SEGMENTO MAGAZINE ISSUE IV

ISSUE IV

FREE March/May 2015 | www.segmento.com.au

Founder Daniele Curto Managing Director Daniele Curto

CONTENTS

daniele.curto@segmento.com.au

041 8891 285

Associate Editor Ivano Ercole

FOOD & WINE

editor@segmento.com.au

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Graphic Artist Aurora Delfino Creative Consultant Imbarani Poonasamy Photographers Paco Matteo Li Calzi, Daniele Curto.

by Laura D’Angelo

To contact the Segmento Editorial Staff: segmento@segmento.com.au 0418891285

For advertising please contact:

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equires

marketing@segmento.com.au 041 8891 285

Cover photo credits Photographer Paco Matteo Li Calzi

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Contributors Daniele Brugiotti Marco Maria Cerbo, Consul General of Italy Omar D’Incecco Valentina Bonati Johnny Di Francesco Paolo Lolicata Hayley J. Egan Emmanuele Forcone Laura D’Angelo Ilaria Gianfagna Laura Vinci Archimede Fusillo Salvatore Rossano Ivano Ercole Matteo Preabianca Elizabeth Wisser

MEDIA PARTNER OF

22

All crazy for Johnny

30

Pastry Revolution

12

Sweet Dreams are made of Cheese

by Johnny Di Francesco

by Daniele Curto

by Laura D’Angelo

18

EDITORIAL

www.pacomatteolicalzi.com

Model Gresia Kastrati Mask designed by Pasubathi Poonasamy Hairdresser & Make-Up Artist Chris Geracitano at Maison Tsumiki Mask supplied by Forza Italia Store - 204, Lygon Street, Carlton.

How destiny brought them together to make the best gelato in Melbourne

The X Factor in Coffee Production

by Daniele Curto

The masks we live in

by Daniele Curto

REGULARS 3 24 7

Living La Bella Vita

by Valentina Bonatti

Amalsa: Background to the Student Visa Program

by Elizabeth Wisser

Roots & Routes

by Marco Maria Cerbo (Consul General of Italy)

21

Passione Vintage

21

Just Australia

29

Future in their Past

27

Soggetti Sonori

by Laura Vinci

27

by Ilaria Gianfagna

by Archimede Fusillo

FROM ITALIA

by Salvatore Rossano

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10

You “too” Speak Italian

The Many Masks of the Carnival of Venice

by Omar D’Incecco

by Matteo Preabianca

32

25

Romancing the Gown

20

Ten Years a Stranger: Stories from a decade long relationship with Italy

by Paolo Lolicata

by Daniele Brugiotti

CULTURE

by Hayley J.Egan

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The Glorious, Gorgeous and Generous Oak Tree

31

Australian Diaries

by Ivano Ercole

ART 16

Italian Renaissance with female edge in an unparalleled pictorial exhibition

by Ivano Ercole

DANIELE CURTO

EDITORIAL THE MASKS WE LIVE IN

I

n today’s society of modern man I believe that Carnevale is one of those festivities to which only few people give the proper magnitude.

Yet the Carnival has deep roots in the history of humanity, and in all its manifestations, throughout the peninsula it is possible to find a common denominator: the propitiation of fertility of the land, through the exorcism of death.

The carnival period more or less coincides with the beginning of the agricultural year. This clue allows us to connect the carnival to the Greek Dionysian parties (the festivities in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, characterized by attainment of a state of intoxication and enthusiastic exaltation - often resulted in veritable orgies; and the Roman Saturnalia (solemn religious feast, which was celebrated in honor of the Roman god, Saturn. During the religious ceremonies it was common to use the temporary suspension of the master-servant relationship.

But beyond the origins easily connected to religious and pagan roots there is another trait that makes the Carnevale celebration a festivity encroached into the social and psychological categories: the use of the mask.

I am very disappointed witnessing nowadays that during the celebrations of Carnevale, masks are mainly dressed and used by children as the grown-ups consider it a custom frivolous and childish.

However the playwright and Nobel Prize winner Luigi Pirandello was of a different opinion. He was fascinated by the powerful social role of the mask.

During his long-standing career he stated: "You learn at your expense that along your life path you will encounter every day, millions of masks and only a few faces."

Pirandello was convinced that the mask represents the social role and convention. If true, then man lives unconsciously in a big machine of lies and the only place of truth is theatre.

Contrary to what one might intuit the mask dressed on stage allows us to be 'real' by relinquishing the mask of everyday life.

If theatre is the place of truth then Carnevale is the temporary street theatre where people wearing a mask can finally be themselves.

It is precisely the mask that allows us to “be� and not simply appear.

Behind a mask stirs a multitude of personalities, different and unknown. The human being is not a one-dimensional creature, but Uno, nessuno e centomila (One, No One and One Hundred Thousand).

WORDS VALENTINA BONATTI PHOTOGRAPHER DENISE SERVAT VINOKUROV

LIVING LA BELLA VITA Is your Carnevale mask on all year?

Is Carnevale everyday for you?

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.” - Bruce Lee

I

t has been said that the eyes are the windows to our souls.

Unfortunately many people wear masks to hide who they are, that no one ever gets to see their beautiful soul. Sadly enough, not only they hide themselves from others but also with time, they start to lose touch with their real self, resulting in a circular wonder through life spending the majority of their time pretending to be someone else.

I believe the reason why people hide themselves, as form of protection, behind a mask and not just at Carnevale is based upon the 3 universal fears: • The fear of not been good enough • The fear of not belonging/ not been loved • The fear of the unknown

There can be times when pretending to be something isn’t always a bad thing.

Often, what I tell to my clients is “fake it till you make it” and in a positive situation, can help us to lead on our goals.

So when is it bad?

When you wear a mask and don’t ever let anyone know who you really are. When you need help but are too ashamed to ask for it.

When you look at your life and feel that you’re living a lie. When wearing a mask begins to hurt you, then it is time to take it off.

How can we take off the mask 3 in an easy way?

• Wonder-Land We are surrounded by infinite possibilities but we just need to be open to recognize them and then let them become part of our reality. If you don’t do that, you will never been able to take off your mask. How do can you do it? Change “I hope” and “ I wish” into “I WONDER”.

• Practice Gratitude There are only two emotional states that occupy the same part of the brain and can’t be felt at the same time: one is unconditional love and the other one is fear.

By practice gratitude, we shift our focus on love therefore, neurologically, we are not able to experience fear.

Gratitude is the way to emotional freedom. Every day, morning or nigh, write down 3 things about what you are grateful for.

• Feel the fear and do it anyway Fear doesn’t go away by itself. The more we put off an action, a decision, a change, the more we become scared and unsecure. If we want fear to go away, we need to choose courage instead, act instantly and continuously exercise the courage muscle. The courage of feel the fear and do it anyway.

Does that mean that we won’t ever experience fear anymore if we implement this 3 tools? Off course not, but at least we are now aware of how to overcome it in a resourceful way.

Valentina Bonatti is the author of the self-change book “Powerful Change, 12 steps to re-light your Inner Fire” and part of the knowledge in this article comes from chapter of the book.

Contact vale@livinglabellavita.com.au Website www.livinglabellavita.com.au To purchase the book www.valentinabonatti.com

REGULARS 3

MATTEO PREABIANCA

YOU “TOO” SPEAK ITALIAN DURING CARNIVAL TIME ALL JOKES ARE ALLOWED

IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY TAKE A MASK OR A COSTUME TO HAVE A BIT OF FUN AT A CARNIVAL. THIS IS A STORY FOR THE YOUNG ONES THAT ALSO THE GROWN-UPS WILL ENJOY READING.

F

She thought about the coriandoli e stelle filanti (confetti and streamers) that she would keep in her purse. She would wear a princess dress with grace and elegance, throwing confetti into the air.

On Sunday, she would visit her aunt’s to cook bugie di Carnevale (a small pastry, which literally it means “Carnival lies”) for everybody: emptied or filled with either chocolate or apricot jam. Already she could smell the fried oil on clothes Simone solved a multiplication equation and hair, the taste of crumbly batter in at the blackboard. The teacher followed her teeth and icing sugar on her hands. closely every movement of his hand of this good student. While Susanna, nib- It was a magical moment for Susanna bling at the cap of the pen, focused on and her aunt. Every year her Aunt Caththe exercise and on the words of the erine, pouring knotted strips of dough teacher, but once again she was distract- into the hot oil repeated: “Dear Susanna, ed by the white chalk dust flying in the air, la verità è come l’olio: viene sempre a like colorful confetti. A ray of sunlight il- galla (the truth is like oil: it comes always luminated the falling dust and Susanna afloat). If you pour oil in a glass of water thought about Saturday : the masked you’ll see that it will always come afloat. ball, the five-day holiday, the Carnival.

It depends on its specific weight “. Her aunt always commenced her story in this way and then kept telling the story about that liar, boyfriend, who after hearing that saying, gasped and turned red with shame, because everyone knew that le bugie hanno le gambe corte e… il naso lungo (the lies have short legs ...

MTEACHESITALIAN and a long nose). rom the window you could see the clock tower: it struck nine and this meant that the Math teacher would stay another hour in the classroom. Susanna listened, from the outside you could hear a dog barking. She should not be affected by that noise, but any valid reason was estranged from that boring lesson. She did not like school and mathematics either.

www.matteoteachesitalian.com

The whole class began to get restless.

The teacher asked Francesca to come to the blackboard. Susanna glanced at the clock that now read twenty pass nine. Immediately, she felt the gaze of the teacher. She looked down and saw, beside her chair, a crumpled ball of pa4 REGULARS

per. That was a coded message for her.

The sender: her friend Nicoletta.

A joke was planned for weeks and, because Carnival was coming, it was the right time to act, Anybody knows that : “A Carnevale ogni scherzo vale (“During Carnival time all jokes are allowed.” Susanna took a quick look around her, locked her eyes with Nicoletta’s and together they directed their gaze towards the shoulders of Gabriel, who was sitting in front of them. They were determined, because “Chi la fa l’aspetti (What goes around comes around).” On the piece of paper, was written: “Ten minutes to go.

Are you ready?”

Again Susanna looked at the clock that was finally arriving to the end of the lesson. Gracefully, Susanna took a candy of her pocket. It was wrapped in a colored paper. Surely, Gabriele would accept. Susanna gently showed the candy to him. He snatched it with arrogance, unwrapped it, opened his mouth, bit into it and suddenly blazed an intense and disgusting taste. It was garlic. His face became flushed and his ears hot. Then, he turned to Susanna and she handed him a paper. Gabriele opened it angrily and read: A Carnevale ogni scherzo vale. He ran in seek of a glass of fresh water.

This is the recipe of the Carnival. Masks to wear, confetti and streamers to launch.

There are jokes that you cannot accept, but at Carnival ogni scherzo vale. A tip: ponder your jokes because: Chi la fa l’aspetti (What goes around comes around)!

MARCO MARIA CERBO Consul General of Italy

ROOTS & ROUTES

EUROPEAN UNION For six months Italy held the Presidency of the Council Time for an account of what has been achieved

A

s many readers may know, Italy held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2014. It is now time for an account of what has been achieved. Our action focused on some key issues to enhance the political role of Europe and respond to the demands of European citizens and the challenges emerging from the international scenario. Further, an important result was contributing to the European institution by the appointment of our Foreign Minister, The Hon. Federica Mogherini, as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission.

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REVIVING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND EMPLOYMENT Italy has presided over difficult economic conditions in Europe, with the aim to boost growth and elaborate new policies matching growth and investment, whose effects will be seen in the coming months. The President of the EU Commission, Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, launched a new action plan that will be game-changing in creating new employment opportunities around the continent and provide tangible benefits to European citizens. A massive 315 billion Euro will be invested in three years. In this framework, some national voluntary contributions to the European Fund for Strategic Investments will not affect a country’s debt position.

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A EUROPEAN RESPONSE TO THE MIGRATION ISSUE

The Italian Presidency has worked tirelessly to create a new strategy to face the challenges posed by an increased flow of migrants from African and Middle-Eastern countries, with the goal of overhauling the present emergency-based approach. The following three new measures were introduced.

Reinforcing of external borders controls and strengthening of the Frontex program; enhancing cooperation with the countries from where migrants originate or transit to; coordinating controls by national authorities, including a system of fingerprints collection and sharing. A renewed conscience that individual States borders are also EU borders emerged and as a result the joint operation, Triton, was introduced to control illegal migrants ships along the European maritime borders. Furthermore, initiatives to both integrate national migration policies and external borders actions were undertaken. They included a new set of political dialogue meetings involving the countries of origin and transit of migrants, examples of these being two major International Conferences involving both North-western and Eastern African States.

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PROMOTING FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN EUROPE Human rights and fundamental freedoms were also at the forefront of the Italian Presidency. In fact in December, the European Council reached an agreement to hold an annual dialogue amongst Member States to promote and uphold the rule of law in the European Union.

Supporting an international moratorium on the death penalty, fighting organized crime, enhancing freedom of expression, respect for minorities, gender equality and non-discrimination of those most vulnerable components of national societies were confirmed as general principles of the European law, necessary to create a favourable environment and instrumental for economic and social development.

Furthermore, the Italian Presidency presented a well-structured report aimed at improving the mechanisms of the EU, making it more democratic and effective.

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DEFENCE AGAINST EMERGING THREATS; PROMOTING PEACE

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IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE LIVE A great success of the Italian Presidency was the identification of new targets to protect our natural environment. In October, Member States agreed upon a reduction of 40% in carbon emissions, an increase in renewable energy production and energy efficiency. Measures were adopted to further limit and regulate the use of plastic bags, composition of fuels and pollution created by ships. Having stated such a strong commitment towards a cleaner planet, the EU is now in the position of playing a leading role on the global stage on issues such as climate change and the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.

Italy is proud of the many outcomes of its Presidency, and of its commitment to create a financially sound, socially engaged European Union both within its borders and towards its neighbours, yet one that is firm on its response to illegal migration: in short, we moved forward towards a better, stronger and wealthier European Union.

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MODERNISING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMY AND PROTECTING LOCAL PRODUCTION Improving competitiveness and combating social exclusion were top priorities during the Italian Presidency. Both a strategic plan to enhance the social dimension of the European Monetary Union and a program of action to exploit opportunities arising from the growth of the digital economy were implemented. Strengthening the production capacity in Europe goes through a renewed industrial policy that favours small and medium enterprises, protects Intellectual property rights and gives adequate attention to product quality. Within this framework, a new Directive on Genetically Modified Organisms was adopted which gives Member States substantial freedom in regulating the usage of GMOs. Further, significant progress has been made in strengthening the protection of trademarks and fighting against counterfeiting. This is of particular importance in order to prevent entry into the EU of counterfeit beverage and food items, as they often represent a threat to the health and safety of citizens. A thorough study of the issue of certifying the origin of a product (the so-called “Made In”) was also launched.

The Italian Presidency has lead European institutions to ensure a unified and cohesive response in the many International crises that arose during the last six months.

Regarding Ukraine, Italy has acted as a moderator amongst the different positions adopted by Member States, in order to both respect the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine while maintaining an open channel for dialogue with Moscow. Significant progress was made during the ASEM Summit in Milan, despite a very complex situation and many conflicting interests.

A lot of attention was devoted to Mediterranean countries engaged in a difficult process of transition after the socalled Arab Spring. To better define the assistance that Europe can offer to its Mediterranean partners, the investment coordination initiative “FRIENDS” was endorsed and became operational, while a new common strategy for maritime security highlighted strategic European interests in the area.

Furthermore, Italy has worked to give new impetus to the EU enlargement process, bringing forward negotiations for the accession of Montenegro to the Union. Steps were taken to ensure a deeper engagement of Eastern European countries, through the adoption of a common strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian region. Future EU action will focus in the areas of "blue economy", connectivity infrastructures, energy, environment and tourism.

The Italian Presidency has promoted the advancement of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a comprehensive trade agreement to be negotiated between the European Union and the United States. TTIP will represent a cornerstone in the efforts to revitalize the economic environment in Europe and will be instrumental in opening a new phase in globalization, to be characterized by a more equal distribution of the benefits of economic growth. Other issues tackled in the past six months included the Ebola crisis, increasing numbers of “foreign fighters” in Syria, aid and humanitarian assistance to developing countries.

REGULARS 7

WORDS LAURA D’ANGELO PHOTOGRAPHER DANIELE CURTO

THE STORY BEHIND THE CREATORS OF IL MELOGRANO, A MOST DISTINCTLY ITALIAN CAFÉ IN THE HEART OF NORTHCOTE.

HOW DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER TO MAKE THE BEST GELATO IN MELBOURNE

W

hen I first visited Il Melograno, an extremely cosy café and ice cream parlor located in Northcote, I was suddenly struck by the beauty of the place: its nature-inspired design made of wood and earth colors, the smiling faces of the staff, the cabinets full of delicious pastries, everything conveys a warm and friendly atmosphere with light aromatic notes of sugar and coffe. As soon as I met the co-founders, Carl Foderà and Marco Enea, and chatted with them about the birth of their café, my enthusiasm strenghtened to the extent that I wasn’t sure I would find the right words to describe their story! It seems like destiny played an important role in bringing those guys together, allowing Melbourne to have, in simple words, a real artisan gelato! But let’s proceed in an orderly manner...

The Italian word gelato comes from the Latin gelatus, which means frozen. The habit to consume chilled drinks or food, the mountain snow as refrigerant, dates back a long, long time ago. Italy is nowadays recognized to be the birthplace of gelato, but only thanks to the Arabs, that settled in Sicily at the end of the IX century, the forefather of the current ice cream was created: a refreshing blend of fruit juices and snow called “sorbetto”, sorbet in English, to better challenge the Sicilian hot weather.

Since then the ice cream has come a long way. A formal applause occurred during the Renaissance at Caterina De Medici’s Court of Florence when Ruggeri, a local food passionate poulterer, won a contest named “The most unusual dish you ever seen” with his frozen dessert, an ice cream produced with a secret recipe that made all the court chefs green with envy. Around the same time another step was taken when the Florentine architect, Bernardo Buontalenti, added milk and eggs to the existing blend, inventing il gelato italiano as we know it today. Again, a century later and thanks to the Sicilian Francesco Procopio, founder of the Procope Café in Paris, the

8 FOOD & WINE

Marco Enea and Carl Foderà, Co-Founders of Il Melograno.

ice cream’s fame spread worldwide without stopping and... there they are, Carl, Marco and their ice cream shop Il Melograno!

Having both a Sicilian background, the art of making ice cream was probably in their DNA. While the young Marco grew up working at his family gelateria in Palermo, Carl, ten years older and born in Australia, graduated in Arts at the Monash University, completed two Majors in Communication and Italian studies, then moved to the Bel Paese guided by the goal to become chef. That desire remained unaccomplished and he ended up in Rome, working as buyer for an international toy company. After ten years Carl quit his job with a clear, strong will: coming back to Melbourne to give the city a fresh, genuine Italian specialty. But, which one? Still uncertain he started looking for some inspiration that eventually found in Sicily during a fun, long vacation also remembered as “A whole month devouring granite siciliane in the small, remote Alicudi Island”. Pleased with the granita experience, Carl’s curiosity about local food increased! He moved to Palermo eager to try the famous gelato and... he went crazy over it! Gelato would definitely be the main ingredients of his future, successful idea!

To start a business making ice cream is not easy and this is the reason why Carl took a tour of the city best gelaterie asking them for some training.

Being Sicilian ice cream makers proud and jealous of the secrets of their job, Carl’s first attempts failed, till the moment he found Marco’s shop. His weird request to discover all about gelato made his future partner’s family initially suspicious but in the end Carl conquered their confidence and stayed there for three weeks. By a striking coincidence, Marco was at that time travelling around Australia with a working holiday visa, trying to find the right chance to remain Down Under. His opportunity was waiting for him, at his own place in Italy and, as a matter of fact, when the two finally met, they agreed right away to run a business together.

Carl has a long experience as a buyer perfectly

complemented by Marco’s know-how about ice cream. Let’s add furthermore a deep, shared passion for this wonderful dessert and what’s the result? Il Melograno, which is synonymous of healthy and artisan ice cream.

Set in the heart of Northcote, Il Melograno, pomegranate in English, is a retail – wholesale shop café that offers its customers genuine food and sweets where no chemical preservatives nor stabilizers are used. Sugar and milk are the basic ingredients of a pure ice cream, and the idea of using semi-finished products is not even remotely admissible.

More surprisingly, “Gelato made with commercial essences contains around 6-11% fat, artisan gelato is around 4%”, explains the chef Luigi De Luca. So don’t worry, Carl and Marco’s real ice cream is wholesome and luckily safe for any blowout! Of course when I went there I couldn’t stop myself from tasting all kind of gelato, being particularly surprised by the authenticity of hazelnut and pistachio and chocolate flavors, generally not easy to recreate. “If you’ll get the hazelnut you’ll make it” Nonno Bartolomeo, Marco’s grandfather, said in a pure Palermo dialect during a tutoring over Skype and I confirm, they made it! True, natural colors, velvety texture, in simple term: a divine pleasure.

Despite gelato, including sorbets, other delicacies are available. Granite and brioche with ice cream according to the Sicilian culinary tradition, pastries, a savory menu for breakfast and lunch based, mostly, on Italian innovative dishes rearranged to the Astralian standards. Even more, Il Melograno houses a small wood fire oven where coffee is roasted every Saturday morning, along with the natural Ricci Method. Could you imagine the aroma?

Anyway, I don’t want to reveal you anything more about Il Melograno, it’s your turn now to start a personal, sensorial journey. Carl and Marco are waiting for you, a scoop in hand, ready to serve the most demanding palate! lauramartina.dangelo@yahoo.it FOOD & WINE 9

OMAR D’INCECCO Our correspondent in Italy

FRIVOLOUS, DESECRATING AND EVEN VIOLENT AND SUBVERSIVE, THE CARNIVAL REACHED ITS CLIMAX IN THE 18TH CENTURY UNTIL IT DECLINED AND DISAPPEARED TO BE BORN AGAIN IN OUR TIME.

I

n order to comprehend the Carnival of Venice in the 18th century it is necessary to transcend into the state of mind in which Venice and Venetians were then living.

Imagine the canals, the streets and shops, relish the perfumes and the spices from the East and the trick is done.

Venice in the 18th century was the world of the adventurer, Giacomo Casanova; it was a frivolous world, festive, decorative and gallant. It was the world of painters like Boucher, Rosalba Carriera and Giambattista Tiepolo, and the home of one of the founding fathers of Commedia dell’Arte, amongst the greatest authors of the European theatre, Carlo Goldoni.

The anniversary of Volo dell’Angelo (or Volo della Colombina) in Piazza San Marco, from the bell tower to the mainland opens the celebrations of the Carnevale di Venezia.

Carnevale (form the latin carnem levare) means abstaining from eating meat and ends with the Christian celebration of Lent, forty days before Easter.

In the 15th century, during the Republic of Venice, the Doge organized a party to celebrate the victory by the Venetians over the ancient Roman city Aquileia. A symbol of the enemy Aquileia involved the ceremonial sacrifice of slaughtering an ox and 12 pigs. From that moment onwards, this festival was held every year and included more and more citizens of Venice. The Carnival of Venice

10 FROM ITALIA

developed at that point into a real folk festival.

During those days the rigid hierarchy of the Republic was abolished and every citizen - whether poor or rich - was officially equal.

This pretended equality contained also the right of freedom of opinion, encouraging the development of street and improvised theatre such as the "Commedia dell'Arte", which allowed the strolling players, covered by a mask, to criticize the public life.

Even clowns, charlatans, clairvoyants and acrobats entertained the public in various forms, hence many ideas started to circulate, many thinkers and improvised philosophers developed their inclinations and "contaminate" the rigid hierarchical system created by the Doge.

However their ability to hide their identity under a costume inevitably led to excesses and abuse of fraudulent disguises, the Carnival of Venice allowed them to even leave aside any kind of occupations, to devote entirely to entertainment. This situation began to turn into violence, theft, and aberrations. Everyone seemed drugged by so much freedom. In the 18th century, the period of the carnival could last up to six months.

People flocked to see the attractions: jugglers, acrobats, animals, dancing, acrobats, trumpets, fifes and drums were almost worn from use. Hawkers were selling dried

ABOVE With Il Volo della Colombina (The flight of the Dove), officially starts the Carnival of Venice.

BOTTOM Padrolino, it’s a mask born in the Commedia dell’Arte; a form of theatre created by Carlo Goldoni characterized by improvised performances.

fruit, chestnuts and frittole (fritters) and cakes of all kinds, very careful to point out the origin of their merchandise from distant countries.

For many days a year, the world seemed unable to offer resistance, any desires became feasible and there was no thought or act that was not possible. This was Venice in the 18th century.

But the excesses had reached a point of total anarchy and forced the system to close: in 1797 Napoleon forbade the Carnival of Venice!

The carnival, however, resurrected 200 later. 1979 was the year of rebirth.

Gluttony and traditions, stories and culinary rituals to the limit of transgression, ancient and modern, madness and art, laughter and music, fun and charm, high and low, sleek and luxurious. Today the Carnival of Venice is all this and all that the millions of visitors will want to see in it. It is an emotion to live in one breath; people are dragged in one of its channels and are left dizzy and compelled.

When, finally, the sun sets on the confetti covering the ground, everything seems to be over, but around corner lanes an angel and a man dressed in black, with a white mask are walking on a marble bridge, covered by the penumbra and are caught in some old building without anyone seeing them.

No one will know anything about them until the next year when they will reappear.

One of them below and one above the bell tower of San Marco just a moment before noon, announcing the start of the celebrations: It is Carnival Time Gentlemen, Let the Games Begin!

LA FORMAGGERIA LA FOR

FORMAGGIO ARTIGIANALE FORMAG

ST KILDA

ST KILDA

DelicatessenDelicate & bistrot & bist

LA FORMAGGERIA LA FORMA

70 ACLAND ST, 70 ACLA 3182 ST KILDA3182 ST 03 9534 1111 03 953 laformaggeria.com.au laformagge FROM ITALIA 12

LAURA D’ANGELO

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF CHEESE

Daniele Curto Photographer.

THE STORY OF TWO ITALIAN WOMEN, SISTERS IN LIFE AND IN BUSINESS, WHO CREATED “LA FORMAGGERIA”, A LITTLE GEM OF A DELI AND CHEESE FACTORY.

T

oday I am telling you the story of Katia and Sabrina, two inseparable sisters and highly skilled cheese makers that moved to Melbourne a couple of years ago to become heart and soul of La Formaggeria, a little artisan cheese shop placed in St Kilda.

Their enterprise starts in their hometown, Fossanova, an old village part of Priverno municipality in the Lazio region, also known for the wonderful abbey where St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the founding philosophers of Medieval Catholicism, died in March 1274.

Fossanova's origins date back to the Roman Empire as proved by the remains of a Roman villa used by Benedectine monks to build the first Romanesque monastery on this site. Around 1135 A.C. Cistercian monks settled down in the area, enlarged the existing complex and, famed for their water engineering skills, built a new canal, fossa nova in Latin, for swamp drainage. Fossanova was in effect a marshy valley, a perfect habitat for buffalos, water-loving animals able to wade easily across rivers and swamps.

Right here, centuries later, exactly in 1956, Katia and Sabrina maternal grandfather Raffaele Palmisciano, who had previously left the near Campania region to find bigger supplies of milk, opened a small cheese laboratory. Buffalo mozzarella has always been a product of central and southern Italy, due, as mentioned before, to the long-time presence of this bovine in the area, but Palmisciano factory was the first one producing officially buffalo mozzarella in lower Lazio.

The business got off the ground as soon as his son-in-law, Benedetto Cappadocio, an enterprising and capable milk picker, took

12 FOOD & WINE

the lead. In the meanwhile Katia and Sabrina grew up and considering the increase of local competitors, they were encouraged by their grandfather to take part in the cheese lab. Ready to carry on the family legacy the two sisters left the university, came back to Fossanova and found a cooperative, Latina Lat. With their energetic contribution they soon enlarged the business opening several stores around the area, exporting products to Sydney and making a big variety of new aged buffalo cheeses, like the wine-seasoned ones, being both qualified as sommelier.

If some of their efforts were paid off, as a matter of fact Latina Lat was awarded “Premio Roma” for the best Lazio cheese, the business related obstacles were still endless: local corruption, severe health inspections, a prohibitive burocracy and the vexing competition of the local biggest cheese factories. Because of these extenuating circumstances and after 56 courageous years of challenges and fights, in 2008 the Cappadocio family decided to close down. For Katia and Sabrina a new leadingedge project was imminent: moving to Australia, a dream come true thanks to Luca Calcaterra, manager of an Italian bakery in Melbourne they had met during a vacation in Italy.

“My wife grew up with their famous buffalo mozzarella” Luca says remembering the special day he met the Cappadocio sisters.

“We were on holiday in the area when we decided to buy some good stuff at their shop on the way to the famous Sabaudia beach. That was when I first met Sabrina. We had a lovely chat

TOP LEFT Katia and Sabrina Cappodocio, Cheese Makers. Giorgia Maselli Photographer (www.giorgiamaselli.com).

TOP RIGHT Provola cheese. Giorgia Maselli Photographer. BOTTOM LEFT Mozzarella by La Formaggeria. Giorgia Maselli Photographer.

BOTTOM RIGHT Luca Calcaterra, Manager. Daniele Curto Photographer.

about Australia and I left her my business card with the promise to get in touch very soon to talk about an amazing project. After a few Skype calls and emails we finally decided to start a new challenge together, make cheese in Il Fornaio, the bakery where I work.”

It's a deal! Katia and Sabrina packed their suitcases; cheese molds included, and took off toward the Southern Hemisphere to find a more peaceful life.

“After 6 months of the new venture we decided that was the time to open a micro cheese lab, here it comes La Formaggeria”, the manager explains with enthusiasm.

“Katia and Sabrina are the key players of the business. The core is the cheese, so with their passion and knowledge they're driving La Formaggeria to its success with amazing products made in the cheese lab. Without them La Formaggeria would not exist.”

In the St Kilda shop the Cappadocio sisters are busy every day making several types of cheese like caciocavallo, stracchino, taleggio, ricotta and mozzarella, all made using fresh, local cow or buffalo milk whose flavour is enriched by the proximity of the ocean. “The traditional and spontaneous fermentation process is our point of difference in cheese making”, Luca says proudly. “We are a small artisan shop where we don't use any chemical or preservative. Our cheeses are the most natural, healthy and true that you can find in Australia.”

Passing customers and loyal ones crowd La Formaggeria during rush hours meaning that Katia and Sabrina hard work is very appreciated.

“After all the troubles we went through in Italy we can finally sigh with relief”, Sabrina says. “Australia is rewarding us with lots of satisfactions. We increased, for example, the production of buffalo mozzarel-

la from 3 to 30 kilos per week in only two months, a proof that people love and trust us.”

I congratulate with them and ask if they miss home.

“Yes, we miss home, we miss our families”, Katia and Sabrina reveal and add: “With our experience we would also motivate and inspire all Italians struggling nowadays with crisis not to give up. We had this big opportunity and we hope to be a model for them.”

At La Formaggeria the menu is not limited to cheese, as plenty of wonderful other Italian style food is offered: optionally antipasto platters, sandwiches made with focaccia bread, veggies soups, healthy drinks and more to take home or dine in. While visiting the shop have a coffee seated at the community table, enjoy nice chats, pleasantly pick some Italian word every now and then and don't forget to glance around!

On the open-shelves you can find selected hand-made items from local suppliers, the aim is to promote Australian and Victorian quality products, especially encouraging sustainable and organic little businesses.

With the motto “Poco ma sano”, literally small but healthy, Katia and Sabrina welcome you in their tiny and pretty cheese bar to have a great, genuine taste of Italian culture.

lauramartina.dangelo@yahoo.it FOOD & WINE 13

Melbourne

WE PRINT • BUSINESS CARDS

• BROCHURES

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526 La Trobe Street I Melb 3000

03 9329 7771 www.spencerprint.com.au

IVANO ERCOLE

Italian Renaissance with a female edge in an unparalleled pictorial exhibitions

Famous creations of the Renaissance will show a new identity in an unparalleled pictorial exhibition of artworks by one of the most ingenious and creative woman artists from Italy.

Her name is Adele Ceraudo and she has reinterpreted from a female perspective some of the greatest masterworks by famous Italian painters and sculptors of the Renaissance. The result is an amazing collection of artworks that inject a new force and meaning in figures and stories that have traditionally mirrored male-oriented religions and mythologies.

Imagine Michelangelo's David transfigured as a young woman with the same posture as the statue but with a female body or think of Leonardo's Vitruvian Man as a feminine figure upsetting the geometrical symmetry of the original drawing. The same transfiguration process is applied to great works of art like Bernini's sculpture The Abduction of Proserpina, Canova's The Three Graces, Caravaggio's David and Goliath and The Deposition of Christ and other renown paintings.

Titled “Elective Affinities”, the exhibition will bring to the Melbourne art scene a remarkable artistic achievement by a woman artist who has given Renaissance a female edge.

Elective Affinities An exhibition of artworks by Adele Ceraudo Graham Geddes – Exhibition Rooms, 828 High St., Armadale, Vic. 3143 from 9 to 23 May, 2015

Opening Hours 10 am – 6 pm (weekdays) 12 pm 10 pm (weekends) Grand Opening: Saturday 9 May, 2015, 6 pm For information: Gio 0410 860 036

DANIELE CURTO

Dino at the Coffee Max store in Camberwell. Daniele Curto Photographer.

The X Factor in Coffee Production From Coffex Coffee to Coffee Max, the Crivelli Family has doubled its success in the Australian coffee industry.

C

offee is a peculiar hallmark of being Italian.

A habit, a real ritual that gives the opportunity to socialize, have a chat in lightness, nice break at work and in free time.

A tradition so ingrained is to be a true icon of Italian lifestyle.

Thousands of Italians each year arrive in Australia and crowd the many cafés of Melbourne confirming that the first thing Italians seek once abroad is the steaming aroma of an Italian espresso.

his father Domenico clung to their own art of getting by and reinventing themselves.

Dino’s nonno became one of the first pioneers in the coffee industry in Australia. “Soon my nonno realized there was a shortage of quality coffee and he thought there was a market and an opportunity for him to start blending and roasting coffee.”

They must have looked like adventurous entrepreneurs. “Initially, in fact, they started roasting a small amount of coffee trying a few different blends and coffee and putting it all together until they created a nice and unique flavor.”

The business expanded very quickly and in 1959, after only seven years of residence in Australia, the Crivelli family established the renowned Coffex Coffee and sold their coffee in the family retail shop on Moreland Road, Coburg.

But this was only the beginning. The demand for good coffee was at its early stages but the growth was very fast; in a matter of years they started supplyDino Crivelli is a third-generation ing other cafes’, bars, offices and business, making Coffex Coffee along with coffee roaster and his family from Genovese Coffee, Mocopan Coffee, Di Mattina Coffee, Grinders Coffee, one of Sant’Eufemia, Pescara in Abruzzo the best well know coffee brand on the market. came to Australia in 1952 looking for a better quality of life.

The passion and love that Dino’s family profused in developing their brand of “My grandfather Antonio moved to coffee, the spirit of friendship they promoted in the Italian community and their Melbourne first to test the waters and willingness to help other cafés to grow their business by supplying them a great then a year later my father Domenico product, is something that still moves Dino and makes him proud of his name. and my grandmother followed”, Dino says.

“Back at that time”, Dino remarks “there was only a handful of coffee manuLike many Italian immigrants in Aus- factures or roasters and Coffex Coffee turned into a such a thriving company tralia his father and subsequently that it got to the stage where it could import and export coffee interstate and 18 FOOD & WINE

Domenico cupping different varieties of coffee.

overseas.”

Dino’s father along with his grandfather continued the business right up until 1995 when they sold the Coffex Coffee business and the brand.

Although he was not more than a kid Dino has very sharp memories of his father and during the glorious years of Coffex Coffee. “Cupping different varieties of coffee with my father is a paramount of my childhood memories. By the end of it I'd be overwritten. We'd cup coffee for a good hour and the caffeine was running incessantly through my veins, and I remember him saying: ‘This is good for you Dino’.”

With caffeine flowing in his circulatory system Dino in 2000 picked up the baton of nonno Antonio e papa’ Domenico and started Coffee Max, “There was nothing else I wanted to do rather than stay in the coffee industry”, he admits.

ABOVE LEFT Domenico, Dino’s father.

ABOVE RIGHT Nonno Antonio (on the left), papa’ Domenico (on the right) with a worker at the retail shop in Coburg.

Coffee Max differently from Coffex Coffee is not a mass producer but an artisan, boutique roaster.

“To some degree I follow in the footsteps and philosophy of my predecessors. What I learned from my papa’ and my nonno is to work hard with honesty and integrity. But the coffee industry is changing; we have to move with the times. Nowadays there are a big variety of single origin coffees available.

The consumer likes to explore different types of coffees. Coffee is becoming a lot more scrutinized, the consumers are more focused on where the coffee is sourced, what farm it comes from, is it AA-grade or a AB-grade? They want to know what is in that particular coffee blend.

The types of coffees we experience now are a lot greater than what was available back then.”

“There are also different methods of coffee making. The espresso machine is not anymore the undisputed protagonist, but there is also the cold drip method. The coffee is extracted with cold water and ice in a chamber, at the end of the process, which takes 12 hours. The water drips through the ground coffee. You can now drink your coffee, which is made with cold water as opposed to espresso coffee, which is produced with hot water. The outcome is a palatable coffee much lower in acidity”.

Coffee Max after 15 years from its first appearance is considered at the forefront of the coffee industry in Australia. The X factor in coffee production has succeeded again. With two outlets successfully launched Dino is planning on opening a specialty coffee house by the end of this year in which barista and roaster training will be introduced. Dino is very reluctant to provide more details on the third store, and I was not able to obtain a lot of information on this interesting project. However I am sure that in the near future we will hear a lot about how Coffee Max iterated its success once again.

www.coffeemax.com.au/ FOOD & WINE 19

WORDS HAYLEY J. EGAN PHOTOGRAPHER SALVATORE ROSSANO

Ten Years A Stranger:

Stories from a decade­long relationship with Italy

Virgilio Marciano’s 1960’s Fiat Cinquecento.

W

e were standing in the home town of Virgilio Marcianò, famous within Melbourne’s Italian and music communities, and the owner of Marcianò Music in High St, Northcote. He was pointing at a magnificent castle in the centre of the village.

“One evening I was showing a group of Australians around here, when one of them said: “Can you even imagine what that castle is like on the inside?” So, digging the keys from my pocket, I said “Let’s go have a look”, and you should have seen the look on their faces… “ My partner Salvatore had met Virglio over the inside of a piano accordian, splayed out between them on a workbench. He had spoken warmly of him since then, but the rest of us met him for the first time last August at his Italian home in Corigliano d'Otranto.

When he invited us to visit we drove down from our home in Ostuni. Virgilio’s son Stefano met us in the piazza before leading us to their property in his father’s 1960’s Fiat cinquecento. A driveway lined with tall greek columns did not lead to a house, but to a trullo, a shelter over an outside kitchen, and an enormous courtyard that could easily host a party with most of the village in attendance. As I got to know Virgilio that evening I realised that at some point, it probably had. The traditional whitewashed walls were decorated with spraypainted images of the taranta and an illuminated shop sign reading Marcianò Music.

There was more than enough space for a band to play. That night though, there were just Virgilio, Stefano, his girlfriend Clara and our family of four. The dark and empty courtyard was an

20 REGULARS

ideal space for me to walk the baby off to sleep before we ate.

The meal was, of course, exquisite, as we drank red wine from glass tumblers and spoke about our family’s first year in Australia, our projects for the future and Virgilio’s plans for his property. The dark space behind the trullo, he explained, was actually a flourishing vegetable garden that is tended by a gardener year round. The rest of the year, when there is work to do in Melbourne, on the other side of the world, the gardener works in the plot and gives away fresh produce to people in the village.

At the end of the evening our host retired to the trullo, where, he informed us, his son had been ‘made’ nearly 30 years prior. Stefano, unsuprised and only mildly amused by this detail, offered to accompany us back to the village where the rest of us would sleep that night. An apartment in the village with impossibly high ceilings was filled with beautiful remnants of a lifetime of music and migration. There were letters, pages of musical score, and an enlarged black and white photograph of Virgilio with Bob Hawke, the australian ex-prime minister who, it was explained the next day, can still skull a beer in about 15 seconds.

As we stood infront of the castle to which Virgilio had been entrusted the keys, we were warmly greeted by nearly everyone who passed. As someone with first hand experience of migration, I reflected on how successfully this family had maintained a sense of belonging in a town that is so far away from the rest of their life. How they managed to seamlessly re-insert themselves into a community that held absolutely no resentment about a family that appeared to have the best of both worlds. It seemed to me that positivity, generosity, and a genuine love of people will get you everywhere.

My family has it’s own story to tell. As we straapped our Australian/Italian children into our car with its Spanish plates, we said goodbye and made plans to meet up in Melbourne. As we drove away another detail caught my eye. There was a “No Room for Racism” sticker, a map of Australia over the colours of the Aboriginal flag, on the tailbar of that vintage cinquecento.

hayley.j.egan@gmail.com WWW.HAYLEYEGANART.COM

LAURA VINCI

PASSIONE VINTAGE

LIKE THE GONDOLAS, THEY ARE A SYMBOL OF VENICE

V

enetian masks are not only a symbol of Carnival. Like the gondolas, they are also a symbol of Venice. Initially they were made with processing materials such as clay, papier mache, plaster and gauze. The masks were subsequently coloured and enriched it with exquisite details (drawings, embroidery, beads, feathers etc.).

In Venice the art of making masks endures up until today. The so-called "mascareri" are the few master craftsmen left who keep alive this noble profession. Between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries they experienced the heyday. Today they continue witnessing a great market demand.

They play an equally important role in real furnishing accessories and collectibles especially when they are created and embellished with fine materials such as ceramics, textiles, laces, trimmings and finishes in gold and decorated in fine fabric. It's possible to wear them, hang them on the walls or display them in glass cases, and for this reason are often considered valuable collectibles. They are easily found within the antique and magnificent collections exhibited in prestigious museums in Europe and they really deserve the admiration of the people around the globe.

WORDS JOHNNY DI FRANCESCO PHOTOGRAPHER DANIELE CURTO

ALL CRAZY FOR JOHNNY

CROSTOLI

C

rostoli are most commonly eaten during Carnival in the period just before Lent.

In Italy they are known by many other names (galani, sfrappole, bugie, chiacchiere, frappe) depending on the region.

Homemade crostoli are lighter and crispier than others and retain the freshness for weeks.

That's why I have asked my nonna Angela to share her recipe of crostoli with the readers of Segmento. They are the most delicious and crispy crostoli I have ever eaten.

Johnny Di Francesco

1

MY NONNA’S RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

2

1 Egg 30g Butter 2tsp Lemon rind ¾ Cup of Milk 1tsp Sugar 1tsp Brandy 1½ Cup of Plain Flour 1½ Cup Self-Raising Flour Oil for frying

METHOD

Place flour into bowl. Combine cooled melted butter, sugar, lemon, rind and egg. Add it to the flour mixture with milk and brandy and mix to a firm dough.

Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth ball.

Cut the pastry in half and roll out flat about 2mm thick. Cut strips 2cm wide by 12cm long. Cut 1mm strip down the centre of each strip and twist to resemble a bow (1).

Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown (2). Drain well.

On each side sift icing sugar over each crostoli (3).

22 FOOD & WINE

3

WORDS ELIZABETH WISSER PHOTOGRAPHER DANIELE CURTO

AMALSA MAKES THE LAW WORK FOR YOU

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDENT VISA PROGRAM

I

nternational students must have a valid visa for the duration of their studies in Australia. Most International students will need a student visa.

However, visitor visas permit up to three months study and working holiday maker visas permit up to four mounths study.

Elizabeth Wisser and Enrico Massei.

THERE ARE EIGHT TYPES OF STUDENT VISA: English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students sector (ELICOS) (subclass 570) visa This visa is for international students undertaking a stand-alone English language course that leads to a certificate level award or non-formal award.

Schools sector (subclass 571) visa This visa is designed for international students applying to study in Australia in a primary, junior secondary or senior secondary school course or an approved secondary school exchange program.

12

Vocational Education and Training sector (subclass 572) visa This visa is designed for international students applying to study in Australia and whose main course of study is a certificate, vocational education and training diploma, vocational education and training advanced diploma, vocational graduate certificate or vocational graduate diploma.

3

Higher Education sector (subclass 573) visa This visa is designed for international students applying to study in Australia and whose main course of study is a bachelor degree, associate degree, higher education diploma, higher education advanced diploma, graduate certificate, graduate diploma or Masters by coursework.

4

Postgraduate Research sector (subclass 574) visa

Non Award sector (subclass 575) visa

AusAID or Defence sector (subclass 576) visa

Student Guardian (subclass 580) visa

This visa is designed for international students who want to study a Master’s degree by research or a Doctoral degree in Australia.

This visa is designed for international students who want to study non award foundation studies or other full time courses not leading to an Australian award.

This visa is designed for international students who are sponsored by AusAID or Defence to study a full-time course of any type in Aus-

This visa is designed for a parent or close relative to accompany an underage stu-

5

6

tralia.

78

To be eligible for a student visa, applicants must be accepted for full time study in a course listed on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). Applicants must also meet:

• financial • health insurance • English language proficiency • health and character requirements

There is no limit on the number of student visas issued each year. If applicants meet requirements, they will be granted a student visa. Student visas are issued for the entire period of study in Australia, as evidenced by the Confirmation of Enrolment (Coe) documentation provided by the applicant’s education provider. Visas are issued in alignment with the period for which the applicant has Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

To be continued….

24 REGULARS

dent to Australia.

Elizabeth Wisser

LL.B, GDLP, Registered Migration Agent MARN: 0959122

enquiry@amalsa.com.au WWW.AMALSA.COM.AU

WORDS PAOLO LOLICATA PHOTOGRAPHER DANIELE CURTO

Luci DiBella in her Atelier.

I

n 1996 designer Luci DiBella unveiled her self-titled label, “Bespoke Bride”, a collection of classic, elegant and glamorous bridal gowns. Luci DiBella is about the sophisticated and stylish woman.

Inspired by the innovative 20’s, the sleek elegance of the 30’s and the stately glamour of the 40’s.

Luci uses beautiful exclusive fabrics from all over the world, gorgeous embellished trims, combined with savvy and precise technical skills to create her stunning collections. Luci endeavors to flatter and celebrate the silhouette of a woman, highlighting the natural curves and lines, through the use of fluid fabrics and stylish design.

With regular trips overseas, Luci is inspired to give her clients the leading edge. She made herself available for an exclusive interview..

What`s your "Italian status"?

I was born in Sicily in a hilltop ancient town, Enna. I hold dual citizenship.

What`s your business about?

I design Bespoke Wedding garments using the finest of laces from Italy and France. We make to measure bridal couture and focus on the elegant fashion forward and sophisticated bride.

How did you started and who influenced you in what you do today?

Born to an amazing pattern/dressmaker. My environment consisted of people coming to have their wardrobe made to measure. My mum and her sister in law had a workroom and both made “made to measure “ garments for people in the town. So, I was surrounded by fabrics and my mum used to make us little outfits with left over fabrics. My nonna used to crochet amazing lace and also make lace with the tombolo. I teamed up with a 3rd generation fashion man who is today my life partner to develop our amazing business.

Where do you take inspirations for your work?

I draw my inspiration from frequent overseas trips to Italy attending top fashion parades. I take in the sights the history. When I choose the most amazing and exclusive fabrics that Europe has to offer, a creative spark goes off inside of me.

What`s your favourite material to work with?

My favourite fabrics are fluid natural fibre and high quality laces with the most amazing and intricate designs.

You do work in the wedding market. How do you feel in creating pieces for such an important day?

I feel inspired and confident. I understand body shapes and there is

great reward to design and tailor a gown to make the bride glow.

Artisan work is being rediscovered lately. Why should people should these sort of products and not fast fashion?

Bespoke Bride allows you to create a sense of romance and individuality, which is an extension of what the bride is about. Fast fashion on the other hand cannot by virtue of a mass-market approach accommodate individuality and body shape, which will differ for each bride. Fast fashion only works off standardised sizing and as a finished garment, which arrives usually from China and cannot be varied to accommodate the brides requests.

Would you like to share a secret about your work with us?

The secret is about passion and sacrifice. It is an all or nothing game, which requires the skills of the best of machinists, finishers and pattern makers to achieve a high quality work of art.

What is Italy for you in 3 words?

History, Art, Beauty.

What is your favourite Italian place in Melbourne?

Cinema Como during the Italian Film Festival What you think the Italian immigrants brought to Australia and what will bring the new wave of Italians to Melbourne.

From the 1950’s onwards, Italian immigration brought culture, food, fashion and skills that were lacking in Australia. Also a sense of community and family. The new wave of Italians coming to Melbourne are looking for opportunities and adventure.

What is your favourite place in Italy?

I love all of Italy. Every region and city holds something special. A diversity of culture, food and amazing natural landscapes. Examples that come to mind are Vicenza for its beautiful Palladio architecture, Agrigento for its majestic Greek temples, Amalfi for its jaw-dropping coastline, Milan for its amazing fashion and the lake districts... I could go on endlessly.

If you were not doing what you are doing now what would you like to do.

I would love to be involved in tourism, running a B&B in Italy and writing about Italy.

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ILARIA GIANFAGNA

JUST AUSTRALIA

A YEAR OF LIVING TEMPORARILY IT'S EASY FOR MANY YOUNG ITALIANS WITH A WORKING HOLIDAY VISA TO FIND A JOB IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY BUT THEY NEED TO GET A QUALIFICATION IF THEY WANT TO FIND A WAY TO LIVE IN AUSTRALIA PERMANENTLY.

W

hen you ask a young Italian with a working holiday visa: “What's your job in Australia?”, 90 per cent of the answers are “I am a waiter”, “I am a chef”, “I am a kitchen hand”, “I am a runner”, “I am dishwasher”, “I am a restaurant manager”. It seems that in Australia and particularly in Victoria there are more jobs related to hospitality then in any other place. When in Italy someone works as a chef, he is probably also the restaurant manager and the waiter is also a runner and a kitchen hand, when needed. In Australia it is a different story: every employee has a specific role. So there is space for every person, depending on his or her skills, experiences, qualifications, time, passion and of course the level of English. In particular, in Victoria people are serious about hospitality. The website “Live in Victoria” states that more than 120,000 people work in the hospitality industry and this number is destined to grow. According to a research by “Future Mel-

26 REGULARS

bourne”, in the city there are more than 2,500 bars and restaurants, able to guest 200,000 people.

In most cases a qualification is required and years of experience are an influential plus. In Italy you don't need to go to school to become a chef. Everyone can cook a nice dish of pasta and make an exquisite risotto and learns the job by practice. That's why many Italians who come to Australia end up working in cafés and restaurants without a formal qualification. It's the fastest way for them to start working, even if in Italy they had a completely different job. Nevertheless if they want to find a way to live in Australia permanently, a Diploma in Hospitality could allow them to get a sponsor. Consequently it is advisable to invest time and money firstly in an English course and then in a Diploma of Hospitality, which can lead in many directions and many career opportunities, as chef, restaurant manager, café or hotel manager. The hospitality institutes run classes twice per weeks, leaving plenty of free time for working and doing internships; they offer not only theories, but also practical classes in real equipped kitchens and finally they help their students finding a job by referring them to restaurants, bar and hotels, that are constantly looking for qualified staff.

WWW.JUSTAUSTRALIA.IT

WORDS SALVATORE ROSSANO PHOTOGRAPHER MARCO LUTZU

SOGGETTI SONORI

RING THE BELLS, CARNEVALE IS HERE!

I

spent my entire childhood explaining why my identity card showed the name of a town that was different to the one I grew up in. The reason was actually quite boring. My mother had decided to engage the services of an obstetrician from Putignano, and so I was born there. Many, though, once reading the name of the town with the most famous carnevale in the south of Italy, would laugh. “ah, ecco perche sei proprio nu CARNIALU!*”. I would laugh along with them, but somehow, I've always thought that it was more than just a coincidence that I was born there.

Many of the most important events of my life have been connected to the ancient, magic festival of carnevale. My first published book, my PhD thesis, my field research in Italy, South America, Spain and Portugal. But this article is not about my life, or even my research. This series is about musical instruments, and this time, in honour of carnevale we will look at the instruments that we play during this festival in some parts of our own Peninsula.

In Italy, like in many parts of Europe and the Americas, the ritual of carnevale is a festival of excess and the liberation of the body.

This is why apart from music, the carnevale is also about ‘nonmusic’. Together with traditional instruments and town brass bands, the street is also filled with bells, whistles, and every day objects. There are many instruments that are used only during this period, for example the bells and cymbals of the mamuthones in Mamoiada (Sardinia), hung from the bodies of the town’s strongest (and most willing, since they weigh all together around 25kgs, and invade the area with their heavy sound).

Mamuthones in Gavoi (Sardinia).

*CARNIALU IS A DIALECT WORD FOR SOMEBODY WHO IS LAZY, GREEDY, AND A LOVER OF LEISURE AND THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE.

The masks with their animalistic appearance advance solemnly in a procession, each year revitalising a ritual of uncertain origins. The bells are all various shapes and sizes. Sometimes they are the same ones used for animals, but often they are fabricated especially for the celebrations. The bell at the neck of an animal is used to control it, but also to keep away hostile presences, both magic and real.

When worn by humans, the bells bring the spirit of the animal, permitting whoever wears them to identify with the beast and Dionysian spirit (the ox), bringing good luck. In fact the bells take on an apotropaic value, keeping evil at bay. Dancing while covered in animal skins is also connected to antique rituals to invite rain.

In central/south Italy, the protagonist of the celebrations is a strange type of drum played for clearly symbolic reasons. This instrument is a container covered in an animal skin or some type of fabric, pierced in the middle with a cane wand. The wand is rubbed up and down with a slightly wet hand, making a rhythmic sound, low and grotesque, as the many names of the instruments suggest. The drum has some of the most bizarre names imaginable in the many dialects to which it belongs: putipù or caccavella in Campania, cupa-cupa in Basilicata, cuticù in Lazio, bbù-bbù or vurre-vurre in Abruzzo, bufù in Molise, zuco-zuco in Calabria, firrifirri in Sicilia.

Mamuthones. Typical carnival masks of Mamoiada (Sardinia).

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This instrument is used to accompany improvised, satirical chants and songs, but also dances. It looks like it would be easy to play but it definitely is not: an incorrect pressure on the wand could break it, or injure the hand quite badly. Everyone can, however, have a go at playing it during the chaos of the festival, as the most important aspects of this celebration are joy, fertility and the desire for a better year.

The variety of the instruments and the repertoires of the carnevale is enormous in Italy, something that demonstrates the diverse soundscape and ritual of the peninsula, where partying was and still is a serious thing. The din of the carnevale, the only consistency during the celebration throughout the country, stops only on Ash Wednesday, when even the bells of the church quieten. I remember the dawn after Mardi Gras at Frosinone, Venice or Montemarano. The street returned to normality as if by magic, cleaned of the confetti by the intrepid street cleaners. The songs, laughter and noise would quickly become a memory.

ABOVE Mamuthones in Gavoi (Sardinia).

Today, here in Melbourne, I really miss the celebration of this festival and so it is tradition that we try to recognize it amongst everything else that is going on at this time of year. In our family, the madness takes the form of birthday celebrations for my daughter who was born, as fate would have it, at Carnevale.

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Graphics. Print.

Photography. Video.

11 Moray Street, Southbank VIC 3006

03 9699 5110 H info@360south.com.au

www.360south.com.au REGULARS 26

ARCHIMEDE FUSILLO

A FUTURE IN THEIR PAST

(PART 2)

Signora Maria Fedele Sarapo

I

t isn’t often that a visitor to another land is greeted with open arms by a complete stranger. Yet this is exactly how this writer was recently met by an elderly woman he visited in the village of Viggiano, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata.

Just shy of her 90th birthday, Maria Fedele Sarapo had agreed to meet to chat about her experiences of having lived in Australia and then returning to Italy to see out her years.

Confined to a wheelchair and living in a nursing home, Signora Sarapo was anything but hesitant, immediately animated, gracious and loquacious about her life.

“Benedetta l’ Australia,” (God Bless Australia) she said as she embraced me, hugging me and patting my hands in welcome. “Siamo stati bene dal primo giorno che siamo arrivati, io e mio marito, Bernardo.” (We were well from the day we arrived, my husband Bernardo and I.) And this very warm and softly spoken woman went on to talk about her 25 years of living in Australia, setting up a business providing fellow Italians with goods and produce from their native country, and getting to know Australian’s as friendly and helpful people.

“Le sorelle di mamma fecero l’atto di richiamo quando avevo 25 anni” (My mother’s sisters sponsored me out to Australia when I was 25 years old), she explained. “L’ Australia era bellissima. Potevamo mettere moneta in banca, abbiamo comprato una casa, e anche se non era facile, mi facevo capire.” (Australia was beautiful. We were able to put money in the bank, we bought a house, and I managed to make myself understood-even if with some difficulty.)

Far from her native Grumento, Signora Sarapo not only managed to set up a successful little

business, while her husband worked at various jobs around Melbourne, but she also managed to get her driver’s licence, using it to drive a small truck with which she got around collecting what she needed for the shop.

“Ero contenta” (I was content), she wanted me to understand. “Tutti mi volevano bene.

Ho passato 14 anni in quel negozio. Quando lasciai l’Italia non c’era lavoro. Io avevo provato la campagna, ma non c’era da fare, e l’ Australia ci ha portato fortuna.” (Everyone loved me. I spent 14 years in my little shop. When I had left Italy there was no work there. I did try my hand at farming, but there was nothing to come of it, and so Australia provided our fortune.)

Like so many I met, the return to Italy was partly out of their control. In Signora Sarapo’s case it was a decision to follow her Australian born daughter to Italy that drew her back to her native country.

“Mia figlia ha incontrato suo marito qui in Italia, e si sono sposati qui, allora, per non essere lontano da lei, mi trovo qui di nuovo”, (My daughter met her husband here in Italy-on a visit back to see family, and she got married here, and so as not to be far from her, I find myself here again), Signora Sarapo smiled, adding, that at first her son found it difficult settling in Italy, and so for some years after her daughter returned to Italy she and the rest of her family remained in Australia.

Eventually though, the proliferation of larger shops and stores drove her out of business. This coupled with sudden bad health, and a mounting desire to be near her daughter, convinced her to return to Italy. But not before both her children received a Catholic education in Australia and had the benefit of mastering two languages, she stressed.

“Ogni tanto sento la mancanza dell’ Australia”, (Every so often I do miss Australia.) she admitted with a slow sigh. “Pero’, grazie a Dio, con la moneta e i sacrifici dell’ Australia, abbiamo costruito una bellissima casa a tre piani a Grumento.” (And so, thanks to God, and with the money and sacrifices of life in Australia, we were able to build a beautiful three storey home in Grumento.)

Thank you too, she adds as I take my leave of her, to the Australian man who advised her to set money aside in an Australian pension plan, because it is this that now sustains her in her twilight years back home in Southern Italy.

“Mi sarebbe piaciuto ritornare in Australia”, (I would have liked to return to Australia), she whispered as I bent to shake her hand. “Ma non ce l’abbiamo fatta a causa della salute.” (But we didn’t manage it due to ill health.) She motions to her legs and smiles thinly. “Neanche un passo”, (I can’t take even one step.), she adds.

And yet, like so many of her generation, Signora Maria Fedele Sarapo travelled many more long and sometimes arduous miles than most of the rest of us ever will.

REGULARS 29

DANIELE CURTO

PASTRY REVOLUTION THE SWEETEST VICTORY OF ALL

An Italian Master Chef of pastry makes a clean sweep at the World Pastry Championship

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mmanuele Forcone has fulfilled a dream he had nourished for many years. He and his Italian team won the coveted World Pastry Championship held in Lyon, France, as part of the Bocuse d’Or, the international culinary contest also known as the Olympics of food.

Emmanuele’s first attempt at victory was in 1997 followed by a series of good places until 2011 when he won the silver medal.

This year, in a final round marled by emotion and suspense, he has represented Italy and gained the sweetest victory of all, the title of world champion.

Child prodigy of the art of pastry, Emmanuele has been training hard with passion, professionalism and a drive for perfection. These virtues combined with an innate prowess allowed him to lead the Italian team in Lyon and achieve the ultimate goal..

The theme of the competition was Peter Pan, the fairy tale that has bewitched children and adults alike since the appearance of the Walt Disney movie over sixty years ago.

Emmanuele and his team created a hyper real statue of Peter Pan with a frozen Tinkerbell that appeared to be made from pure air, an extraordinary huge Hook of sugar and a clock-cake that was flawless in its form.

Like in any hard-fought championship there have been moments of drama. Just when the Italian team seemed to taste their victory, the chocolate head of Peter Pan collapsed, destroying part of the statue: Peter Pan broke and crumbled into twelve dish desserts, sleeves and hooks.

With the contest nearly lost at that point, there was only one thing to do: rolling up one's sleeves and getting back to work. Encouraged by the applause of the audience, Emmanuele's team repaired, mended, and cooled the chocolate until finally presenting their wonderful pastry creation to the judges.

Emmanuele Forcone is a supreme master of the art of pastry, and with many accolades already under his belt, his triumph went even beyond the gold medal. He made a clean sweep of all prizes receiving the Vase de Sevres, Awarded by the President of the Republic of France for the finest artistic presentation and the innovation Award.

30 FOOD & WINE

ABOVE Emmanuele’s victory at the World Pastry Championship.

Emmanuele Forcone.

IVANO ERCOLE

AUSTRALIAN DIARY

THE “BRAVE NEW WORLD” IS COMING IF WE DON'T CHANGE THE CURRENT TREND OF EDUCATION

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ecause of my love for humanities (i.e. all the disciplines such as philosophy, history, literature, art and religion, that are concerned with human thought and culture) whenever I am with young people I try to instill into them a bit of this love of mine. I pity them because they are deprived of an essential element of education. They live in a world that leans more and more towards science and technology, and they grow up with little if any knowledge of humanities. People on the whole are convinced that education must lead to employment and most students entering university are groomed to pursue a specialization.

The 19th century English philosopher John Stuart Mill contended that human beings are human beings “before they are lawyers or physicians, or merchants, or manufacturers.” Consequently, he argued that “if you make them capable and sensible” human beings, a goal achieved in part through a strong humanities education, then “they will make themselves capable and sensible lawyers or physicians.”

Certainly a lawyer can be a competent lawyer without studying humanities. He needs to know the laws and how to best defend the interests of his clients.

He doesn't need to have read Plato or Shakespeare.

The same applies to a doctor or an engineer. When we consult a doctor, we want him go be knowledgeable in medicine and not in Renaissance art. A building engineer must know all the technicalities to construct a tower or a bridge and not the philosophies of Kant or Hegel.

Yet “the goodness of the performance” must not be confused with the “goodness of the performer”. How well someone performs a specialization does not equate with how wise that person is, how sensitive he or she is towards other human beings, how he or she judges the complexities of life, what is right or wrong, what is beautiful or ugly.

Humanities awake in us the wonder of human accomplishment, sharpen our intellect, refine our nature and fire our imagination. Without them our civilization is bound to become as it is partly already happening like the one described, some eighty years ago, by Aldous Huxley in his novel The Brave New World. In that world, as one character says, “everybody’s happy,” thanks to endless sex, endless consumer goods, endless youth, mood-altering drugs, and all-consuming entertainment. But the novel’s hero, who is named the Savage, stubbornly proclaims “the right to be unhappy” and dares to believe that there might be more to life than pleasure: “I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.” In the end, the Savage is put on display as if he were a rare zoo animal.

romadeli.com.au

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Savouring Sicily Without seeing Sicily, you have no concept of Italy, since it is in Sicily that you find the key to all.

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Goethe 1787

April 2nd to 16th

2015 Tour Dates:

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May 16th to 30th

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September 5th to 19th

Enza Centorame takes great pride in her highly personalised tours of Sicily and beyond offering a very special experience for discerning people. She has access to exclusive vineyards and local homes who welcome you into the lifestyle of this ancient and amazing Island. Enza has such passion for her homeland and the food and traditions that all who travel with her take home a lifetime of memories.

For further information, contact Enza: Tel: 0419 116974 Email: enza@savouringsicily.com Web: www.savouringsicily.com

DANIELE BRUGIOTTI Arboriculturist, our correspondent in Italy

THE GLORIOUS, GORGEOUS AND GENEROUS

OAK TREE

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hat's so special about the Oak tree? What do we know about this living monument that spends most of its existence unnoticed and unrecognized?

Many other trees are renowned for their supremacy. We all know what are the tallest trees in the world: the famous Sequoias of North America, which reach up to 120 meters high, while an oak (Quercus Cerris) will reach about 40 meters. If we talk in terms of wood strength, surely the record goes to the Ebony, the Teak, or the Ipè, all tropical trees nicknamed “ironwood”.

Is the Oak the most long-living tree?

Absolutely not! The primacy goes to some specimens of conifers in California or to the Olive Trees in Sardinia that are 4000 years old.

If we take into consideration the fastest growing trees, the oak will surely be behind its friends, Poplars, Maples and Pines or even to the Malaysian Albizia tree that grows about 3 centimeters per day.

good omen for the family. It was the tree of life.

Humankind owes much to the oak tree, which provided the first dwellings of our ancestors, with timber to build, warm up, and its fruit to feed: the acorn.

Hard to believe but before even inventing agriculture, humans ate acorns! Obviously through a cooking process as without it, they are inedible.

As a tree farmer, walking amongst its branches is a charming feel. Whenever I am on a big Oak tree I feel safe and protected as a child in its mothers arms!

When, for the first time, I will land on Australia’s soil I know that I will be amazed and fascinated by the large and imposing Eucalyptus trees, and by other trees I have never seen. But one thing for sure... I will be looking for my old friend the Oak tree.

So, how does the Oak tree excel?

Its specialty is precisely to ‘not be special’. It can’t be placed in a niche, it is in no category.

Primacy trees grow only in specific areas, while our friend - the strong, flexible and durable Oak - can be found almost everywhere. From North America to Mexico, Central Europe and along the temperate zone it is easy to spot this coriaceous tree. Across the Italian peninsula it is the undisputed “Queen of the Woods”.

The oak tree is a universally well-known precisely because it has spread to many areas of the world. It has been and continues to be the companion and the accomplice of human beings in their journey of evolution.

In the Celtic language the word Oak means “beautiful tree”.

In fact, just as it appears to our eyes is big, elegant, sinuous and strong. For the ancient it was a symbol of fertility and a 32 FROM ITALIA

WWW.VASOPOLICONICO.IT WWW.FORESTAURBANA.COM

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Other Upcoming Events

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Solo Anna with Lidia Vitale

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The Great Beauty

with Mark Pellegrini Saturday 2 May 2015