LINGUISTIC WINDOW
SPEZZANO ALBANESE
Where we are - History - Dresses - Churches - Important men - Language - Art and handicraft - Spezzano every month - Contacts
This happened . . .
March 2 1856. On this day the road from Spezzano to San Lorenzo (passing through Serralto) was opened thanks to a project presented by two engineers: De Novellis and Alessandro Zecca.
March 11 1810 Work on the construction of the Calabrian Consular road starts. The captain of the Napoleonic army, Angelo Mortati persuaded Marshal Mc Donald, the works manager, to divert the route and so the road passed through Spezzano.
“Tagliatelle with chickpeas”
Ingredients: 300 gr of chickpeas, 300 gr of tagliatelle, two cloves of garlic, some bay leaves, ground red pepper, olive oil and salt
First put the chickpeas in water and leave for 24 hours and then cook them in plenty of water. Add only salt and bay leaves. Add water as necessary. Add the chickpeas to the noodles and season with fried garlic and pepper.
In March the landscape changes. Scents and colours take
pride of place once more. The fields, the terraces and the balconies
are full of fresh colourful flowers. The heady perfume of the mimosa
blossoms pervades the whole town. Bonfires in honour of Saint Joseph
are lit in the different neighbourhoods. This important tradition is
linked to a traditional Roman feast which celebrated the “sol
invictus”. After the winter season nature
awakens and the lighting of these bonfires is a good omen for the
coming harvest season .
Nowadays in many parts of the town people collect olive branches cut during the pruning and these are burnt on the evening of the 18th and the 19th of march. Doughnut shaped cakes are fried and handed out to the people gathered around the fires. There is singing and dancing too.
Traditional food
“Doughnut
shaped fried cakes”
Ingredients: 1 Kg white flour, 400 g of potatoes, 1 cube of yeast, salt, olive oil, sugar.
Add the flour to the boiled, mashed potatoes, add the water, the brewers yeast and some salt. Mix the ingredients together cover with a cloth and leave for about two hours. When the dough has risen, shape small quantities into rings and fry in plenty of oil. Drain and sprinkle with sugar.