Carpaccio times 2

Posted on June 13, 2019 by babbityjean

Carpaccio is an antipasto that frequently appears on Italian menus, as well as in other cuisines.  In its traditional form, it is very thinly sliced raw beef drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Over time, carpaccio has evolved to include veal, venison, salmon, tuna, and even duck, which has been either pounded thin or sliced thinly, and served raw.  Its sauces are as varied:  capers and onions, white truffle, parmesan, and even mayonnaise-based sauces.

Carpaccio was invented in 1950 by Giuseppe Cipriani, the owner of the famous Harry’s bar in Venice. According to legend, the Countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo was a loyal client.  One night she informed Cipriani that her doctors had advised her not to eat cooked meat.  What could he prepare for her?  Cipriano returned to the kitchen and came up with paper-thin slices of raw beef seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  When she asked him the name of the dish, he quickly thought of the exhibition in Venice at the time of the works of the painter Carpaccio, whose use of red  reminded Cipriani of the dish he had created.

Vittore Carpaccio was a Renaissance painter of the Venetian school.  His date of birth is uncertain, but his principal works were executed between 1490 and 1519, ranking him among the early masters of the Venetian Renaissance. He is best known for a cycle of nine paintings, The Legend of Saint Ursula.  Many of Carpaccio’s major works were large-scale detachable wall paintings for the halls of Venetian schools, which were charitable and social confraternities.  Most of his best works remain in Venice in the Gallerie dell’Accademia.

Vittore Carpaccio studied under Gentile Bellini.  Ironically, as the popularity of carpaccio as an antipasto spread during the twentieth century, it was often paired with a drink called a bellini, which is made with peach nectar and prosecco.  It also originated in Venice.

Posted in Arte, Cucina italiana, English, Italia, Storia, Venezia | 1 Comment

La Monaca di Monza

Posted on June 6, 2019 by babbityjean

Ne “I Promessi Sposi”, Alessandro Manzoni la chiama “Gertrude”.  Il nome alla nascita era Marianna de Leyva ma lei prese il nome di sua madre, Virginia Maria, quando divenne suora.  La storia della sua vita—piena di sesso, scandali, potere, denaro e omicidio—non solo è stata trasformata in innumerevoli film e spettacoli teatrali, ma ha anche contribuito a generare un sottogenere cinematografico chiamato “nunsploitation”.  Questi film, che hanno raggiunto il picco negli anni ’70, coinvolgono solitamente suore cattoliche, che vivono nei conventi durante il Medioevo. La storia implica un conflitto religioso o sessuale, come anche l’oppressione religiosa o la soppressione sessuale dovuta al celibato.

Marianna de Leyva nacque a Milano nel 1575.  Suo padre era il conte di Monza e sua madre era figlia di un potente banchiere milanese.  Sua madre morì di peste quando Marianna aveva solo un anno.  Sebbene Marianna fosse destinata ad ereditare un’enorme fortuna, una serie di intrighi riuscirono a escluderla dalla sua eredità.  Affidata a una zia, entrò nel monastero di Santa Margherita a Monza nel 1591 assumendo il nome battesimale di sua madre, Virginia Maria. Uno scrittore contemporaneo la descrisse come “modesta”, “rispettosa” e “obbediente”; faceva amicizie facilmente e si divertiva a leggere il più possibile.  Divenne insegnante nella scuola per ragazze del convento.

Nel 1597, suor Virginia incontrò il conte Giovanni Paolo Osio, che viveva in una casa accanto al monastero.  Cominciò a scambiare lettere con Osio, consegnate nel suo giardino attraverso una corda calata da una finestra del convento.  La liaison progredì e fu facilitata dall’uso di chiavi contraffatte fornite da un fabbro.  I loro incontri furono organizzati con la complicità di altre suore e un prete, che era amico intimo di Osio.

Nel 1602, suor Virginia partorì un figlio nato morto.  Un anno dopo, diede alla luce una figlia che successivamente visse con suo padre.  Nel giro di pochi anni, una delle monache del convento minacciò di rivelare la relazione. Osio la uccise, apparentemente con la complicità di suor Virginia e altre monache.  Suor Virginia minacciò tutte le suore complici che avrebbero subito lo stesso destino se avessero rivelato il crimine.  Osio uccise anche il fabbro che aveva fatto le chiavi.

Tuttavia, le voci sul convento divennero più frequenti e giunsero all’attenzione del governatore di Milano.  Nel 1607 Osio fu arrestato.  Successivamente fuggì dal carcere e in seguito fu condannato a morte in contumacia.  Alla fine fu assassinato da un presunto amico.  Quando l’arcivescovo venne a conoscenza dello scandalo, ordinò un processo canonico su suor Virginia.  Lei si difese rivendicando la perdita del libero arbitrio, affermando che forze diaboliche avevano provocato impulsi irresistibili in lei.  Venne torturata sia lei, che il prete che aveva facilitato la liaison.  Suor Virginia fu condannata a essere “murata viva” per 13 anni nella Casa di Santa Valeria. Visse lì fino alla sua morte, avvenuta nel 1650.

Nel suo romanzo, Manzoni (1785 – 1873) dà una lunga e dettagliata analisi psicologica della figura di Gertrude come vittima dell’ingiustizia e della tirannia. La storia è raccontata in flashback, che suggeriscono un angosciante segreto nella vita della monaca.  Manzoni descrive anche i crimini sordi del suo amante Egidio, raffigurante la spietatezza e la vanità del mondo aristocratico.  Nel romanzo, Egidio spinge Gertrude a diventare complice nell’omicidio di una monaca; questo è il suo tormentoso segreto.  L’opinione di Manzoni su Gertrude è che è uno strumento debole del male, incapace di resistere a minacce e tentazioni, ma fondamentalmente non è crudele.  Nel finale de I Promessi Sposi,Manzoni racconta della penitenza di Gertrude e della sua espiazione.

Posted in Film, Foto, Italia, Libri, Milano, Storia, Vaticano | 1 Comment

The Nun of Monza

Posted on June 6, 2019 by babbityjean

In I Promessi Sposi, Alessandro Manzoni calls her “Gertrude.”  Her given name at birth was Marianna de Leyva but she assumed her mother’s name, Virginia Maria, when she became a nun.  The story of her life — full of sex, scandal, power, money, and murder — was not only made into countless films and theatrical performances, but it also spawned a film subgenre called “Nunsploitation.”  These films, which peaked in Europe in the 1970s, typically involve Christian nuns living in convents during the Middle Ages. The story generally involves either a religious or sexual conflict, such as religious oppression or sexual suppression due to living in celibacy.

Marianna de Leyva was born in Milan in 1575.  Her father was the Earl of Monza and her mother was the daughter of a powerful Milanese banker.  Her mother died of the plague when Marianna was only one year old.  Although Marianna was destined to inherit a huge fortune, a series of intrigues managed to exclude her from her inheritance.  Entrusted to an aunt, she entered the monastery of Santa Margherita in Monza in 1591 assuming the baptismal name of her mother, Virginia Maria.  A contemporary writer described her as “modest,” “respectful,” and “obedient”; she made friends easily and enjoyed reading as much as possible.  She became a teacher at the convent’s school for girls.

In 1597 sister Virginia Maria met count Giovanni Paolo Osio, who lived in a house next to the monastery.  She began to exchange letters with Osio, delivered to his garden through a rope lowered from a window in the convent.   The liaison progressed and was facilitated by the use of counterfeit keys provided by a blacksmith.  Their meetings were organized with the complicity of other nuns and a priest, who was a close friend of Osio.

In 1602, Virginia Maria gave birth to a stillborn boy.  A year later she gave birth to a girl who subsequently lived with her father.  Within a few years one of the nuns at the convent threatened to expose the relationship. Osio killed her, apparently with the complicity of Sister Virginia and other nuns.  Virginia Maria threatened all the complicit nuns that they would suffer the same fate if they revealed the crime.  Osio also killed the blacksmith who had made the keys.

However, rumors about the convent became more frequent and came to the attention of the governor of Milan.  In 1607 Osio was arrested.  He subsequently escaped from prison and was later given a death sentence in absentia.  He was eventually murdered by an alleged friend.  When the archbishop learned of the scandal, he ordered a canonical trial of Sister Virginia.  She defended herself by claiming loss of free will, asserting that diabolic forces had caused irresistible impulses in her.  Torture was used on her and the priest who had facilitated the liaison.  Sister Virginia was sentenced to be walled-in for 13 years in the Home of Santa Valeria. She lived there until her death in 1650.

In his novel, Manzoni (1785-1873) gives a long and detailed psychological analysis of the figure of Gertrude as a victim of injustices and tyranny.  The story is told in flashbacks, which suggests an anguished secret in the nun’s life.  Manzoni also describes the sordid crimes of her lover Egidio (Osio), depicting the ruthlessness and vanity of the aristocratic world.  In the novel, Egidio pushes Gertrude to become an accomplice in the murder of a nun; this is her tormenting secret.  Manzoni’s view of Gertrude is as a weak tool of evil, unable to resist threats and temptations, but basically not cruel.  In the finale of I Promessi Sposi, Manzoni tells of the penance of Gertrude and her atonement.

Posted in English, Film, Foto, Italia, Libri, Storia, Vaticano | 2 Comments