Spring break marked one last Sister City exchange for Daisy. This year she experienced Reggio Emilia, Italy. Abe and I met with a few others in the group to take the train from FW to the airport.
There's my girl on the map all the way across the pond.
The Basilica of San Prospero is located in the town square where the traditional market takes place a couple days a week. It is flanked with six large lions, added in the 1500s. Look closely to spy Daisy sitting atop of one of them.
A miracle occurred in 1596, which sparked the construction of the Basilica della Madonna della Ghiara, or the Temple of the Blessed Virgin of Ghiara. A young boy who was deaf and mute from birth was miraculously given the powers of speech and hearing while praying before a painting of the Madonna, so the legend goes.
miracle This room displays the miraculous painting at the altar, although it's hard to see in this photo.
Folded pizza was a favorite food choice.
The Center is an educational resource that is visited by more than 3,000 teachers, artists, students, administrators and tourists a year.
Perched across the Arno River, the Ponte Vecchio is a famous medieval, stone-arched bridge lined with jewelry and goldsmith shops along the base. It is the only bridge in Florence that survived World War II.
[March 14-22]Fun fact: Reggio Emilia is the birth place of the then future Italian "Tricolor" flag in 1797.
The Teatro Municipale, or Municipal Theatre, hosts concerts, operas and ballet performances. It is located across from the Giardini Pubblici, or the public gardens.
The tall girl is Chloe, a family friend of ours from Fort Worth, who went on the trip, too.
Reggio Emilia is famous for a method of education that focuses on encouraging children to explore what interests them rather than what is required or needed. Remida, il Centro di riciclaggio creativo (the creative recycling center) is a cultural project focused on sustainability, creativity, and research on waste materials. It "fosters the idea that waste materials, the imperfect, are holders of an ethical message."
One evening Daisy went with her American friend Chloe along with Chloe's host sister and father to a soccer game at MAPEI Stadium. Usually the stadium is very loud and boisterous as they cheer with big flags and drums for the home team. The team has had a rough year, so it was silent at the beginning of the game and the message to the team was, "You get what you deserve." However, the crowd couldn't contain themselves and began their normal excitement 15 minutes in.
One day the group traveled to Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, which was just a short train ride away.
The bridge first appeared in a document dated 996. It has washed away a few times since then, but the current structure has been in place since 1345.
One of the girls discovered this was a living statue when it patted her on the head as she was taking a photo with it.
The Palazzo Vecchio was built in 1299 to house government organizations, but was turned into a residence for one of the rulers in the 16th century. He later moved elsewhere and the building then housed government offices where valuables were kept.
These incredibly talented artists make chalk paintings that are washed off chalk daily.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore claimed the title of the largest church in Europe at its construction that started in 1296 and was consecrated at the completion of the dome in 1436. It is still one of the biggest churches in the world. It is 153 meters in length, 90 meters wide and 90 meters high from floor to the base of the lantern.
There are three radial tribunes inside, each consisting of five chapels. Santa Maria del Fiore gets credit for being the birthplace of the European Renaissance. The title means Lady of the Flower. It alludes to the name of the city, "Florentia", or city of flowers.
The gospel stories are on the bronze doors. The originals, crafted between 1330 and 1424, are now preserved in the Opera Duomo Museum. The doors portray the Life of the Baptist, Stories of Christ, and Gates of Paradise.
A trip to Italy would not be complete without gelato.
The interior was completed in different eras and is divided into three naves, which open onto 22 chapels. One of these contains the life-sized photographic replica of the Shroud of Jesus.
Currently the coats of arms that adorn the corridors and along the staircases number about 6,000.
The Battistero di San Giovanni sits opposite the cathedral. The Baptistry of Saint John, built in the 11th century, is one of the oldest churches in Florence. It is iconic with its white and green marble walls with three sets of doors, which depict the story of humanity and redemption.
The Statue of David is a must-see when in Florence.
Then 26-year-old Michelangelo began his work in 1501 and completed the famous statue in 1504. It is said to symbolize the Florentine Republic's defense of civil liberties, independence, and strength against more powerful rivals, just as David stood up to Goliath. Artists say it represents 'the pinnacle of Renaissance art, embodying human beauty, strength, and the spirit of Florentine liberty.'
The statue was originally commissioned to be placed on the roofline of the Florence Cathedral, about 80 meters up. That is the reason for the large scale of 17 feet, or about the size of an adult giraffe. Michelangelo purposefully exaggerated the hands, head, and arms much bigger than the torso and legs so they would appear proportional when viewed from the pews below. This created the illusion that David was alert and poised for action against Goliath.
The are 30 life-sized replicas of David around the world. This one in front of Palazzo Vecchio, being the most famous because it is the original site of the statue. It was carved in Michelangelo's workshop about a half mile away. It took four days and forty men to move the statue. The committee at the time decided that David was too beautiful and too heavy to be placed atop of the the cathedral, so it was erected in the Piazza della Sigoria, where it stood for the next 369 years. It has been inside the Galleria dell'Accademia since 1873 to protect it from weather, pollution and damage from people.
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is made specifically in the Reggio Emilia and nearby regions. One article says the first document mentioning a cheese made in Parma dates back to 1254, while another said it was mentioned in 1350 while someone was describing its use in garnishing macaroni and ravioli.
What makes Parmigiano Reggiano cheese so special is the environmental factors included: a small production area with specific soil, air, water and cow diet, and the special artisan production which has remained unchanged over the years.
Part of the production process includes salting the cheese for 20-30 days. The cheese wheels mature for a minimum of 12 months, and an average of 24 months. Much like wine, it can be left to mature for much longer. During quality inspections after 12 months, every wheel is tapped with a small hammer by the Consorsio, who listens for hollow sounds and other defects to check if the cheese is up to their quality standards.
The kids got to do some taste testing. Parmigiano Reggiano is named after the areas which produce it, being the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is superior in quality, flavor and texture, versus plain parmesan cheese.
Daisy said the main thing she noticed was that the the cheese factory did not smell pleasant.
Reggio Emilio is also the seat of Italy's balsamic vinegar tradition, dating back to the Middle Ages. A famous anecdote mentions the Marquis of Canossa gifting a silver bottle of balsamic vinegar to the sacred Roman Emperor in the 11th century. Historically it was stored in attics, where the vinegar was left to interact with the high temperatures in summer and the cold temperatures in winter.
The process of creating balsamic vinegar is also similar to that of wine-making. Acetaia is the freshly-pressed juice that still contains the grapes' skins, stems and seeds. The producers claim that the quality of the raw materials determines how the vinegar will develop, of course believing Reggio Emelia possesses all of these superb materials. The cooked grape must is made by heating grape juice to enhance its natural sugars and flavors. This step kickstarts natural fermentation and aging.
- Aging is the crucial step in the process. The 'tradiizionale' methods undergo a lengthy oxidation and aging process. Over the span of no less than 12 years, the vinegar is moved through a battery of barrels. Each one is fashioned out of a different type of wood, including cherry, juniper and oak. The vinegar slowly becomes more concentrated and complex with time. It takes 18-25 years to create the rich, syrupy texture with a well-balanced taste, according the to professionals. At this particular distillery, a red label indicates 12 years aging, silver is 18 years, and gold is 25 years or more.
The man giving the tour told the kids that he carries his own balsamic vinegar in a flask everywhere he goes. When he eats out he likes to experiment with how the vinegar interacts with the flavor of the new dish. And if he does not like the new meal, he drowns the taste with his vinegar.
At the end of the tour they got to sample some balsamic vinegar--on ice cream. Apparently it's a common thing there. Daisy was not a fan.
Throughout the trip, the Fort Worth kids have their days full of group outings, sometimes with their Italian hosts and sometimes without. The final day they get to be on their own, which is usually with their hosts but without any adults. Daisy and a small group took a day trip on the train to Bologna.
This is Sara, Daisy's host sister.
During the 12th century, there was a robust canal system used to transport both goods and people while powering silk and flour mills. There were about 37 miles of open canals visible until the end of World War II, when the city shifted away from being a major manufacturing city and they needed room for modern roads, parking lots and urban development. It was eventually covered up but there are still five spots in the city where you can spy them. Finestrella di Via Piella, or little window, is one of those spots.
Piazza Maggiore dates back to 1200, and now it is surrounded by several important buildings in Bologna.
One of these important buildings is the San Petronio Basilica. The construction of Basilica di San Petronio began in 1390 and it took nearly three centuries to complete the major works. It is not only the main church of Bologna, but it is one of the largest in the world.
It is precisely because of its size that it is still unfinished, with marble on the lower half and brick on the upper. The city of Bologna wanted to build a bigger church than Saint Peter's in Rome and the Pope was not having it. There was fighting over the funds to build the church, and over time the money ran out before the outside of the church was completed.
One of the chapels houses the oldest musical institution in Bologna, dating back to 1436. The organ was built in 1470 and is the oldest in the world still in use. There are several chapels with lots of stained glass.
This one holds the Baroque Chapel Guilded Gates.
The Biblioteca comunale dell'Archiginnasio (Archiginnasio Municipal Library) is now a public library located inside the Palace of the Archiginnasio since 1838. At that time it was destined to preserve the books collected from the closure of the religious orders made by Napoleon.
Biblioteca dell'Archiginnasio building dates back to 1562. It was designated as the seat of the University until 1803. It was severely damaged by a bombing raid in 1944 and later rebuilt.
There are many gourmet food stores, small grocery stores and vendors of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and flowers.
Porta Galliera was a portal, or a gate, of the former outer medieval walls of the city. This particular one is the most decorated of the remaining gates. It was constructed in 1659.
