Notebooks of Lazio. Tasting the landscape

Project winner of the Arsial grant – Expo Lazio 2015

The project “Notebooks of Lazio”, which won the call of Arsial – Lazio Expo 2015, offers a fascinating trip in three Sundays and one Saturday of October, to discover the evolution of the cuisine in Lazio, from classical antiquity to the present day. Conceived by Music Theatre International and carried out in collaboration with the association Agroalimentare in rosa, “Notebooks of Lazio” is part of the initiatives promoted by the festival Cerealia for Expo Milano 2015. Giuseppe Nocca, professor of historical nutrition, will illustrate to the public in the four meetings how it has evolved the taste and the use of some food products over the centuries up to the present day. As our ancestors ate, what products and dishes we can still find on our tables. The modern kitchen, in fact, rooted in the different historical periods who have gone before. The project is therefore structured into three historical stages, enlivened by guided tours and themed performances, in which artists in historical costumes will present, in a playful and engaging way, the habits and customs of the cuisine in the different historical times; followed by food tasting of traditional dishes with fresh local product. A corollary of the project was realized a digital notebook containing the testimonies and suggestions of the public, illustrated pages of the sites that hosted the activities, a historical guide to the food and products tasted, with recipes and bibliographic notes. The digital notebook will be than available free on the web, in Italian and English. Project start on October 4th with a trip in the Middle Ages at the Abbey of Farfa, on the path of Saint Benedict to enhance in particular the rentorta, the oldest and most pagan food come down to us. On October 11th will be the time of ancient Rome in the Villa of Domitian at Circeo. A short distance away is the fishpond of Lucullus and will be an opportunity to address the issue of farmed fish and seafood. On October 18th it goes back to the Renaissance, in Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola, with a focus on traditional dishes of Renaissance country cooking that we can find still today in our region; in collaboration with CioccoTuscia. The project will end on October 31st at the Castle of Ceri, which will host a meeting in collaboration with the Wine Route of Southern Etruria, to talk about the production of quality wines, the tourism of food and wine, tasting wines combined with local food specialties. The activities will be offered free to the public. Reservations are required for guided tours and food tastings.

PROGRAM

 

Sunday, October 4: Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria di Farfa

10:15h – concert “Viatores musici

11:00h – guided tour of the village and the Abbey of Farfa

12:30h – Multipurpose room: guided food tasting

The food tasting: The rentorta (with its labyrinth shape) is the oldest and most pagan food come down to us, the tasting will include street food and medieval recipes which are still found today in Lazio. The concert in costume “viatores musicians”, retraces the repertoire of Medieval tradition linked in particular to the music of worship and celebration, dancing and singing in use in rural setting, between the university boys or pilgrims.

Address of the Abbey: via del Monastero 1, Farfa in Sabina (RI). Guided tour by the guides of the Abbey: € 4,50 x person (reservation by October 2nd). Concert and food tasting are free. Reservations recommended

Sunday October 11: Villa of Domiziano – Archeological site of Circeo

10:30h – guided tour of Domiziano’s villa

11:30h – performance “A tavola con Apicio

12:30h –Cooperativa dei Pescatori del Lago di Fondi: guided food tasting

The food tasting: mullet magnet, euryhaline and migrating fish from salt water to the sweet (and vice versa); product with Arsial card. The farming systems of the fish: Roman fish pond of Zannone, fishpond of Lucullus. The performance in costume “Dining with Apicius”: M. Gavius Apicius lived under Tiberius and he is mentioned in the works of the greatest writers of that time. We know many anecdotes about him and his name is linked to many culinary inventions. The great merit of the work of Apicius is in having clarified the eating habits of the Romans. The performance tells, in playful form, dietary habits in everyday Roman life, as well as the extravagances and excesses of aristocratic tables.

Visitor entrance to the Villa of Domiziano: Strada Palazzo, loc. Molella – 04016 Sabaudia (LT). Free admission to the site. Guided tour with Istituto Pangea: € 7 x person (reservation by October 9th). Performance and tasting are free. Reservations recommended

Sunday October 18: Palazzo Farnese of Caprarola

10:30 h– guided tour of Palazzo Farnese (with Archeoclub d’Italia)

11:30h – performance “A tavola con Cristoforo da Messisbugo

12:30h – Scuderie Farnese: guided food tasting

Double food tasting: the food of poor people (Ceciarelli Vejano) and the food of rich (Roman macaroni – recipe by Christopher Messisbugo), highlighting how the pasta is presented differently on the table of the rich and the poor. The performance in costume “A table with Christopher by Messisbugo”. In 1549 was printend in Ferrara the volume of Christopher from Messisbugo “Banquets compositioni of food and general utensils”. It’s not only a manual of gastronomy and a treatise of tooling of the kitchen, but also an insight into customs and, above all, a collection of faithful chronicles of feasts and banquets, where to the exuberance of food it accords often a proportionate participation of music and interludes. His book was a real treatise of costume and a mine of information on food, with sometimes elaborate and spectacular preparations well-worthily included in court banquets. But if an accident should happens to the convoy with food before the banquet? … Mr. Christopher would certainly find a solution.

Ticket for the Palazzo Farnese: for CioccoTuscia reduction € 1,50 x person. Guided tour with Archeoclub d’Italia € 3 x person (reservation requie by October 16th). Concert and tasting are free. Reservations recommended

Saturday October 31: Castle of Ceri

17:00h – talkshow “cultural and culinary heritage of Lazio: enhancing and promoting tourism“, with the participation of associations, operators and institutions

18:30h – performance “Omaggio al Vino

19:00h – guided tasting of wines with combination of local food products in collaboration with “Strada del Vino Terre Etrusco Romane” and local companies.

The performance “Tribute to the Wine”. In the vital role that food has always been assumed in the history of any civilization, a place of primary responsibility is for wine, especially in the Mediterranean. . Hence this homage to wine, told through the centuries from the beginning of history to the present day, through the words of famous poets who have praised and appreciated it…

Address of the Castle of Ceri: Immacolata square, 36 – zip 00050 Ceri-Cerveteri (RM). Free admission. Reservation recommended