Cosi' Sia (CIA) e altre Storie di Gigliola Maria Addini-Stein

under construction

Capitolo I: Chi e' Gigliola nominata per il giglio di Firenze

- tradurrere in Italiano la lettera a Suo secondo nipote maschio cui chiese a Gigliola di audioregistrare la Sua autobiografia. Essendo litterata a un livello elevato, Gigliola, invece, propose di scrivere la Sua autobiografia, in forma di una lettera, per il Suo secondo nipote maschio.

Dearest (Grandson), I was so happy to receive your letter, and, first thing I hope you found Larderello on the internet. Amazing, to find so much about Italy! Just in case you didn't know, the sea salt from Sicily comes from one of the largest deposits (saline) of the purest sea salt in the world. They were used by the Greeks and Romans and on and on. I buy it from the Italian store here in Spokane, imported from Sicily - Capers (which grow on old walls even of castles) also from Sicily and anchovies.

The ancient palace of the Bargello in Florence used to be the seat of the Podesta', he had jurisdiction over the city, (still today but not in there) it is now a museum, and probably you went there, look it up in the internet. My brother's companion is Cristiana Bargellini, a descendant from many centuries ago of the Bargellini who held the office in the Bargello, so the last name is Bargellini. Her uncle Piero was Mayor of Florence in the late sixties, wrote many historical books and helped the city immensely during the terrible flood to hit Florence in 1968, the water reached the 3rd and 4th floors of many buildings. People came from everywhere to help, even the Kennedys - He is known all over the world for his work, and, a street is named after him in New Jersey USA. His palace where his descendants live is across the street from my brother's! Via delle Pinzochere - on my mother's side, as I told you we have ancient families like TERI and Guerrini. My parents were both bornt near Arezzo, in the town of Pieve a Presciano. My mother and her sister and mother plus 2 sons (one died in the 1st World War) moved to Florence after my Grandmother had conceived one son out of wedlock, her husband had left the family (Teri) to work in Switzerland and very seldom went back. We know he was extremely intelligent, had Written some books and had been friend with Mussolini who was in exile in Switzerland because of his political beliefs (later the two, Andrea Teri and Benito Mussolini, came to irrepairable disagreement and Andrea Teri was committed to an insane asylum, where he told me, at age six, the nurses would medically kill him with an injection - soon afterwards he died). My father Attilio entered the Carabinieri (a very elite military unit both army and police) when he was 20, and there, he made his career till he retired after the II World War in 1946. He could not accept the changes that had taken place, with Communists in prevalence in the government. He had sworn allegiance to the King, and the King was gone in exile. My brother Andrea and I were born in Florence and baptized in the famous baptistery of San Giovanni (St. John) across from the cathedral. St. John is the patron saint of Florence. We had a good life until the end of the War. We had a full time maid and we went to the sea every year (Viareggio, Italian Riviera near the Carrara mountains). We were there a full month and my parents rented a house for that time. We loved swimming, fishing for clams and so on! In September we always went to the country near Arezzo, where we had relatives and participated in picking grapes for wine, going back to the farm house in the evening for great food for may be 30 people, roasted geese, bread and pasta freshly made, many vegetables, boiled meats and cake with grapes (I have the recipe) it was actually like a focaccia. We also went looking for mushrooms [mainly porcini (boletus)] which we really loved, specially grilled over the open fire, in the kitchen oven fireplace built in the wall, with benches along the sides where we could sit and get warm while the logs (real ones) were crackling. And then the fresh delicious figs we ate just picked from the trees. The woods were all around us but you also had to be careful for vipers, back then the pigs which were left outside to roam took care of them the most, now the pigs are not out anymore and the vipers are plentiful. In the fall October-November we went back to help with the olive picking (by hand) and then they would be put in large wooden boxes and taken to the place (oil mill) where they would be crushed by a huge stone. The transportation consisted of a large long cart pulled by white oxen. We loved to ride on it. Then you had slices of homemade Tuscan bread (no salt) and we would dip it in the fresh olive oil. It was fantastic!

I used to be petrified of grasshoppers and spiders (still am) although, every year in Florence on the Feast of the Assumption of Christ, you had and still have, vendors setting little fancy cages with one or 2 crickets inside that you would buy and take home, and they would sing during the night. We would hang the cages from a window or balconies. The black crickets with a yellow collar were males and solid black females. Rico Rita and Silvia all had a chance to have their crickets when in Florence. Still have a small cage around. That day is called Festa del Grillo - or Cricket's Holiday, not much of a holiday poor things, unless you let them free. I am not afraid of crickets, the Florentine ones I mean. For St. Joseph's in March it is customary to have rice fritters and they are excellent! In September there is the Festa della Rificolona (Chinese lantern) and children walk around the city with a rificolona hanging from a stick with a lit candle inside, and they sing about their rificolona being more beautiful than the others. Just keep in mind that all these Traditions go back to the Medici (rulers of Florence) and before. I have a photo of me, a friend, dressed in our 1st communion dresses and my brother 4 years old with a German flag with the swastika in the center (father at 20 years old, Attilio Addini, children at Hitler-Mussolini parade at the Cascine in Florence). It was the 4th of May 1938 and Hitler and Mussolini were in Florence that day. He - I believe at this point I am running out of fuel, but you can see it is much easier for me to write than to be in front of a recorder. Those and computers are not my forte. I'll include some recipes. Take care. I am waiting for the music. A big Hug until the next time. Love nonna

Chi era Oriana Fallaci

Liceo Classico Galileo Galilei, via Cavour, Firenze