Thank the Borgias

Linda Hall

SPAIN has had three or four popes, depending on whether or not you include the antipope Benedict XIII or Papa Luna (1328­1423), born in Peñiscola (Castellon).

Little attention is paid to Damasus I, born around 304AD, whose Spanish parents might or might not have lived in Spain. That leaves the Borgias, Callixtus III (1378­1458) and Alexander VI (1431 ­ 1503) whose family name was Borja.

They were two Valencian boys done good who didn’t have a good press then and whose mention today still brings to mind corruption, ill ­ gained wealth, poison and incest. Both were born in Xativa and met hostility and distrust in Rome, prompting grumbles that more Valenciano was heard in the Vatican corridors than Latin or Italian.

Ultimately, though, the Italians owe a huge culinary debt to the Borjas because they took with them the coca which Valencianos will tell you evolved into Italian pizza.

Admitted, the cocas you see in bakeries or those that emerge from a home cook’s oven have little in common with the cheese ­ heavy, sauceladen pizzas we have come to expect outside Italy.

Traditional cocas are more austere and the base ­ which at its best is light and airy but substantial ­ will be dotted with sparing amounts of sausage, chorizo, a sardine or an anchovy if you’re lucky, plus modest additions of red and green peppers.

To someone who has never tried one, a word of warning: you will either like or hate it. Naturally, this depends on the part of Spain where you are eating and buying coca, but newly ­ rich Mediterranean areas haven’t yet forgotten frugality.

Interestingly, Valencianos who emigrated to work in Algeria in the 19th and early 20th centuries took their cocas with them. Possibly it was not entirely a coincidence that the first time I ate pizza was in Benidorm in 1972 in a newly ­ opened Italian restaurant that was owned and run by an Algerian couple.

I think the Borgias would approve of that.

Firstly, firefighters do a difficult and dangerous job ­ nobody doubts this. Nobody says otherwise. Firefighters demonstrate bravery, courage, self sacrifice etc. They can be, and frequently are, saints, but that is not a job requirement. The willingness to run towards a fire when everyone else is running away, and to keep returning until everyone inside has been rescued and the fire extinguished, as well as a technical insight into controlling fires from different sources, are the primary characteristics. We are fortunate that such men and women exist and put their lives on the line for us. They may not always behave as squeaky­clean choristers, but they get the job done.

First it’s the Met, now it’s the fire and rescue services throughout Britain. Where will other revelations of racism, misogyny and bullying in sordid corners of British society be exposed next? The NHS? The Coastguard? The Monarchy?

Good grief, are the justices of self­righteousness making it their mission to denounce every last British public service as ‘hotbeds’ of bad behaviour? How profoundly demotivating for the many fine staff members in all our emergency services.

How I love being told who to dislike every week! Who do I get to hate next week?

Nora Johnson’s 12 critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers (www.nora­johnson.net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, audiobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.