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Ferragosto and New Items from ItalyFESTA GIOIA FERRAGOSTO Ferragosto New Items from Italy2013 is “The Year of the Italian Culture in the United States of America”Italy is a very rural country. Italy is a world leader in olive oil production and a major exporter of rice, tomatoes, and wine. The main industries are tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, and ceramics. Italian agricultural products include fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives, beef, dairy products, and fish. About 75% of Italy is mountainous or hilly, and roughly 20% of the country is forested. The Etruscan Civilizations and customs have been recorded from 1100BC and even earlier!  This will set the scene for Ferragosto in Italy. FERRAGOSTO is a Latin expression feriae Augusti (Augustus' rest) indicating a festivity set up by Emperor Augustus in 18 BC which was an addition to existing ancient Roman Festivals which fell in August such as the Vinalia rustica or the Consualia, celebrating the harvest and the end of the main agricultural tasks. The ancient Ferragosto provided a suitable period of rest, also called Augustali, necessary after the hard labor of the previous weeks. During the celebrations in the entire empire horse races were organized and labor animals, donkeys, oxen, and mules were dispensed from work and decorated with flowers. Such ancient traditions are still alive today, virtually unchanged in their form and participation during the Palio which takes place in Siena. The very name "Palio" comes from the "pallium," the piece of precious fabric which was the usual prize of the winners of the horse races in ancient Rome. In Citta della Pieve, there is a magnificent Palio and also a festival of flowers in early summer. We visited this city on our recent trip to Italy. We have just returned from a visit to Italy, both a family and business visit. The cities now charge a city tax which you may not like. But in my case it was well worth it. The tax pays for cleaning the cities, managing the traffic (during the day there are only emergency vehicles, taxi and residents that are allowed to enter the city), and undercover Carabinieri! I met the undercover Carabinieri who recovered my wallet that was picked from my purse as I opened our apartment door, with several family members alongside of me. The first thing to do is make a report at the Carabinieri office. When they phoned me a couple of hours later, I could hardly believe I was going to recover everything! The undercover officers witnessed three young Italian kids in action. The streets are clean, safer, and able to manage the height of tourist season.  If you decide to travel in summer we recommend a respite from the cities in the country. A visit to Le Selve, the country house of a family member on the border of Tuscany and Umbria, is open May through September. Nestled on the top of a hill surrounded by views on all sides, this home sleeps 6 or 12, has a swimming pool, and is atop the mountain of olive trees. If you bring the proper shoes you can walk through the olives across the small river into the forest. The natural grass was like a carpet of flowers and a truly special place located near to Perugia, Montepulciano, Deruta, Orvieto, Assisi and many other interesting destinations. You can arrive by train to a town called Chiusi. Across the street you can rent a car for the short journey, ten minutes, through magnificent countryside to Le Selve, the country home of Cristina and Giuliano who welcome you to their rental home on the same property. There is a large kitchen and you can do your own cooking or hire a cook. Contact us for more information. 408.640.6628 We visited three artists in Firenze and two artists in Deruta. Based on seven years of what you, our clients, are looking for, we have chosen some new items for you to purchase. You will see some of these at our Ferragosto Festa Gioia Sunday August 18th and enjoy a dish for lunch that we loved from Umbria! Speaking of Ferragosto, August traditionally is the when Italians go to the seaside and the mountains for the cooler temperatures and to celebrate the past year with a relaxation that often is one month long! In the USA we celebrate with our Italian Festivals. You can see in our calendar that Gioia will have a booth in Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Jose this August. These festivals are hosted by Italian Heritage Clubs and very much need your support in helping to encourage the continuation of our Italian Culture. See you at all the Festas! ITEMS OF NOTE FESTA GIOIA FERRAGOSTO Sunday August 18 Noon to 6pm Location: Los Gatos 408.640.6628 Italian Shopping Experience new items from our recent trip to Italy. Join us on Sunday August 18th and have the first peek at some of the items we have purchased for you on our recent trip to Italy. There was no other shop we saw as beautiful as ours from Milano to Roma. We have a collection here at Gioia Company, in one place, of many items that you have to travel to different provinces in Italy to purchase. Enjoy Cold Risotto Salad from Umbria, you will want to know this recipe! RSVP Kathy 408.640.6628, kathywinkelman@hotmail.com ATTENTION PLEASE CARLA VENETIAN MASKS FOR SALE LIMITED SUPPLY $10 EACH! Italian Family Festa San Jose in Guadalupe Park, August 24th or 25th 100 VENETIAN MASKS made by Artist Carla Almanza de Quant to be sold at $10 each. SCULPTURE, MOONDANCER, valued at $3500. Carla Almanza-deQuant www.carlaalmanza-dequant.com SPECIAL DONATION TO THE IAHF & THE ITALIAN CONSULATE SAN FRANCISCO to celebrate the Year of the Italian Culture in the United States 100% proceeds donated.  Pasquale Esposito PBS Special on Enrico Caruso Grazie! The first round of funding is complete and we begin the second round. If you have not yet made your donation to this valuable endeavor (at a certain level you can earn tickets to the premiere) read more here http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pasqualeesposito/enrico-caruso-his-life-his-music-his-city-pbs-prop Calendar
GIOIA ITALIAN ART AND PRODUCTS always opened by appointment in Los Gatos Call Kathy 408.640.6628 or Contact kathywinkelman@gioiacompany.com |
An Intimate, Delicious (and Tax-Deductible) Gourmet COOKING CLASS and Private Dinner with Award-Winning Chef Jessica Yarr