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Carnival and Ash Wednesday in the former Papal States

Today is the last day of Carnival (Carnevale =can be translated as “meat go away”) and tomorrow in the small town of Gradoli on Lake Bolsena the traditional Pranzo del Purgatorio will be held, as it has been, with the same menu for about 700 years. Here is a snippet of a piece I wrote for the New York Times several years ago. Also some photos of the local Carnival parade shenanigans here in Vetralla, 68 km north of Rome.

Dessert for lunch today, the ricotta filling is flavored with pink alkermes liquor

On Ash Wednesday in the tiny town of Gradoli on the Lake of Bolsena in Northern Lazio, members of the fraternity “del Purgatorio” serve a  seated luncheon for more than 2000 people, as they have been doing for  the past  700 years.

Bundled up against the cold, diners find their numbered places  at the long trestle tables that stretch the length of the unheated wine warehouse. Crockery, glass, fork and knife are carried from home  as are the many  bottles of wine  that are  shared with others at the table…homey hospitality is one of the main ingredients of the  festa.

Old and  young members of the confraternity  (70 strong)  become cooks and waiters for the day preparing the Pranzo del Purgatorio for  no women  are allowed in  the  camp kitchens.

The young waiters zip among the tables carrying huge platters emblazoned with the confraternity’s coat-of-arms while older members toil over gigantic  copper cauldrons bubbling over open fires. It is their task to make sure the closely guarded recipes are prepared according to tradition.

The menu,  of strict Lenten fasting, has remained unchanged through the centuries and includes  beans, fish broth with rice,  fried whiting, pike and baccalà  and for desert- an apple.

the noise level rises as the wine bottles are shared

Archaic music, stornelli and serenades  break out as the ruddy-faced guests  finish the last courses  and the empty bottles multiply.  The noise level rises to a pitch as the confraternity’s drummer  and standard bearer march around the hall soliciting cheers and offerings  that will be used for local charities throughout the next year

Carnevale means anything goes… “ogni scherzo vale”

a crowd of merrymakers dance down in the street near the City Hall