Panforte of Siena: Tuscan sweet

In these days of celebration panforte Siena makes its appearance, along with panettone, pandoro and ricciarelli, on the shelves of supermarkets and bakeries, and not only in Tuscany. The goodness of this traditional Christmas cake of Sienna is now famous throughout Italy, but how and when it is born panforte?

Old recipe books tell of secular origin that becomes miraculous in legend. On Christmas Eve it is said that a child brought as a gift to Jesus a little bread with almonds that, following the blessing of St. Joseph, was transformed into a delicious panforte.
A medieval tradition says that the gingerbread, the ancestor of panforte Siena, has been prepared for the first time by Sister Leta to remedy a problem happened in the kitchen. As it happens, a cabinet broke broke spreading inside the raw materials she used to create this new tuscan sweet... it is better to say 'not all evil comes to harm'.
Among the ingredients spices were more abundant more than nowadays, including pepper from which the name of gingerbread, held together by caramelized sugar and honey. As such goods at the time particularly valuable and expensive this cake was consumed by the wealthy classes.

Coming to the present day, the classic version of panforte is white, also called Margaret on the occasion of the visit to Siena of Queen Margherita of Savoy in 1879. The secret of success lies in panforte white wealth and goodness of its compound (an explosive mix of calories!) From 1675 that has a well-seventeen ingredients, as many as are the lands of the Palio di Siena: honey, sugar, wheat flour, walnuts, nuts, almonds, candied citron, candied orange, popone candy, candied lemon peel, cinnamon, coriander, pepper aromatic, pine nuts, cloves, water and knead for fire to cook. A sweet energy so as to have alleged aphrodisiac qualities and to be in the past been used as food 'emergency' to feed the army during the siege of Siena in Siena in 1555, unfortunately without enough to withstand the attack of the Florentine who conquered the city.

In addition to panforte Margherita (or white), you can enjoy the panforte black, chocolate, not to be confused with Cecco cake, Christmas cake senese less common but no less delicious. If you're undecided between the brands that produce the panforte what I recommend is Flavors, in my opinion, the best ever.

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New Year's Eve in the square in Pisa

The New Year's Eve in the square in Pisa doubles and even quadruple to celebrate the arrival of 2009, four shows will indeed take place in the evening of December 31 in four of the Tuscan city squares: Square Garibaldi, Square San Paolo all'Orto, Square Gambacorti Chiara and Logge the benches.
The event called Last of the year Carnival will interlace culinary journeys to entertainment shows and music of every genre, from Blues to Rock, from Jazz to Reggae, Ska from the Latin American dances, to culminate in the traditional toast Midnight. of the New Year festival in Pisa, or rather the holidays, attended by some local center as the Bazeel, the Leningradcafé, the Borderline and Metamusic Agency. Here is the program of the evening in the four squares in Pisa.

Square Garibaldi. The New Year celebration begins at 8 p.m. with an aperitif - dinner-based on products from Tuscany, organized by Bazeel, continues to 9 p.m. with Latin American dances performed by the A-Team, a group of animation of Pisa.
At 11 p.m. Blues Band Nick Beccattini start play, the concert will not only blues but also rock, funk and soul, and it breaks to celebrate midnight according to the tradition with classical taste of zampone, lentils and sparkling. We danced into the night to pace dela Latin American music.

Square San Paolo all'Orto. The evening of 31 December starts at 9 p.m. with a dinner based on Tuscan soup and enters into full swing at 11.30 p.m. with a concert by Ray Daytona, surf punk band established itself in Italy.
The New Year celebration continues in the streets to music with a DJ Set After Show with Dome La Muerte Lady Maina and ending at night.

Square Chiara Gambacorti. The program of the festival for the New Year in Square Gambacorti provides a concert reggae, performing Vibes Working Group, winner of the 2008 Ciampi for the best cover. The show will start at 11 p.m. and for two hours this square resound of reggae music, ragga muffin and dance hall style.

Logge dei banchi. The program of the celebration of New Year has not only musical performances. At 7.30 p.m. a musical cocktail will animate the evening until 10.30 p.m., when the concert will begin, the Chiasso Mozzo Noir Folk Punk Band performing. These singers come from Pisa and their music has roots in rock and popular authors.
The comedy of Antonio Calandrino, eclectic actor movie theater and presenter of the evening, will accompany at the stroke of midnight, he will recite passages of his last show "The I God will." in conclusion of the evening the music ska & rocksteady de 'La Ghenga'.

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In Siena watching the stars of the New Year

Only 4 days, 8 hours, 9 minutes at the stroke of midnight of the new year, in newspapers, on television and radio astrologers communicate forecasts of 2009, strictly divided sign for sign. While waiting to find out what was in store for us next year, I want to suggest you an appointment with the stars, quiet, I do not to submit to yet another horoscope, the sky that I invite you to observe is that 'astronomical'.

Not quite on a New Year's Day but on 3 January 2009 in Siena the Observatory's Astrofili Senesi will be open to the public; at 21:30 you can watch by telescope the stars and nebulae that 'live' the northern hemisphere and for once the show will not take place Under the Tuscan Sun, but it will be the Tuscan sky itself. The astronomical station of Siena Palmiero Capannoli is located near Port Laterina, if you arrive in Siena by train it is necessary to take a bus to reach Independence Square and here take another bus /(n 54) which stops at Port Laterina, while if you come by car you can park in route Bastianini and route of the Nuovo Asilo.

Now it only remains to hope that the night is clear and therefore the maximum visibility and check the weather forecast ... and that the stars are with you!

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Kinzica de' Sismondi, who was she?

How many live or know some of Pisa will know that one of the historical neighborhoods that had divided the Tuscan city was called Kinzica (for those who are handy was more or less up to via San Martino). Its name derives from that of a woman lived in Pisa in the Middle Ages and still remembered here as an heroin, especially at events such as the Maritime Republics' race involving Amalfi, Venice, Genoa and Pisa course.

During the costume parade before the person that has the shoes of Kinzica dei Sismondi arrives on horseback, accompanied by six maids and a palfrey, and accompanied by eight drummers and four bishops. Who was Kinzica treated with such a great importance? The answer probably lies in a historical episode that has become over time a legendary alone.

Around 1004-1005, when the events took place, the pirates threatened the city of Pisa at a time when it was defenseless. Their plan was sent in smoke from Kinzica de' Sismondi that sounded the bells and awakened the inhabitants so that the people rejected the invaders. A few added that she fought in first person for the defense of the city. In any case, the result was an overwhelming victory and everlasting memory of Kinzica Sismondi in the collective memory of the city.

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Biscuits Befanini for a sweet New Year

What's better to wish someone a sweet Christmas giving as a gift something really sweet, maybe we prepared? On the Christmas' sweets the Tuscan recipes are of a wide variety of biscuits and cakes that can be selected.

What I have decided to propose to you for these festivals is traditionally one of the recipes prepared in Tuscany in the early days of the new year, as the name reveals: the Befanini (from Befana, an old woman who brings the sweets to children for the epiphany).

Ingredients:
For the dough: 500 gr. flour, 100 gr. butter, lard nut, 200 gr. sugar, 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, some 'milk (enough to make the dough consistent)
For the marzipan: walnuts, almonds and chopped egg clear (mounted)

Preparation:
The mixture should be kept in the refrigerator for about 10, 15 minutes and then laid out with rolling pin and then with the special shapes are obtained many biscuits with the shape of heart, star, Christmas tree ... Now you are ready to prepare marzipan, with a little bit of Alkermes and then spread the batter with a spoon on befanini. Now you only have to put them in the oven and let them brown and... Bon appetit!

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Palace Alla Giornata in Pisa

Poised between myth and reality, the story that I want to tell you in this holiday concerning the origin of the term At the Day (Alla giornata) with which is named one of the historic buildings that are located on the river Arno of Pisa, current seat of the Rector of the University, story that had a happy ending just one day of Christmas of a few centuries ago.

The narration of the facts leads us in the seventeenth century and the protagonist is a knight Pisan that, following fierce naval battle, fell into Turkish hands. Entrusted to the custody of one of the favorites of the bey, he soon earned the admiration for the courage shown during his captivity so that he would be left free if in return had agreed to renoune his religion.
Despite the Knight of Pisa showed no hesitation, the court took on with a new proposal, namely to be free enough to stop to observe the rule on Friday in thin had always strictly followed. Past few weeks, a knight on Friday asked that he had led a lavish meal, happy to hear this news, the courtier turkish remained true to his promise and released into freedom. What he did not know was unaware that that day is celebrated Christmas event for which the precept of Friday was exceptionally lean suspended.
Back in Pisa, the knight built a palace on the Arno River and as a votive he placed above the entrance three links of the chain that had kept him prisoner and he wrote the motto At Day to remember that even in difficulty, we must not lose hope because in just one day the adversity can capsize.

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Villa Medici at Poggio a Caiano

Villa Medici at Poggio a Caiano is located a few kilometers from Florence, in the province of Prato ant it is easily reachable by bus from the station of Santa Maria Novella.

Built by Giuliano da Sangallo for the will of Lorenzo the Magnificent on an area belonged to the historical Florentine families of Rucellai and Strozzi, the villa of Poggio a Caiano has seen in years the alternation of various artists including Filippino Lippi for the fresco in the loggia on the first floor, Andrea Sansovino in the pediment majolica, Andrea del Sarto, Alessandro Allori and Pontormo for the realization of the beautiful cycle of frescoes that decorate the walls of the Salon of Pope Leo X.

In addition to the villa and the park, you can visit the Museum of still life, inaugurated in June 2007, which boasts a number of paintings on a time span ranging from sixteenth to the eighteenth century. If you do not have time to visit both, my advice is to see the villa, one of the most beautiful among the Medici villas that I have ever seen.

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