A quick trip to Ferrara, a treasure of central Italy. Rich in architecture and history, it was once the seat of a thriving Jewish community. Many Americans remember the city from the bittersweet film, “The Garden of The Finzi Continis.”
Castle & Moat in Ferrara
HG was eager to spend time in the
Boldini Museum, housed in a meticulously preserved 18th century palace.
Giovanni Boldini was a painter whose career spanned the turn of the century into the 1920s. He was much admired, with friends ranging from Marcel Proust to Diaghilev, the great ballet impressario. His portraits of beautiful women are incomparable in their grace and stylish elegance. Boldini has been compared to Sargent, but a close examination of his work reveals a more daring artist. His brush strokes vibrate with energy and, in many ways, he is a precursor of the Italian Futurists and the French Cubists.
Of course, beauty always stimulates the appetite, so HG, BSK , Brilliant Daughter Lesley R. and her husband, Professore Massimo lunched at a bustling Ferrara eatery, Antica Trattoria Volano. Robust food. There was a risotto heady with the scent and flavor of white truffles, creamy polenta with braised eel,
Creamy Polenta & Mushrooms
more creamy polenta with mushrooms, pappardelle with a very tasty donkey sauce (that’s right, donkey makes a very superior sauce). HG managed to get down a big platter of
Bolito Misto
bollito misto (the great Italian dish featuring a variety of boiled meats and sausages, the great-great-great grandfather of the New England boiled dinner). HG’s bollito misto was accompanied by some generous condiments — mostarda di fruta, salsa verde and sharp horse radish. Desserts included creme caramel and light-as-a-feather almond meringue cookies.
There was no lingering in Ferrara. The beautiful city is in the Po River delta and the entire area features impenetrable fog that can make highway driving a near lethal adventure. The HG group got out just in time.
Christmas Market in Ferrara
Tagged Bolito Misto, Ferrara, Garden of the Fitzi Continis, Giovanni Boldini, polenta
Uh oh, now I have to try donkey!
Yes, donkey is tasty. Equine (horse) bresaola (raw slices with shavings of parmesan, olive oil, black pepper and arugula) is even better. Of course, overindugence in these delicacies may induce a whinny or hee-haw at inopportune moments.