We leave Sicily unwillingly but ... we must, beautiful thing have always to end to rejoice about new things to come.
The travel is too long and so we decide to profit by my relatives living in Spoleto, one of the most famous Umbrian town.
Umbria is like home... when I was a child, I did not like to go there because it always meant boring things but now I cannot ignore the beauties of this region.
So let's start with Spoleto...
"I climbed up to Spoleto and was on the acqueduct which also serves as a bridge between the two mountains. The ten arches of brickwork have stood there so calmly during the centuries, and water still gushes forth everywhere in Spoleto. This is now the third structure I have seen, all of them with the same grandeur of design. A second Nature, one that serves civic goals, that is what their architecture is, and thus arose the amphitheater, the temple ad the acqueduct;..." Italian Journey, J.W. Goethe
We approach the town from South and, travelling along the Via Flaminia, we face one of the masterpiece of the Roman architecture: the Ponte delle Torri, that was built as an acqueduct and now it rapresents a link between the town and the mountains on the other side of the valley. It's amazing how it stands there in all its majesty...so high, so great and so beautiful!
Before passing it, you can have access to the town and following the main road you will start finding on your right the ancient walls that still stand there to divide the eldest part of the city from the most modern one.
You can enter the town from the main entrance in Garibaldi Square and go uphill till the Fortress. Some years ago escalators have been installed in the Eastern side that takes you directly under the fortress but a nice walk is noteworthy.
Spoleto is full of Romanic churches and the first example can be found in Garibaldi Square. with San Gregorio Square. After having visited the whole Sicily, it's surprising how essential and minimalist the architecture becomes... I like it much more because it looks like much more cleaned, simple even if the details of Baroque churches are impressive.
We start doing our "vasca" as the locals are used to call the continuous walk back and forth along the so called "Borgo", that is simple a street full of shops that leads you to the upper part of the town but, if you come here at about 6 o' clock in the evening it gets so crowded that it gets difficult to walk.
At the end of this street you can see the Porta Fuga (Escape entrance), whose name dates back to the III century B.C., when Hannibal was scared off from the inhabitants as proved by the inscription you can see in the arch:
Just before it, on the left, you find Palazzo Vigili with its Tower, the only one that still preserves its original height.
The so called Oil tower dates back to the XIII century when it was used as a defence system from where, in case of attacks, boiling oil was poured down from the small slots.
It's lunch time and we want to reach the old Market square because every day, during the week, Serafino stands there with its van and you can taste on of the best "Panino con la porchetta" of the town. I still wonder how is it possible that every day he succeeds in selling the whole pig!!!!
The square market, in the morning, is full of farmers who sell their products. On the left side you can admire the Spring of the square and it follows the Roman habit of "water exhibitions".
On the left side of the fountain you can find the ancient "Roman house" of the I century A.C. that was found under the current City Hall. Decorations, Mosaics and the houseplant let us think that this was an example of an original Domus Romana belonging to a wealthy family.
After the visit of the Roman House, go out and cross the Market square till the opposite side and pass under the Arch of Druzus that was build in 23 A.D. in honour of Drusus, the son of the Emperor Tiberius and it rapresented the entrance to the ancient Forum. Then turn right and start the descent and you will reach a little square, Piazza della Libertà where, in the corner, you can admire the ancient Roman Theatre, whose entrance is in Via S. Agata.
It's getting late and tonight my aunt is going to teach me to prepare Stringozzi, a typical kind of pasta that is very common in this part of the region even if it can have different names, such as pici, ciriole,...
But let's start with the
STRINGOZZI ALLA SPOLETINA
Ingredients (for 4 people)
For the pasta
4oog flour:
1 egg;
water;
salt.
Pour the flour on the work surface, like a fountain. Add the eggs, salt and water enough not to have a too liquid dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes and start to roll it out in a single pastry. Pour the flour on the surface because it has not to stick neither to the rolling pin nor to the surface. Roll it up on itself and start cutting it so that, once hung, you get a sort of long pasta. In the meantime, prepare a fry of oil, garlic and chilli. Finally add the diced tomatoes and cook it until tomatoes are completly wilted. Serve the pasta with the sauce.
Another flavouring that is very typical is with black truffle: grate the truffle with half clove of garlic; add salt, pepper and abundant olive oil. In a pan, fry two cloves of garlic with other oil that, once hot, pour it on the mixture of truffle. Use it to season the previously in boiling and salted water cooked pasta.
Enjoy it!
