As you know, my first two books are stories about Italy’s unsung culinary heroes, people who left behind rich legacies that have transformed Italian cooking in eras past, giving us the foundation for the foods we know and love today. My first novel, Feast of Sorrow, is about the man with his name on the oldest known cookbook, Apicius. He was a wealthy gourmand who gave us some of our first recipes for things like foie gras, french toast, and fried dough. My second novel, The Chef’s Secret, is about Bartolomeo Scappi, who was the first celebrity chef--the first man the world revered for his cooking. He left behind a cookbook with over 1,000 recipes, including some of the first recipes for tortellini, fried chicken, and zabaglione. I also have two books about other culinary figures in the queue—Vincenzo Cervio, who left us a Renaissance book on carving, and Antonio Latini, a Baroque-era steward to the Viceroy of Naples.
Writing these books has helped me satisfy some of my never-ending curiosity about the world of the past. I love research, and it is probably one of the biggest reasons that I started writing historical fiction. There is so much strangeness to be discovered within the layers of the past, so much so that one of the biggest challenges I have faced in my writing is how to choose which fascinating factoids to impart to my audience.
Today, I’m sharing five things that I discovered about Renaissance Italy when I was writing The Chef’s Secret. Each of the below can be found woven within the pages of the novel.
1. THE GREAT COMET OF 1577
In 1577, a comet streaked across the skies of Europe and was visible from November 13, 1577, to January 26, 1578, a period of 74 days. In Ferrara, an architect, Pirro Ligorio, described the phenomenon: "the comet shimmering from a burning fire inside the dazzling cloud.” Astronomer Tycho Brae witnessed and wrote about the comet. This comet plays an important part of my novel.
2. ROME’S TALKING STATUES
In Renaissance Rome, the residents didn’t have the Internet to complain about their political and social grievances. So, instead, they turned six ancient statues into “talking statues.” Individuals would paste commentary in the form of poems and epigrams, and sometimes, one statue would rebuke the commentary of another, creating a back-and-forth between different parts of the city. There were several talking statues, including Marforio, a huge statue of the river god Oceanus in the Capitoline Museum. The most famous, however, is Pasquino, in a little piazzetta off of Piazza Navona. Pasquino is still used today to express the opinions of the people, although authorities have since erected a plastic stand next to it to serve as the base for the notes.
3. TURKEYS IN EUROPE
The first turkey recipes appear in the Italian cookbook L'Opera di Bartolomeo Scappi. Turkeys found their way to Italy during the Renaissance, but it wasn’t until the latter half of the century that they were deemed suitable for eating. As you might know, turkeys are a bird native to the Americas and were prized by the ancient Aztecs and Native Americans alike. Christopher Columbus noted the bird when he first came to America, but it wasn't until around 1519 that Spanish and Italian explorers first brought turkeys to Europe. Initially, they were regarded as a beautiful and strange oddity, and many nobles kept them as pets or gave them to others as extravagant gifts. They were loved for their unique look, with artists depicting them in sculptures and paintings. The sculpture you see here, by Italian sculptor Giambologna, is from 1560, of the prized pet of Cosimo di Medici. The Italians called them gallo d'India (or birds of India) because of general geographical confusion by early explorers. Eventually, however, turkeys became even more loved for their delicious and unusual flavor.
4. THE RIALTO BRIDGE USED TO BE MADE OF WOOD
Even if you haven’t been to Venice, you have likely seen pictures of the beautiful, white stone Rialto bridge. But what you see today wasn’t built until 1591. Before that it was a wooden drawbridge that could be lifted up to let larger ships pass in the canal below.
5. THE SHORTEST REIGN OF ANY POPE WAS 22 DAYS
Eight popes reigned during the 49-year period in which The Chef’s Secret takes place (1528-1577). One of the shortest reigns by a pope occurred during this time, with Pope Marcellus II lasting only 22 days. He wasn’t very old but had always been in poor health. He died at the age of 53 after suffering a stroke and then slipping into a coma. Fun fact: when researching the novel, I wasn’t sure how reverent I should be in writing about the popes of history past. Then I met with a wonderful papal researcher, and when talking about Marcellus, he looked at me and said, “of course you are going to kill him off, aren’t you?” 😉
I had a lot of fun figuring out how to thread the needle of my story with these facts to create The Chef’s Secret!
The Chef’s Secret is now available on Kindle Unlimited, so make sure you check it out!
There’s Still Time!
If you haven’t entered yet, my publisher, MIRA Books, is giving away a copy of IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS. Go here to throw your hat into the ring for it. And of course, if you want to just go ahead and help a gal out by pre-ordering it, you can at this link.
My first novel, Feast of Sorrow, is the story of Apicius, the ancient gourmand whose name is on the oldest known cookbook. He died in the most bizarre way, and I tell the tale of how he got there. It’s a Kindle Daily deal for $1.99 for May only!
What’s Bringing Me Joy This Week
Remember Slim Goodbody?
Love love Raffaella Carrá. Here’s Ma Che Sera from 1978, remastered.
If you love food and love Italy, and haven’t read THE CHEF’S SECRET or FEAST OF SORROW, click the links to learn where to buy your copy! 🍒🍗🍷 And now you can pre-order IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS!
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