Friday, May 12, 2023

Giro 2023 Stage 7: Capua to Gran Sasso D'Italia

Where are we? Heading to Abruzzo

Capua: Itailai.it tells me that One of the most important museums in Italy is located in Capua. The ancient capital of Campania houses in the wonderful Palazzo Antignano a collection of exceptional historical value but still too little known. 
The flagship of the Museo Campano are the rooms dedicated to Matres Matutae, women sitting with one or more children in their arms. Look closely at these unique tuff statues, moving in representing with simplicity the mystery of life.
Another excellence of the Capuano territory is the Basilica of Sant'Angelo in Formis. Built on the remains of a temple of Diana, it is called “in formis” for the numerous aqueducts that stood in the area to bring drinking water to Capua. Enter and admire the pictorial cycle on three levels created by the Campanian masters with colors so vibrant that they seem barely painted.
Capua has also given birth to illustrious characters, the most famous being Pier delle Vigne. If the name tells you anything, it is because at school you read Song XIII of Hell: here, Dante travels through the forest of suicides and has a long dialogue with the advisor of Frederick II.

Regional Specialties:  MOZZARELLA The Campania-region buffalo mozzarella is produced exclusively through buffalo milk. Mozzarella comes from the italian word “mozzare” (cutting): modelling a piece of spun paste and then cutting the individual parts, giving them a rounded shape. Thanks to the safeguarding consortium, in 1996 this mozzarella has been given the denomination of “protected origin”, DOP in Italian. In the 18th century, Ferdinand IV of Bourbon created the first experimental dairy farm in the Carditello Palace. Every dairy farm in our territory has matched the standards of quality necessary to receive the DOP branding.
CAPUANELLO MELON: A particular variety of melon, once farmed in every land of the Caserta province, also known as “Winter Melon” or “Christmas Melon”. Thanks to some entrepreneurs from Capua, this delicious first fruit has escaped extinction.

CAPUANELLA ARTICHOKE The first testimonies of the Capuanella Artichoke, unique in the tenderness of its leaves and heart, appeared during the Bourbon Age; while its biggest production development is due to the agricultural remediations of the early 1930s. Today it’s farmed in the Porta Roma area of Capua by a few family-run farms.
CORNIOLA’S OIL During the 1950s, farming of the “Corniola Olivastra” had stopped. Luckily, a local farm, with land immersed in the ancient Volturno plain, has meticulously safeguarded and recovered the native “Corniola” variety. The precious E.V.O. biological oil, rich in polyphenols, is nowadays back at the top of the excellencies from the Campania region.
CAPOTEMPO CHEESE The “Capotempo di Capua” is a semi-hard paste cheese made from whole milk, with a flowery crust that, after the aging process, is soaked in white Pallagrello wine. This cheese was served at the Bourbon court; its first evidence comes from the “Geographical dictionary of the Reign of Naples” from 1976. Through the studies of a local entrepreneur, this royal cheese is now a must of many regional recipes. 
The area called “Campania Felix”, in which the ancient Capua belonged, boasts a group of diverse biological companies dedicated to the production of oils, preserves, juices, fresh fruits and plants, accompanied by educational activities and zero-impact farmhouse foods.
Traditional sweets recipes are more elaborate. The famous Torrone (nougat) is made with chocolate, hazel-nuts, honey and a taste of cinnamon. Biscuits, called Ferratelle, are also typical of the area and are hand-made with a decorated iron.

Gran Sasso d'Italia: Italia.it tells me that In the heart of the Apennines, the Gran Sasso National Park is the natural bridge to central Italy, spanning the regions of Abruzzo, Lazio and Le Marche. A nature reserve of an impressive size, it protects more than a fifth of all European flora. 
The park is mainly known for its views and nature trails, including the Strada Maestra del Parco trail, the Capannelle Pass, Lake Campotosto and Campo Imperatore, also known as “Little Tibet”. This area also features villages and monuments of great cultural interest. Santo Stefano di Sessanio, for example, is an ancient medieval village that is well worth visiting. Originally built from white limestone, it still has a fortified historic centre. Rocca Calascio is certainly a point of interest for anyone who loves exploring historic monuments: it is a defensive outpost consisting of a square fortress, the remains of the four towers of which can be admired today. From this point, you can enjoy some of the most beautiful views of the entire Gran Sasso area.
Regional Specialties:The city of L’Aquila and its territory have numerous food and wine excellences. In particular, the saffron, the lentils of Santo Stefano stand out above all, as well as various types of native legumes, and the nougat, a typical dessert of the Christmas tradition. Other typical products of the area are also very well known, such as dairy products, cheeses and cured meats, which have particular processes, as well as liqueurs, among which the gentian one is particularly appreciated. 


The Stage: Time for the first real test of the race and the breakaway was given a lot of space.
Behind, the peloton was shrinking, with a large sprinters grupetto. The rest of the stage was essentially all uphill, so their goal was simply to make it in before the time cut. For the gc, it seemed more likely that the last climb would be an attacking point, but time would tell.
35 kilometers to go and the gap was 9:35. It would continue to drop. At twenty kilometers to go it was just over 8 minutes.
As they close in, a note that none of the front trio have ever won a professional bike race. So this could be a very big day for one of them. 10 kilometers to go and the gap was still over 6 minutes. The question now: would there be any action from the gc group? 
At least the scenery was good:

Up front, the started to test each other. You sort of wanted them all to win, but it was Bais with the stage win. Behind, the gc group remained together and would come in over 3 minutes down.


The wine:  Wine: Sarno 1860 
From 2018
The producer tells me: In a single site, a single vineyard for a single type of grapes, giving life to a unique product. The courageous choice of Maura Sarno, to cultivate a single Fiano vineyard in a single site, which for her means authentic expression of the territory.
Candida, an ancient village in the province of Avellino, is located at 600 meters above sea level. In a calcareous clay soil, the vines benefit from cool nights and mild summers, well tolerating winter snow. The subsoil in spring returns heat and humidity to the roots, thus promoting minerality and water supply to the vines. In winter an important pruning is carried out in order to limit the quantity of vine bunches to the benefit of the quality. In summer, green peeling and pruning allow the grapes to be aired, guaranteeing perfect exposure to the sun.
 http://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/italy/campania/tenuta-sarno-1860-campania-italy-738

The food: Food: Mozzarella di Bufala
There is an excellent San Francisco Chronicle write up of Mozzarella di Bufala here. Among other things, it tells us that "A relative of the North American buffalo, water buffalo have thrived in the marshes and bogs around Naples for centuries. Locals have been making cheese with the milk since at least the 12th century, although we have no clue what that cheese might have been like. But by the late 1700s, southern Italians enjoyed mozzarella similar to what we know today.
Mozzarella di bufala received DOP (protected-origin) status in 1996, restricting the areas where it can be produced to seven provinces, or parts of them, around Naples."



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