99, From the front rows most of the players looked like Michelangelo’s David on steroids — each with that classical Italian profile, but with bigger biceps and pecs. A number of the older ones, however, had flattened noses, the price of too many games.

The sport is a cross between Greco-Roman wrestling, rugby and soccer. Goals are scored by pitching the round red and white leather ball over a four-foot high wooden wall that runs the full width at each end of the field. Quixotically, a tall narrow white tent with red trim and a small red flag on top is positioned in the center of each goal wall. In front, stands the captain of a team and a standard bearer with the team flag. When a team scores, the cannon is fired, the scoring team’s standard-bearer runs the length of the field waving his flag with his team running behind, cheering. The other team’s standard bearer slinks down the field and the teams change goals.

A Mix of Rugby and Soccer from the 16th Century

The ball is not moved on the ground — it must be too hard to kick the heavy ball through the sand — but instead, the players run with it or pass it. While half the team is moving the ball, the other half wrestles one-on-one with opposing players in some sort of defensive scheme. Sometimes when a player had been pinned for a long time one of his teammates will come along and take his place, wrestling the opposing player off the poor soul whose face is being ground into the sand. Almost all of the combatants have their shirts torn in two and ripped off their backs by the end of the game. The defensive wrestlers spill the most blood. The only player I saw carried off the field on a stretcher, however, was injured in the post-game procession when a horse kicked him.

Six referees, wearing soft velvet caps adorned with ostrich plumes and jewel-toned velvet doublets and puffy knee-length pants, observe different parts of the game; some watch the ball being moved, others watch the wrestling; they do not intercede often. A referee judge carries a sword, but I never figure out how it was used in his deliberations. He swept off his plumed hat to signal changes of side and to award goals.

A Difficult Loss

There was a lot of kissing after the game, before the awarding of the heifer to the winning team and the final parade of dignitaries. First, the triumphant players kissed each other. Then, the victorious were kissed by hordes of girls wearing spandex pants, and shoes with stiletto heels. Finally, these sweaty, bloodied warriors were kissed by their mothers. In Italy, even the most ferocious of men is a mamma’s boy.

I can now see it on TV, out of the sun and out of the crowds. Two years ago, my touring clients - a family of six from Portland, Oregon - wanted to experience the game a mere ten bleachers from the field. That’s where I saw them on TV - a six- and nine-year old in baseball caps and the rest of the family, behind noble ladies and gentlemen in historical dress of the 16th century - cheering on the sweating, bloodied heroes of the day.

This year, I am hearing about the pageantry from Santa Fe. Next June, you should come to Florence and see football as it has been played for over five hundred years with Italian passion, blood, sweat, tradition and pageantry.

Visitors to Florence this summer should keep an eye out for special events in special places.

Patti Smith performed to a packed house at the feet of David

This past Sunday, Patti Smith rushed to Florence from the wedding of her son Jackson (to Meg White of the White Stripes) to honor her friend Robert Mapplethorpe at a benefit for AIDS/HIV at the Accademia. 

Patti Smith at the Accademia

Although few in the audience actually saw Smith, who stood in the deep shadows at the feet of the David, no one went away unhappy after her superb performance.  

She talked about her first evening with Mapplethorpe when they poured over a book of Michelangelo’s sculptures and the nascent photographer wondered if he would ever see his own work in such a book. Smith described his encouragement of her singing and the impact of his death from complications of AIDS twenty years ago on May 22, 1989.

Patti Smith performing at the feet of David

She recited Sonnets by Michelangelo, Psalms of David, her own poetry and sang a choice selection of her songs, either a cappella or accompanying herself on guitar. At one point she forgot some lyrics and gracefully blamed it on the awe she felt for the marble giant standing behind her. Highlights included her recitation of “People Have the Power” and the show-stopping “Because the Night Belongs to Lovers” that brought the audience to its feet, singing along.

Mapplethorpe and Michelangelo together for the first time

This week the Galleria dell’Accademia opens a new exhibit “Perfection in Form” juxtaposing photographic images by Robert Mapplethorpe to some of the most iconic Renaissance pieces in the world - Michelangelo’s David and the four non finiti Prisoners. The two artists seem to engage in a dialogue beyond time, space, and cultures.

One of the Photographic Images in the exhibition

“My work is about order”, Mapplethorpe once said,adding, “I am looking for perfection in form”. Michelangelo would have understood the sentiment.

The 91 works by Mapplethorpe are joined by several pieces by Michelangelo (four drawings and a sketch, in addition to the David, the four Prisoners and the painting Venus and Cupid) and the plaster model of the Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna. The exhibition is completed by works by artists that Mapplethorpe referenced throughout the course of his life and work (Brice Marden, Man Ray, Ettore Spalletti and Andy Warhol).

The Slave - Mapplethorpe’s homage to Michelangelo

Mapplethorpe’s double photograph with a knife, entitled “The Slave” (1974), is of a Michelangelo sculpture that is not in Florence, but rather resides in the Louvre in Paris, where it is known as “The Dying Slave.” 

The Slave (1974)

One of two such sculptures in the Louvre, the Dying Slave was included in the design (1505) for the initial project for the tomb of Pope Julius II. Michelangelo began to carve it in 1513. After the pope’s death, it, among others, was rejected for financial reasons. Similar figures, including the four marble Prisoners in the Accademia of Florence - carved and also left incomplete (non finiti) in 1532 - had been part of the original design for the grandiose tomb. Julius II, who had dreamed of a freestanding mausoleum at Saint Peter’s in Rome, was buried in San Pietro in Vincoli in a wall tomb, adorned with one grand statue - Michelangelo’s famous Moses.

The Dying Slave by Michelangelo

Despite being unfinished, the two great marble Slaves were already admired. Michelangelo donated them to the Florentine exile Roberto Strozzi, who presented them to the French king. The Slaves thus reached France during the sculptor’s lifetime, and first occupied two niches at the Château d’Ecouen before Cardinal de Richelieu took them to his château in Poitou.

Perfection in Form - the Exhibit

The Galleria dell’Accademia, known to accompany it’s drawing card, the David, with good exhibits in the past, has outdone itself with the Mapplethorpe show - Perfection in Form. Patti Smith, reportedly, helped select the photographic images created by the artist.

The exhibit runs from May 26 to September 27, 2009. 

Don’t stand in line.  Call for reservations well in advance at +39 055.294.883.

Enzo Ferrari was the man who said the Mille Miglia is “La corsa piu bella del mondo” - the most beautiful race in the world. This year, a decade after his death, he certainly would have agreed because a Ferrari won the 2009 race with Carlo and Bruno Ferrari in a 1927 Bugatti Type 37. A vintage Ferrari also came in second with a 1926 Bugatti Type 35A.

2009 Mille Miglia Winning Car

Any fine car enthusiast (or someone trying to make a Ferrari fan happy) who happens to be visiting or driving by Modena should take a detour to Maranello and visit the Galleria Ferrari Museum. Opened in 2005 for those who wish to get into the factory or on to the test track, but can’t, the Galleria Ferrari is a fully satisfying visual and learning experience for Formula One and sports car aficionados and a fun time for those who are not.

The first floor is a celebration of the Grand Prix - from Ferrari’s first Formula One car to the 2004 cars that gave Michael Schumacher his championship title. The cars are displayed as if in pit lane to provide a behind-the-scenes experience of Formula One. Nearby is an homage to Enzo Ferrari, including his office, which was moved, piece by piece, to the museum.

But Ferrari’s racing prowess is not limited to Formula One. A range of historic sports cars, displayed around a dramatic amphitheater, represents its many successes in road racing.

The second floor is dedicated to Ferrari engineering, including displays on aerodynamic performance and wind tunnels. There is an entire wall of Formula One engines, tracing their development from the 1950s to the present day. Product development is also represented by styling bucks, development models and the tools used by Ferrari designers.

It is also here that the newest Ferrari models are on display, including the Ferrari Superamerica and the Ferrari F430, alongside classic models such as the 365 GTB/4Daytona, the Ferrari 288 GTO and the Ferrari Enzo. There will probably be a line to try out the virtual racetrack machine.

A cinema shows films and videos from history of Ferrari, and don’t miss the photo display of the many famous people who have owned Ferraris and visited the factory. Of course, as you leave, there is a gift shop and a cafe.

The Galleria Ferrari is open seven days a week from 09.30 to 18.00.  It is located at Via Dino Ferrari, 43 in Maranello (20 miles south of Modena). Email: galleria@ferrari.it 
 Phone: +39 0536 943-204 
Fax: +39 0536 949-714 Tickets: 9-13 euro.

Not only Ferrari

Nearby, outside the main gates to Ferrari itself, is the Ferrari Store and close by is Ristorante Montana. The Montana not only boasts its own display of Ferrari Formula One memorabilia (don’t miss the hedge cut in the shape of a Formula One Ferrari), it also is alongside the Ferrari Fiorano test track, so meals can be accompanied by the sound of a Ferrari Formula One car at full speed. For an “only in Italy ” experience click on the “Table Napkins” link on the Montana’s web site.

I still remember the day in Panzano when I almost plowed down Dario Cecchini, the famed butcher, who was standing in the intersection blowing a horn that once graced the side of an ancient automobile - back in the times when the horn had to be sounded to get the horses and carriages out of the way. Dario was garbed in festive red pants, yellow shirt, red vest, and white apron with a red bandana at his neck. He had a glass of red wine in his other hand.

Dario greets the Mille Miglia

Just as Dario blew two long welcoming notes, three antique racing cars crested the hill, tooted to Dario and raced off into the valley to Greve. I got a glass of Dario’s wine and a small plate of bread, lardo and salami from Dario’s butcher shop and joined the crowd of spectators in Panzano’s main piazza.

The Mille Miglia had come to town.

This year it will run from May 13 to 17.

Anyone living in or visiting Italy next week has the chance to be part of the pageantry of this annual road rally of vintage sport and touring cars. The 27th Mille Miglia, a historic replay of one the world’s most famous motor races (the original race ran between 1927 and 1957), is a three-day rally that starts in Brescia, Lombardia, travels to Rome, winding through the countryside of the Veneto, Marche and Umbria, and returning through Tuscany (Pienza, Buonconvento, Siena, Val d’Elsa, Monteriggioni, Poggibonsi, Barberino, Tavernelle and San Casciano) and Florence. Over three hundred antique racing and tourist-class cars will pause for a break in Siena and Florence in mid-afternoon on May 16.

Mille Miglia takes to the back roads

Mille Miglia fever still infects international vintage automobile enthusiasts so that every year hundreds of entry applications from dozens of countries are sent to the organizing committee, which has to choose the final 375 competitors admitted to the 2009 competition.

Possession of a veteran car does not mean that the automobile has all the necessary qualifications for admission. Only cars built during the period of the classic Mille Miglia, 1927 -1957, are allowed to come to the starting line in Brescia. Preference is given to cars that have a particular racing history or which have actually participated in a previous Mille Miglia.

Each car must carry two qualified drivers, one of whom usually acts as navigator. Taking part in the Mille Miglia has always been considered an achievement in itself, but managing to finish the arduous course takes the experience to another level.

The Mille Miglia highlights ancient villages, city centers, countryside and mountains. From the Lombardia and Veneto plains to the countryside of the Marche and of Umbria, Lazio, Tuscany and Emilia, from the Romagna sea to the steep snowy slopes of Mount Terminillo and, on the way back, up again across the Futa and Raticosa passes. The rally also visits almost unknown tiny villages of medieval origin and the famous city squares, including the Campo in Siena and Piazza Strozzi in Florence.

Winner of Mille Miglia 2008 - 1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport

Among the cars in this year’s Mille Miglia is the Mercedes 3300 SLR, the BMW 328 Coupe, both the Ferrari 340A and 212 Spider Vignale, the Alfa Romeo 1750 GS and the Alfa 1500 SS Spider, both the OM 665 TT and the 665 S, the Bugatti T35A and T40GS, the Jaguar C-Type and D-Type, the Maserati A6 GCS and Maserati Monofaro, the Aston Martin DB3 Spider, the Fiat 1100 S, the 1954 Autobleu 750 MM, and the egg-shaped Isetta. Among the most rare cars are the Gilco Panhard 1100 Sport of 1952 and the Chrysler 1951 Saratoga.

Spectators enjoy the pageantry of the Mille Miglia whether they understand the detailed lineage of the vintage automobiles or not. Along the route residents and spectators hold outdoor parties, wave flags, blow horns, ring bells and cheer the racers onward. Car enthusiasts will have the chance in Siena and Florence to examine the cars and talk with the drivers.

Mille Miglia 2009 Route

For more information in English (not much) and Italian, review the official web site at 1000milglia.com .  A trailer for the 2009 Mille Miglia and another video of the history of the race make good viewing.

The fish tank was back.  The same week that the huge colorful aquarium was returned to its place in the waiting room of the UNM Cancer Center, Ellen Reavis left this world for a new adventure. Ellen didn’t know that in a life of both big and little causes, she was the victor in her last skirmish - the fish tank was back.

Colorful Hats and Tie-Dyed T-Shirts

Ellen was a regular at the Cancer Center.  Everyone knew her as the Jolly Buddha, dressed in either tie-dyed or exotic Hawaiian shirts.  She had the largest repertoire of hats to cover her pink bald head.  When her hair started to grow back, baby fine, she dyed it bright red.

Ellen was only forty-eight when, coming out of anesthesia from a routine procedure, she was told that she had endometrial cancer. Days later, a CT scan showed “tumors too numerous to count” in her lungs and liver.  The macabre joke was oft told: “Ellen’s lungs look like she’s been hunting with Dick Cheney.”

Although in shock, Ellen and her partner of fifteen years, Ruth Hanckel, did the right thing - they researched treatment centers, interviewed oncologists, became neophyte experts on the disease and its treatment.  They chose Dr. Carolyn Y. Muller, a nationally known expert in the treatment of gynecological cancers, and the UNM Cancer Center, one of the best cancer treatment centers in the nation. 

Ellen was immediately admitted to a promising Phase Three Study, using a new combination of chemotherapies.  She, however, was assigned to the half of the trial that was administered a standard accepted chemotherapy drug.  Ellen’s early response was very favorable.  Having successfully negotiated the first hurdles in what Ellen called her “thirty-year plan”, she came to a wall:  An MRI of her brain showed eight small tumors, each the size of a Cheerio.  To scale the wall she had to stop the chemo drugs and start a course of full-brain radiation with Dr. Gene Wong.  The radiation was successful, but the resumed chemotherapy never worked as well as it had in the beginning.  Her thoracic and abdominal lymph nodes started to grow larger.

Ruth and Ellen Together for 15 Years

Ellen and Ruth were not alone in the horrible first months.  They had hundreds of friends.  Ruth worked at Eclipse Aviation.  Her bosses gave her all the flexibility she needed in her schedule.  Ellen had long been an advocate in many fields - labor and employment, legislative, the women’s community, autism and children with special needs - she had colleagues and friends throughout the state. 

As an Occupational Therapist (OT) for the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS), Ellen worked with all types of special needs children, but her specialty was with those with autism.  In 2006, she was named to the APS Autism Services team to facilitate the training of OTs and Physical Therapists (PTs) to better meet the needs of kids who fell into the autism spectrum of diseases.  She emphasized family involvement.  She was innovative.  One colleague remembers the day that Ellen, frustrated with the pinching behavior of one of her small clients, wrapped herself in foam rubber and duct tape, solving the immediate problem to hilarious effect.

Sidney Alley, Lead Therapist at APS, described her best, “Ellen Reavis was a force of nature in her steadfast dedication to students with special needs, but also in her support of families and educational staff that are so integral to the success of students with differences. In her typical Hawaiian shirt attire and accompanying energy, Ellen had a gift for entertaining us but also for embracing the causes of families and communities affected by autism. She showed us all how individual voices could work in unison and create opportunities that better the lives of so many of our children.  Anyone who ever worked with Ellen on a project knew that she would not give up until she was satisfied with the outcome; she would step back and look at a task from every possible angle and ensure that she had addressed potential challenges or obstacles.  Friends poked fun at the degree of her persistence and would often feign an attempt to hide from her because they knew she would challenge them to delve deeper into the task. She took the teasing in typical good humor and then she continued to keep us all on track with the important work at hand.”

Ellen Collected Mexican Ceramics

As a past president of the New Mexico Autism Society, Ellen advocated for the rights, treatment, and support of both children and adults with diseases in the autism spectrum.

Ellen also advocated for her colleagues.  For years, she lobbied the state legislature for the rights of OTs and Physical Therapists (PTs) to receive fair pay and working conditions.  She won that fight in August 2006.  Vicki Putman, a social worker in the Santa Fe Public Schools, who was working on the same issues, said, Ellen “was a truly unique individual.  She was like a fast moving train that picked up other train cars and took us along with her toward her destination.  She never faltered, she knew what was right and got us all fired up.”

In January 2007, Ellen was back at the Roundhouse fighting for Senator Dede Feldman’s Senate Bill 164 for autism funding - the first autism service package for New Mexico. The Senate honored Ellen with an official commemoration in early April.

Although Ellen was forced to leave her job due to the heavy cancer treatment schedule, the muscle wasting effect of the chemo, and fear for her compromised immune system, she created a new life. She fought with her treatment team about a prohibition on travel - they feared that she would contract a life-threatening infection.  She went to New Orleans, visited family in Michigan and Washington, and took two weeks in Mexico.  (Dr. Muller warned her about the extreme danger of sea coral cuts, so Ellen sent back photos of hang-gliders over the ocean, asserting that she was keeping far away from submerged coral.)

Ellen and her sisters in February 2008

To stay in touch with children with the varied conditions in the autism spectrum of diseases, Ellen volunteered at Camp Rising Sun last summer as well as at the Wheelchair Sports Camp.  She didn’t have unlimited energy, so she was the photographer.  More importantly, she was a knowledgeable resource for the therapists and volunteers.  Sharon Cruse, a counselor at Camp Rising Sun, said, “She was wonderful with the kids. More wonderful was to see how the young counselors watched and learned from Ellen. ‘The Passing of the Torch’ was just an expression to me until I watched Ellen share her love and talent with the counselors and kids at Camp Rising Sun.”

“Fun” was a word that figured in Ellen’s conversation every day.  A month after she started chemotherapy, Ruth and Ellen donated to the Cibola Choral Boosters, who “flocked” Dr. Muller’s lawn.  “Flocking” is a practice where 140 pink plastic flamingos appear anonymously on the victim’s property, only to disappear again twenty-four hours later.  This event became the talk of the Cancer Center.  Although, they never took credit, Ellen and Ruth held the threat of “flocking” over the more reserved Dr. Wong’s head for months.  He started seeing flamingo references at every turn.

When the traditional chemotherapy ceased to be effective after five months, Ellen volunteered for a Phase One study, but the therapy was not effective in slowing the progression of Ellen’s cancer.  She wrote an article for  the New Mexico Cancer care Alliance newsletter, entitled Rolling the Dice, about the experience.

Ellen chose her oncologist, Carolyn Muller, both because she specialized in gynecological cancers and because of her reputation in the field, but also because Dr. Muller had written an article in a professional journal called “The Miracle of Life and the Privilege of Death.”  In the article, addressed to colleagues, Dr. Muller argued that as much attention should be paid to helping a patient die as to vigorously fighting to keep them alive.

The end came fast.  In January, Ellen fought her last battle - the crusade for the fish tank.  One day, workmen came to take the tank away.  No one could explain to Ellen’s satisfaction why that happened or whether the aquarium would be returned. Ellen, always proactive, grabbed a piece of paper, wrote up a petition and made ten copies.  It read: “Please bring our fish aquarium back.  We watch the fish when we are anxious or angry or just plain bored.  It’s an important part of our waiting room.”  Everyone signed - patients, family members, doctors, nurses, secretaries, technicians, and even members of the Cancer Center’s administration.

Ellen and Bernie

By early February, Ellen knew something was seriously wrong.  She had just started a new Phase One study and she was experiencing severe muscle weakness and confusion.  “I’m not in touch with my brain,” she said.  The next CT scan and blood tumor-marker test told the story.  Her cancer had increased ten-fold in two months.  She was soon unable to get out of bed without help.

Her colleagues and friends rallied around.  Over fifty OTs, PTs, social workers, speech therapists and teachers from APS volunteered to sit at her bedside, each for a two-hour shift.  Ellen was never alone. Ten to twenty people a day, sitting with Ellen or in the living room, sharing stories, laughter and tears. 

Ellen died in her sleep at home on February 28.  She was buried in a handcrafted pine box covered with the messages of her friends and family.  She rests in a 150-year-old San Jose de Armijo Cemetery on the 300-year-old Atrisco Land Grant.

Sometime in the last week of February the aquarium was reinstalled in the patients’ and families’ waiting room of the UNM Cancer Center. Soon it will bear a plaque honoring Ellen.

A Celebration of the Life of Ellen Reavis took place on April 18.  Donations may be made in her name to the N.M. Autism Society, P.O. Box 30955, Albuquerque NM 87190-0955 (telephone: 505-332-0306).

Between 10 and 11 o’clock on Easter Sunday morning, a tradition that has played out annually over the last 500 years will be celebrated in front of the Duomo in Florence. The Scoppio del Carro, or Explosion of the Cart, is a mixed pagan/religious ceremony. Marking both Easter and Spring, the successful ignition of the cart guarantees good crops, a successful harvest, stable civic life and bountiful trade, as well as signifying the passage of new holy fire to light those extinguished on Good Friday.

The Carro On Its Way to the Cathedral

A thirty-foot carved and painted wooden cart (the present version is over 150 years old) is pulled by flower-bedecked white oxen from Porta al Prato to Piazza del Duomo. A mechanical dove ‘flies’ down a line through the open doors of the cathedral, picks up ‘fire’ at the altar, returns to the cart and ignites the explosion of one of the best day-time fireworks display in the world.

Young Drummer Announces the Cart's Arrival

It was during the pontificate of Leo X (Giovanni de’Medici, 1513-1521), the ‘colombina‘ - the mechanical bird, shaped like a dove with an olive branch in its beak - was used for the first time. At the Gloria of the Easter Mass, the deacon uses holy fire kindled from the stone chips - obtained during the crusades of 1099 from the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem - to light a fuse attached to the dove.

The Carro at the Duomo

Before the carro explodes a parade of armored guards, costumed musicians, and elegant nobility attired in 15th century dress enter the cathedral for the Easter Mass.  Teams of flag throwers entertain the crowd of over 10,000 people who gather for the Scoppio del Carro. When the cart is ignited, the fireworks last for about 15 minutes, during which the bells in Giotto’s Campanile ring forth.

Two White Oxen Bedecked with Flowers Pull the Cart

Due to the incredible crowds, the best place to get a view of the oxen and the cart is along the route on Borgo Ognissante and Via Vigna Nuova, both before and after the Scoppio del Carro.

An eight-minute film of the fireworks provides one of the best vantage points - one very hard to get at the actual event.

   Gateway to Galeffi

Behind the arched iron gate, just across the street from the Montevarchi train station, in a quiet courtyard, nestled below tall pines, is one of the trendiest restaurants in Tuscany. With an updated take on Tuscan cuisine, the kitchen at Ristorante Galeffi never fails to please.

Ristorante Galeffi is built on the site of the late 19th century chemical pharmaceutical factory of Ernesto Galeffi.  The family palazzo is to the left off the courtyard.

The irony of a fine dining experience in a building that once produced antacids and effervescents comes immediately to mind when the menus are brought to the table. The cover is one of the famed Galeffi ads from the 1930s. (The wallpaper in the bathroom is designed in the pattern of the tissue once used to wrap products sold in the Galeffi pharmacy.)

All references to the past end with these artifacts. The decor is spacious and modern with two dining levels pulled together by a massive black and white graphic wall. Simple floral accents and the original wood floor soften the iron and glass architecture. Tall windows bring in sunlight and allow views of the trees. In the summer there is seating outside.

The sophisticated menu is ever-changing, depending on the season and what is fresh at the market. One day the appetizers might include whipped salt cod on toasts with truffles or saffron creamed rice surrounding a tiny savory cake garlicky tomato-infused bread. The second course could be risotto with creamy taleggio cheese and truffles or a fettuccine with a sauce of tiny fish and cherry tomatoes. A favorite main dish is rabbit with artichokes and a side of crispy fried vegetables.  This vies with the filet of pork with a confection of layered apples and foie gras.

Filet of pork with layered apples and foie gras

Dessert is a specialty of Galeffi. Warm chocolate torte is in competition with lemony cheesecake and a moist apple cake.

Galeffi's Menu Cover

The wine list is a joy to read, but it’s an even greater pleasure to try a bottle or two from the small exclusive wineries from the nearby Chianti Classico and Brunello regions.  The somelier is knowledgeable and extremely good at food/wine paring.

Ristorante Galeffi is a short train ride from Florence (it’s less than a block from the Montevachi station).  It’s proximity to the luxury fashion outlet malls in Incisa and Montevarchi, make it the perfect place for lunch when driving from Gucci and Ferragamo at The Mall to the Prada outlet (SPACE).

Ask if the Antica Farmacia Galeffi, the pharmacy museum, at Via Roma 95, is open.  Its free.   

Ristorante Galeffi, Via Amm. Burzagli, 39 - Montevarchi. Open for lunch and dinner.
Reservations advised. +39 055.985.0384

Wallpaper

  

The Sun Doesn't Find the Street

Often Florence can bring on an epic case of claustrophobia. When the Renaissance bankers built their McMansions, they did not widen the medieval streets. Although not many buildings in the historic center are much over ninety feet high (note: come visit soon - the Prime Minister is inviting everyone to add a floor or two to their buildings as one of his recession fixes), Florence often feels much more constricted than New York.  This is especially true to one who grew up in New Mexico. Or even to a claustrophobic Florentine who visited the Land of Enchantment for the first time last year.

Wide open geography is not the only reason a visitor feels light and free in New Mexico as opposed to Florence.  There is also the comfort and conviviality of Southwestern hospitality.  In Florence, both the residents and the tourists must gird themselves every day with armor to deflect the petty incivilities of shopkeepers, waiters, government workers, bank tellers and even people walking or driving the narrow streets.

An Italian in New Mexico

Here is one Florentine native’s story:

Big Sky Over the Arroyo

Mi chiamo Francesca. Probably others have written stuff like this before. I need to do it, so I can avoid paying Dr. Palma some euro to listen to it. I hope I can.

I was in the U.S. in [December 2008] - New York, Connecticut, New Mexico, and Washington D.C.
This is about kindness. This is about smiling.
In Albuquerque (N.M.) I was having a nice morning in a café called The Flying Star, looking at magazines (for free) and looking at people, and having brunch. Oh what’s better than brunch in the US?
But this is not about food, it’s about kindness and service with a smile.
When you get coffee in the U.S. you usually are entitled to have a free ‘refill’. I went over to the counter to ask for my refill and the nice smiling guy, while pouring fresh coffee in my cup, said to me, “Is the coffee finished in the pitcher over at that stand?” He made me understand that I could have done it myself, but still it was a pleasure for him to do it, for free, and in spite of the line behind me. I apologized. He said “no problem”, he smiled again, I smiled. I went to my table and cried.

Fill 'er Up!

Why? Because I had a whole movie of the same scene, had it happened in Florence, my hometown.

Same scene in Florence: “Come? La vole che gli riempia la tazza, oh la un lo vede che c’é una caraffa la’ sul tavolo per riempirsela da soli ? Se la vole il caffe’ la se lo versi! E la ringrazi iddio che la un lo paga! Fosse per me…”  

(Tuscan Traveler’s rough translation:  “What? You want me to refill your cup, don’t you see that a carafe is on the counter for you to do your own refilling? And you thank god that you are not paying for it! Were it for me …”)

Flying Star Cafe

Sometimes a little hospitality is all you need.

The Flying Star is certainly a special haven, not only for Francesca in December, but more recently for me.  Last month, I spent a year-long week watching my younger sister die. Each day, I would walk the half-mile along the arroyo, breathing in the crystal clear air, looking up at the distant mountains, making my way to the Flying Star Café for a glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade, creamy mac and cheese, and/or a slice of cake with strawberries on top.

People Watching at the Flying Star

For an hour I could hide from the horrible reality in the company of friendly helpful strangers, who had no intent to turn tables, offered both healthy and comfort food (as well as Breakfast All Day), and even had snacks for four-legged friends. The magazine racks and the good people watching are extra pluses for those who needed distraction. I certainly did.

Treats for Everyone at the Flying Star

Tuscan Traveler is looking for a Flying Star in Florence.

As Italy is sucked into the worldwide economic crisis, and the general attitude in the streets of Florence is that of cynical pessimism, it is refreshing to see a write-up in the NY Times about the small Sicilian town of Salemi that gave artists and intellectuals power to remake the historic center of the town that had been largely abandoned after a devastating earthquake.

Salemi in western Sicily

Salemi sold destroyed ancient buildings for one euro to those who guaranteed to restore the structures within two years. The aldermen focused on art and culture to bring visitors to the off-the-beaten-track village.  And now Salemi has saved a collection of over 50,000 movies (videos and DVDs) from a classic shop in NYC’s East Village. The rest of Italy could learn something from Salemi about the type of ideas and idea-makers result in good governance.

It’s nearly impossible to find a store in the U.S. that has been in business for 130 years.  And it is getting more and more difficult to find a multi-generational family business in Florence.  But tucked across from the back side of the Duomo is one such place - Nante, a shop of timbri (rubber or ink stamps), cornici (picture frames) and targhe (signs). Mario Nante, grandson of the founder, displays a large sign from his grandfather’s first shop in Rome.  It’s dated 1879 - just after Italy became unified as a country and the capital moved from Florence to Rome.  Mr. Nante was born after his grandfather moved the business to Florence. He remembers when the shop was in Via Strozzi (where the Dolce & Gabbana store is now). He has a decades-old photo of that store. His father moved the business to the crammed location in Piazza del Duomo. It is leased from the preti (priests), Mario Nante says.

Mario Nante's Shop

Nante supplies enamel plaques of every variety: attenti al cane (beware of the dog), WC, toilette, cucina, vietato fumare (no smoking) and hundreds more. Florentine residents are most likely to order brass name tags for mail boxes and doorbells. Aficionados of small antiques and those who are seeking a small unique gift or remembrance of their Italian holiday should take the time needed to find the treasures hidden in Nante’s dark and dusty corners and hanging two and three layers deep on the walls.

Hidden Treasures in a Small Space

Mario Nante smokes his brown hand-rolled cigarettes and sits silent behind the counter, merely telling the tourists that he speaks no English. He’s a bit intimidating even if you speak Italian, unless you are a Florentine who shares his memories of when even the poor dressed with respect in vest, hat, jacket and button-down shirt (”before the Americans in their flip-flops and t-shirts invaded the city”), and when broken Easter cookies (quaresimali) could once be purchased by children from the pastry shop for less, and when storytelling elders were respected before the television “stole away” everyone’s brain. If he chooses to chat, he may tell you of the gazza (magpie) that “fell off the Duomo” one day.  He nursed it back to health at home, where it became a member of the family.

Antiques and Unusual Small Gifts

Nante is open most mornings, but as for the afternoon, he shrugs “Dipende dall’umore” (Depending on my mood). During hunting season he is sure to be off with his dogs in the Tuscan forests. Mr. Nante has no children and is, perhaps, in his 70s, so when he chooses to retire the shop will close for good.

Enameled Signs - Targhe

Nante - Piazza del Duomo 52r

Open Monday through Saturday (perhaps) 9am to 12pm; Closed Sunday.