Becoming Italian Word by Word

Come to Dinner in the Italian Language!

Tutti a tavola!

Dinner’s ready! (Everyone to the table!)

Something about Italy brings out my inner Martha Stewart. I can’t resist playing “la castellana” (the lady of the manor) and inviting friends to dinner (la cena). Because an Italian dinner party follows certain rules, I consulted Il Galateo (the Italian etiquette book) for a crash course in l’arte del ricevere (the art of receiving guests at home).

The first requirement is una tavola imbandita (an elegantly set table). “Una tavola gradevole agli occhi” (a table pleasing ot the eye), states Il Galateo), may be più apprezzata (more appreciated) than the food prepared to please la gola (the throat). In fact, for those who are not cuochi eccelsi (outstanding cooks), "l’apparecchiatura perfetta" (the perfectly set table) can make the meal “più piacevole” (more pleasant) and the atmosphere più accogliente (more welcoming).

La tovaglia (the tablecloth) must be “sempre impeccabilmente pulita e stirata” (impeccably clean and pressed). My choices were rotonda (round) or rettangolare (rectangular), coloratissima (very colorful), bitonale (two-toned) or tutta bianca (all white). I went with red flowers (fiori rossi) on a white background, with tovaglioli (napkins) to match.

In an Italian place setting,  le forchette (the forks) go accanto al piatto a sinistra (next to the plate to the left) and il coltello e il cucchiaio a destra (the knife and the spoon to the right). Le posate) (the silverware) for dessert is placed perpendicolarmente sopra il piatto (perpendicularly above the plate). I bicchieri (the glasses) sit high to the right;  un piattino (a little plate) for pane (bread), in the corresponding position on the left.

Al centro della tavola (at the center of the table) I placed un vaso di fiori freschi (a vase of fresh flowers)—taking care that it wouldn’t be so high as to impedire la conversazione fra i commensali (impede the conversation among the diners). And to create an intimate and elegant atmosphere (un’atmosfera intima ed elegante), I lit candles (le candele).

Il Galateo also offers advice on how to handle “cibi-trappola” (food traps). For example. break asparagi (asparagus) into pieces with a fork, never a knife, or take the stalks delicatamente con le dita (delicately with the fingers). With piping hot risotto, non si spiatella (don’t spread it on the plate) to cool it off. As for spaghetti, si arrotolano sulla forchetta (twirl the fork to wrap the spaghetti around it) —senza usare il cucchiaio (without using a spoon).

Here are some other practical rules  to keep in mind at your next dinner party:

    *Non si giocherella con le posate ne con il cibo. (Don’t play with the silverware or the food.)

    *Evitare rumori molesti. (Avoid annoying noises.)

    *Non parlare a bocca piena. (Don’t talk with your mouth full.)

    *La scarpetta non si fa. (Don’t make “the little shoe,” i.e., use a piece of bread to clean your plate.)

    *Le mani non devono mai scomparire dalla vista. Almeno in Italia. (The hands must never disappear from sight. At least in Italy.)

Words and Expressions

cenone –- big holiday dinner (such as cenone di Natale at Christmas)

cenetta -– simple and delicious dinner (usually more intimate and informal)

cena di gala –- gala-dinner

dopocena -– an after dinner party/get-together at home

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

Who could resist this musical invitation to come to the table?

Over the Moon in the Italian Language

la luna italiana

the Italian moon

“Che fai tu, luna, in ciel, dimmi, che fai?” the writer Giacomo Leopardi (1798 –1837) asked in one of his most famous poems. “What are you doing, moon, in the sky, tell me, what are you doing?” On June 15, the answer was clear: La luna piena (the full moon) was putting on a dazzling celestial show.

Un’eclissi lunare totale (a total lunar eclipse) occurs only when the sun, earth and moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the earth in the middle. As the moon passes behind it, the earth blocks the sun's rays, and the moon disappears from the sky. In an eclissi parziale (partial eclipse), part of the moon remains illuminated.

The June 15 eclipse, visible over Europe, South America, Africa, Australia and most of Asia, was un raro fenomeno ottico (a rare optical phenomenon) because the center point of the earth’s shadow (l’ombra della Terra) passed across the moon. This made it the longest and darkest eclipse (l’eclissi più lunga e scura) of the century, lasting 100 minutes (cento minuti).

From our hillside perch in western Tuscany, we watched as the moon faded into blackness. Ever so slowly, thanks to the refraction of the rays of the sun (la rifrazione dei raggi solari), a red moon (luna rossa, a classic Italian sight) emerged. I couldn’t resist shouting an exuberant “Bravo!” to the heavens as a river of moonlight (chiaro di luna) widened over the Tyrhennian sea.

As in English, “eclipse” doubles as a verb as well as a noun, and “eclissare” generally translates as “to obscure or outshine another person.” But Italians also use the verb reflexively with a different twist of meaning: “Mi eclisso,” for instance, means “I disappear” or “I vanish.”

La luna -- which can be nuova (new), crescente (waxing) or calante (waning) -- doesn’t just appear in the night sky. Someone with extravagant wishes may chiedere la luna (asks for the moon). Italians refer to a fetus as being ancora nel mondo della luna (still in the world of the moon, or not yet born).

Some folks are so absentminded or detached from reality that they seem to vivere nel mondo della luna (live in the world of the moon) while others are so cranky that they avere la luna storta (have the crooked moon). In these hard times more people find themselves struggling to sbarcare il lunario (make ends meet).

An Italian lunatico may be temperamental but isn’t necessarily as wacky as an English lunatic. But do watch out for anyone who tries to fare vedere la luna nel pozzo (make you see the moon in a well). He’s just stringing you along. And you certainly don’t want to end up doing as the local dogs did during the eclipse: abbaiare alla luna (barking at the moon—or exerting yourself in vain).

Words and Expressions

Luna Rossa -- the name of the Italian sailing team that competes in international races such as the America’s Cup

lunario –- almanac

lunarista –- almanac maker, weather predictor

luna park –- amusement park

luna di miele –- honeymoon

Dianne Hales is author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

For a song that captures the spirit of la luna rossa, click below:

The Sweetness of Doing Nothing in the Italian Language

 

 

il dolce far niente

the sweetness of doing nothing 

 

 

 by Jody Paglia Goode

This guest blog by Jody Paglia Goode, a fellow Italophile (and a CPA based in Des Moines), is one of the most popular posts I've ever run. I'm re-publishing it just in time for summer vacation.   Buona lettura!  (Enjoy the read!) 

 

A few years ago while I was sitting on a beach in Southern Italy, I noticed a man kicking a soccer ball down the shoreline. He kicked it a few feet at a time, nothing too strenuous, just a nice bit of play in the middle of a glorious sunny afternoon. It struck me as unusual that this man would take the time to do this. It was as if he had all the time in the world at his disposal and the only thing he cared about at that moment was kicking that soccer ball. 

The explanation for his behaviour then occurred to me. He had developed the abilty to practice l’arte di non fare niente. This is an Italian expression which translates as the art of doing nothing. Ah, dolce far niente! It is also known as the sweetness of doing nothing. Now let's ponder this for a moment or two. 

Such poetic phrases aren't they? In the United States we refer to this as killing time, a crude and brutal term that implies wastefulness. Yes, we are a nation of overachievers and multi-taskers. Now don’t get me wrong, I can multi- task with the best of them, but every so often I think of that man, kicking that soccer ball, and I yearn for a little down time of my own. 

A term such as "the art of doing nothing" implies something more than sitting in a lazyboy in front of a television set. It demands more from us. The art of doing nothing and doing it well could be realized in many ways. 

For some it may be reached by drinking wine on the deck while listening to the cicadas or by lingering over several cups of coffee with an old friend. No box wine or instant coffee will do. For some it may be accomplished by sipping tea by the fire, with a cat softly purring nearby, or by watching a baby sleep. For others the art is practiced by taking the time to share a story or two with the locals at the market. People watching at the piazza, a swing at the park, and making animal creatures from play dough would all qualify. 

 I know what you are thinking. None of the above mentioned things are nothing, and they are indeed something. L’arte di non fare niente implies spontaneity and doing a thing for nothing more than the pleasure of doing it. The man on the beach was not out to refine his technique, burn carbs, or impress the ladies. He was kicking that ball for no other reason that the sheer enjoyment of his solitary movement along the water’s edge, and that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.

Words and Expressions 

stare/starsene in panciolle -- to idle, to lounge (in panciolle means literally “con la pancia all’aria” or with your belly to the air) 

oziare -- to idle away, to lie about 

ciondolare -- to hang about, to loaf about, to sit around (doing nothing) 

bighellonare -- same as ciondolare but also wander about, as in bighellonare per la citta’ (to wander around the city doing nothing in particular) 

For those who (like me) consider reading a wonderful way of relaxing, here are the summer picks of my publisher's "Broadway Abroad" program:

 

 

Going on Vacation in the Italian Language

Ferie estive

Summer holidays

For the last few weeks we have been in vacanza—più o meno (on vacation—more or less). We have enjoyed sunny days (giornate di sole) and starry nights (notti stellate), lovely swims  (belle nuotate) and marvelous meals (pasti squisiti), visits with dear friends (amici cari) and new adventures (nuove avventure).

The countryside (la campagna) of Tuscany and Umbria seems more beautiful than ever (più bella che mai), with its timeless patchwork of olive groves, pastures, and wheat fields. The weather has been meraviglioso, with skies so clear and blue that the view from our hillside (above) looks like a postcard (una cartolina).

At the delicious first stage of a new project, I also am immersing myself in research. “You are working on vacation?” (Lavori in ferie?) an Italian friend asked. As I struggled to explain the oxymoronic English concept of a “working vacation,” I realized that part of the problem is linguistic.

In 1342 the Catholic calendar referred to every day that was not a “festivo” (Sunday or a liturgical feast) as a feria. In 1353 Giovanni Boccaccio, the master storyteller of Italian literature—and, I would venture, a great celebrator of feasts—defined ferie as a period of repose that was the right of every worker.

Italians work for their living on a giorno feriale (workday) but holidays (ferie) can be paid (ferie pagate) or unpaid (ferie non pagate). The Italian term for unused paid vacation time is ferie non godute (which literally translates as holidays “not enjoyed”).

Italians traditionally prendono le ferie (take their holidays) in August,  but we prefer to andare in ferie (go on vacation) early in the season. The days are longer. The beaches and coastal towns are less crowded. And even with various commitments (impegni), we  relax (ci rilassiamo) and delight in  l'atmosfera vacanziera (the holiday  atmosphere).  Buone vacanze a voi!

Words and Expressions

ferie natalizie –- Christmas holidays

chiuso per ferie –- closed for holidays

vacanzina, breve vacanza –- short holiday

prendere un giorno di ferie –- to take just one day of vacation.

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language. 

Celebrating Father's Day in the Italian Language

 

La Festa del Papà

  Father’s Day

Americans honor their fathers on the third Sunday of June, but in Italy La Festa del Papà,  or Father’s Day,  falls on March 19, the feast of San Giuseppe (St. Joseph), the husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus.  According to legend, the staff of St. Joseph, a humble carpenter, bloomed with entwining flower blossoms, which singled him out from Mary's other suitors as her husband-to-be. 

A father is a Babbo (Daddy} in Tuscany, Sardinia, and several southern regions) or Papà (pronounced pa-PAH) in other parts of Italy. The most famous Daddy of all is Babbo Natale (Father Christmas). Il Papa (PAH-pa) is the pope or Santo Padre (the Holy Father), while God remains the Padre Eterno (eternal father). Nothing warms my heart more than the sight of my daughter (above) with her grandfather (nonno). 

The master of the house, the owner of a business.  or the big boss is the padrone. One of the pet phrases my husband has memorized to unfurl at the appropriate moment with Italian friends is, “Il padrone sono io, ma chi comanda è mia moglie.”  (“I am in charge, but the person who gives the orders is my wife.”) 

A padrone di casa  is a landlord; a padrona di casa, a landlady. Anyone can acquire padronanza (mastery) and be padrone di sé (in control of one’s self). After many years,  I am still striving to avere padronanza della lingua italiana  (have a good command of Italian).

In Frances Ford Coppola’s epic Il Padrino (The Godfather), Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, padreggia (takes after his father) Don Vito  and learns the art of padroneggiare (ruling or controlling).  In many cases, from his perspective at least, he is only trying to fare da babbo a qualcuno (help or guide someone). 

“Tale padre, tale figlio,”  (“Like father, like son”) some might say.

Words and Expressions

padre padrone -- tyrannical, domineering father

Padrone! Padronissimo! -- (literally, “Master! Very much the master!”) Suit yourself! You’ll be sorry!

L’occhio del padrone ingrassa il cavallo --  The eye of the master fattens the horse.(Any business prospers when the owner pays attention).

spadroneggiare -- to boss about, to throw one’s weight about

un figlio di papà –-  a spoiled boy

Dianne Hales is author of  LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language --  a perfect present for a Babbo, Papa or Nonno!

Click below to listen to one of my favorite Puccini arias to "my dear sweet Daddy":

Il Pellicano: A Place for Lovers in the Italian Language

Kathy McCabe asked me to write about my favorite place in Italy for her ever-informative “Dream of Italy” newsletter. Her headline for the article: “Il Pellicano: The Love Resort.” It truly is—and here’s why.

Un nido d'amore

A Love Nest

It was love at first sight (amore a prima vista). My gaze swept from majestic cliffs to terracotta roofs to flower-strewn terraces to sun-dazzled water. Il Pellicano took my breath away (ha mozzato il fiato).

“I want you to bring me here every year for the rest of my life,” I said to my husband Bob. That was 1990—and we have indeed returned annually. “Come gli uccelli in primavera,” (like the birds in spring) I joke. How could we not? No place on earth may be more romantic.

Love is in the DNA of this renowned Relais & Chateaux resort. In the 1960s Michael Graham, a dashing British pilot and war hero, stole the heart (ha rubato il cuore) of the beautiful American heiress Patsy Danzel. After marrying, they travelled through Europe to revel “in the intensity of their love” ("nell’intensità del loro amore"), as one biography puts it).

A remote hillside on Monte Argentario in western Tuscany inspired the Grahams to develop a true nido d’amore (love nest). They named it “Il Pellicano” in honor of Pelican Point, where they’d met. Rather than a standard hotel, the sprawling compound consists of a main building (una struttura principale), stone cottages (cottage in pietra), gardens (giardini) of herbs and wild rosemary, beds (aiuole) of bright flowers, and groves of olive trees and cypress (olivi e cipressi). The glitterati of Europe made themselves at home at the posh but unpretentious resort.

When we discovered Il Pellicano in 1990, it had settled into a quiet, rustic inn. Over the years we’ve witnessed its stunning transformation into an exclusive resort (un resort esclusivo) under the astute management of its second owner, Roberto Sciò. Every part of Il Pellicano has been updated, renovated and polished to a five-star sheen. The main restaurant has won two Michelin stars under its wizardly chef Antonio Guida. A ristorante all’aperto (an open-air restaurant) offers typical Tuscan cuisine (cucina toscana).

Many guests spend the day lounging around the elegant pool (pigramente sdraiati intorno all’elegante piscina), but I rush to the crystal-clear sea, so intensely turquoise that Italians call it azzurro-azzurro (blue-blue). Early morning swims are my favorite. Except for a few fishing boats, I have the entire Tyrrhenian sea to myself.

Il Pellicano, regularly named to Travel & Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler’s lists of top hotels, offers every possible amenity, but nature provides its most magical moments. The first time that I saw a full moon rise above the dining terrace, I gasped. Within minutes a river of moon light turned the sea to silver. A waiter told me this is why the peninsula is called “Argentario” (from argento for silver). If his story isn’t true, it should be. The sight is magical. So is the atmosphere.

“I don’t believe you’re married,” The maitre’d would tease us. “You laugh too much. You must be lovers (amanti).” Even after 21 years, that’s exactly how we feel at Il Pellicano. Come with someone you cherish for una fuga d’amore in riva al mare (a love escape at the sea shore), and you’ll feel the same.

Words and Expressions

uno tra i migliori alberghi del mondo -– one among the best hotels in the world

vista mare –- sea view

una cena a lume di candela –- a dinner by candle light

la cucina raffinata –- refined or sophisticated cuisine

lusso, lussuoso -- luxury, luxurious

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

Flying like a Butterfly in the Italian Language

la farfalla
buttefly

“Per le farfalle?” (For the butterflies?) I asked when the owners of the villa we are renting explained why they had planted a field of lavender in front of the house. The sweet-smelling flowers would attract exquisite yellow butterflies, they explained, and create a lovely sight that would make passers-by smile.  They were right, but the very word farfalla has always been enough to make me smile.

Gli entomologi  (entymologists or bug scientists)  distinguish between a farfalla and a
falena (moth). Although both belong to the order Lepidoptera, farfalle prefer il giorno  (day) and falene la notte (night). As an Italian encyclopedia explains, una farfalla also makes a spectacular metamorphosis from un bruco (caterpillar) to a beautiful flying insect with “quattro grandi ali vivacemente colorate” (four big, brightly colored wings).  Butterflies  also "chiudono le ali a libro in posizione di riposo" (close their wings like a book in a position of rest).

As charming as butterflies may be, le farfalle have more to do than sfarfallare or sfarfalleggiare  (flutter about). They may show up on an Italian dinner table in dishes such as lepre con farfalle (hare with bowtie-shaped pasta). A farfallino, literally a small butterfly, also serves as a name for an empty-headed person--or a bow-tie.  A farfallone , a big butterfly, describes a huge blunder as well as someone superficial or flirty who is  “incostante in amore” (inconstant in love). 

In La Vispa Teresa, an Italian children’s classic rhyme, a little girl catches a butterfly who begs her to be set free. “Living and fluttering around I don’t do any harm,” it implores. “You are hurting me instead, squeezing my wings! Please let me free, I’m God’s creature too!’  The girl, regretting what she’s done to the butterfly, opens her hands and lets la farfarlla fly away.

The most famous Italian farfalla  did not fare as well.  The tragic heroine of Giacomo Puccini’s  Madama Butterfly is cruelly seduced and betrayed by Pinkerton, an American naval officer who turns out to be a faithless farfallone.  The first time I saw the opera  I remained dry-eyed until the very end, when Butterfly blindfolds her little boy before taking her own life.

As I  came to understand the words — and anticipate the plot — my heart started to break ever earlier in the opera. Last year, in a particularly captivating production at the New York City Opera, I got as far as the couple’s love duet at the end of act one, when Pinkerton concedes, “Un pò di vero c'è”  --there’s some truth in Butterfly’s fear that an American who catches a butterfly pierces its heart with a pin. I wanted to cry out to the naive farfalla to fly away while she could.

Yesterday an Italian friend presented me with a bouquet of flowers, topped by a delicate silk butterfly. "Sei la mia farfalla" (You are my butterfly), she said, "writing words that fly higher and higher" -- and, I hope, that  make people smile.

Words and Expressions

avere le farfalle nello stomaco -- butterflies in the stomach (an English idiom that Italian has adopted) 
stile a farfalla -- butterfly stroke (swimming)
acchiappafarfalle -- butterfly net
ignudo bruco --  literally a naked caterpillar, extremely poor

To listen to the enchanting love duet from Madama Butterfly, click below:

Where Do You Want to Go in the Italian Language?

 

 

Dove? 

Where? 

Dante Alighieri, whose pilgrim lost his way in a dark wood, used the word dove, indicating place, in 1321. Ever since Italians have been asking questions such as “di dove…?” (literally of where, as in your home town or native country), “da dove…?” (from where, as in where you flew or drove from) and simply “dove…?” (where you are going). 

However well you know your way around Italy, you always will be asking the whereabouts of essential places. 

The Basics: Dov’è (Where is…) 

*the bathroom? You can ask for il bagno or la toilette -- although a friend advises me that i servizi (the services) sounds more refined.   Il gabinetto refers to the cramped rest room on a train, with only il water (pronounced vater, for toilet) and un piccolo lavandino (a tiny sink) Always check the sign on the door: Signori for Men, Signore for Women. Failure to do so led to one of my life’s most embarrassing moments: walking into a men’s room at Rome’s Fiumincino airport. 

     *the way in / the way out? Entrance translates as l’ingresso or l’entrata. Exits are marked with signs that read “Uscita.” 

     *the ticket office? You buy an admission ticket to a museum at la biglietteria or l’ufficio biglietti. At a theatre or another entertainment venue, you may be directed to the box office or ticket window, which is called a sportello. 

    *the cashier? There may be a sign for la cassa (the cash desk) or you can ask for Il cassiere. 

En route: Dov’è…? (Where is…) 

     *The road to...? When you ask for “la strada per… “ or “come si va” (how does one go), be prepared for an Italian response — most often, “sempre dritto” (always straight ahead). Memorize the words for right (destra), left (sinistra), close by (vicino), far away (lontano), east (est), west (ovest), north (nord) and south (sud). 

    *a parking lot? A big letter P marks the location of a parcheggio in any town or village.  

    *a place to get gas? Look for a stazione di servizio (service station) or benzinaio (gas station). 

    *an ATM? You can get cash at a bancomat on city streets. A banca (bank) can handle more complicated transactions. 

    *the departure gate? At an airport or train station, check the large orario (schedule) for arrivi (arrivals) and partenze (departures). The binario (train track) or uscita (gate) is posted shortly before departure. 

In a Tight Spot: Dov’è…? (Where is…) 

    *a hospital? If you need immediate medical care, go to the pronto soccorso (emergency room) at the nearest ospedale. 

    *a police officer? Call for un poliziotto or un carabiniere if you’re in trouble. La polizia stradale are Italy’s traffic cops. 

    *a pharmacy? You can get professional advice as well as medications from the local farmacia, marked by a large green cross. 

    *a good restaurant? Hunger constitutes a minor emergency in Italy. There’s nothing wrong with asking, “Dove posso trovare un buon ristorante?” (Where can I find a good restaurant?”) but you will get a more honest evaluation if you ask, “Dove si mangia bene?” (where does one eat well)? 

Words and Expressions 

per ogni dove -- high and low 

Resta dove sei -- stay where you are 

dovunque -- wherever, anywhere 

“La lingua batte dove il dente duole” --The tongue ever turns to the aching tooth  

“Non sapere dove sbattere la testa” -- literally  not knowing where to bang one’s head -- which way to turn in a dilemma

Dianne Hales is author of LA BELLA LINGUA: MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH ITALIAN, THE WORLD'S MOST ENCHANTING LANGUAGE.

Click below to hear the song that asks the question "Dove vai?" (Where are you going?)

 

Saint Elmo and His Fire in the Italian Language

 

La Festa di Sant’Erasmo  

The Feast of Saint Elmo  

Years ago we woke in Rome on the morning of il 2 giugno (June 2) to the sound of marching bands and the spectacle of a grand military parade along the Via dei Fori Imperiali. Italy was celebrating the Festa della Repubblica (Festival of the Republic or Republic Day).This national holiday—comparable in spirit to the American Fourth of July -- commemorates the day in 1946 when, following the end of World War II and the fall of fascism, the Italian people voted for a republic rather than a monarchy as their national form of government.

All of Italy marks this date with some fanfare, but our adopted seaside town of Porto Ercole on the western coast of Tuscany has a double reason to celebrate (festeggiare). June 2 is also la festa di Sant’Erasmo, the patron saint of the ancient fishing port and of all mariners.

“Ma chi fu questo Sant’Erasmo?” (Who was this Saint Erasmo?) I asked a friend born on June 2 in Porto Ercole and, naturally, named Erasmo. “Un vescovo” (a bishop), he told me. Several of his fellow Portercolesi (who share the same name) added that he was a martire (martyr) who once saved  a ship of local sailors (marinai) from a tempest (tempesta) at sea.

To find out more, I went to Wikipedia, which presents the gruesome suffering of Sant’Erasmo  (known in English-speaking lands as Saint Elmo) as the stuff of legend (leggenda). In the late third century, during the Roman persecution of Christians, Erasmo was jailed (incarcerato),"besprinkled...with foulness,” beaten with leaden mauls until his veins burst, thrown into a pit of snakes and worms, and covered with boiling oil and sulfur. Through it all he remained calm, “thanking and loving God." Then lightning struck and electrocuted everyone around him.

Continuing to preach the Gospel, Erasmo was again captured and tortured, this time with burning oil poured into his mouth and a searing hot metal cloak wrapped around him. An angel swept him to safety. Other torturers plucked out his teeth with pincers, scraped his skin with an iron wool carder, and pulled out his eyes with their fingers. In the grisliest account, Erasmo’s stomach was slit open and his intestines wound around a windlass. Perhaps because this type of winch is used to hoist anchors on ships, Erasmo became the patron of sailors.

As another legend goes, while Erasmo was burning alive, a bluish flame (fiamma bluastra) appeared on the top of the pyre (sulla cima della pira) and was interpreted as the saint’s soul ascending to heaven. The electrical discharges (scarica elettro-luminescente) at the mastheads of ships during storms came to be called "Saint Elmo's Fire” (fuoco di Sant’Erasmo), a sign of the martyr’s protection.

In addition to concerts, a rowing race, a festa danzante (dance festival), and a solemn mass, Porto Ercole is celebrating its saint and its republic with a tradizionale processione a mare (a traditional procession to the sea) and a spettacolo pirotecnico (display of fireworks) that we will watch from the villa we are renting above the port. And next time we are at sea, we will pray that San Erasmo’s fuoco keeps us safe from harm.

Words and Expressions

il santo patrono dei naviganti –- patron saint of sailors

temporali in mare -– storms at sea  

fuochi d’artificio -- fireworks 

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.