Rome in the Footsteps of an XVIIIth Century Traveller

Frascati - October 1787. The weather at the beginning of this month was mild and fine.
J. W. Goethe - Italian Journey.
"Ottobrata" is an Italian word which is best suited by the adjective "Romana" because October outings are strictly associated with the one-day excursions Romans make to the Castelli, the volcanic hills which are located to the south-east of the City.
The August hot and sticky weather is usually interrupted by heavy storms after Ferragosto; it is not the end of the season because Roman summers have still a very long way to go and October is so mild that it can be regarded as an extension of summer.
First the development of public transportation and later on that of private motoring, have made October outings very popular: Every one was shouting, singing, scrambling, making light of dusk and distance and filling the air with that childlike jollity which the blessed Italian temperament never goes roundabout to conceal. There is no crowd surely at once so jovial and so gentle as an Italian crowd, and I doubt if in any other country the tightly packed third-class car in which I went out from Rome (to Grottaferrata) would have introduced me to so much smiling and so little swearing. (Henry James - Italian Hours - in 1873).

Vineyards on the road to Marino

So meyo della sciampagna  li vini de 'ste vigne.  ('Na gita a li Castelli by F. Silvestri)  (The wines of these vineyards are better than champagne)

Guidebooks are useful tools for visiting a place, but for this excursion it may be better to charge an iPod with a couple of popular Roman songs: ' Na gita a li Castelli written in 1925 and Arrivederci Roma written in 1955: the latter was recorded by Perry Como, Ray Charles, Connie Francis, Mario Lanza, Dean Martin and many others, but the English translation does not have references to the Castelli.
As soon as the road starts climbing the hills one sees extensive vineyards: their wine is usually called Frascati and in general all Roman restaurants call Frascati the white wine they serve from the cask.

On the trees: olives, pomegranates, kaki persimmons

Rome 15 December 1787. Today we have been to Castel Gandolfo and Marino, thence back to Rome. The weather favoured us incredibly; it was almost the most beautiful weather of the whole year. Besides the evergreens, some oaks are yet in foliage, and young chestnuts are still in leaf, though yellow. There are tones in the landscape of the greatest beauty. Goethe - translation by Charles Nisbet
The traditional iconography of Autumn portrayed this season as a not so young woman holding a cornucopia, the symbol of abundance.

excipit autumnus, posito fervore iuventae maturus mitisque inter iuvenemque senemque temperie medius.. Ovid - Metamorphoses - XV

then autumn comes, with its first flush of youth gone, but ripe and mellow, midway in time between youth and age.. (tr. Frank Justus Miller)

Casa dei Francesi, a farm which belonged to the Colonna

The imposing gateway to one of the first farms flanking the road to Marino is an early clue as to the reason for this outing to Marino: the re-enactment of Marcantonio II Colonna's 1571 triumphal procession celebrating his return from the victorious Battle of Lepanto. The elaborate coat of arms of the Colonna family is decorated with the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece, the highest Spanish award and with the double-headed eagle of the Austrian Emperors; a small coat of arms of Pope Pius V indicates that Marcantonio Colonna was the captain general of the papal fleet.
The name of the farm is a historic reference to a fight which occurred in 1379 at the farm between the supporters of Pope Urban VI and those of French Antipope Clement VII.

Marino

Lo vedi ecco Marino la sagra c'è dell'uva. ('Na gita a li Castelli by F. Silvestri) (Now you can see Marino where they hold the Grape Fair)

In the 1920s with the dual intent of promoting the local wine and of celebrating Marcantonio Colonna, the municipality of Marino organized the first Sagra dell'Uva which met with great success. The battle of Lepanto took place on October 7 and the Fair is scheduled for the first October Sunday: the event spans several days.
.. preparations were going forward (at Ariccia) for a local festival and the village carpenter was hanging certain mouldy strips of crimson damask. It might have been of the seventeenth century and a group of peasant-women were seeing it unfurled with evident awe. James
The tradition of decorating the buildings is not gone: for the occasion references to the Colonna are mixed with those to winemaking and the heraldic column of the family is surrounded by grapes (as shown in the image used as background for this page).

Listening to "Arrivederci Roma": fettuccine "alla papalina" and "vino dei Castelli"

Si ritrova a pranzo a Squarciarelli fettuccine e vino dei Castelli.. (Arrivederci Roma by R. Rascel) (She eats out at Squarciarelli: fettuccine and Frascati wine)

Ponte Squarciarelli is a very small bridge at the junction of roads leading to Rome, Frascati, Grottaferrata, Marino and Rocca di Papa: the local inn and many other trattoria of the Castelli are known for their fettuccine, a fresh pasta made of egg and flour: the image shows "fettuccine alla papalina" (the pope's way) with ham and peas.

Prints by Bartolomeo Pinelli: (left) the vintage; (right) the Ottobrata (detail)

..come ai tempi belli che Pinelli immortalò! (Arrivederci Roma by R. Rascel) (..as in the good ol' times which Pinelli celebrated)

Bartolomeo Pinelli (1781-1835), a Roman engraver, illustrated in his works the ordinary life of the Romans, their pastimes and their quarrels. Whether those were "good ol' times" is highly debatable. According to tradition he died because he had drunk too much wine.

Preparing for the historical procession at a "porchetta" stall and a choice of "salumi" (pork salted meat)

At all fairs and popular festivals in Rome and its countryside, you cannot miss seeing stalls selling slices of porchetta, a small pork which is roasted whole, heavily salted and stuffed with spices. It is a traditional product of Ariccia (you can see another porchetta stall at Festa de' Noantri).

The procession starts at the Colonna Palace

Although Marcantonio Colonna returned from the war in December, the main event of Sagra dell'Uva is the procession celebrating that event. The great commander arrives from outside Marino while the family, the servants and the people of Marino move out of the Colonna palace (today the Town hall). They meet at Fontana dei Mori and then cross the town to go back to the palace. Yellow and black were the colours of the German emperor's flag (a black eagle on a yellow background): the flag-bearers had an actual role during battles; they gave signals to the fighters.

The procession goes through the streets of Marino

A local association takes care of the organization of the procession and of the design of the costumes. These are based on paintings and other records of the Colonna family.

(left to right) Members of the Colonna Family; Marcantonio's wife (Felice Orsini) and mother (Giovanna d'Aragona)

The mother of Marcantonio was a granddaughter of a king of Naples and her marriage into the Colonna was an indication of the strong ties this family had with the Spanish lords of Naples; Marcantonio's marriage too had a political purpose: Colonna and Orsini had fought for centuries and even during the pontificate of Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484) their enmity led to open warfare. His marriage with Felice Orsini, sister of Paolo Giordano, first Duke of Bracciano was an indication that past rivalries had come to an end.

Marcantonio Colonna or the Duke of Mantua or Gino Carella?

In Rome there is a monument celebrating Marcantonio: he was portrayed as an ancient Roman commander with a very serious look: with this image in mind it is rather surprising to see a Marcantonio waving and smiling to all the pretty women of Marino: one feels he is watching Verdi's Rigoletto and that the actor is rather playing the Duke of Mantua while singing "Questa o quella".
Marcantonio was 36 in 1571 and the man in the procession looks quite right from an age point of view: maybe E. M. Forster would have written of him what he wrote about much younger Gino Carella (Where Angels Fear to Tread): "Philip had seen that face before in Italy a hundred times - seen it and loved it, for it was not just merely beautiful, but had the charm which is the rightful heritage of all who are born on that soil. It was not the face of a gentleman."
In 1577 Marcantonio Colonna was appointed Viceroy of Sicily and in 1584 he was called at the court of King Philip II of Spain: shortly after he suddenly died at Medinaceli: the Colonna thought he had been poisoned.

Fontana dei Mori pouring wine

fontane che danno vino quant'abbondanza c'è! ('Na gita a li Castelli by F. Silvestri) (Fountains which pour wine; there is such an abundance!)

The day ends with a general drink at the fountains of Marino which for the occasion pour white wine: for practical reasons the action is handled by using long hoses. You can have large bottles filled if you so wish; local dessert grapes are also given for free. The fair is closed by fireworks.

Other Days of Peace pages:
A Sunny Day in Villa Borghese
At the Flea Market
At the Beach
Voicing Your Views ..... and feeling better
Christmas in Rome
Eating Outdoors
Celebrating the Foundation of Rome
A visit to Roseto di Roma
The procession of La Madonna de Noantri
Running the Marathon
Watching the Parade
Finding Solace at the Protestant Cemetery
Attending 2007 July Events
Rome's Sleepless Night
Attending Winter Ceremonies
Jogging at Valle delle Camene
Sailing on the River to see the Bridges of Roma
Visiting Rome in the Moonlight
A Special Spring Weekend
Embassy-hunting in Parioli
Attending a Funeral ...and enjoying it!
Celebrating Eritrean Michaelmas in Rome
Visiting Rome at Dawn
Visiting Rome on a Hop-on-Hop-off Bus
Visiting Multi-ethnic Rome
Baroque Fireworks
Playing in the Snow at the Janiculum
Watching the Pride Parade
Reading Memoirs of Hadrian at Villa Adriana
Visiting the Movie Sets at Cinecittà
Looking up at the Ceilings of the Vatican Palaces
Spending the Last Roman Day at St. John Lateran's Cloister
Reading Seneca at Caracalla's Baths
Reading Ovid at St. Peter's
Walking the Dog at Valle della Caffarella
Keeping up with new discoveries at Museo Ninfeo