Otranto was our first landfall in Italy,
after a moderately challenging passage from Ithaca. Just a couple of hours later, those ‘moderate’
conditions turned decidedly nasty as a thunderstorm hovered over the brooding
Aragonese castle in true Gothic style, and several boats arriving later had a
major challenge finding space and docking in the heavy rain and swell. But it
passed, as all things do, and a string of fine warm days ensued.
Speaking of Gothic, has anyone read The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole? I
usually try to read books about the places we visit, or books by local authors,
so it made sense to download a copy of what is generally believed to be the
first example of gothic horror fiction in English. It has all the elements – a haunted castle beset by
a curse, a villainous/ attractive antihero, TWO fainting virgins, a hero who
turns out to be the illegitimate – no wait, it’s OK, they WERE married – son of
a monk, dungeons, torture, secret passages, madness, comical faithful retainers
and decaying aristocrats. If you’re thinking, hey that sounds interesting,
don’t bother! It is truly awful, one of the worst-written novels I’ve ever
read, with great long passages of explanation for the absurd plot twists and
pious moral reflections that are clearly there to try to balance the lurid
fantasies of the author. No wonder Jane Austen parodied the fad for this sort
of stuff in Northanger Abbey. Horace Walpole did the Grand Tour, so I thought that the descriptions of the castle
might at least be interesting, but the setting could have been anywhere (with a
dungeon and a secret passage to the monastery).
The real castle is remarkable. It has
existed in some form since the ancient Greek empire, and has been modified or
rebuilt by the Romans, Byzantines, Normans and the Aragonese. It has suffered earthquake damage, sacking by
the Ottomans and Napoleon and use as a prison. Since 1986, a restoration and
excavation programme has revealed its outer walls, system of moats and bridges.
There is a whole town within the walls, and pleasingly, people live here above
the shops and restaurants that line its winding cobbled streets. We really
enjoyed seeing local people hanging out washing or watering gardens on their
balconies, or the occasional glimpse inside a tiny room furnished in dark wood
and hand-made lace.
Within the walls is another treasure of
Otranto, its Byzantine cathedral. The floor here is a single massive mosaic
created by the presbyter of the church at the time, a man called Pantaleone. It
depicts a huge ‘tree of life’ bearing the whole known history of humanity and
the creation. The tree rests on the backs of two elephants (obviously not based
on live observation) and included are Biblical stories, astrological signs,
mythological creatures, King Arthur, Alexander the Great, Dante’s Inferno and
all manner of angels and demons. Originally frescoes covered all the walls, but
they were destroyed by the invading Ottoman Turks who left only the images of
the Madonna intact.
Behind the altar is a grim reminder of the
real tragedy of Otranto: three glass cases hold the skulls and bones of 800 men
and boys, the Martyrs of Otranto. In 1480, the people of the town held off the
invading Turks for almost two weeks. When they were finally defeated, the
survivors were rounded up and ordered to convert to Islam or die. 800 men
suffered martyrdom by beheading on Minerva Hill, outside the castle. A church commemorates the site, which retains
an atmosphere of melancholy even now, under its brooding trees and overgrown
walls. The town never recovered, but last year the Pope canonised all the
Martyrs of Otranto. As you walk the
streets, you can imagine the few women, children and elderly people left behind
after the massacre, grieving in the silence. It’s a relief when the evening passagiata brings tourists and locals
out to enjoy a stroll, a drink and a conversation, like an affirmation of life.
On a lighter note, it’s great to be back
amongst Italian food too, and good wine. And new – or old favourite – beers.
Some good finds have included Dreher lemon beer, a 2% brew that is a really
refreshing hot-weather drink, like a less sweet lemonade with a very slight
bitter edge. Arancini for quick take-aways, lovely pastas and the local snack
specialty, biscuits called taralli that are good in both their sweet and
savoury forms.
We’ve been busy clearing out the second
cabin aka the storeroom, ready to
welcome Chris aboard. She is finishing up a month-long ‘eating tour’ of Italy
and we’re looking forward to welcoming her and hearing about her adventures.
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