Italian towns, Calitri

... and No One Clapped

As in many other Italian towns, Calitri basically closes down for the "riposo" around 1 pm each day and awakens again at 4 pm. If you are late getting lunch and it gets past one in the afternoon, forget about it! With the renewal of activity in the late afternoon the pulse of the community continues until roughly 8 pm. Around then, establishments close and families come together for their evening meal ... yes, pretty late dining for the uninitiated, non-European. It is during this four hour evening interlude that something special happens each and every night in Calitri.

It was an April Sunday evening in Calitri. The main corso was closed to traffic as on all such Sunday evenings in full expression of the poetry of the ‘passeggiare', a ritual where many of the townspeople flood into the street in keeping with an ancient tradition of meeting each other at the end of day and exchanging greetings. How this began, I have no idea - there is nothing comparable to it in America. Families walk arm-in-arm. Groups of ladies, most likely lifelong friends who have enjoyed this promenade since they walked together as children, arm-in-arm, chat and greet as they make their way. Some strollers with older companions help them along, a bolster to a cane in their companion's other hand. Children buzz through the throngs of people like fireflies and older gentlemen line the benches under the trees as if they were the marshals of a parade. It's just something special to see and experience. This particular evening, the "bona sara's" were being traded as if it were Christmas morning and gift were exchanging hands. People we had only recently met - a waiter, a store owner, a workman, made the effort to greet us and chat - we with our weak Italian and they with rusty English.

We had only been there a few days by then, but already we felt comfortable with greeting passersby with just a ‘sera' verses the full-blown ‘bona sara'. People instinctively knew we were outsiders, new to this place. It was probably because of my height and the style of the clothes we wore. More likely, it may have been because in all the past litany of "passeggiare", we'd never attended one and therefore stuck out like a Boston fan at a Yankee grudge game in the Broncs!

It was on this particular night of "passeggiare', while standing in the doorway of "Speedy Pizza" chatting as best we could in Italian with the owner as we waiting for a pizza, that there was a loud boom, actually an explosion outside that hushed any further greetings. Seeing it is normal here to have gas ‘bombolla' bottles inside your home next to your stove, my first thought was that somewhere nearby one had indeed exploded. The cacophony continued, however, and as we stepped out into the street the night sky above the castle overlooking the Borgo lit up in a thunderous fireworks display! From the valley floor far below Calitri it must have been a wonderful sight. It was a spectacular display. We learned later when a crowd of young people, some sporting jester hats, streamed into town from the square outside of town hall and the Borgo, that it had something to do with a local soccer team. Just as a boom had announced the start of this vibrant sky-show, it concluded with an equally loud concussion. It was over as quickly as it had begun. Surprisingly, there was silence among the townspeople around us. As we instinctively applauded in appreciation for what had just occurred, they turned their heads away from the sky to continue their soiree as if nothing had happened. They were silent. Some looked at us because of our response, standing there as we were in the street clapping, still looking skyward as the last flickers of fire faded and the smoke trails dissipated in the night breeze. This reaction on our part must have seemed peculiar to them. Yet, as our eyes met those of a group of nearby women, they took up our expression of thanks and also began to clap. How quickly ideas spread. How quickly Calitri made us feel accepted.

Go to Calitri. Experience the ‘passeggiare'. There may even be a fireworks display if you are lucky. You might even want to clap. Vacations become a part of us because of the memories they instill ... Calitri will too!