L’osteria closed for the season – reopens 4th Dec
A large party going on in Piazza Angelio this evening as the L’osteria of Riccardo Negri and his loyal staff celebrate the end of the summer season. The L’osteria has been open right through the summer and for many visitors to the city it was the only place still open to eat during the afternoon as most of the the other restaurants shut their kitchens and took the tradition siesta.
Riccardo instead decided to remain open as much as was humanly possible. Now the season has come to and end and he and his staff are off for a well deserved holiday.
This evening they emptied their fridges and stores and so their regular customers ate and drank for free – the party was still going on strong as this article was being written. Will they party till dawn ? hmmmmm.
The L’osteria will be open once again on the 4th December.
Click on the link below to hear a short interview with Riccardo recorded earlier this evening in which he also tells us (in Italiano) one of the other reasons why he is shut the L’osteria for most of November – he has to go to the England to sort out some paperwork, visas and other documents for his forthcoming wedding. More on that story later.
Dark umbrellas at L’osteria
Luca Galeotti from Il Giornale di Barga shines a light on the subject
A short exhibition (lasting only three days) of some very dark umbrellas at the L’osteria in Piazza Angelio opened this evening. The artist Keane who painted a series of bright cheerful and sunny umbrellas for the Lake Angels Soul Festival this summer has gone in a completely different direction and produced instead for Halloween what could only be described as very, very dark images.
He is also testing his luck with the superstition that umbrellas should never be opened inside the house, bad luck will follow – in this case not once but 17 times.
Keane was determined to change the experience for people using the L’osteria over the next couple of days and constructed a kind of false ceiling made up of umbrellas just centimeters above their heads.
The lights the also lowered and a large amount of sawdust was spread across the floors the deaden the sound.
Visitors to the exhibition are offered a torch which then can use to cast some light on the images on show.
The images painted on the umbrellas are all loosely based around the Los Caprichos aquatint prints created by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya in 1797 and 1798.
Los Caprichos are a set of 80 aquatint prints created by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya in 1797 and 1798, and published as an album in 1799. The prints were an artistic experiment: a medium for Goya’s condemnation of the universal follies and foolishness in the Spanish society in which he lived. The criticisms are far-ranging and acidic; he speaks against the predominance of superstition, the ignorance and inabilities of the various members of the ruling class, pedagogical short-comings, marital mistakes, and the decline of rationality.
Some of the prints have anticlerical themes. Goya described the series as depicting “the innumerable foibles and follies to be found in any civilized society, and from the common prejudices and deceitful practices which custom, ignorance, or self-interest have made usual”.
The work was an enlightened, tour-de-force critique of 18th-century Spain, and humanity in general. The informal style, as well as the depiction of contemporary society found in Caprichos, makes them – and Goya himself – a precursor to the modernist movement almost a century later. The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters in particular has attained an iconic status.
All of the umbrellas used in this exhibition were collected in Barga Vecchia after people had thrown them away when damaged. Once upon a time they would have been dumped but the combination of the recent death of the last umbrella repairer in Barga Vecchia, Carlo Sacco and the onslaught of the throwaway culture means that they are binned and rebought rather than repaired.
The exhibition will remain on view to the public for the next three days.
Coccore mushrooms
The funghi season just keeps on getting better and better. This afternoon some highly sought after wild mushrooms known as Amanita Caesarea were brought into the city.
Once again it was the L’osteria in Piazza Angelio that had them on their menu by this evening. It would seem that Riccardo from the L’Osteria is fast turning Piazza Angelio, in Barga Vecchia into the mecca of mushroom eaters.
Amanita caesarea was first described by Italian mycologist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1772 as Agaricus caesareus, before later being placed in Amanita by Persoon. The common name comes from its being a favourite of the Roman emperors. In Italian, it is ovolo (pl. ovoli), due to its resemblance to an egg when very young. In this area they are known as “Coccore”
It is remarkable that this highly prized, edible species should belong to the same group as the most toxic mushrooms such as the Death cap, the Destroying angel and can sometimes be confused with the poisonous fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), which has a red cap dotted with white warts, though these have been known to have been washed off after heavy rain.
The cap of Amanita caesarea is 50 – 140 (-190) mm wide, bright orange-red to a duller orange, often becoming more or less paler at maturity, hemispherical then plano-convex, smooth, shiny, somewhat viscid, with a rather short-striate margin (10 – 30% of the radius). The volva is present as large thick white patches. The flesh is white, yellow just below the cap skin, and 20 mm thick above the stem.
The gills are free, 7 – 16 mm broad, yellow, sometimes forked at the margin, with a subflocculose margin. The short gills are attenuate to truncate, plentiful.
The stem is 60 – 130 × 15 – 25 mm, cylindric or enlarging downward, yellow, smooth below the ring, and slightly striated above. The ring is ample, thick, membranous, yellow, slightly striated on the upper side, felted on the lower side. The volva is up to 60 mm tall, saccate, ample, up to 4 or 5 mm thick, connected to the stem only at the base, remote from the stem, membranous, rather tough, white on the outer surface, white or tinted orange on the inner surface except at the point of contact with the stem where it is yellow. The internal limb is placed rather high on the inner surface of the volva. The flesh is firm, stuffed in the middle with cottony material, and yellow. – source
Autumn porcini are back up in the hills
Regular readers will known that the much sought after porcini mushrooms which grow wild in the mountains around Barga put in an appearance during two distinct moments during the year – spring and autumn.
As we reported back in the second week in May, the arrival of the spring crop of the precious Boletus edulis was greeted in the city with great enthusiasm.
During the hot summer months, the mushrooms are no longer part of the local scene but towards the autumn all eyes are on the sky looking for rain clouds to restart the process once again.
Three weeks ago, after the driest summers in many years, that rain finally arrived and this week, thanks to perfect conditions with just the right amount of rainfall, temperature and wind from the right direction, the porcini are back up in the hills.
Yesterday, three “mushroom hunters” made their way down from the mountains and into Barga Vecchia with their precious goods on their backs.
The mushrooms were ceremonially weighed at the L’Osteria in Piazza Angelio – 20 kilos of the freshest and most fragrant porcini all ready for the cooks at the osteria to work their magic. Raw thinly sliced with just a touch of lemon, or a savoury mushroom sauce or deep fried with coating of ground corn.
Porcini (Boletus edulis, the Latin name) is a highly regarded edible mushroom. It has a number of English names, including cep (from its Catalan name cep or its French name cèpe), king bolete and penny bun. A common term in current use is porcini (from the plural of its Italian name porcino).
The scientific name, Boletus, from the Latin stem bolet-, meaning “superior mushroom” and edulis, meaning edible, explains the species’ culinary qualities. This mushroom has a distinct aroma reminiscent of fermented dough. It has a higher water content than other edible mushrooms. source
More porcini talk can be found here
The Soprano and the blues sax in Piazza Angelio
An interesting mix of music and styles is Piazza Angelio this evening in what these days would be termed as a “mash up” between a single clear operatic voice and a blues saxophone player. The art cafe which opened and closed in the space of a week may be gone but art is still happening in the Piazza nevertheless thanks to Riccardo at the L’Osteria. Sally Li a soprano who first came to Barga earlier this summer as part of the Cardiff International Academy of Voice with Dennis O’Neill has definitely fallen in love with the place was performing a duet with John Hightower a blues saxophone player. Although it was an impromptu unannounced performance, it quickly drew in a sizeable appreciative audience.
John on only his second visit to Barga was last night after the performance expressing “deep satisfaction and joy on finding a vibrant working community such as Barga”
Very bad lighting in this video as it was shot in almost total darkness but the sound is ok
China-born soprano Sally Li has dreamed of becoming an opera singer since she was 18. Having obtained a BA degree in Music Performance at the Nanjing Arts Institute, China, she came to the UK and undertook a postgraduate course of vocal study at the Royal Academy of Music, London, studying under Elizabeth Ritchie and Mary Hill. She was awarded a Postgraduate Diploma from the RAM following her successful final year recital at the David Josefowitz Recital Hall in May, 2008. – source
Click on the link below to hear John playing a solo outside the L’osteria in Piazza Angelio
john_hightower_sax_losteria_16aug2009
Art Cafe opens and closes in the same week
The Art Cafe in Piazza Angelio which opened up to the public just a couple of days ago has had to close down due to “bureaucratic difficulties”. What was a corner of the piazza open to the public to sit and talk about art and enjoy the company of others with a coffee or a glass of wine as they exchanged views and opinions while looking at a gallery whose exhibits changed daily is no more. Gone but not forget because as soon as the necessary “bureaucratic difficulties” are surmounted it will be back on show and open once again. So who is that has organised this Cafe ? The answer is members of the art group Artists at Work .
The group “Artists at Work” have been working in this area since 1992. One of their main guiding concepts was their aim and willingness to take art out of the gallery and into places where people could view it in a more natural environment and away from the white walls and bright lights of an art gallery. This also gives the opportunity for art to be seen by a much different audience that the usual gallery circuit. They were the first to put artists in schools in this area as artists in residence – Artesquola in Gallicano and also the first group in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce to use the whole commercial structure of the same town, Gallicano as the gallery for their paintings when they put paintings in all of the shops and public buildings – to see the complete exhibition meant walking to and entering all of the shops.
15 years ago they changed geographical positions and base and started to become more visible in and around Barga but always with the eye of getting their work in front of a wider audience as possible.
A decade ago at the start of the monthly markets in Barga Vecchia they would occupy the space outside Aristo’s bar and even open air exhibitions of work hung on the walls surrounding the Barga car park.
Two years ago they moved up in to the mountains for another artist in residence project – this time prepared with the Associazione Gestori Rifugi Alpi Apuane e Appennini – the project known as “Margini” – videos and images can be seen here
Art Cafe opens at L’Osteria
What started out as a one off back in 2007 has now blossomed out into a permanent summer event and a new corner of Barga Vecchia – The Art Cafe – open to the public. Two years ago it started as “Art at the Osteria” – a season of art on show through the summer at the L’Osteria in Piazza Angelio. Inside the main sala, paintings by the Barga artist Alba Calamari were on permanent display but added to that was an exhibition of paintings outside the Osteria. The work on view was only one large oil painting on an easel but that painting was changed daily over the summer giving regular clients of the Osteria a daily glimpse into the artistic thought processes and visual games of another of Barga’s artists – the painter Keane. (his site is here)
Last night was the official opening of the Art Cafe – a corner of Piazza Angelio set out with tables and a chairs with service from the L’Osteria and a painting on an easel by Keane. The painting will be changed daily and the exhibition should last for most of the summer … it really depends on just how many paintings he has to show but word on the street is that his studio is full of recent work.
At the opening last night, among some of the very fine wine being drunk at the tables was floated the idea that other artists could be invited to join in this slow motion exhibition and so maybe the Art Cafe might be expanding … who knows?
Manolo Strimpelli Night Orchestra in Concert
The last time they played in Barga was back in 2007, in an article published then we wrote: “Finally some Italian music in the piazza … sung by Italians, using the Italian language and singing about Italian things. Enough of the fake American music …. now it’s time for the Manolo Strimpelli Nait Orkestra. A fine concert in Piazza Angelio this evening from the Lucca based band. Well done Manolo Strimpelli and the band and also a pat on the back for Riccardo at the L’Osteria who organised the whole thing.”
This evening they were back, bigger, brasher, louder and more entertaining than ever before and the perfect ending to this year’s Piazzette Festa. Did anybody count just how many musicians are in the orchestra ?
Was in 10 , or 11 or even more ? .. a bit difficult to say as they kept changing places and instruments during the evening and at one point Stefano Nannizzi Petrolio, the keyboard wizard of the group climbed off the stage to shake hands with a small group of flag waving fans from the Rione Bufali of nearby Gallicano (so did they manage to win the Palio di San Jacopo this year ? ) … the band waited for him to get back up on stage and the music played on.
A nice touch later on in the set was when just as they did 2 years ago in the same piazza, they dedicated the San Song to Silvano – our very own sadly missed outsider musician Silvano Togneri. Click on the link below to hear that song.
manolo_strimpelli_night_orchestra_barga_26july2009
During the evening the Paioli Percussionists of Piazza Angelio also joined in the fun but on the stroke of midnight the music stopped, the party was over, the Piazzette Festa 2009 was finished. The silence in the piazza was deafening.
T-Jays, wet t-shirt party in Piazza Angelio ?
The second evening of the 10 day Piazzette Festa in Barga Vecchia started off fine and dandy with medium sized crowds wandering peacefully through the narrow streets enjoying the evening cool after one of the hottest days of the year so far. Many people went down to the Literary festival “Tra le righe di Barga” held in the Volta dei Menchi see Piero Nannini and his theatre piece called “Memorie di Guerre”. Many others walked over to La Vignola for something light to eat but the bulk of people gravitated naturally towards the set piece piazza of the Festa – Piazza Angelio to hear the London band T-Jays strut their stuff. And strut their stuff they did in style under just 2 songs into their set, the heavy overcast sky which had been threatening to put a damper on the evening started to just that – it started to rain. How did Joe of the mellifluous voice react ? He simply ignored it, stuck out his chest and kept on being the uncanny babe-magnet of the group that he always does.
Rain ? ha ! we laugh at rain … bring in on !! – Hovis Presley
Rhythm guitarist Jeremy White also had a good look at the doom laden clouds and then stuck in his chin and battled on behind the very damp looking front man of the group and now uncanny somehow more Elvis looking than “The King” himself . People in the audience exchanged worried looks at the sky, the falling rain, one another and the damp and heavily perspiring Joe – not for nothing is he known as ” Hovis Presley” in the music biz.
The backline had a couple of other dripping members – both sharing the same surnames .. the brothers Geoff Collins-White of Jack’s Pack and recently The Beagles and Trevor the extraordinary axeman of former Sparks fame.
And then , finally, the tension grew too much to withstand; the rain just too heavy for the delicate microphones and electric equipment to withstand and so the T-Jays thanked the crowd and walked off stage.
Within minutes the stage was cleared of their gear and their audience who were minutes before quite happily seated at tables in the piazza abandoned their chairs and all moved under the shelter offered by the large canopy and umbrellas at L’osteria di Riccardo
So that was that. The T-jays concert in Piazza Angelio was washed out.
HA! not so ! These boys were made of sturdier stuff and once they had taken the responsibility of entertaining the crowd, nothing was going to stop them.
The roady quickly set up an amplifier for the Lead guitarist Trevor - Jeremy played acoustic rhythm guitar and once more they were off and running – the party was on and the audience loved every dripping minute of it.
Poised, professional, spirited and just downright entertaining —- well done the T-Jays – thank you.
The Porcini have arrived
Ok, it’s now official – the Porcini have arrived For the past week or so rumours of the start of the porcini season- the local wild mushrooms that grow up in the mountains around Barga – have been percolating around the city. There have even been one or two furtive like images of the mushrooms posted up on the forums and circulating on cell phones but today all the rumours became fact when one of the seasoned mushroom pickers walked into Barga Vecchia with the first of this year’s precious crop.
The porcini have arrived and will be on the table for a few lucky clients at the L’Osteria in Piazza Angelio this week.
Porcini (Boletus edulis, the Latin name) is a highly regarded edible mushroom. It has a number of English names, including cep (from its Catalan name cep or its French name cèpe), king bolete and penny bun. A common term in current use is porcini (from the plural of its Italian name porcino).
The scientific name, Boletus, from the Latin stem bolet-, meaning “superior mushroom” and edulis, meaning edible, explains the species’ culinary qualities. This mushroom has a distinct aroma reminiscent of fermented dough. It has a higher water content than other edible mushrooms. source
More porcini talk can be found here
Polenta and Ossi at L’osteria
Although there are a few visitors to Barga wandering through the piazza during the day, it has to be said that this time of year Barga Vecchia is still a pretty quiet place but you would not have thought so had you passed through Piazza Angelio last night. Riccardo’s L’osteria was full to bursting with people inside and out, the smell of something good cooking and the sound of live accordion music floating around the piazza. One of the traditional local dishes was on the menu and there was not a free seat to be had in the house. Polenta di Neccio – polenta made with chestnut flour and Ossi di Maiale – pork bones. As we have often mentioned in the past in articles about polenta and ossi, it is not what could be said to be a pretty looking dish but the combination of highly salted bones and sweet chestnut is something to be savoured. Add to that an omlette with onions and you have food fit for the gods.
Chestnuts – When this area was hit by famine, it was the food ingredient that kept many people alive. Dried chestnuts ground into flour is still known in Garfagnana as “the poor mans flour”.
Barga Book Club at L’Osteria
The Barga Book Club opens its first page at L’Osteria in Piazza Angelio next Tuesday, the 7th April. As it is their first meeting they will not discussing a specific book but will be using the time to getting to know each other, discussing organisation of the group, purchasing books etc. As Julie Flynn-Ciniglio, one of the main promoters of this club says, the reading group is not intended as a bunch of expats sitting around discussing the current economic crisis, falling pound/dollar etc. or even over-intellectualising heavy-going political novels. She believes that it is a good opportunity to bring together a group of people who love books and make new friends in a relaxed atmosphere over a glass of wine and Tuscan nibbles…. courtesy of Riccardo at the L’Osteria in Piazza Angelio.
She went on to say “I think it would be a good opportunity to promote local authors or authors connected with Barga by selecting their books and inviting them along to future meetings to discuss their books. I will be approaching a number of writers in this regard.
Anyone can attend the meetings, whatever their native tongue. It’s not compulsory to read the books but recommended, obviously. Everyone will also get a chance to select a book of their choice.
The meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month from 7-10 (approx.) at the Osteria in Piazz’Angelio. There’s a monthly charge of EURO 12 payable to Riccardo at the Osteria on the night. This covers a variety of Tuscan appetizers, wine, water and coffee.
To make things easier for Riccardo, those wishing to attend should contact me at barga14 by the morning of the Monday before the meeting to confirm attendance. I can then pass on numbers to Riccardo.
