Grinzane Cavour and
Frittelle for San
Giovanni!
Dateline: 03/21/97
Grinzane is a tiny town in
Piemonte, not far from Alba. However, it played a major part in Italian
history: Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, the architect of Italian unity, gained
his first political experience in the town as mayor, when he was in his 20s.
Indeed, his comment, "The man who trusts men will make fewer mistakes that he
who distrusts them," likely arose from his dealings with the local farmers and
landlords. The experience certainly stood him in good stead later, when, as
prime minister, he oversaw the ticklish task of sending Piemontese troops to
Crimea in order to gain the good will of England and France, and thus be able
to maneuver against the Austrians who controlled much of northern Italy. It
took him ten years, but in the end the tiny country of Piemonte forced the
Austro-Hungarian Empire to relinquish both Lombardia and the Veneto, and also
to withdraw from Central Italy. If ever a mouse outfoxed a lion, this was
it.
Backtracking a bit, when Cavour
was appointed mayor of Grinzane, he had no place to stay, so his father bought
him the town's major landmark, the XIII century fortress perched on top of the
hill. It's imposing, and the view is spectacular, but it's also cold,
especially in winter, and one of the first things Camillo did was have false
ceilings put in all the rooms that he used. This proved quite fortunate,
because during the War the castle was a German command post, and the soldiers
burned everything they could find in an effort to keep warm -- including all of
Cavour's furniture. After the war the castle was transformed into a museum, and
one of the restorers thought the ceilings looked low: he discovered that what
had been Cavour's office and sitting room had originally been the great hall,
with a beautiful paneled ceiling.
Visits are on the
hour and cost 5,000 lire per person; if you arrive early there's a wineshop
with most of the local wines (including that from Cavour's vineyard, which is
down the hill) on the ground floor.
The visit begins with a very long, steep,
narrow staircase with unevenly spaced stairs -- the last defense, if the enemy
managed to penetrate into the castle. Mid-way up is the great hall; the ceiling
panels have curious portraits of the in-laws who participated at a 15th century
wedding. The room above the great hall also had a false ceiling; when it was
stripped away pretty 17th century frescoes came to light, and now
contrast oddly with a massive scale used for weighing wagons and the wagon with
a wine-must barrel (8 feet long and oval in cross-section to keep it from
rolling off the wagon) that hangs from it. The tour then returns part-way down
the stairs, to Cavour's bedroom, which is furnished with pieces from another of
his residences. Since he was quite short and the mattress stood about four feet
above the floor, he had a commode that could be transformed into a flight of
steps. One of the risers swings up to reveal the chamber pot; the contraption
is French, and was quite expensive at the time.
The castle is also the seat of a wine
producer's organization, which has a blind tasting in the great hall each year.
The best bottles are given special labels and placed in cases with fluorescent
lighting (that is ruining them). From the wine room you cross a balcony, past a
plastic owl hung to frighten the pigeons, to a surprisingly varied collection
of farm implements from the last century. There's a sling used by smiths to
suspend oxen before shoeing them, coopering tools, mouse traps, and even straw
boots for the winter -- they look like demented birds' nests. The tour ends
with a tasting, which is alas not free. But a dollar is a fair price to pay for
sipping a glass in the home of the father of Italy, and admiring the view he
did.
Getting there:
Grizzane Cavour is southest of Alba, on the road to Castiglione Falletto
and Monforte D'Alba. If you are driving from Alba, you will want to turn left
at Gallo D'Alba and go up the hill. There's parking within the castle
grounds.
While you're in the area, you should also visit L'Annunziata di La Morra's Wine Museum.
On a very
different note, March 19th is San Giuseppe. Florentines celebrate the day with Frittelle, rice fritters that
melt on the tongue, and offer a delicious respite from the privations of Lent
(or used to, back when people observed Lent more than they do now).
To feed a multitude, you will need:
- 1 3/4 cup rice (cheap rice is best here)
- 1 quart milk
- The zest of one lemon
- 3-4 Tablespoons sugar
- A walnut-sized chunk of butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 jigger of rum or sweet wine (the recipe calls for rum, but my Aunt prefers Vinsanto)
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Oil for frying
- Confectioner's sugar
Simmer the rice in the milk until it's quite done, then stir in the sugar, lemon zest, and butter and let cool.
Separate the eggs and whip the
whites to soft peaks. Stir the yolks and the rum or wine into the rice mixture,
then fold in the egg whites, flour and baking powder. Drop the batter a
teaspoon at a time into hot oil and fry the frittelle until they are a
rich golden brown. Drain them on absorbent paper, and when they have cooled
dust them with confectioner's sugar.
Enjoy!
Kyle
Phillips
