The Bonfire of Grillo’s Vanities
Plus, water wars in Sicily and Italy Segreta’s festive gift guide
A couple of months ago now I posted about the Five Star Movement’s (M5S) ‘constituent assembly’ which was convened in September to make some key decisions about the party’s future political orientation. Well, things are finally moving on that front, and fast. Over the past ten days, M5S members have, as predicted, used the assembly to stage a full-blown coup against the movement’s co-founder Beppe Grillo. Last weekend, 63% of party members voted to strip Grillo of his title of “guarantor”; a shadowy role which the comic awarded himself years ago in order to pay himself an annual consultancy fee of 300,000 euros. Now those days are over, and the party is entering a new era. This is, I think, a huge deal. Grillo was the face of M5S; and I’ve been reporting on how his brand of post-ideological liberal-conservative hybrid populism has defined and limited his own movement for over ten years. Now, as the party evolves, under the leadership of the ex-PM Giuseppe Conte, the road ahead is, apparently, more clearly defined: the M5S is destined to embark on a “true progressive path” for “the left,” or so he says. Many are ecstatic at the prospect. The Guardian, for one, has labelled this a “gamechanger” and a “return to “grassroots idealism.” Frankly, I think that’s premature. M5S is a mysterious beast, and when you look at the constituent assembly’s other decisions — a relaxation of restrictions on coalition building and the lifting of a condition which limited M5S MPs to a single term in office – the next months are likely to be filled with surprises, bad as well as good. As for Grillo? Well, the comic seems to have taken the news precisely as you’d expect, delivering eight rambling minutes of parting remarks from a funeral limousine in which he declared “the death of M5S” and the birth of “a new project, soon to come.” Watch this space, and be very afraid…
If you’re reading this note from Sicily, you’ll be more than aware of the ongoing climate emergency which is devastating the island’s ecosystems and increasingly posing a risk to human life. If you aren’t up to speed, however, the basic gist is this: throughout 2024 Sicily has been facing the worst drought in over twenty years — and despite rain forecast for next week, there is, as things stand, little hope in sight. This week, the regional government declared a ‘state of emergency’ in the provinces of Trapani, Agrigento, Caltanissetta and Enna, all of which have been hit particularly hard by a scorching summer and unfortunate absence of autumn storms. At the time of writing, the island’s reservoirs are almost empty and farmers are running out of water. The crop harvest is down by 70%, livestock is at risk and two million people are currently being forced to ration household water. So yes, the situation is desperate. On Saturday, in a worrying sign of how seriously things are escalating, the mayors of Troina, Gagliano Catelferrato, Cerami, Nicosia and Sperlinga found themselves with no choice but to resort to direct action — and they occupied the water purification plant of the Ancipa dam in protest against governmental mismanagement. Specifically, the five mayors, together with dozens of trade unionists, are calling for the resignation of Salvatore Cocina, the region’s civil protection president, and for an immediate guarantee of emergency water supplies to their communities. The regional aministration, in turn, has accused the protesters of “neglect of office” and “inciting panic during a serious emergency which [the state] is doing its best to address.” Tragically, one fears, Sicily’s ‘water wars’ are only just getting started…
On a brighter note: as 2024 comes to a close, the small town of San Casciano dei Bagni has been at the centre of some extraordinary archaeology news. This week Eugenio Giani, Tuscany’s regional president, and Alessandro Giuli, Italy’s culture minister, announced a series of new discoveries which excavation teams from Siena, Grosseto and Arezzo dug up over the summer. Earlier this year, from June to October, archaeologists excavated a new area close to the town’s 3rd Century BC Etruscan-Roman bathing sanctuaries. During these works they discovered a new sacred pool filled with a whole host of amazing objects, all extraordinarily well-preserved thanks to layers of dried mud and clay. The findings are too many to list here but they include votive offerings, bronze sculptures, tablets inscribed with prayers as well as crowns, rings and glasses, all in pristine condition. Personally, flicking through the PR materials, I was particularly struck by a bronze agatodemon snake (a symbol of protection), a beautiful pendant embossed with a bull figurine and some stunning ornate coinage. You can check out a couple of my favourites below and a full selection of images over at Finestre sull’arte.
Arts and culture: stocking fillers
Somehow I missed this one back in October — but better late than never, I guess. Europa editions has recently published another ENG translation of Domenico Starnone, and just in time for the winter holidays! The Mortal and Immortal Life of the Girl from Milan is, like much of Starnone’s work, an auto-fictional story. This time, the author follows a narrator called Mimí, a writer, who “dives into his childhood, recalls his first young love, and traces the impact [this woman] had on his life through his university years and into adulthood.” According to the translator, Oonagh Stransky, Starnone’s contemporary frame is a kind of ruse which serves, really, as a formal device through which he’s able to explore, deconstruct and reinterpret two classical love stories: the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, and Dante’s tale of devotion to Beatrice. Now. I have to say that on paper, and as a blurb, this sounds a little highfalutin... to say the least… At the same time, I admit that I’ve warmed to Starnone’s work over the years and I’ve long respected Stransky as a translator. So, healthy scepticism aside, this one is going on my ‘to read’ pile anyway. Buy it from the publisher here if you’re interested.
Whether you’re an unashamed consumerist, a hardcore anti-capitalist or neither of the above, there’s no escaping it: it’s time to think about holiday gifts. If, like me, you’re struggling for ideas this year to celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Yuletide or whatever else, then I have to point you towards Italy Segreta’s ‘Gift Guide’ for 2024 which is, honestly, a fabulous list. The editorial team have outdone themselves this year and they’ve clearly gone to painstaking lengths to single out the most interesting small artisans working in Italy right now. And all of them, I’m sure, could use your custom at this time of the year. The products are neatly subdivided into 11 categories — Home, Kitchen, Books & Magazines, Food, Spirits, Tea & Coffee, Clothing, Accessories, Jewellery, Beauty, Stationary and Experiences — so I guarantee you’re going to find some inspiration here, if nothing else. The specifics, of course, are a question of taste. But for me, the Bicchieri Hand-Embroidered Linen Cocktail Napkins by Taf Firenze, Nicola Fasano’s lovely Grottaglie Ceramics and Pasta Tirrena’s spaghetto are standouts that will, for sure, be making their way into some stockings later this month. Click here for the full list.
Recipe of the Week: agnolotti del Plin with roast sauce
Full disclaimer: this recipe is not for the faint hearted. In fact, this is the kind of recipe that pushes me (well) beyond my comfortable cooking ability. Still, the evenings are getting dark and long, and at this time of year who doesn’t like a bit of a challenge, right? If you aren’t familiar with agnolotti del plin these are, basically, a ravioli-esque primo piatto from Piemonte; they’re small, dainty, elegant, hearty pasta parcels filled with, in this case, roasted meats. Chefs have been making agnolotti for centuries using various cuts of veal, beef, pork and rabbit, usually adding cabbage or other greens into the mix. Many people serve the pasta in a simple butter sauce, but I have to admit I prefer a slightly more elegant version: tossed through a light gravy of roasting juices which are reduced in the pan until they become a glossy glaze. Before you embark on trying this dish, I highly recommend reading Emiko Davies’s fascinating account of its history here and making a good note of her tips. On this occasion, however, and as much as I love Davies’s writing, I’ll be following Kaya Pearson’s instructions which seem a bit closer to the restaurant-ish version I hope to prepare. Serve with a decent Barolo if you can afford to go all out: an unbeatable festive pairing for a special occasion.
I’m Jamie Mackay, a UK-born, Italy-based writer, working at the interfaces of journalism, criticism, poetry, fiction, philosophy, travelogue and cultural-history. I set up ‘The Week in Italy’ to make a space to share a regular overview of the debates and dilemmas, innovations and crises that sometimes pass under the radar of our overcrowded news feeds, to explore politics, current affairs, books, arts and food. If you’re a regular reader, and you enjoy these updates, I hope you’ll consider becoming a supporter for EUR 5.00 per month. I like to think of it as a weekly catch-up chat over an espresso. Alternatively, if you’d like to send a one-off something, you can do so via PayPal using this link. Grazie!