edited by Carlo Lapucci
The musical piece known as Largo by Handel, which is played at all weddings and moving ceremonies, is practically a hymn to the Platano which boasts millenary ancestry with illustrious authors and personalities as its inspiration. A true giant of our arboreal flora, Platanus orientalis, of the Platanaceae, has a relatively short trunk, but thick and very extensive foliage. It is the shady tree par excellence which since ancient times has been magnified by the most famous authors such as Athenaeus, Plato, Plutarch, Arcadius, praising it for the refreshment and protection it offers to those who take refuge under its branches. It is especially appreciated in certain areas of the East where the heat and drought are greater and the tree nevertheless grows luxuriantly. Pliny (Natural History XII, 3 et seq.) enumerates cases and historical figures who admired, loved and preserved plane trees magnificent for their size and for their large leaves which give the plant its name: platys is "large" in Greek . The ancients had a true cult for this plant. One was brought across the Ionian Sea to be placed on Diomedes' tomb.
Dionysus the Elder adorned his capital with it and in Rome a superb example was watered with wine. It is a symbol of Capacity, Ingenuity, Refreshment, Magnificence due to its size and grandeur. The Lydian plane tree mentioned by Herodotus and Aelian about Xerxes I, king of Persia, was very famous. During the march with his army, coming from Phrygia and entering Lydia, «he found such a beautiful specimen of this plant to which he gave a gift of gold ornaments for its beauty; then, entrusting him to the supervision of one of his Immortals, on the second day he arrived at the capital of Lydia." The Immortals were an elite unit of the army made up of 10.000 armed men, so called because whoever was missing was immediately replaced so that the number remained unchanged (The Stories VII, 31). The story of a king who falls in love and admires a plant so much that he leaves it in the custody of a group of his best soldiers, generated amazement and the fact appears in the masterpiece by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), the famous opera Serse (Act I, Scene I), at the beginning of which the protagonist, standing under the branches of the majestic tree, sings the famous aria, wonderful music for how poor and unhappy the words are: Ombra mai fu / di vegetabile / cara ed lovable, / sweeter. The music is best known in the numerous transcriptions and instrumental reductions that are known as Handel's Largo.
Calendar
December
«The housewife who goes to the countryside loses more than she gains»
Countryside. In this winter month, characterized by short and cold days, the countryside does not have much to offer: crops are reduced to a minimum as is work. In areas with a milder climate the cereals should have vegetated 2-3 leaves: in this case the first fertilization is carried out
Olive grove. The olive harvest ends and the pressing of those destined for oil production begins.
Orchard and vineyard. When the vegetation is "still", the scions can be collected for grafting. We continue with the protection of the most sensitive plants from winter frosts with straw and mulch. The land is also fertilized and, in temperate zones, new plants can be set up.
Vegetable garden. Belgian endive and red radicchio are forced. At home, in protected cultivation, you can still sow: lettuce, cut radicchio and radishes. Chicory sown late is thinned. The structures, such as tunnels, boxes, greenhouses, are disinfected to accommodate future sowing. The land is also prepared for spring crops.
Garden. To help lawns overcome frosts, it is advisable to cover them on the surface with a layer of soil, mixed with peat and seasoned manure; if the soil is very compact, a good dose of fine sand is added. For the same purpose, a thick layer of leaves or mature manure is distributed on trees and shrubs. New plantations can still be made and trees, shrubs, rose bushes and climbers transplanted.
Fennel: a good remedy for everything!
Since ancient times, fennel has been cultivated in the Mediterranean basin as a flavoring. In the Middle Ages, Italians developed the large bulb variety known as "apple". Since then, it has not ceased to be produced and consumed. From there it later arrived in the French royal gardens, thanks to Claude Mollet, gardener in the service of Henry IV. Not to be confused with dill or anise, because although fennel belongs to the same family, it is however the only one of the three to be used as a legume. It allows you to release the acidity of the body and dissolve all joint pain and diseases such as arthritis, tendinitis, colitis... Fennel also gives the body a good smell and facilitates digestion. Rich in vitamins A, B, C, E and fibre, it is ideal for maintaining your figure and acts against bloating and stomach pain. Fennel also stimulates the production of breast milk. Raw, cooked or made into herbal tea, fennel is appreciable and effective in every form. Crispy or soft depending on how it is cooked, it accompanies meat, fish and cheese perfectly.
The chestnut: the ally of athletes
Whether you call it brown or chestnut, in both cases it is the fruit of the chestnut. The only difference is in the casing: if the fruit is sealed in compartments, it is a chestnut. Otherwise it's brown.
In the countryside, the chestnut often replaced cereals: after all, the chestnut was called the "breadfruit". Today the consumption of chestnuts depends rather on the season.
Did you know that there is nothing better than chestnuts after an effort? In fact, its mineral richness is interesting for athletes: high quantities of potassium, iron and magnesium are found there. The chestnut is also an energy source because it is rich in vitamins and oil elements. It allows you to avoid glycemic peaks, i.e. the sudden increase in blood sugar levels and contains a high starch content, which is digested very slowly.
It is preferable to eat chestnuts simply roasted, boiled or steamed, to enjoy all its benefits.
