Proverbial Images

Photographs of Italy

Ogni bambino viene al mondo col suo cestino.

Every baby comes to the world with his basket.

(Every child arrives with skills to make his way in the world.)

Palermo, Sicilia

Il falso amico è come l'ombra che ci segue finché dura il sole.
The false friend is like the shadow that follows us only when the sun shines.
Sundial / Perpetual Calendar. Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna.

I Santi non mangiano. 
The Saints don't eat. (One can't live on religion.) 

Cefalu, Sicilia

We've paired several of our favorite photos with Italian proverbs and a well-known song lyric. You can click on the photos to see them larger.

Val piu avere amici in piazza, che danari nella cassa.

Friends on the piazza are worth more than money in the strongbox.    Noto, Sicilia.

Quando piove e luce il sole, tutte le vecchie vanno in amore.

When it rains and the sun shines, all the old ladies look for love. Firenze, Toscana.

Dormi sepolto in un campo di grano, non e' la rosa, non e' il tulipano che ti fan veglia dall'ombra dei fossi ma sono mille papaveri rossi.                                                                                   

Sleep buried in a field of grain - it's not the rose, it's not the tulip that keeps vigil over you from the shadow of the trenches, but a thousand red poppies.

Fabrizio De Andre, La Guerra di Piero (Piero's War), 1966.

We are not linguists, your comments on the translations are welcome.

Thanks. Several of these proverbs are from the Italian Site: Aforismi.dossier.net/proverbi-italiani

Ameglia Montemarcello San Terenzo Pontremoli Filattiera Pian di Collechia Copyright 2012  www.apathtolunch.com All Rights Reserved. Aulla Fivizzano Castelnuovo Magra This article appeared on www.apathtolunch.com and has not been authorized elsewhere. Cinque Terre Portovenere Lerici Luni Carrara Sarzana Ortonuovo Nicola Fosdinovo Caniparola

One Hundred Years A Minute

Walk The Ruins of Moneta Castle

When the estate agent showed this piece of land to the city folk, the deal was as good as done. The neighborhood was developing fast, since the government had just created a huge subdivision at the border. Indeed, work was already in progress on the new regional capitol  nearby.  People were moving to the area, and it was just a matter of time before the best land was gone and prices rose. And what land! Views in every direction, easy access, mild climate, level areas with a southern exposure, and the previous owners had even put down foundations! The client - the Roman family of Monetii; the year - 200 B.C.; the land - a forested hill in Fossola off the road to Carrara; the new capital - Luni ; the previous owners - the Ligurian Apuani tribe.

The Alpi Apuane, the marble quarries, and a ruined castle wall.

This is an easy walk in the Carrara frazione of Fossola, and it's only a few minutes from the autostrada - see Getting There below.  It will take you just 22 minutes of easy climbing to travel back 2,200 years.  The castle complex has expansive views of the sea, the city of Carrara and its valley, the Apuan Alps and the marble quarries. The ruins can be thoroughly explored, there are picnic places, and plenty of spots to sit and think. While the ruins are large, it's hard to imagine many of the buildings. Therefore, we've included a history section below to fuel your imagination.

View from the Castle of vineyards and the Carrara plain.

After you park, follow the tiny side road. It's paved for the first one-third, and it leads past garden plots, and a few half-hidden houses. It's shady and green, and you won't be out of a cat's sight for long. There are no decisions to make, and as you rise the gardens slowly end and forest takes over. Shortly, you'll see the ruins, and as you approach closely, follow in a clockwise spiral to reach the very top-most tower. The square tower was the original defensive tower, and then the campanile of the castle chapel. Note the worn threshold with a the pilgrim's cross nearby (photo below). As you follow around and down, you can easily imagine parts of the medieval borgo (castle village). Look for a round tower that we think must have been part of the defensive wall. Further along there's a doorway, partly made with white marble blocks that Professor Vita describes as the access to the keep (mastio). There are photos on the Italian websites mentioned below in More Info.

Castle Moneta. Defensive wall tower.

History. The history of this site is extensive and convoluted, but the telling is necessarily somewhat speculative as there are few documentary sources, and archaeological work has not been carried out on the ruins. We've tried to distill some facets of our reading to make your walk interesting.

The 'rustic villa' of the Roman Monaii family was established  at roughly the same time as the Roman empire began the city of Luni in 177 B.C. This strategic site was previously fortified by the local Ligurian tribe, the Apuani. The location was convenient to the ancient route called the Via del Sale, used for salt and other trading toward Lunigiana and the interior.   This area was then one of the frontiers of the Roman empire, as Roman expansion met the fierce Ligurian tribes of the coastal mountains. The conflicts with the Ligurians would last for over 300 years, and included a battle where 4,000 Roman legionnaires were killed. In another episode, 47,000 Ligurians were deported to the south.  The fortified villa became part of a defensive ring around Luni which included the present towns of Nicola and Ortonuovo and Avenza.

The fortified villa was transformed into a castle by the Byzantines while still a part of the Luni sphere in the 6th century. Subsequently, the Lombards (Longobards) took over in 643 AD, then Charlemagne's Franks in the 9th century. In the 10th and 11th centuries, while under the control of the Bishop/Counts of Luni, the castle was further fortified to resist the incursions of Normans and Arabs whose attacks finally finished off Luni.

Via Francigena. The Castle of Moneta was located on the medieval route known as the Via Pedemontana, (the foothill route) which led up and down the peninsula and was used to minimize the dangers and malaria of the coastal areas. Thus it was a stopping point for pilgrims making the pilgrimage between Rome, Canterbury, Santiago, and other holy sites, known today as the Via Francigena. It's easy to forget that there was never a single path called the Francigena. The route varied according to weather, hospices, brigands, rumor, and fad. The castle chapel threshold at Moneta shows the wear of centuries of feet, but also the welcome symbol for pilgrims in the cross carved in the stone (see photo).

The well-worn threshold includes a carved cross welcoming pilgrims.

Year 1455: The Maximum and Last Splendor. Many of the castle features that are evident today are the product of a large renovation carried out by one Spinetta di Campo Fregoso. Signore Campo Fregoso became the owner – by 1447 - of Moneta Castle as well as of Carrara, Avenza, Castelpoggio and Laventiae Castles after the withdrawal of the Visconti of Pavia. The rebuilding lasted until 1455.

The renewed castle featured a larger borgo (castle town) below and around the summit surrounded by an elliptical wall. An additional defensive wall with robust round towers encircled the castle/borgo complex which now comprised half the hill. The castle's ancient square defensive tower became the campanile of a new castle church, and this is the high square tower still standing today. The dominant feature became a new imposing Rocca (castle keep) on the west side of the borgo. Three sides of the fortress were unscaleable sheer walls and the fourth faced the borgo with a defensive ditch crossed by a drawbridge and protected by an imposing tower. Additionally, huge underground cisterns were added, fed by local springs, to improve village life and add to the castle's defensive resources.

Signore Campo Fregosi's rebuilding efforts were motivated by the arrival of effective uses of gunpowder. Although it had been introduced to Europe almost 200 years before, the development of weaponry was slow. However by 1447, gunpowder was being used successfully in siege cannons against medieval castles. The design of the new Moneta fortress with an outer wall was intended to prevent the approach of cannon. Unfortunately, Spinetta di Campo Fregosi's military vision was intrinsically medieval, and the development of more powerful and longer range artillery would severely limit the Castle of Moneta's military usefulness within a few decades, since it is surrounded by higher summits. Even the concept of a hilltop fortress would become outmoded as archery yielded to guns, and the range of weaponry increased. By the early 1500's, military architecture had begun to evolve quickly. The Sarzanello fort in nearby Sarzana was a transitional architecture constructed between 1492 and 1502 which shows some of the new design features. 

In 1476, the castle passed to Jacopo Malaspina of Fosdinovo, Marchese of Massa after the death of Spinetta di Campo Fregoso. Under the Malaspina, the castle began a long decline, never to regain importance. Military garrisons were stationed here for centuries, however, until the time of Napoleon. The castle was abandoned by 1804, and the property is now owned by the city of Carrara. There have been numerous restoration proposals over the last few decades, but still the ivy grows.

Getting There

V. Silicani turn at V. 20 Settembre

From the Carrara exit of the A12 Autostrada (Genoa-Livorno) follow signs in the direction of Carrara. This will lead to the large Viale 20 Settembre, which you'll join at a large roundabout where SS1 Aurelia and V. 20 Settembre intersect. About 2 kilometers after the circle, turn left onto Via Silicani in direction Fossola - see the photo.  We've made a  Google Map to help you.

Follow Via Silicani (which becomes Via Agricola) about 1.5 Km. Above, on a hill to the right, you can see the Castle ruins. At a hairpin turn, you'll see a small sign indicating the path - see the photo below. Park as best you can, and start the time machine.

One can also drive to the Castle ruins using Via Moneta, see the Google map.

Ameglia Montemarcello San Terenzo Panegacci Pontremoli Filattiera Copyright 2012 Mike Mazzaschi, Martha Bates www.apathtolunch.com. All Rights Reserved. Aulla Fivizzano Castelnuovo Magra This article appeared on www.apathtolunch.com and has not been authorized elsewhere. Cinque Terre Lerici Liguria Arcola Caniparola Massa Luni Testaroli Filetto Comano Mulazzo Zeri Sarzana Alpi Apuane Serra La Spezia

More Info

Beginning  of path is signed.

Italian Sites. Professor Renato Vita has provided extensive details and photos of the Castle of Moneta on two different sites. Castelli Toscani (IT) has a straightforward description, while Castelli della Toscana (IT)  is more detailed and a part of the extensive mondimedievali.net.

May 16. Every year around this date, the inhabitants of Fossola honor their patron, San Isidoro, with a procession to the Castle in medieval dress where a mass is celebrated. Fossola Procession Video  Check the local listings before setting out.


Panorama. If you continue up the auto road, now called Via Nuova di Fontia, to the frazione of Fontia, a left turn to the Santa Lucia Church leads to a stupendous panorama of the Versilia / Lunigiana coastal plain.

Castles and Fortifications  Wikipedia is at its best providing complete castle information with these two entries.

Lunch
Trattoria Gloria Located near the Carrara Autostrada entrance, this is an enjoyable restaurant for lunch. It doesn't get more Italian than this. Stone industry executives, port workers, truckers, and pensionati arrive for good food at a good price. The menu is verbal, and they don't get many tourists, but it's friendly if a bit hurried.  We can attest that the Insalata di Polpi, the Seafood Risotto, and the Seppie con Patate are good, and our bill for those three plus water and wine was 24 Euro! (11/2010)  It's listed in Slow Food's Osterie d'Italia as it deserves to be, (Via Covetta, 92. tel. 0585 53876 closed Sundays and holidays. Via Corvetta runs parallel to the autostrada on the Alpi side. ).

Eat Fish That Didn't Sell

Spaghetti alla Trabaccolara
This delicious dish is from Viareggio on the Tuscan coast west of Lucca and Florence, and it deserves your attention. Sure, it may look like spaghetti with a fish sauce, but it is quintessentially, memorably Italian because it combines just a few ingredients into a dish that far exceeds its components.  Secondly, a simple cooking technique called 'Pasta a Risotto' enhances this dish remarkably, and will help you become a better cook for the rest of time. Thirdly, and never least, it celebrates the pasta!


Viareggio is the original resort city on the coast of Tuscany and it has a distinguished past, though short by Italian standards. It was the only seaport of the Republic of Lucca, but remained a small town until tourism began in the latter half of the 19th century. The fishing fleet here dates 'only' from 1770 and has always been dependent on fishermen from other regions. Originally the fishermen were Ligurians, and, at other times, Sicilian and Calabresi. In the early 1900's fishermen from San Benedetto del Tronto, on the Adriatic Sea in the Marche region, began to settle in Viareggio using a picturesque sailing ship called 'trabaccolo'. Their numbers increased further in the period of recession between the World Wars.

According to current folklore, Spaghetti alla Trabaccolara originated with these Adriatic fisherman. The fish used were those 'fish leftovers' (avanzi del pesce) which didn't sell in the fish market. This variability is a fetching attribute, insuring that the result is different every time. Now the dish has become a Tuscan point of pride, and is offered at many restaurants in and near Viareggio,  It is easy to doubt the origin stories, but we think that Spaghetti alla Trabaccolara shows the wonderful adaptability of Italian cooking, whatever the genesis.

Small Trabaccolo used as a pleasure boat.

Pasta a Risotto. This method of cooking dried pasta, along with many variations, has been used in some traditional recipes and in restaurant cooking for generations, but it is not as well known as it should be.  The spaghetti is cooked for just two minutes, then drained. The pasta is then finished in a frying pan, with liquid added in ladlefuls, and stirred like a risotto to complete the cooking. This is called 'Pasta a risotto' and it infuses the spaghetti with the sauce/broth flavors, as well as giving the spaghetti a wonderful texture. Be sure to remember this technique for Spaghetti alle Vongole (with clams) or Spaghetti ai Muscoli (with mussels).

Ingredients  Serves 2
6 oz of good quality spaghetti
½ pound, more or less, chopped mixed fish and shellfish, see below.
½ onion, chopped fine
some dried hot peppers, to taste
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
½ cup dry white wine
olive oil
salt
3 or 4 cups of fish broth heated to a good simmer, OR reserved pasta water.

1. In a large pot, put enough water to cook the spaghetti, and bring it to a boil.

2. In a frying pan, heat the oil, and add the parsely, garlic, onion, and hot peppers.  Cook until the onion and garlic have softened, then add in the chopped tomatoes.  When the tomatoes start to dry out, add the wine.  Heat until the wine is evaporated entirely. While the wine is cooking down, salt the water you have boiled and add in the pasta.  You should cook it about two minutes, then drain it - saving the liquid unless you're using fish broth. Back at the frying pan, add in the fish.  Try to cook it quickly, so that it is pan fried rather than boiled, and mash it lightly with a fork.  When the fish has turned white, add the pasta you’ve just cooked for 2 minutes to the frying pan.  It should bend just enough to fit in!


3. Finish the cooking by adding liquid by generous ladlefulls to the frying pan mixture and stirring fairly constantly.  If you have the fish broth, use that.  If not, use the water the spaghetti was cooked in.  When the pasta is done to your taste, and the small amount of liquid in the pan is just a bit creamy looking, sprinkle with parsley and serve.



Mixed Fish. You can create your own fish mix or, if you're near Viareggio, you'll find a Trabaccolara mix sold in the fish shops of the Mercato Centrale. We bought ours recently and studied the fishmonger's every move as he prepared the mix. Remember that the essence of this dish is the fish selection is literally catch as catch can. So it is without inference that we report that our mix was:
4 part Gallinella
3 part Triglia
3 part Calamari
2 part Shrimp
The fish was deboned and chopped into pieces of about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch square.

Triglia (Red Mullet)    copyright Kyle Phillips 2006

What is Mixed Fish? If you are simpatico with the nature of this dish, it will be different every time as the fisherman takes what the sea will give. We are mentioning specific fish types to encourage you, but there are no rules!  In addition to the traditional humble varieties of fish, modern adaptations of the 'original' preparation often add some shrimp, and/or some calamari for some richness, but if you get too enthusiastic, then you've made a variant of Spaghetti allo Scoglio. We've had it in a Viareggio restaurant where some salmon was added, and it was pretty good, even though that's not a fish a Viareggio fisherman could catch.

Gallinella (Tub gurnard)     copyright Kyle Phillips 2006

Italian recipes almost always mention gallinella and triglia, which are easy to find in Italy. Scorfano is also a suitable addition, but have your fishmonger debone it. Other types mentioned in Italian recipes are naselli, tracine, and gattucci. The English name of Gallinella is tub gurnard, and may well be found in Britain. Triglia is called red mullet and is available in Britain. Naselli is the European hake.  Scorfano is indispensable in the brodetto of the Adriatic and it's the famous rascasse of bouillabaisse. It's called sculpin in English, and while it is a large, varied worldwide family, the bony bait-stealer is probably not marketed in most places.

Scorfano (Sculpin)      copyright Kyle Phillips 2006

Other fish more easily found that we wouldn't hesitate to add to the mix are ground fish (cod, hake, pollock, haddock) ocean perch, red snapper, monkfish, and goosefish. The texture of the fish is not an important part of the dish, so frozen fish will work well.



Pasta  For this dish, the quality of the spaghetti is important. Properly prepared, you will find that the dish is much better with a high-quality spaghetti. This is especially true with the 'pasta a risotto' technique, which optimizes the texture. The best dried pasta is made with hard durum wheat, which Italians sometimes call 'Manitoba'. It will have a mild wheaty taste which lasts throughout the bite. It will retain its bitey texture to make your chewing experience sublime throughout your meal. It will create a subtle creamy aura around itself which will enhance the sauce. That said, quality pasta is whatever you enjoy. In our opinion, 'Martelli' brand in the bright yellow package is the gold standard, but it comes extra long and you'll have to break it for your pan. We like 'Lucio Garofalo' brand from Naples, which can be found in both Italy and the US. The 'DeCecco' and 'Delverde' brands are good, also widely distributed. 'Barilla' brand in Italy is acceptable, but in the US, we think it's a bit soft for this dish (sorry Kansas). We hasten to add, we happily eat tons of  'Barilla' US in other dishes.

More Info
Scorfano Deboning (IT) Simple Italian site with photos of preparing and deboning a scorfano / sculpin.

Pasta a Risotto A nice piece on Memorie di Angelina about the risotto technique on small pasta.

Pasta a Risotto (IT) An Italian blog about the risotto technique on spaghetti as used by noted Italian chef Allan Bay.

Kyle Phillips About.com Good information on buying and using Italian fish.

Transport - Cross the Magra

Free Transport Fiumaretta to Bocca di Magra to Ameglia
Italiano in fondo.

Beginning Saturday, November 26, a free transport service will begin operating between Fiumaretta and Bocca di Magra to mitigate the inconvenience caused by the collapse of the Ponte della Colombiera across the Magra at Ameglia.

The Colombiera bridge collapse. Magra River at Ameglia

The bridge collapse in the flash flood of October 25, 2011, was caused by debris driven by an unprecedented sudden rise in the level of the Magra River. The loss of the bridge closed traffic on the coast road between Marinella di Sarzana and Ameglia. This inconvenience especially affected the Ameglia communities of Fiumaretta on the left bank, and Bocca di Magra on the right bank.



The newspaper Il Secolo XIX reports that free transport will operate on a route from dockside at Fiumaretta  to Bocca di Magra and then along the shore road to the Bivio at Cafaggio (Ameglia bassa), up to the Comune office and the cemetery and then back. We can only speculate that the service would continue the short distance to Piazza Liberta at Ameglia Capoluogo.

The service will run every half-hour, every day from 7:30 to 12:30 and 15:30 to 18:00.

___________________________________________________________________________

La Spezia - Scatta da domani, sabato 26 novembre il servizio di trasporto da una sponda all’altra del Magra, che garantisce un minimo di mobilità dopo il crollo del ponte della Colombiera. Il sindaco Umberto Galazzo, lo aveva anticipato, ieri, in serata la conferma ufficiale. Viaggi gratuiti per chi ha l’esigenza di spostarsi da Fiumaretta e Bocca di Magra (e percorso opposto) presso gli imbarcadero d’estate usati per i servizi via Punta Corvo e altre destinazioni marinare, con Bus Navetta che da Bocca di Magra effettua questo percorso: litoranea salita verso Ameglia dal bivio con via Cafaggio, stazione dei carabinieri, palazzo civico, cimitero, e percorso inverso.
Gli orari: tutti i giorni ogni mezz’ora dalle 7,30 alle 12,30 nella fascia mattutina, e nel pomeriggio dalle 15,30 alle 18.

Faces of the 92nd in Italy

Veteran's Day is celebrated on November 11 in America, and this article honors three veterans of the 92nd Infantry Division of the US Army. These portraits will add faces to our most-read post Liberation Day and the Liberation of America, which is about an aspect of America's racial and social evolution which happened in the Garfagna, Versilia, and Lunigiana areas of Italy.  It's also the post we are proudest of - for one simple reason: young people are reading it.  Perhaps they'll learn a bit about their heritage, perhaps they'll learn a bit about Italy. Whatever they learn, it matters most that they are rewarded for being curious, for questioning, for thinking, and for dreaming.

In 1992, responding to pressure from the Congressional Black Caucus, the US Army commissioned a study to ascertain why no African-American soldiers had earned any of the 457 Medals of Honor awarded during World War II.  It examined the records of those earning the Distinguished Service Cross and as a result, seven African-Americans received the Medal of Honor, including Lieutenants Baker and Fox from the 92nd Infantry Division for action in Italy.

"America has a conscience, and it's clearing its conscience, thank God." 
Lt. Vernon J. Baker, Company C, 370 Regiment, 92nd Infantry at his Medal ceremony.


President Bill Clinton presented the Medal of Honor to Lt. Vernon Baker on January 13, 1997.  Lt. Baker was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and was orphaned when he four. He was raised by his grandparents. When he tried to enlist in the Army the first time, in 1941, he was turned away, the recruiter stating "We don't have any quotas for you people." He tried again three weeks later with a different recruiter and was accepted. He died at his home in Idaho in 2010 at age 90.  The Official Citation for his Act of Valor* describes his actions: "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty in action on 5 and 6 April 1945, Lieutenant Baker advanced at the head of his weapons platoon, along with Company C’s three rifle platoons, toward their objective; Castle Aghinolfi—a German mountain strong point on the high ground just east of the coastal highway above Pietrasanta in Versilia.

Moving more rapidly than the rest of the company, Lieutenant Baker and about 25 men reached the south side of a draw some 250 yards from the castle within two hours. In reconnoitering for a suitable position to set up a machine gun, Lieutenant Baker observed two cylindrical objects pointing out of a slit in a mount at the edge of a hill. Crawling up and under the opening, he stuck his M-1 into the slit and emptied the clip, killing the observation post’s two occupants. Moving to another position in the same area, Lieutenant Baker stumbled upon a well-camouflaged machine gun nest, the crew of which was eating breakfast. He shot and killed both enemy soldiers.

Castle Aginolfi was an important objective as it was on the 'Gothic' Line and overlooks

the entire coastal plain. On the first headland in the background were the huge guns at 

Punta Bianca, between the two headlands is the entrance to the naval base of La Spezia.

After Captain John F. Runyon, Company C’s Commander, joined the group, a German soldier appeared from the draw and hurled a grenade which failed to explode. Lieutenant Baker shot the enemy twice as he tried to flee. Lt. Baker then went into the draw alone. There he blasted the concealed entrance to another dugout with a hand grenade, shot a German soldier who emerged after the explosion, tossed another grenade into the dugout and entered firing his submachine gun, killing two more Germans. As Lt. Baker climbed back out of the draw, enemy machine gun and mortar fire began to inflict heavy casualties on the group of 25 US soldiers, killing or wounding about two-thirds of them.

The reinforcements they expected did not arrive, and Capt. Runyon ordered a withdrawal in two groups. Lieutenant Baker volunteered to cover the withdrawal of the first group, which consisted of mostly walking wounded, and to remain to assist in the evacuation of the more seriously wounded. During the second group’s withdrawal, Lieutenant Baker, supported by covering fire from one of his platoon members, destroyed two machine gun position (previously bypassed during the assault) with hand grenades. In all, Lieutenant Baker accounted for nine dead enemy soldiers, elimination of three machine gun positions, an observation post, and a dugout. On the following night, Lieutenant Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective. Lieutenant Baker’s fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his men and exemplify the highest traditions of the military service."
     _____________________________________________________________________________

"That will be right on you. I can't do that.'' the artillery officer shouted.
"Fire it!'' Fox yelled back.
Lieutenant John Fox calling in the artillery fire that would kill him. December 26, 1944.

In 1972, an American woman named Solace Wales began restoring a home in the tiny town of Sommocolonia, Italy. The remote village is above the small city of Barga in the area of Tuscany known as the Garfagna. A mountainous area stretched along the Serchio River valley, it has been a conduit between adjacent Italian regions for centuries. Once a part of the Rome to Canterbury pilgrimage route known as the Francigena, modern travel now opted for coastal routes.  Unfortunately, in World War II, its attraction as a route of travel made it a battleground.

Solace learned of the World War II battles in her adopted town, and learned of the help the villagers' received from the American soldiers that served here. She gathered the villagers' memories of the battle that began on Christmas Day, 1944.  One day near her home, she came upon the stone that remembered John Fox, and so began her research to learn why there was no other memorial honoring the brave soldiers the villagers remembered. In the days before the internet was developed, it wasn't easy.

Ms. Wales' efforts at researching the story on the US side had met a dead end at the Pentagon. Finally, in 1994, she found the 92nd Infantry veteran's group. They were able to put her in touch with the Artillery officer, Otis Zachery, one of Fox's closest friends, and she was able to fill in important parts of the story. Fox's widow, Arlene, and his daughter, Sandra, and the 92nd veteran's group, organized the pressure to recognize the soldiers who fought at Sommocolonia - especially since more of the story was now available. On January 13, 1997, First Lieutenant John R. Fox was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Lt. Fox's Citation*:  For extraordinary heroism against an armed enemy in Sommocolonia, Italy on 26 December 1944, while serving as a member of Cannon Company, 366th Infantry Regiment, 92d Infantry Division. During the preceding few weeks, Lieutenant Fox served with the 598th Field Artillery Battalion as a forward observer. On Christmas night, enemy soldiers gradually infiltrated the town of Sommocolonia in civilian clothes, and by early morning the town was largely in hostile hands. Commencing with a heavy barrage of enemy artillery at 0400 hours on 26 December 1944, an organized attack by uniformed German units began. Being greatly outnumbered, most of the United States Infantry forces were forced to withdraw from the town, but Lt. Fox and some other members of his observer party voluntarily remained on the second floor of a house to direct defensive artillery fire. At 0800 hours, Lieutenant Fox reported that the Germans were in the streets and attacking in strength. He then called for defensive artillery fire to slow the enemy advance. As the Germans continued to press the attack towards the area that Lieutenant Fox occupied, he adjusted the artillery fire closer to his position. Finally he was warned that the next adjustment would bring the deadly artillery right on top of his position. After acknowledging the danger, Lieutenant Fox insisted that the last adjustment be fired as this was the only way to defeat the attacking soldiers. Later, when a counterattack retook the position from the Germans, Lieutenant Fox's body was found with the bodies of approximately 100 German soldiers. Lieutenant Fox's gallant and courageous actions, at the supreme sacrifice of his own life, contributed greatly to delaying the enemy advance until other infantry and artillery units could reorganize to repel the attack. His extraordinary valorous actions were in keeping with the most cherished traditions of military service, and reflect the utmost credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.
     __________________________________________________________________________

Tu, Buffalo?


Ivan J. Houston had experienced that characteristic exuberant Italian warmth many years before, but one day in 1978 in Viareggio he was swept away again, this time con brio . As Mr. Houston tells it in his book, 'Black Warrior', "Walking in the little shops that dot the beachside, we came to an artist's studio. My wife, Philippa, an artist herself, said, "Let's go in." The artist was there; and as we looked around, I said to him in Italian, "I was here in 1944 and 1945." He was a big, gruff-looking Italian, and he said, "Tu, Buffalo?" I said, "Si." He started hugging and kissing me with the great emotion common to Italians. He opened his wallet and pulled out an old card that identified him as a partisan. His name was Bruno Tintori, and he described how he had helped us carry ammunition over the mountains. He took us next door to a bar, introduced us to his friends, and we talked and drank grappa the rest of the afternoon.  Bruno Tintori is now dead, but I later learned that he had become one of Italy's most famous contemporary artists."

In 1943, although it was a sacrifice,  Ivan Houston had not doubted that he would join the Army and fight for his country.  Although he was in the midst of getting his college education at his father's alma mater, the University of California at Berkeley, he signed up. His father had fought in World War I and his great grandfather had fought in the Civil War. But no young man of 19 would be sufficiently world-wise to be ready for the experiences he faced. His world in Southern California had not prepared him for the segregated and racist institution he would find in the Army. His track and field experience hadn't sufficiently prepared him for the 100+ degree temperatures and the forced marches in an Arizona training camp. Attending a fully integrated Berkeley was not much use to him as the only college man in a segregated barracks where many could not read.


Mr. Houston entered the combat zone in August, 1944, as part of the 370th Regimental Combat Team, stationed at Cascina on the southern bank of the Arno. The German / Italian Fascist forces lay to the north. The next nine months are a long series of attacks and counterattacks and troop movements as the Allies try to overcome the German forces arrayed along and in front of the Gothic line. Beginning the war as a battalion clerk,  Ivan was in position to see and record his unit's action. After the Arno came action in the Garfagna, then Versilia, and then back to the Garfagna.


As the war in Italy neared an end, Ivan tells of how his unit raced up the Garfagna and entered the Magra River valley near Casola. The units outran their support, but also surprised the German forces. Quickly taking Aulla, and then Terrarossa, they liberated Pontremoli on April 26, 1945.

The assistence of partisans, partigiani, is a background throughout the action. Every US unit was assisted by local interpreters, and partisans advised constantly on local conditions and helped coordinate and participated in attacks. For the final push to Pontremoli, over 1,000 partigiani helped clear the mountain areas.

In reading Mr. Houston's book, one reads of the daily considerations of this topsy-turvey world. It is part of America, but distant from the one we know. The world is at war, and giant institutions thrash awkwardly with the consequences, creating a kaleidoscope of changing reality.

Gradually, the reader begins to admire the qualities that allowed Ivan to endure and survive and succeed. He is always amiable. He always gives respect, and is very slow to judge people. He is diligent in his duties, and he is a patriot. Finally we understand, he is America, he is the dutiful common man without which nothing works. If there are not countless soldiers like Mr. Houston, there are no Generals, there are no Medals of Honor, and there is no democracy

Mr. Houston survived the war, though he was wounded by shrapnel and received a Purple Heart, and he suffered a loss of hearing from the artillery concussion. But his life resumed, and he succeeded. He returned to Berkeley and received his degree in 1948. He's been married to Philippa for over 60 years and they have three children. He was the CEO of one of the largest African-American owned businesses in the US. He served on numerous Boards of Directors, including Kaiser Aluminum and Metromedia, and gave back to his community, including as Chairman of the Los Angeles Urban League. He deserves to stand proud, and we salute him. We agree with Bruno Tintori and the Italian people's opinion of the 92nd Infantry, as expressed at the end of 'Black Warriors'...

"Bruno Tintori's expression of gratitude for what the Buffalo Soldiers had done for Italy, fighting in the rugged North Apennine mountains and freeing them from the yoke of Fascism and Nazism, will always be remembered. To the Italians we were first class. To the Italians we were heroes."

More Info

Wikipedia Lt. Baker A caring description of Vernon Baker's life.

SFGate Excellent article about Lt. Fox, the 92nd, and Solace Wales .

NY Times Sommocolonia and Lt. John Fox (July 2000)

Wikipedia Lt. Fox Overview of information on John Fox.

Black Warriors Book website




* We have made minor modifications for clarity, brevity, and geographical accuracy.

The Italian Sunday Lunch

Menu A KM Zero
Sunday lunch in Italy is a huge cultural tradition. Far more than a meal, it is a socializing ceremony embraced by families, both nuclear and extended, couples of all ages, and groups of friends. It's also a boon to travellers who are facing a day of closed museums, shuttered stores, and reduced services.  It’s worth the trouble to find a restaurant that specializes in Sunday lunches, and reserve as early in the week as you can.  Many such restaurants are in rural settings, and people start arriving for lunch about 12:30, and the stragglers are generally there no later than 1:15. It normally takes two or three hours for the meal/ritual to unfold, depending on the number of people and the style of serving.



Recently, we had a terrific Sunday experience at Montagna Verde, in the hamlet of Apella in the town of Licciana Nardi. This is in the foothills east of Aulla in the northern part of Tuscany which is also part of a vaguely defined area called Lunigiana. (see Getting There and More Info below).   The wonderfully informative website Ciao Lunigiana had mentioned that five restaurants in Lunigiana were participating in the program Menu A KM Zero ( KM Zero is a new Italian term for local food) during October and November. Since Montagna Verde had won this competition in 2008, we e-mailed to make a reservation before coming to Italy.  The restaurant is part of an agriturismo venture in an old stone building with a tower high on a hill.  It has been completely restored with a restaurant, rooms, and a barnyard/garden.



Lunch, Dish by Dish
We were seated in a stone-walled dining room that rang with Italian voices – three large tables, a few four-seater tables, and just a couple of twos.  A bottle of red wine and a carafe of water were on the table, and after we settled and looked around a little, the procession began.  The antipasto was…beyond ample.  The first plates were local air-dried ham, local salami, and culatello, served with a bowl of warm sgabei, a fried dough that’s a local specialty, and a bowl of just-warm tiny lightly-pickled onions, the best I ever had.  When those were nearly gone, a plate with pieces of vegetable torte: one made with potato and leek; another with squares of fried polenta topped with the best mushroom sauce on earth; a third with squares of grilled flour pancake cooked with onions.  Next, two pieces of castagnaccio, a chestnut pancake, and a big dollop of amazingly creamy ricotta, made right there on the farm.  And to complete the antipasto, a sformata, a little tower of perfectly cooked farro with pignoli and a few sweet bits of minced grape.

Future castagnaccio.

You’d think that would be enough, and there was a break here to contemplate how good all those dishes were and to drink a little wine and a lot of water. We looked out the windows at the rusty fall foliage, watched the kids play outside, tried to eavesdrop on the other tables. We thought ahead about the pasta, but…the procession continued.. .and there were no decisions to be made. This pause allowed the staff to get the whole  room in synch, so that at just at the perfect time, the waitresses arrived with large white platters filled with tortelloni.  The squares of pasta were filled with a light porcini filling, and doused in butter that was flavored with sage.  The waitress put three large tortelloni in my dish and said quietly “there’s more coming”.  Three was ample, and, just in case, they came through again 10 minutes later to make sure everyone had enough.  This was getting serious, and there was another brief pause before the next platters came out, these heaped with home made pappardelle with a sauce of cinghiale.  It was a hearty mountain pasta, not one of the refined versions from the plains, and it fit wonderfully with the ambience.  And then the ravioli appeared, with a simpler but hearty sauce of lean beef and tomato.

This was getting dire.  Now the meat course is the one I can generally live without, but despite our plans, we found ourselves with a plate of perfectly tender stinco di maiale (roast pork leg), cooked with a bit of rosemary and garlic, and a heap of roasted potatoes.  And what fool could resist trying the second part of the third course - the local lamb, a bone-in piece topped with seasoned breadcrumbs and baked in the oven.  The meat of the lamb was mild, succulent, delicious, while the skin was crunchy.  At the end, we were forced to wave the white flag of surrender.  The manzo - beef strips topped with wild radicchio and shavings of Parmigiana smelled heavenly,  but it was physically impossible for us to continue.

After we sat for a while, marvelling at the stocky pensionati having seconds of lamb, digging into the beef as if they were hungry, we asked for coffee, and one of us had a small piece of ricotta pie, despite his previously stated intentions.  And then we sat for a while more, and prayed for accelerated digestion. The cost of this amazing meal for two was just 54 Euro, all inclusive.

A garden and farm animals provide diversion
 in the recovery phase after lunch.

All Sunday lunches aren’t usually like this, but they often have a ceremonial, processional element, and hurry is not in the cards.  It’s an experience you can’t have every week – you’d probably explode – but it’s more than worth seeking out on a lazy day.

The views at Montagna Verde are huge,
and all the children are above average.

Getting There  Google Map Exit the A15 (La Spezia-Parma) autostrada at Aulla and follow signs toward Licciana Nardi and Villafranca which lead to the SS62 heading up the valley. Watch for a right turn toward Licciana. At Licciana follow signs to Tavernella. The left turn up to Apella is just after Tavernella, and the way to Montagna Verde is well signed.

                                                                

 More Info 

The list of all 32 restaurants participating in Menu A KM Zero is at the Parco Appennino website (IT) The restaurants are in the mountains in Lucca, Massa-Carrara, Parma, and Reggio Emilia provinces.

A typical Montagna Verde menu for this event can be seen at KM Zero Menu (IT)

Montagna Verde on You Tube A four minute television segment.(IT).