The beautiful small town of Canzano in the province of Teramo has approximately 1,861 inhabitants, known as Canzanesi. It is renowned as one of the centers of traditional Abruzzese cuisine.
Canzano is located on a group of hills in the northern Vomano valley in a strategic position which explains the importance of this nowadays small center.

Historians have determined that the territory was inhabited in prehistoric times, and neolithic arrows have been found in the vicinity. During the Iron Age, it was settled by the ancient Italic tribe of Praetutii and later by the Romans.

The town of Canzano is located on a hill from which one can admire a striking view of the valley below and the chain of the Gran Sasso mountains. The built-up area is made up of noble palaces, 16th century houses, valuable churches, and still very visible remains of the ancient city walls, from which a well-preserved tower stands out. Very striking is a dense network of caves that are true and proper “cold rooms” once used to collect rainwater and to conserve foodstuffs.

On the Colle Castellano, there stands the splendid baroque church of the Madonna dell’Alno where, according to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared three times to a peasant. On the place of the first apparition, there stands the small church of the “Forgiveness.” In the Romanesque church of San Salvatore, beautiful frescoes from the 14th century are preserved.

Canzano is famous for its handmade production of lace and embroidery– traditions handed down by the women of the town with passion and patience.

The town is probably most famous for a traditional recipe passed from generation to generation–the famous “Canzanese turkey” (tacchino alla canzanese). This delicious jelly dish, served with a side of pickles, was almost a casual discovery. The local people realized that turkey broth prepared in the morning became gelatinous towards evening, thus incredibly enhancing the flavor of the meat. The recipe strictly requires the female turkey because its tender meat is more suitable for oven cooking.

Consolidated over time, the ancient recipe is the undisputed favorite of the restaurant La Tacchinella. With now four generations in command, family owners have been running it since 1970.

But it is eight meters (26.25 feet) below the restaurant where an ancient wonder dating back to about the year 1100 A.D. can be found — the so-called neviera (ice house). The ice house is an old structure for natural refrigeration, by which meat was once stored using snow. After pressing the snow into straw, which insulated the snow, the result of a combination of snow and straw was then placed inside niches to lower the temperature and to obtain a true and proper cold room. While the air continued to circulate, the temperature was able to go down to zero degrees in winter. When spring arrived, the melted snow was then filtered and held aside as clean water for domestic use, without any waste.

This thousand-year-old invention was brought to Canzano by the Saracens, as portrayed in the emblem of the town, and it represents a living testimony of ancient technology. Today, besides being a wine cellar, the ice house is an enchanted place where visitors can enjoy an exclusive candlelit dinner, eight meters under the ground and a thousand years back in time.

What to See

• Remains of the medieval walls with a majestic circular tower.
• Church of Madonna dell’Alno, from the 16th century, with Renaissance and Baroque paintings.
• Church of San Salvatore, outside the walls, with a stone portal and 14th-century frescos, including one depicting St. Louis of France, the Crusaders’ patron.
• Sancti Petri ad Palustrium, a small 12th-century church.

Important Dates

• February 3 – Feast of San Biagio, the patron saint of the town.
• May 18-20 – Celebration of Madonna dell’Alno.
• July 26 – Celebration of Sant’Anna, patron saint of women giving birth.
• First week in August – Exhibition of ancient and contemporary lacework, and Sagra of the Canzanese Tacchino.
• August – Exhibition of antique agricultural machines.
• August – Rendezvous of classical and antique motorcycles.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canzano https://www.italyheritage.com/regions/abruzzo/teramo/canzano.htm https://www.eurcamping.it/en/excursions/canzanos-ice-house-a-journey-back-in-time https://www.discoverteramo.it/en/Location/Canzano/180-15-1.html

Tradotto da Ennio Di Tullio

Provincia di Teramo, Regione Abruzzo

La bellissima cittadina di Canzano nella provincia di Teramo ha circa 1.861 abitanti, detti Canzanesi. È rinomato come uno dei centri della cucina tradizionale abruzzese.

Canzano è situato su un gruppo di colline nel nord valle del Vomano in una posizione strategica che spiega l’importanza di questo piccolo centro oggi.

Gli storici hanno stabilito che il territorio era abitato in epoca preistorica e nelle vicinanze sono state rinvenute frecce neolitiche. Durante l’età del ferro, fu colonizzato dall’antica tribù italica dei Praetutii e successivamente dai Romani.

Il comune di Canzano è situato su un colle dal quale si può ammirare un suggestivo panorama sulla valle sottostante e sulla catena del Gran Sasso montagne. L’abitato è costituito da palazzi nobiliari, case cinquecentesche, chiese di pregio, e resti ancora ben visibili dell’antica cinta muraria, da cui svetta una torre ben conservata. Molto suggestiva è la fitta rete di grotte che sono vere e proprie “celle frigorifere” un tempo utilizzate per raccogliere l’acqua piovana e conservare le derrate alimentari.

Sul Colle Castellano ci sorge la splendida chiesa barocca della Madonna dell’Alno dove, secondo la leggenda, la Vergine Maria apparve tre volte ad un contadino. Sul luogo della prima apparizione, ci sorge la piccola chiesa del “Perdono”. Nella chiesa romanica di San Salvatore, ci sono conservati bellissimi affreschi del XIV secolo.

Canzano è famosa per la produzione artigianale di pizzi e ricami, tradizioni tramandate dalle donne del paese con passione e pazienza.

La comune è probabilmente famosa soprattutto per una ricetta tradizionale tramandata da generazione a generazione: il famoso “tacchino alla canzanese” (canzanese turkey). Questa deliziosa gelatina, servita con un contorno di sottaceti, è stata quasi una scoperta casuale. La gente del posto si accorse che il brodo di tacchino preparato al mattino divenava gelatinoso verso la sera, così esaltava incredibilmente il sapore della carne. La ricetta richiede rigorosamente la femmina di tacchino perché la sua carne tenera è più adatta alla cottura al forno. Consolidata nel tempo, l’antica ricetta è la preferita indiscussa del ristorante La Tacchinella. Con ormai quattro generazioni al comando, la famiglia proprietaria lo gestisce dal 1970.

Ma è otto metri (26.25 piedi) sotto il ristorante che si nasconde un’antica meraviglia risalente al 1100 D.C.: la cosiddetta neviera (ghiacciaia). La ghiacciaia è una antica struttura per refrigerazione naturale, dove un tempo la carne veniva conservata utilizzando la neve. Dopo averlo pressato la neve nella paglia, che isolava la neve, la risulta di una combinazione di neve e paglia veniva poi riposto all’interno di nicchie per abbassare la temperatura e ottenere una vera e propria cella frigorifera. Mentre l’aria continuava a circolare, la temperatura poteva scendere fino a zero gradi in inverno. Quando la primavera arrivava, la neve sciolta veniva poi filtrata e tenuta da parte como aqua polita per l’uso domestico, senza alcuno spreco.

Questa invenzione millenaria fu portata a Canzano dai Saraceni, come raffigurato nello stemma del comune, e rappresenta una testimonianza vivente di antica tecnologia. Oggi, oltre ad essere una cantina, la ghiacciaia è un luogo incantato dove i visitatori possono godersi un’esclusiva cena a lume di candela, otto metri sotto la terra e mille anni indietro nel tempo.

Attrazioni del luogo:

• Resti delle mura medievali con una maestosa torre circolare.
• Chiesa della Madonna dell’Alno, del XVI secolo, con dipinti rinascimentali e barocchi.
• Chiesa di San Salvatore, fuori le mura, con portale in pietra e affresci del XIV secolo, tra cui uno raffigurante S. Luigi di Francia, mecenate dei crociati.
• Sancti Petri ad Palustrium, piccola chiesa del XII secolo.

Date da ricordare:

• 3 febbraio – Festa di San Biagio, il patrono del comune.
• 18-20 maggio – Festa della Madonna dell’Alno.
• 26 luglio – Festa di Sant’Anna, patrona delle partorienti.
• Prima settimana di agosto – Mostra di merletti antichi e contemporanei e Sagra della Tacchino Canzanese.
• Agosto – Mostra mercato di macchine agricole antice.
• Agosto – Appuntamento di motociclette classiche e antice.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castel_di_Sangro https://www.italyreview.com/castel-di-sangro.html https://www.gentlemanultra.com/2015/04/07/from-miracle-to-disappearance-what-happened-to-castel-di-sangro/  https://www.afar.com/magazine/italys-new-alt-stazione-rest-stops-serve-michelin-cred-food

Accomplished opera singer Nazzareno De Angelis was born on November 17, 1881, in the city of L’Aquila (population 70,967 in the 2013 Census) which is the capital of the province with the same name in the region of Abruzzo. His first serious exposure to music came in local choirs as a boy soprano. Earning praise for the excellence of his voice, he became a part of the choir of the Giulia Chapel and later the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. He left the Vatican at the age of 13 to begin studying with Dr. Faberi at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. For several years, he studied both baritone and bass parts. Eventually, he settled on singing in the lower bass. He spent his last two years at the Accademia developing his repertoire and performing in recitals.

He returned home to L’Aquila at the age of 21 and made his professional opera debut there at the Comunale in May, 1903, in Donizetti’s Linda di Chamounix as the Prefect. One month later, he performed at the same theater in another opera, Le Educante di Sorrento, by Emilio Usiglio. Impressed by his performances, the manager of the Teatro Quirino in Rome engaged De Angelis to play Oroveso in Bellini’s Norma in July, 1903. Later that year, he appeared in two productions in the Teatro Adriano: first, as Il Spettro (The Ghost) in Ambroise Thomas’s Hamlet and then as Sparafucile in Verdi’s Rigoletto.

During 1905, De Angelis toured the Netherlands. After the tour, he was invited to all the major opera houses in Italy. He made his debut at La Scala in 1907 and appeared often under the baton of its principal conductor, Arturo Toscanini. He cut his first audio discs in 1907 and 1908 for Fonotipia Records. In 1909, he sang at the Paris Opera as the High Priest in Spontini’s La Vestale. During 1910 and 1911, he sang for the Chicago Grand Opera. For the season of 1911-1912, he sang a series of acclaimed roles at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. In 1913, he returned to La Scala to sing the role of Archibaldo in Montemezzi’s L’amore dei Tre Re (The Love of the Three Kings). When Italy entered World War I in May, 1915, the draft eligible 33-year-old bachelor De Angelis moved to the Chicago Opera Association and stayed there until 1920. He then returned to Italy and made a sequence of tours throughout Europe. In 1931, he recorded Boito’s Mefistofele in Milan for the Italian label of Columbia Records. It is the only role that he recorded in its entirety. He retired from the opera stage in 1939 at age 58 and thereafter provided voice lessons to pupils in Milan and Rome, where he died on December 14, 1962, at age 81.

During his 36-year career, De Angelis appeared on stage more than 1,500 times, performing roles in 57 different operas. He was especially celebrated for his powerful portrayal of the title role in Mefistofele which he sang about 500 times between 1906 and 1938. He was also admired for his portrayals of Creon in Cherubini’s Medea and Moses in Mosè in Egitto. Selections from his recorded output, consisting mainly of arias and duets by Verdi, Rossini, Boito, Wagner, Puccini, Meyerbeer, Halévy, Thomas, Gounod, and Weber, have been issued by Preiser Records on two separate CDs, i.e. #89042 and #89507. His complete Mefistofele was re-issued on CD by Naxos Records in 2003 as #8.110273-74.

Sources, both accessed March 14, 2021:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazzareno_De_Angelis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L’Aquila

Julia Paola is in Italy!

Julia Paola, winner of the AMHS Scholarship in 2019 and currently a director on the AMHS board, departed for Torino in 2022 to obtain her Italian citizenship, which she did, in 2023. In November 2023, she passed an Italian fluency exam with a C1 “Advanced/Native” level fluency. She is currently studying at the Università degli Studi di Torino, pursuing a master’s degree in Area and Global Studies for International Cooperation, which she hopes to complete in 2025.

As an AMHS scholarship winner, Julia became an honorary Society member and served as an intern. She has remained involved with the Society and supporting events while living in Italy. Julia is originally from Annapolis and graduated in the Spring of 2022 from the George Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and Political Science with a concentration in International Politics for Europe and Eurasia. She also had a minor in Italian Literature and Language and served as the president of GWU’s Societa‘ di Cultura Italiana from May 2020 until she graduated. Her paternal grandparents are Piemontesi and Calabresi. She has been fortunate to visit her family in Torino and study abroad in Siena. During the 2020-2021 school year, she worked as a teaching aid for Italian virtually at her former high school.

After earning her master’s degree, Julia hopes to remain in Italy or Europe to work with refugees, teach Italian or English, or help others with Italian heritage to pursue their own Italian citizenship. She also hopes to write a guide for how to obtain one’s citizenship by applying directly in Italy as it was an invaluable experience for her and unlocked many potential opportunities.
Auguri Julia!

Dear members and friends:

I am excited to share with you some Society updates as we move into the new year. 

First, you will notice a change in the format of our notiziario. We will be moving away from the every other month format to a rolling format. We will send shorter, more frequent notices to the community closer to when events and programs are happening. What this means is that you will receive more frequent and more timely information. The message from the president will be sent quarterly in the future. 

Secondly, something I have been very interested in doing is reaching out and cooperating more with other Italian organizations in our area. We are successfully fostering our relationship with the Italian Cultural Society and will be sharing some of their events with our members. To highlight two in particular, we will be joining them on a tour of the National Gallery of Art and most excitingly we are being offered discounted admission to their Savoring Italy Abruzzo discussion with food and wine pairing. 

Thirdly, we are interested in soliciting any feedback from members on improvements they would like to see to the  Society. This could be things that we used to do that you would like to see come back or entirely new ideas. We have several new ideas on the horizon that we are working on. We will also soon be looking to amend the bylaws of the Society to make the organization more dynamic and efficient. You will hear more about this process in the future. If there are any ideas regarding the bylaws or other matters, please reach out to me at  president@abruzzomoliseheritagesociety.org.

We also have many interesting virtual and in person events and activities on the horizon. Please visit our events calendar to be in the know and keep your eye on your email for further communications: https://www.abruzzomoliseheritagesociety.org/mission/events/#!calendar.

Best regards,
Chris Renneker