I took a cab to Fidenza. I did not want to take a chance on the heat exhaustion until I was sure I was 100%. Plus, my sweet husband insisted.
This is the town square where my hotel, the Hotel Astoria (no Waldorf in there anywhere), is located.
I decided right before dinner to stop at this little bar for a glass of wine. Look at the goodies they served for free. All complimentary with my wine, which cost about $3.25. See that little brown ball. There were two of them. I am not always crazy about arancini, which are fried white rice balls, but these - soon, there will be none. These were, for lack of a better description, like Spanish rice fried - the kind of rice with tomatoes and seasonings. YUM! It is always fun to sit out and watch the locals. Italy is a very social country with fun and friendly people. It is hard not to get caught up in the joy, and why wouldn't you want to.
My included dinner was at this pink restaurant. It was interesting that there were 24 men in the main dining room and only one woman - me. No, it was not a gay bar before you ask. I can't swear that none of the men were gay, but my guess would be most, if not all of them were straight. When I left, I peeped into the other dining room, and there were 18 more men - no women and 3 men standing outside waiting. I wondered if there wasn't some Chippendale Show nearby, but I didn't see or hear anything of the sort.
My first course was Pasta Diavalo or pasta with the sauce of the devil. OMG! This was the best pasta diavalo ever. My lips did the Cha-Cha, and my tongue kept time to the beat. And they served it with delicious homemade Italian bread. And they didn't skimp on the wine. No way could I drink that much wine. It was a half liter.
My second was chicken something or another. It was perfectly cooked and very well seasoned. It came with a huge side salad. I could have had potatoes cooked with cream, but I have been craving salads. I went back to the Hotel Astoria with a big, happy smile on my face.
This morning, I saw the postman delivering the mail. He was a young man in no uniform, wearing blue shorts and a tee shirt.
My travel information said that Fidenza was not a particularly beautiful city, but it had a famous Duomo with medieval sculptures and bas-reliefs that are famous along the Via Franciegena. The art in the Il duomo di Fidenza was used to introduce illiterate people to God and the Catholic religion.
I first thought the rear of the church was more interesting than the front until I looked closer.
I didn't see the little figurines and the chariot upon first gaze.
The magnificent Fidenza Cathedral dates back to the 12th century and is an example of Emilian-Lombard Romanesque architecture; it is dedicated to St. Dominus.
The building stands on a small Martyrium, the little church built in the fourth century AD to house the martyr's remains. I went down to the basement(?) of the cavernous church....
...and inside this case (hard to see) is a skeleton. If I am reading correctly, this is the actual skeleton of St. Dennis.
Talking of having your head handed to you! According to Wiki, "His legend states that Domninus was Chamberlain to Emperor Maximian and keeper of the royal crown, and converted to Christianity, thereby incurring the emperor's wrath. Pursued by imperial forces, he rode through Piacenza holding a cross. He was caught and beheaded on the banks of the Stirone, outside of Fidenza or the Via Aemilia. It is recounted that Domninus picked up his severed head and placed it on the future site of the cathedral of San Donnino."
In art, Domninus is usually depicted in military attire. Domninus' cult was popular in Northern Italy. He has been from earliest times invoked against rabies. Supposedly, after wine was blessed and the saint invoked, anyone who drank this would be cured of rabies. Cheers!
The Duomo also houses the precious relics of Emperor Maximian.
It is incredible that these painted ceilings and walls can still be seen. Photos do not do them justice. They are extraordinary.
So, I am headed out for dinner. Probably bar snacks, and just to make sure I don't have rabies, I shall partake of the local cure. Cheers to you too!
No comments:
Post a Comment