DIGITAL MUSEUM

RREV A COMENIUS PROJECT

Faenza pottery•  

• The town of Faenza is worldwide the symbol of pottery and the term “faience” is still used in some areas of Europe as a synonym of majolica, referring to ceramic with a glassy coating made opaque with tin oxide. Faenza became a leading ceramic centre from Medieval times, thanks to its geographic position between the Po-valley and Tuscan cultures, and by its rich clayey soil suitable for shaping. During the Medieval period the ceramic production was mainly objects for home, but in the Renaissance period it turned into an artistic manufacture and, as time went by, this tradition was consolidated. Actually, the secrets of shapes, glazing and decorations typical of the tradition are kept in the several workshops located in town, where the pottery with Doc certification is manufactured. The most common traditional decorations are figures, plants and animals, but also inscriptions and heraldry, while the most popular colours are green, brown and blue. There are a lot of styles like “Pavona”, “Melograno”, “Ghianda”, “Cartoccio”, “Berrettino”, but this one called “Garofano” (carnation), created in the XVIII century, is still the most famous and continuative faience traditional decoration, as well as it is the symbol of faience majolica all over the world.

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Printed canvas of Gambettola• From 1826 until today, according to the tradition and techniques in Romagna, 

skillful craftspeople still transform heavy cotton into works of art. The Pascucci family of Gambettola is the oldest testimony of this art: for seven generations it has been safekeeping and restoring this activity. Tablecloths, curtains, blankets, doilies are decorated with geometrical figures, flowers or animals belongings to the rich heritage of folk icons. The hand-printing of cloths is based on the technique of xylography (from the Greek term ksylon=wood). The colours (rust brown, green or blue) are obtained from a rust based mixture  (whose recipe is secret), then the patterns are cold –printed using a mangle or a press. Each printing house has its own heritage of moulds, often created by the owner itself. Usually, pear-tree is used, because it is soft but resistant. The mould is dipped in the colour pad, applied on the canvas and finally beaten with a 4Kg hammer. After a few blows, the pattern is imprinted and the process goes on with the decoration. Once the decoration is finished the canvas is put out to dry. The next step is fixing of the colour in caustic soda which makes the colours incredibly strong.

• The cock is one of the most popular decorations because it is an ancient symbol of Romagna: it represents the fighting spirit, the pride and the industry of Romagna people.

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The Malatesta Library 

• Masterpiece among the humanistic libraries, unique in Italy for integrity and preservation of the structure and furniture, the Malatesta’ Library has been granted “Memory of the world” status by the Unesco. It was built by Malatesta Novello –the Lord of Cesena- and designed by Matteo Nuti, who completed the building in 1452. Visitors are immediately struck by the magnificent walnut portal dominated by the emblem of the Malatesta Family, an Indian “little” elephant with the Latin inscription, "Elephas Indus culices non timet," or "The Indian elephant is not afraid of mosquitoes," - the 'mosquitoes' were the enemies of the  Malatesta Family, haughtily regarded only as annoying insects. The aula has the form of a basilica with one nave and two aisles, divided by ten capitals ; the aisles host the pluteus, the reading seats, bathed by the light coming from the Venetian style small windows. The Malatesta’ Library preserves 340 Latin, Greek and Hebrew precious manuscripts many of which are decorated with very fine miniatures). As a confirmation of the humanistic ideals of Malatesta Novello, since its first day, this library was entrusted not only to the friars –who were the guardians- but also to the Municipality to assure its public utilisation and conservation.

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Folk music in Romagna• Secondo Casadei was born in Gatteo in 1928; although he

began a career in tailoring, he never gave up on his dream of becoming a musician and this led to the creation of the Orchestra Casadei. The Orchestra Casadei wrote and performed music in the open-air dance halls scattered across Romagna after the Second World War, competing with the new musical genres which came across the Atlantic from America: the boogie woogie, the music of Glenn Miller and new Afro-Cuban rhythms. The master tenaciously wooed his public, obtaining unexpected success which has never waned. Although the Orchestra Casadei essentially followed tradition in its genre, it also broke new ground with the “liscio” (a combination of the waltz, polka and mazurka): it was the first orchestra to have a permanent number of members and to introduce an important element – the singer – as in the past orchestras were purely instrumental. The master’s repertory includes around a thousand recorded songs, many of which are in Romagnol dialect and which clearly reflect the character of this land: proud and noble, but also melancholy. This famous song written by the master Secondo Casadei and recorded in 1954 has pushed back the boundaries of Romagna and is now the national anthem of folk music around the world.

Text of the song: "Romagna Mia" by Secondo Casadei• Sento la nostalgia del passato,

ove la mamma mia ho lasciatonon ti potrò scordar casetta mia

in questa notte stellatala mia serenata io canto per te

Romagna mia, Romagna in fiore, tu sei la stella, tu sei l`amore.

Quando ti penso, vorrei tornaredalla mia bella al casolare.Romagna, Romagna mia

lontan da te non si può star!•  •  •  

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 The “Piadina flatbread” (piadina romagnola)

• The “Piadina flatbread” is probably the most famous food icon of Romagna. You can eat the piadina with a selection of italian cured meats (coppa, salame, mortadella, prosciutto crudo, pancetta, bresaola) or with different types of cheese as well as many other delicacies.

• Ingredients:• 1  kg (2.2 lb) white flour (Italian “00” flour or equivalent)• A heaped teaspoon of salt for seasoning• 100g (4 oz) pork lard (available in most of the supermarkets)• 15 g (½ oz) Baking powder• Directions:• Put the flour on a flat board. Make a well in the centre. Put the salt into the well. Spread the baking powder onto the flour.• Put all the lard (in Italy we call it “strutto”) into the well. • Take some hot water (not boiling!),  pour a very small quantity onto the lard and with one hand work the lard in order to melt it.• Be sure that all the lard is melted. If you need extra hot water to melt the lard, add it - but just what you need.• Start working the dough. Do not use water unless you feel it is absolutely necessary to work in all the flour.• The dough should be perfectly worked and externally should be smooth. The dough should not be too soft - but not too hard. Then, wrap the dough in a cloth (muslin) and put 

it in a plastic bag for half an hour to rest.• After resting the dough, it should look smooth and white. Take a small ball of dough of about 150g (5 oz) and start to flatten it with a rolling-pin.• Work the dough trying to turn the medallion clockwise when rolling, to ensure that all the sides are at the same thickness.• The piadina is ready when it measures between 20-25cm cm diameter and 3-4 mm thick. There is no rules about the diameter; it really depend on what kind of pan you have 

(some piadina are just 10 cm diameter). In our case with 1 kg (2.2 lb) of flour we made 7 piadina. Try and experiment!• Be sure that the surface is flat and smooth. Ready for cooking. Put the specific flat for piadina pan onto the cooker so that it becomes very hot.• Put the piadina onto the pan and start cooking it. At this stage the piadina may rise a bit or a few bubbles may form. Keep it flat or fork the bubble to ensure that the surface is 

flat• After a minute or so check that the bottom surface has a kind of light brown colour (but not uniform) and then turn onto the other side.• Cook ithe second side until it is a light brown colour. The piadina is ready. Cut the piadina into slices.•  •  •  •  •  

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