First, the fireworks.
August 7 is the feast day of the patron saint of Arezzo. The story of his life, written in the 5th century, has been described as unreliable, but the highlights are:
Donatus escaped to Arezzo and would work with a monk named Hilarian to preach the Christian faith, as well as perform penances and miracles.[1] Severinus' Passio states that Donatus brought back to life a woman named Euphrosina; fought and slew a dragon who had poisoned the local well;[2] gave sight back to a blind woman named Syriana; and exorcised a demon that had been tormenting Asterius, the son of the Roman prefect of Arezzo...During a celebration of Mass, at the moment of the giving of Communion, in which a glass chalice was being administered, some pagans entered the church and shattered the chalice in question. Donatus, after intense prayer, collected all of the fragments and joined them together. There was a piece missing from the bottom of the cup; miraculously, however, nothing spilled from the cup. Astounded, seventy-nine pagans converted to Christianity.[1] A similar legend is told of Saint Nonnosus, but the object is a shattered glass lamp.[4]A month after this episode, the prefect of Arezzo, Quadratian, arrested Hilarian the Monk and Donatus. Hilarian was martyred on July 16, 362 and Donatus was beheaded on August 7 at Arezzo.
So the feast day, which is a giorno di festivo or holiday, is basically celebrating the beheading of the bishop. Unfortunately, we had forgotten about the feast day and thus missed the pageantry in the Piazza Grande, 'due passe' (a few steps) from our apartment. We saw them processing away from the square in full medieval regalia after the festivities (and heard an unforgettable rendition of Beethoven's 5th by the Arezzo drum and bugle corps). Then we heard loud booms which Tom correctly identified as the sound of fireworks. We stepped out into our back yard and the fireworks were directly above us! I've never seen fireworks so close up and personal, we felt as if we could reach up and touch them. It was truly spectacular and a great end to a great day that marked our first visitors from Seattle. Karen, Todd & Perry and friends were spending a week at Castello Galbino in nearby Anghiari and came to spend a day with us. After a long lunch on Piazza Grande, they visited our apartment, then we did a small walk through town to see some of the sights, including an excellent gelateria.
 |
| toasting absent friends |
 |
| lunch at portici vasari in Arezzo with Phil, Mara, Paige, Nancy, Karen, Todd |
 |
| pausing in piazza San Francesco |
The next day Tom and I took the bus to Anghiari where Todd and Karen met us at the bus stop and brought us to Castello Galbino where they were staying for a week with a group of friends. Anghiari is at a higher elevation than Arezzo, surrounded by rolling hills, trees, and tobacco and sunflower fields (tobacco is one of the major crops in Tuscany0. The castello is beautiful, large but surprisingly homey because it has been in the same family for generations and their possessions, including books and pictures, are everywhere.
 |
| Castello Galbino |
 |
| note the crossed rifles above the fireplace |
 |
| Andre enjoying breakfast in the kitchen |
 |
| the dishes have a picture of the castle |
 |
the castle crest on the ceiling
The housekeeper/chef Nurella (born in 1953 like me) gave us a ravioli making lesson in the kitchen and we had the results for dinner.
  
Nurella let us try our hands at the various stages of making ravioli. Above, Paige is rolling the dough which has to be rolled until it is translucent. Nurella uses a giant rolling pin and really works the dough. None of us could master her method which she said took her two years to learn.
After the rigors of ravioli making we had to retire to the terrazzo for apertivi. In the course of the evening 6 bottles of prosecco met their doom.
  
````````````````No, it isn't a hogwarts broom, it is an actual old style broom
````````````````` still in use in Italy.
The castle has beautiful grounds, including an infinity pool, which we enjoyed the next day, although regrettably Karen and co. had to leave for the airport at 2 am.
  
This is what retirement looks like--come on in, the water is great!
|
