A Calitri Reverie

 A Calitri Reverie

The Stateside Game of  "Find the Car"

     This time of year, the sub-freezing temperatures and biting winds keep us inside.  That goes for both sides of the Atlantic when winter takes hold.  Winters in our part of the States are more severe than in Calitri when one compares snowfall and temperature.  While there is scant snowfall to make a profit selling snow shovels, there is profit to be made selling puffy winter parkas in damp and cold Calitri.  For the most part, Calitri’s narrow, cobbled streets are largely abandoned until the influx of good weather and sun-loving homeowners arrive to augment the year-round residents.  Mirroring the timely expectancy of something like tax time every April 15th in the States, experience has taught us not to

A Quiet Winter Calitri Street

expect the earth to have sufficiently tilted back toward the sun until the Ides or midpoint of May.  By then, the sun’s heat reigns once more so that our thick walls lose their chill, flowers bloom, and scarves have once again been retired.

In Calitri, we live in the Borgo, which means Hamlet.  It lies in the shadow of a castle and, for centuries, was all there was of Calitri.  An earthquake in 1980 triggered a migration to the growing modern high-rise accommodations in a newer part of town.  The move left the Borgo, today a growing historical resource for Calitri, practically empty, falling further into decline and disrepair.  Its narrow streets, designed to accommodate nothing larger than a cart pulled by a donkey, and the complete lack of gardens or even soil left much to be desired.

This Gargoyle Serves to Keep
the Borgo Safe

      Some might go so far as to describe it as early brutalist architecture.  The use of raw, exposed concrete and stone, centuries-old wooden beams and doors, thick abutting household walls, and the lack of soil are pronounced.  There are no vegetable gardens or well-tended lawns to maintain.  “Doing the lawn,” if I can go so far as to call it that, amounts to pulling a few weeds.  But then, this is a medieval setting that I find romantic, where the view outside our windows takes in the same vistas people have enjoyed for centuries.  In Calitri, as in much of Italy, wooden structures are repurposed in century-long cycles rather than torn down as in the States.  Only the inhabitants like us change.  Historical and scenic, it is the kind of place whose picture appears on monthly household calendars, the kind we imagine when dreaming of Italy.  

Of course, winter is not totally bleak; there are occasional winter festivals, especially during Christmas, when the Borgo is animated with renewed activity.  A nativity scene is staged in a Borgo cave tunneled into the hamlet’s hillside, with locals dressed in costume, including an infant and farm animals like a

The Borgo - Topped by a Castle with Parking 
Piazza in the Foreground

mule, that I wouldn’t be surprised to learn had descended from a  former resident Borgo mule. 

While building exteriors retain their historic motif, their interiors cover a gamut of styles, furnishings, decorative treatments, and colors.  Like slow-moving tectonic plates, the present is gradually draping the past.  You don’t know what to expect once through an ancient doorway.  Colors can be overpowering, especially in the case of tiles, which can overwhelm a room’s décor.  Italians enjoy expressive, brightly colored tiles, and trend toward complex designs and the artisanal flair of majolica.  Others skip past traditional styles altogether and, as if to complement their fiber optic technology, go modern, preferring the strong lines of glass and gleaming chrome surroundings.            

Our Shower Curtain Wall

It is unlike our stateside style, but in the case of our Calitri pied-à-terre, sited in a medieval quarter, it is expressive of a newfound freedom in styles, furnishings, and decorative treatments.  Neither would we think of painting one bedroom wall “spaghetti red.”  Caught up in that Italian flair for color, we did.  Various maps of Italy decorate the walls of our combination TV and guest room, along with framed photos.  While far from being wildly expressive, our home’s interior reflects what I’d describe as that simple otherworldly mood of life of small-town Italia, not to be confused with the verve of big city life. 

Another prominent Borgo feature is the presence of caves cut into the high side of the sloping terrain, reminiscent of Matera, here refreshingly termed ‘grottos.’  These are not natural openings in the earth with stalactites frequented by spelunkers and bats but hollowed-out caverns made by men.  They were originally used for storage of everything from furniture to animals.  Today, they shelter an occasional

Spaghetti Red Wall

scooter but find a growing use as personal wine cantinas.  When wine isn’t being made, they serve as private dining areas for get-togethers with family and friends.  After all, all that stored wine can’t be allowed to accumulate.  More and more, we find these grottos repurposed as restaurants.  During festivals like SponzFest, held annually in August, we’ve seen grottos become pop-up cafes where the soothing rhythms from Woody Allen movies waft into the street, enchanting passersby into becoming customers.  Many nearby have made the transition. 

Just down the Street from our door are exam-

An Unrestored Grotto

ples of cave improvisations.  I’ll take you to one close by, the L’Antica Grotta, a charming Italian wine bar restaurant nestled within the ancient walls of a cave.  A right turn outside our door, then through a brief arching tunnel, leads us to Via Pasquale Berrilli, a main artery through the Borgo beginning in the piazza by the town hall.  Turning right again and continuing along Via Berrilli, we pass the home of Gerardina Cestone and her flower boxes, which in summertime bless us with an overflow of colors to emerge in a piccola piazza (small square). 

The home of our neighbor, Theresa Scoca, and her husband, Vincenzo, overlooks this small square. Hers is a 

Mailbox by our Door, 
Tunnel to Via Berrilli

family name of importance to the political history of Italy.  Over the years, they’ve become our go-to friends when we need something special, from a ladder to the surprising need for aninjection when my back went out.  Talk about trust, but that’s another story.  Their terraced porch overlooks this small opening among the Borgo buildings.  Evocative of the decorative streamers of some ancient joust, Theresa’s colorful panoply of laundry usually flutters there in the breeze.  The square’s open space borders the Berrilli Palazzo and is large enough to host an Aquedotto Puglese water fountain dated 1914 that supplied families before homes had running water.

A Pop-up Grotto Cafe
Announces "Here it Is"

     Continuing, we enter a longer tunnel watched over by a clock with a face on both the tunnel’s entry and exit.  Its needles indicate the correct time only twice a day for it ceased to operate and is ever reminding us of the arrival of the 1980 terremoto (earthquake).  Through the tunnel and down a gentle slope, we arrive at a junction in the cobbles where Via Berrilli meets Via Del Re, which begins with a sharp turn to the left. 

     We have also arrived at Palazzo Zampaglione, the baronial palace of the Zampaglione family (cousins of the Bourbons who once ruled Southern Italy’s Kingdom of Two Sicilies), located at Via Berrilli.  Practically opposite the entrance to this palazzo lies the L’Antica Grotta at 31 Berrilli, an ancient cave where the baron once stabled up to 100 horses.  Transforming this cave into a wine bar and restaurant took the steadfast combined horsepower of planning, drive, and initiative.  As we approached, we found no catchy signs and appeals to come inside.  

L'Antica Grotta, Via Pasquale Berrilli 31

The Grotta’s entrance confirmed we’d arrived much like the hole-in-the-wall place in Bologna we discovered once and never wanted to leave with the simplest of storefront appeals, the single word ‘Vino” scrawled on a board.  Here, to one side without fanfare and absent any glitz, a surprisingly easy-to-miss five-by-eight-inch wooden plaque with a flourish of cursive curlicues proclaimed L’Antica Grotta.  The opposite side of the entrance held a dangling lamp with a single bulb housed in what I’d describe as an inverted terracotta water glass that serves to illuminate the numerals 3 and 1.  These humble statements invite you into a world of rustic elegance, natural beauty, and the finest local cuisine.  Stepping inside, the interior is softly illuminated by warm, golden light, casting gentle shadows that dance across the rough-hewn stone surfaces, bearing the marks of centuries of history. 

Rehabbing a grotto is time-consuming and, I’d estimate, costly.  For weeks, as I passed by what grew to become the L’Antica Grotta, I’d pause to observe the progress.  I’ve no idea about Italian construction rules.  At home, a government agency called OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) would be apoplectic over the total failure of compliance — no helmets, spotters, masks, ventilation, and I could go on.  I could see a one-man act high atop a ladder, seemingly the sole performer in a mock circus act, balanced there, with hammer and chisel, as he chipped away at the ceiling of this surprisingly lengthy grotto.  With so much yet to go, he tapped to remove the residue of ages, everything from soot to paint, from the uneven surface of jutting stone arching above him.  I happen to love stonework.  Each time I sit beneath this vaulted ceiling, I recall my earlier visits during construction and marvel at the resulting artistry.  The stone tiara arching over today’s patrons is the result of the symphony of his million taps, orchestrated over weeks, undoubtedly resulting in countless stiff necks from the positioning required. 

 Hardworking doers Vincenzo Cestone and his wife,

Lisa Zarrilli, own and operate what has grown in the past few years to become the L’Antica Grotta.  The ceiling in their wine bar restaurant was only one of many projects requiring attention and prefigured other enhancements.  The kitchen they created is also unique in its enclosure behind glass partitions, which allows a clear glimpse of meal preparations.  In stark contrast to this glassed-in kitchen, the newly installed walls of a lavatory exceed the definition of opaqueness.  Enzo (an abbreviation for Vincenzo) also constructed a long, attractive counter along the left wall from wooden boards that resemble pallets.  It hosts an impressive array of Italian wines, beers, and spirits.  Enzo will help guide you through his featured beverages.  If you prefer wine, he’ll help you select a generous measure of a perfectly paired wine to enjoy with your meal.  We especially enjoyed the red Basilicata vintage L’Atto.  This bold red vintage is an excellent match for Enzo’s beef,  lamb, and pasta offerings, whose structure makes for easy drinking and a soft landing to a peppery palate. 

In the seating area, weathered wooden tables are set with flickering candles and, occasionally, fresh flowers foraged from the countryside.  This creates a romantic ambiance perfect for a memorable evening.  A leather couch with accompanying side chairs opposite the counter invites one to relax and enjoy an apparativo, although in my case, once seated, I sometimes require a helpful hoist to extricate myself. 

In addition to serving as the hostess, Lisa’s daily schedule also involves working as a beautician, while Enzo is kept occupied as a mechanic.  Along with their burgeoning family, their restaurant is the

embodiment of a dream to create a restaurant that celebrates the culture of past and present Calitri.

The Grotta’s menu features a tempting selection of authentic Italian dishes crafted from the finest locally sourced ingredients.  Each dish celebrates the area's rich culinary heritage, from delicate antipasti platters to hearty pasta dishes and succulent grilled meats.  You will not find Enzo on the menu.  He comes a-la-cart and free of charge with suggestions and a pinch of herb lore.  I’ve heard it said, “It ain’t the oven, it’s the cook.”  In this case, this is so true.  In his creations, Enzo loves to include herbs from his garden, honey from his beehives, or the results of foraging as he meanders the hillsides for nature’s latest bounty.  Absent a dictionary, it’s always fun trying to figure out the English equivalent of whatever herb

Enzo's Bistecca

Enzo might be explaining.

With each visit, we find ourselves unprepared for what is offered as the menu changes with the seasons.  On our first visit, we found battered and fried cod bites skewered like lollypops, just divine.  They quickly became our go-to favorite.  Eventually, moving from the surf to turf, we shifted to steak.  It wasn’t your run-of-the-mill variety but one that challenged Florence’s Bistecca alla Fiorentina, that renowned slab of perfectly cooked steak.  Enzo’s char-broiled T-bones are thick and juicy as you would expect, and certainly enough for two—Maria Elena, with an appreciation for the filet, and I favor the bone and what remains.  Far more surprising is their cost, a mere 20€ compared to their 50-60€ Florentine cousins. 

 While far removed from Calitri when I began to write this tale a few weeks ago, I was busy searching through snowbanks, hoping to liberate our car.  Since then, with apparent haste, the

A Different Benedict

snow has disappeared.  Can I attribute this to the solar eclipse we just experienced?  Was it Enzo's Bisteccapart of that three-body orbital problem of the sun, moon, and earth that caused the sun to blink and, with its renewed rays, rid us of the snow?  Whatever its cause, the effect leads us closer to returning to untarnished Calitri and the bounty of the Grotta. 

The food, unique atmosphere, and hosts make each stop at L’Antica Grotta special.  I like everything about it.  As you savor each sip and bite, you can't help but feel a deep connection to the land and the people who have called this hillside and its grottos home for generations.  Their smiling spirits undoubtedly look down on us.  At least, I want to believe they do.  It's more than just a restaurant—it is a journey through time and taste, a testament to the enduring allure of Italy's gastronomic traditions and those like Enzo and Lise, who work hard to make it possible and keep traditions alive.  We just might see you there.

One final thought: as I finished this reflection on Calitri, my daughter's colleague had just returned from his first trip to Italy.  She called to share his text with me, which I now share with you:

“Been home less than 24 hours, and I miss Italy … Never felt this way after a vacation … I absolutely loved it there … The Italian lifestyle is right up my alley.”

And to think, he hasn’t even been to Calitri and L’Antica Grotta yet!

Winter in Calitri ...

     ... and the Calitri Borgo

From That Rogue Tourist, 

Paolo