(VINCENZO PINTO, AFP/Getty Images / April 6, 2009)The dome of the Cathedral in the center of L'Aquila was damaged by an earthquake measuring 5.8-magnitude on the Richter scale. The death toll was rising steadily after many homes collapsed in the Abruzzo region.
I don't know if you guys will recall it but, back on February there was a clue in the old TMS XW for which the answer was 'spruce'. Argyle, who guess blogged that puzzle commented that both the noun [spruce: any evergreen, coniferous tree of the genus Picea] and the verb [spruce: trim in dress or appearance; neat; smart; dapper] came from the same root, Prussia. I mentioned in my subsequent comment that I found that very interesting since I had never made a connection between the two homonyms, much less any connection to Prussia. I also commented that whenever I think of Prussia I always recall the Hohenstaufen dynasty and, specifically, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. So, you might ask, what does this have to do with the earthquake in central Italy? Well, in my comment I included the following quote from Wikipedia that points out Frederick II's contribution to poetry.
"He was patron of the Sicilian School of poetry. His royal court in Palermo, from around 1220 to his death, saw the first use of a literary form of an Italo-Romance language, Sicilian. The poetry that emanated from the school predates the use of the Tuscan idiom as the preferred language of the Italian peninsula by at least a century. The school and its poetry were well known to Dante and his peers and had a significant influence on the literary form of what was eventually to become the modern Italian language."
OK so, once again, what does this have to do with the earthquake in Italy? Well, apart from being a great patron of poets, he was also a patron of the other arts as well as architecture. He was the one who began the construction of the city of L'Aquila.According to the story from the Associated Press, in the historic center of the city, a wall of the 13th century Santa Maria di Collemaggio church collapsed and the bell tower of the Renaissance San Bernadino church also fell. The 16th-century castle housing the Abruzzo National Museum was damaged. The story also mentioned that firefighters with dogs worked feverishly to reach people trapped in fallen buildings, including a dormitory where half a dozen university students were believed still inside. Castelnuovo, a hamlet of about 300 people 25 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of L'Aquila, appeared hard hit, and five were confirmed dead there. Another small town, Onno, was almost completely leveled. It is possible that the university buildings are quite old as are, no doubt, the buildings in those nearby towns. While many famous structures, such as the Ponte Vecchio, have been spared the ravages of time, many have not and it is always a shame to see this kind of thing happen.
The last major quake to hit central Italy was a 5.4-magnitude temblor that struck the south-central Molise region on Oct. 31, 2002, killing 28 people, including 27 children who died when their school collapsed. I remember that one well. It was just a small town that lost so many of its children. Very sad.
14 comments:
Promise:
Like the others, I continue to be amazed by the breadth and depth of your knowledge and interests. The item you posted certainly is a tragedy on many levels, from the loss of life to the loss of irreplaceable architecture. I travel relatively little. I am both master of and slave to my farm and its animal inhabitants. But I have been to France twice, Italy twice, Ireland once. To stand in buildings that have stood for 1000+ years is awe inspiring. The cathedrals for example Chartre, Notre Dame, those in Rome leave me pondering how so called "primitives" could have managed their construction. (And raise my populist hackles over the massive appropriation of wealth and resources).
On a darker note, I am feeling some of what Wolfmom must have been feeling when she posted her "time-suck" rant last week. You may have noticed "over there" that I am not currently getting the puzzle, and you know the limits of the iPhone. And to be very honest the entire damned Jeannie affair just kicked my fucking ass. Apologies to the others, but some things cannot be expressed without the proper crudities. I feel like shit over the whole thing. She had a point in her reaction, but then it seemed like she would rather be pissed than accept sincere apology. I agree with this thing she said, and I'm paraphrasing, "life is hard, life's a bitch, and this is supposed to be fun, of comic relief, or cathartic, or just " feel good", and if it doesn't, well then Fuck It. I respect you, more than I can convey, and I would dearly love to have that glass of wine or three with Wolfmom and ClearAyes and rant about what's good and evil in the world, and I'd damn sure like to have a few beers with Jeannie and learn who she really is. But I am fucking burnt toast right now, and I need a break. I feel like I've been navel gazing, and to not much avail. Lower than whale shit is the way I usually say it. I'm not leaving, but I'm going to be a little scarce. The Jeannie affair has me feeling a little over-exposed. I'm generally pretty trusting to the point of naivitie', and as I said a day or two ago,
my identity is easy to discover. Maybe I need to rediscover
It myself. Thanks, friend, for creating this space.
Windhover / Larry
probably just this one post today...I really need to get back to the studio, I am falling behind.
I might add in later with that glass of wine.
PMT...I picked up the quake info last night from the BBC News which I get daily. I also have the USGS Earthquake website and Alaska Volcano Watch website bookmarked...I'm a bit geeky about science stuff around the world...I also really like weather stuff.
Anyway...The original size of the quake was listed at a 6.3, which is really substantial! The loss of life is always tragic but it hurts my heart to see and read about the destruction of antiquity either man made or from a natural source. Whatever replaces it is never as good and we lose a little piece of ourselves every time this happens...
It is sad to think that a good part of this destruction will never be fixed because in these difficult times the money for repairs just isn't there. I am hoping that some of the buildings are of enough historical significance and enough of a draw for tourists that the Italian govt. will step in with help. It is unfortunate that these are small towns and cities and possibly off the beaten path and that so much of this will go unrepaired. I know it sounds a bit heartless, talking about the buildings and the art, but like animal species that disappear from the earth through our carelessness...its gone forever and with it a bit of what gives our lives continuity.
I, like WH have always marvelled at the beauty that has been created over the centuries and when I touch a stone column in a cathedral I try to imagine the hands that created it and what their lives were like. There is a terrific book called SARUM by Edward Rutherford about the history of Salisbury Plain and the building of the Salisbury Cathedral that goes a long way in putting you in that time periodand understanding the effort over decades that went into building something like that.
WH...So sorry to see you off for a bit, but if you need to spend more time with yourself it is understood. I think the whole blow-up the other night changed things here, but I want to keep contributing when I have something to say...it is a good way to get my thoughts out there sometimes and always a way, thanks to everyone's varied knowledge(especially PMT) and experience to continue to learn and grow. It is very sad that you have been denied the puzzle, but I hope very much to see every so often...we never did get a chance to talk about the philosophies of WB...
Cheers to you all for now...maybe later. WM
Drumroll...Here is my acceptance of all your apologies. Maybe I over-reacted but was truly hurt by what was posted here. My feelings are easily hurt and it is something I am trying to work on. I am sorry that I guess I singlehandedly changed the rythym of your blog. So carry on knowing you are all okay in my book.
Jeannie...thank you and your heartfelt appology is warmly accepted. Please join us in airing your feelings about things that interest and bother you...we look forward to seeing you here.
I really did mean that it was a DUH moment for me on your "It happened today..." post...I never could figure out why Yale alumni were called Elis...Thanks for the interesting info.
Now we move forward.
Jeannie,
It is so great to see you posting here and extending a hand to us. Your acceptance of our apologies means a great deal. I think if you stick around read some of our posts you will find that you do have something in common with each of us. It seems that food is a common denominator and I, for one, just love sailboats. I live in what is often referred to as the Yachting Capital of the World and I get teased on a regular basis seeing all the big beautiful sailboats around here. Of course, there are also enormous motor yachts here. Yet, if someone were to give me one of those, I'd trade it for a pretty sailboats half its size. That's just where my head and heart are at. Sailboats are more harmonious and harmony is important to me. Thank you for helping to restore some of the harmony here :)
Promisme, believe you me, it had all to do with Windhovers post. I was sad to see him "bow out" on my account.
Re: sailboats. I learned to sail early on (12-13yrs old) with a rich gal who happened to belong to a yacht club in my home town. My first sailing experience came while sailing a little Sunfish. I also won, one year a row-boat rowing race with the same gal, so I can't say she was too high above me on the food chain to enter that race with me. At that race, I was the anchor, meaning I had to let her get us ahead (being the better athlete) and then powering ahead with my experience with rowing.
That was my brother and sister's mode of transportation if we wanted to get out there a-ways to find where the fish were biting.
Clearayes for you: I know you mentioned you have Vegan friends. Here is a recipe for you I just tested in my "test kitchen"
Eggplant parmigiana:
I don't know if they are strict vegans, but I am sure you can come up with a variation. Forgive me if I have already shared this recipe.
One ripe eggplant cut into 1/4" slices, either dipped in eggs or water wash, and dredged in seasoned bread crumbs. Fry in olive oil and drain on paper towels. Mix 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese with 1 tblsn of either fresh italian herbs such as thyme, rosemary, and oregano or a pre-dried blend. I grow my own and have "organic" ones I dry over the winter. (BTW did I mention it has been a long Fucking winter?) I only used that word here as Windhover did earlier. Felt kind of liberating. Okay I degress. Make a sandwich with those tasty fried pieces of eggplant by putting some of that tasty ricotta mixture between them. Add marinara. Homemade is best. I make the best, I should be that Itai' woman with an apron on in the Godfather's movies. Okay, I shouldn't be and couldn't be. Clearayes, ever tried so hard to dicypher a recipe before? Anyway, make oreo's out of the eggplant and riccota mixture, top with sauce, and at the very end melt some provolone on top. You may never get your guests to leave. If you are making this with GAH I brown and crumble some sweet italian sausage that I put in the middle of my "oreos".
But wait there's more.
Yep, for another day. Threw you off for a moment didn't I? Hoped to.
I have been suffering...yeah really...from allegeries, for the first time in my life. The last few days, the wind has been blowing around our place and with all the trees, weeds and wild flowers, it has been a "perfect storm" for allergy reactions I just thought I was coming down with a cold, but it never got any further than sneezing, a stuffy nose and puffy watery eyes. It took a good friend, a retired nurse, to tell me that it sounded like allergic reactions to her. Talk about a "Duh" moment. So, now I'm taking Benedryl and hoping it clears my head a little bit.
About the earthquake in Italy...I haven't been to the affected area, but I have been to Venice and Rome. There certainly is an awed feeling that comes over a person when they are looking at something they've read about most of their lives. Wolfmom and I live in U.S. Earthquake Central, and Californians have a tendency to get a little jaded about tremors. When a quake hits here, we are concerned about loss of life and property damage, but we don't have any architectural treasures that might be destroyed. Then too, most of our buildings are rigorously reinforced so earthquake damage is minimal. The ancient buildings in Italy are at the mercy of Neptune. (I looked that up. He was the Roman god of the sea and earthquakes.)
Jeannie, Thanks for the recipe. Sounds delicious to me. I am saving it and will share it with the vegan family when they come to dinner. They do eat some fish and cheese when they are away from home, but are pretty strict with their meals at home. For them at home, the ricotta in your recipe would have to be replaced with a vegan alternative.
I could probably be a vegetarian if I really had to, but a true vegan doesn't eat anything that even originated with animals...no milk, cheese, eggs, etc. That can really put a damper on your meal plans.
WM, Thanks for the art information the other day. I'm glad you liked the melons. The leaves drooping out of the metal jar have a couple of droopy stems in the photo I used. The stems don't show up hardly at all in the photo of the pastel.
Cribbage this morning, so I'm getting away from the computer to get ready.
Don't stay away too long WH, you are needed.
ClearAyes,
As regards 'veganism', it is actually a bit more strict than merely abstaining from eating any animal products. It includes foregoing the, non-culinary, use of leather or any or products that are obtained from animals. In my book, simply abstaining from consuming animal products vis a vis the mouth is what properly defines 'vegetarianism'. I do not acknowledge the terms 'lacto-vegetarianism' or 'ovo-vegetarianism'. They are completely erroneous terms. Dairy product, be they either eggs, milk or milk products (cheese) are not vegetables. Vegetarians eat vegetables. Vegans not only eat only vegetables, they also don't wear Birkenstocks. I feel that I, too, could easily become a vegetarian or vegan. So why don't I?
PMT, I know that there is heated debate about what is or isn't a vegetarian or vegan. "I do not acknowledge the terms 'lacto-vegetarianism' or 'ovo-vegetarianism". :o)..OK, but a lot of non-flesh eaters do consume dairy and eggs. They wouldn't be plain old vegetarians in your book, and since you don't acknowledge "lacto-ovo-vegetarian", I wouldn't hazard a guess what your term might be. ("Phony assholes who pretend to be vegetarians" perhaps?)
I've heard the term "true vegan" used to describe a person who eschews all animal products for any purpose because of ethical concerns. My friends follow a "vegan diet", not because of ethical concerns, but for health issues. Because they don't concern themselves with the right or wrong of consuming animal products, when they eat outside their home they don't run screaming into the street, Birkenstocks flapping, if a nice pink shrimp or sprinkling of cheese peeks out of a plate of pasta.
I suspect you don't become a vegetarian, vegan, or P.A.W.P.T.B.V. because you don't have ethical issues, other than environmental concerns and humane slaughter, AND meat tastes good. If you are seriously conflicted about the barbarity of eating animal products, you'd better clean out the refrigerator and head to your local upscale market's organic vegetable aisle.
WH, Fred and I joined you in your "refusal to acknowledge electricity" for a while today. I'm joshing (there's a good 19th century word) of course, but the power was out for about three hours earlier this evening during a much needed rain storm. We are of the "when in doubt, take a nap" school. We awoke refreshed, electricity restored, behind on email and late on starting dinner and that glass of wine.
A good result from the rain. My hay fever symptoms are much less this evening. I guess the pollen has been glued to the ground.
Oh, my stopped for a visit as PMT I have to applaud you at your "outness" on the other blog. Thanks for the butt shot as I enjoyed it. Barbee
Oh, my stopped for a visit as PMT I have to applaud you at your "outness" on the other blog. Thanks for the butt shot as I enjoyed it. Barbee. cute and out there.
What the hell? Just so you know it's not me - the anon post(s). I think you all know me by now that I don't have to hide behind a mask to speak my mind. Also, I shared my e-mail address with Windhover today as I felt really guilty for him taking a break from your blog; Promiseme and others. He assured me it was nothing to do with our "spat" but he needs to break away to start working again at his farming duties. He said he is also new to the new technology and kinda got caught up in it.
Barbee,
Forgive me for not responding to your message earlier. These blogs can get to be a bit overwhelming. I am glad that you enjoyed the butt shot of my friend. I am sure he would have been flattered. He was quite an impressive man. He was an architectural graduate of Yale who had many friends that, like him, were fascinating. That being said, he would be the first to admit that his physique did not conform to the masculine ideal. As a youth, his 'so-called' friends would tease him that he had 'child-bearing' hips. Perhaps that early cajoling was what brought out the strong will that characterized the man I knew. I miss him dearly and can only remotely hope to ever meet a man quite like him again.
Thank you for your warm thoughts :)
nice read. I would love to follow you on twitter. By the way, did you guys know that some chinese hacker had busted twitter yesterday again.
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