Amazing Italy:
Enjoying Rovigo and
its cuisine with Maria Cristina Buoso (Part 8)
by Maria Teresa De
Donato
.jpg)
(The Church of Santa Giustina)
(Pierre Mortier; ancient map of Rovigo: detail, the
demolished Church of Santa Giustina, in today's Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi)
(Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
International)
Dearest friends,
our dear friend and
fellow author and blogger, Maria Cristina Buoso, came to revisit us to tell us
about another pearl of her Rovigo of her. To those who have not had the
opportunity to read our previous interviews, visit our Amazing Italy Column. You will have the chance to discover many exciting areas of our
beautiful country and organize some trips to go and see them.
Enjoy the reading!
.JPG)
MTDD: Hello, Maria Cristina, and welcome again to my Blog and Cultural Lounge. Thank you for actively participating in this initiative of mine.
MCB: Thanks to you, Maria
Teresa. It is always a pleasure to be your guest.
MTDD: Maria
Cristina, which tourist attraction in Rovigo are you talking about today?
MCB: Today, I thought I'd
tell you about the Church of Santa Giustina
MTDD: Great. What can
you tell us about this jewel of your town?
MCB: The Church of Santa
Giustina once stood where Garibaldi Square is now. At first, it was the private
chapel of the viscount who governed Rovigo on behalf of the Este family, whose
palace, which was nearby, was destroyed by the Venetians in the 16th century
while the Church remained isolated. The entrance faced west, as was the custom
in that period, and in 1450 it became a parish. The exact date on which it was
opened to the public is not known; it is only known that the faithful were more
than double those of the Cathedral, which is located nearby, but it did not have
a Baptistery, so people were compelled to go to another church when it served
in the function.
MTDD: Were there, over
the centuries, modifications, demolitions, or transfers concerning this Church?
MCB: Yes, there were. On 7
May 1806, the parish moved, in fact, to that of San Francesco, which for this
reason, became the Church of San Francesco and Giustina. In 1809 Santa
Giustina was demolished, and in its place, a public square was built, the
current Garibaldi Square, with one of the most beautiful statues that
represent it and which was created by the Roman sculptor Ettore Ferrari
in 1896, who did not want to be paid but only reimbursed for out-of-pocket
expenses.
MTDD: What a genuinely noble
gesture!
MCB: Yes, I agree. The
people of Polesine, however, banded together to pay him and also gave him the
honorary citizenship of Rovigo as a form of gratitude.
MTDD: Can you tell
us something about this statue?
MCB: The equestrian
statue is in bronze and rests on granite marble. It is decorated with
bas-reliefs and inscriptions describing the feats of the hero of the two
worlds.
.jpg)
(Garibaldi Square –
Photo Author)
Legend has it that
since he (Ettore Ferrari) was a passionate Republican, he placed two crowns
under the horse's stirrups as a sign of contempt for the monarchy.
You'll have to visit my
city to find out if it's true.
The famous
"Liston" of the square comprises long marble slabs that outline the
plan of the destroyed Church.
.jpg)
(Garibaldi Square –
Photo Author)
Anyone wishing to learn
more about the topic can read the information provided at the following links:
https://rovigo.italiani.it/santa-giustina/
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiesa_di_Santa_Giustina_(Rovigo)
https://viaggi.fidelityhouse.eu/piazza-garibaldi-rovigo-53919.html
MTDD: Very interesting
indeed.
Have you prepared a delicious
recipe for our passionate readers this time too?
MCB: Certainly! Today I
thought of proposing Fasoi in potacin.
Recipe
Beans in potacin
It is a dish much
appreciated throughout the Polesine area and eaten above all in winter, and it could
be said that in the Rovigo area, it is one of the symbolic dishes.
Dry Borlotti or Lamon
beans are usually used; they are soaked in water for 12 hours or a whole night,
rinsed, and poured into a pot with high edges. Fry a little olive oil with
Polesine garlic (someone also uses a little onion), to which a sprig of
rosemary is added, if desired, and finally, the beans. It is stirred, adding a
little salt and pepper, and plenty of water is poured over everything at the
end.
The amount of water
poured must be at least three times that of the beans. The beans, in fact, must
be covered entirely and boiled slowly.
Turn occasionally to
make sure they don't stick. If you want to add tomato paste, dissolve a
spoonful of it in a cup with water, and when it has dissolved, pour it into the
pot and bring it to a boil.
As an indication, the
cooking should last about an hour and a half, but since it can vary, it is
always better to taste them because only by tasting them will you realize if
you need to add more salt and pepper.
Toward the end, I pour
a little olive oil with some chili pepper; I let them cook a little longer and
then turn them off.
The next day, for me,
they are even better if eaten with freshly cooked polenta or from the day
before, but cut into slices and browned .... and if you add the cotechino, so
much the better.
OK... I'll stop right there
because my mouth is already watering.
Enjoy your meal!
.jpg)
(Web photo)
https://rovigo.italiani.it/fasoi-in-potacin/
https://www.polesine24.it/gusto/2018/06/21/news/fasoi-in-potracin-made-in-polesine-27729/
MTDD: Maria Cristina,
you made our mouths water too... 😊
Thanks again for
participating in our interview, for the information you provided on the Church
of Santa Giustina, and for this delicious recipe.
I look forward to our
next meeting!
MCB: Thanks to you, Maria Teresa. Happy to have participated.
See you soon then!
