MARINO GRAPE FESTIVAL

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=50 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="0ab0ce82egerdp.png"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=95 BGCOLOR="#CC99CC" TEXT="#080000" background="0aa265f1ezuady.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Hynda and Nolan's  Rome and Other Adventures</B></FONT><B>  </B><B> </B><B>|   </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hynda and Nolans Rome and Other Adventu"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id301.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ROME FALL 2011"><U>ROME - FALL 2011</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id302.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="RANDOM UNO"><U>RANDOM UNO</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id303.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FOOD AND THINGS"><U>FOOD AND THINGS</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id304.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ROME SITES TO VISIT"><U>ROME SITES TO VISIT</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id305.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="RANDOM DUE"><U>RANDOM DUE</U></A>   |   <B>MARINO GRAPE FESTIVAL</B>   |   <A HREF="id307.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="RANDOM TRE"><U>RANDOM TRE</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id308.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CINECITTA"><U>CINECITTA</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=385 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFF33" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>MARINO GRAPE FESTIVAL</I></div> <div> Marino is a medieval town about 20 kilometers south of Rome - about an hour by train - in the Castelli Romani, a section where Roman nobility built huge mansions. Each year on the first weekend in October the town celebrates the Sagra dell'Uva - the festival of grapes. We decided to take a very early train to Marino and see how long we lasted. The end of the afternoon, roughly at 5PM, they turn on the two main fountains in the town and instead of water the fountains dispense wine.</div> <bR> <div> The Queen at one of the signs for the festival. The bottles on the table are all old water and soda bottles that are filled with the local wine.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17bc44b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The first thing we saw when we arrived in the town was a number of very well dressed men exiting from the town hall and parading up the street to the main church for a morning mass. We assumedd that one of them was probably the mayor of Marino.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17be44b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> When we arrived in the morning the town was not too crowded. All the streets were decorated and the food concessions were just opening up.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17c044b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The fountain early in the morning without the `grape' dressing but the wine hoses are already hooked up.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17c244b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> One of the other things the area is famous for is the `porchetta' or pig. This is the standard display on every booth that sells food. I am not sure how many pigs were sacrificed this weekend but it had to be in the thousands.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17c444b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Each food booth had pigs laying out and ciambelle.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17c644b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> There is a lot of wine consumed at this weekend festival. This is one booth - this was early in the morning and later there were constant lines at this and every wine spigot in the town.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17c844b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> On the following Sunday there is another festival, the Sagra della Ciambella al mosto. The ciambella al mosto is a sort of bun made from raisins, grape skins and other residue from the grape pressings. Today you could get one ciambella and all the wine you wanted for 1 ½ Euros.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17ca44b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Every available bottle was filled with wine. They must have been saving bottles for months.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17cc44b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The Queen at the top of the town of Marino. You can see the train tracks below and on a clear day you can see all the way to Rome.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17ce44b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The usual vendors showed up. The cowboy-like hats for 2 Euros were the best sellers. There is a young lady - probably about 10 - behind that stack of hats. She was the best of the sales people we saw.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17d144b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The procession starts out of the church. They were carrying many things individually as well as things that needed large groups to carry them.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17d344b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> As in most Italian festivals the kids took part and were dressed in costumes.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17d544b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> There were many very tall and heavy crosses that were being carried by men with cups and belts to help support them. When the procession stopped they had a hard time balancing the crosses.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17d744b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> At the end of the procession was this very large Madonna that could barely fit out the door of the church. About 30 to 40 men were required to carry it.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17d944b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> There were many large tapestries that each required six people to carry one. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="17db44b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Not sure what this umbrella like structure was but there is a person underneath it. Since he could not see where he was going someone walked alongside of him to tell him where to go and when to stop.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17dd44b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The festival got more and more crowded as time went on.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17df44b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> After the procession left the church they went down a hill and we went up the hill and off to a side street. About 20 minutes later the procession came down the small street and up the hill. We estimate that the procession tool well over an hour. This meant that the men carrying these heavy things had to last for over an hour. These little girls at the head of the procession got into a shoving match in front of us and we wished we had the camera on to record them.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17e144b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The umbrella man on the side street.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17e344b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The guy in the middle must have been very important. The two guys on his side carried the ends of his robe so it would not drag on the floor.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17e544b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The Madonna makes it up the side street.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17e744b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The King on the side street after the procession has passed. It is 11 AM and I have had my ciambelle and wine.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17e944b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> This is the fountain after they have decorated it with grapes. People stand at the barricades as wine comes out of the hoses. They recommend you come with your own plastic cup. The wine is free.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17eb44b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The last booth we saw was the Scientology one. The guy did not like me taking a picture of the booth. How do I explain to him in Italian that the main Scientology building in DC is right down the block from where I live. You could buy Dianetics in Italian.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17ed44b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The festival was very crowded when we left at about 3 PM to go to the train station. A train was just arriving from Rome and it was packed. We could not imagine what the festival would be like later in the night when the wine started to flow from the fountains.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="17ef44b30.jpg" border=0 width="580" height="435" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>