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Historic changes to Italian provinces

The current provinces and regions of Italy.

The Italian government has decided to abolish several provinces with smaller populations, combining and redefining them, as part of a streamlining effort to save money. Not everyone is happy about it. This article from the Guardian (UK) gives some of the reasons.

The number of Italian provinces has almost doubled, from 59 when Italy became a nation in 1861, to 109 today. The reorganization of provinces will take place in 2014, and affects provinces throughout the country. Last month the English language version of Italy’s Corriere de la Sera ran this article about the axing of 36 provinces.

The provinces are not to be confused with regions, the better-know subdivisions of Italian government. For example, Calabria is a region with five provinces. However, after reorganization, the provinces of Catanzaro, Crotone, and Vibo Valentia will be combined into one, leaving Calabria with three provinces.

The functions of provincial level governments include planning and zoning, police and fire protection, and transportation matters such as car registration and road maintenance.

Some proposals have called for the complete abolition of provinces, with the regions taking over all the governmental functions. Others want to protect the unique cultural or historic character of a place, such as Benevento, which is scheduled to throw its lot in with Avellino despite Benevento’s ancient Samnite history.

These changes are likely to spark some protests around the country, and are expected to be challenged in court. However for most visitors to Italy, the impact is expected to be minor. Look around and see history in the making.

 

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More about rapini…

I recently discovered that “rapini” is by far the most popular search term that leads people to my blog. I find it a little baffling, however here’s another blogger’s rapini recipe, to give all those “rapini” searches another place to land. Check out the nuovastoria blog for more on life in the Italian south.

nuovastoria's avatarnuovastoria

The weather is changing in Martina Franca. While we’re not swimming in flood waters like the unfortunate residents of Venice, our skies are grey and the wind is whipping down our cavernous city streets, prompting a spontaneous show of woolly scarves and winter coats. There’s only one thing to do: make pasta.

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Off the beaten path: Discover Scontrone

The beautiful mountains of central Italy.

Italy has its share of tourist attractions, but don’t be fooled. Out in the countryside, in villages and hamlets, many unsung gems await discovery. Scontrone offered us such a discovery.

During one week of a two-month stay in Italy, my husband and I connected with my brother and his daughter in Abruzzo.

A trusting place–keys in the door!

And on one brilliant August day, we drove south from Sulmona in a loop that took us through Castel di Sangro, Scontrone, Barrea and a bit of the National Park of Abruzzo, then through Scanno and back to Sulmona.

Another reason to stop: to have a cool one.

We stopped at Scontrone to have a look around, attracted mainly because of its connection with Pope Celestine V, who lived there briefly in his early twenties, seeking a place of solitude, and found it in a cave. We did not find the cave, but wandered around the quiet (nearly deserted) village, taking photos, which I share with you today.

We admired the “public art”.

And along with these, I encourage you, when you visit Italy, to leave the line to get into the museum, the stiff neck from staring at grand ceilings, leave all that behind at least for a while, and get off the beaten path, practice your “Buon giorno” in a village piazza or bar, and enjoy what you find there.

A member of the welcoming committee.

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Thinking of you, Calabria!

soldierofthecross18's avatarwatcher times

(Oct 26, 2012) A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck north of Cosenza in southern Italy early on Friday, and police said a hospital had been evacuated after cracks were found in its structure, but there were no reports of injuries. The quake hit at 1:05 a.m. (2305 GMT on Thursday) about 3.8 km (2.4 miles) underground, north of Cosenza in the Pollino mountains area on the border of the southern regions of Calabria and Basilicata, according to data from the Italian Geophysics Institute (INGV). It said on its website that at least 14 other tremors followed the initial earthquake. An Italian police official told Reuters a hospital in the small town of Mormanno had been evacuated as a precautionary measure because some cracks were found in its structure. Italian news agencies reported scenes of panic in the hospital and said many inhabitants of Mormanno and surrounding towns had come out…

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Ravioli con la zucca: Lessons in cooking and Italian

The Pumpkin, late 17th century by Bartolomeo Bimbi

I’ve been dealing with pumpkins this week, and the stores are overflowing with them. I have lots of pumpkin puree in my fridge and freezer, so I found a way to use some of it, and I’m sharing it with you. Cook up that zucca and make this for dinner! With many thanks to the Italian Food Net, which presents this cooking lesson in Italian with English subtitles.

http://www.italianfoodnet.com/eng/video/pumpkin-ravioli

Now be honest, can you cook this way? I’m distracted in so many ways–the Italian language in my ear, conversion from metric to whatever my ‘normal’ is called, the impossibly clean kitchen, and the friendly and attractive Italian chef who wants to help me cook up something delicious.

Aside from looking up recipes, have you learned to cook something by watching video instructions online?

 

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Halloween–a newcomer to Italy

Italian Jack-o-LanternHappy Halloween, readers! The celebration of Halloween has morphed from its origins in religious history — All Hallow’s Eve, or the night before All Saints Day — to something generally irreligious with no spiritual connotations to most who participate. In Italy, All Saints Day has been a religious festival for centuries, and Halloween is a newcomer. Here’s a link to an article about Halloween in Italy on a website I recently found, and will be visiting regularly, called ItalyMONDO. They also have an excellent post about Wines of Abruzzo which you might enjoy!

Enjoy the day!

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Following my recent theme of fig things, here is a recipe that has great appeal to me. I only I still had some fresh figs!! (You can see why I don’t in my earlier post.)

lovefromitaly's avatarlovefromitaly

Fresh fig and walnut pudding from Campania

Well, I say Campania, because I was in Salerno when the idea came into my head, but it’s not exactly traditional…

I had a load of fresh figs in my fridge because my green grocer knows I love figs and the season is almost at an end. However, they were in all honesty a little too ripe to eat alone or raw and wrapped in a piece of  parma ham the way I usually do (yum!) so I wondered what I could use them for – I really do not like throwing out food, especially something as yummy as figs!

Thus was born the mighty fresh fig and walnut pudding!

I have a confession to make… this was supposed to be a cake, and in fact a pretty much followed the recipe for banana and walnut cake which I am a master at…

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Italian news this week: Two high-profile court decisions

Italian court decisions have been in the news this week, the first generating mostly disbelief, and the second perhaps more “What took you so long?” comments.

Scientists were convicted of manslaughter for not predicting more certainly a deadly earthquake. http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/23/italian-court-sentences-scientists-to-6-years-in-prison-over-laquila-earthquake/?iref=allsearch

The former prime minister received a prison term of four years for tax fraud. http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/26/world/europe/italy-berlusconi-convicted/index.html?hpt=ieu_c1

Readers, what do you think of these decisions? Do they change or confirm your view of Italy?

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Help me, Blogiverse! I’m losing my figs!

Is there any hope for these figs? I have a honey fig that grows two crops a summer, but my summer hasn’t been long enough for the second crop to ripen. (It rarely is long enough, but this year there are lots of late figs.) The leaves are fading and dropping off, but there are dozens of figs that haven’t ripened. Does anyone have tips for getting them to ripen after picking them? Or what if I cut the branches and put them in water in the house? Or… ??? Fig experts, please help!

This fig tree was a gift from my mother after we visited Italy. Fresh figs were a revelation to me, as I had never lived where figs grow. I’d love to salvage them if they can be used. Take a look at this wonderful concoction and see if your mouth waters!

Do you like figs? How do you like them best? Please leave a comment!

UPDATE!  Good news/bad news. There is a way to ripen the figs, but I have missed the time frame for it!

My friend Karen sent me this on Facebook: