Evviva San Rocco! A Look at the 137th Annual Feast of San Rocco di Potenza in Little Italy, New York

San Rocco di Montpellier, ora pro nobis
Photos courtesy of Pasquale De Davide

Friday Convivio at St. Peter's Church in New York, NY

The Green Fairy from the Town of Herbs

Apparently determined to outdo the friend who just brought me back a reliquary from the Santuario di San Michele Arcangelo in Monte Sant’Angelo, Puglia, another friend recently returned from Collepardo, the medieval hill town in Frosinone affectionately known as the Town of Herbs and Caves, bearing a bottle of absinthe from the historic herbalist workshop and distillery Sarandrea Marco & C. Knowing my fondness for the Green Fairy, he could not have chosen better. Until now, I had never encountered an Italian absinthe, and naturally it sent me down a rabbit hole into its history.

To my surprise, Sarandrea began producing its Absinthium in 1915, at precisely the moment France was outlawing absinthe after decades of moral panic. Switzerland had already banned it in 1910, and Italy would eventually follow in 1931. And yes, learning that Italy’s own prohibition arrived under the House of Savoy only gave me one more historical grievance to add to the list. For most of the twentieth century, the Green Fairy vanished from much of Europe, returning only after the longstanding prohibitions were lifted in 1998, allowing traditional distillers to revive authentic nineteenth-century recipes.

I look forward to opening this bottle as it was meant to be enjoyed: slowly and ritually during the Green Hour, when absinthe once flowed through the cafés of Paris and artists, poets, and dreamers gathered to debate ideas, cultivate friendships, and seek inspiration. It is remarkable that a spirit so closely associated with Belle Époque France should find such an intriguing chapter of its story in a small Italian village devoted for centuries to the study of herbs. That alone makes this bottle something more than a drink. It is a piece of history, and a thoughtful reminder that the best gifts are those that reflect not only our tastes but also our curiosities.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 16th, Feasts of San Rocco di Montpellier and San Gioacchino

A Postcard from the Gates of Hell

Postcard of Auguste Rodin's La Porte de l’Enfer

Back in July, a dear friend sent me a photograph of Auguste Rodin’s La Porte de l’Enfer (The Gates of Hell) while visiting the Musée Rodin in Paris. Knowing how much I admire his work, she thought of me while standing before one of his most ambitious creations.

The photograph alone would have been enough, but she also took the time to bring me back a postcard of The Gates of Hell, which will make a nice addition to my collection.

I am flattered that, in the presence of such greatness, she thought of me.

Photo of the Week: The Colossal Head of Augustus in the Cortile della Pigna, Vatican Museums (III)

The Colossal Head of Augustus, dating from the 1st century AD, is displayed on the east wall of the open-air Cortile della Pigna (Courtyard of the Pinecone) in the Vatican Museums (Photo by New York Scugnizzo)

Under the Mantle of the Glorious Pilgrim

San Rocco di Montpellier, ora pro nobis

Each year, as the Feast of the Assumption yields to the Feast of San Rocco, I find myself returning in gratitude to the graces God has bestowed through the intercession of the glorious Pilgrim of Montpellier.

This year marks the third anniversary of the heart attack that forever changed the course of my life. What I first received as a second chance has become something greater: a call to live more prayerfully and more attentively to the things of God. The joy that filled me in those early days has never faded. If anything, it has deepened into lasting peace.

First among my patrons, San Rocco has long occupied a privileged place in my devotions. For the past decade, I have been entrusted with safeguarding one of his holy relics, a responsibility I carry with reverence through daily prayer, burning candles, and incense. In contemplating his life as a pilgrim and healer, I have found a companion whose example continually calls me away from distraction and toward charity, humility, and trust in Divine Providence.

For those of us whose roots lie in Southern Italy, devotion to San Rocco is more than inherited custom. Devotion to the great saint has long united villages, families, and the faithful in prayer, hope, and charity. To honor him is to remain connected not only to our ancestors, but also to the enduring Catholic civilization that formed them.

God willing, I will once again have the privilege of joining my confratelli of the San Rocco Society in carrying the saint through the streets of Little Italy, just as generations before us have done. It is a small act of devotion, but one offered in thanksgiving for graces received, for vows faithfully kept, and for the undeserved gift of being granted another year beneath the mantle of the glorious Pilgrim. Evviva San Rocco!

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 15th, Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

52nd Anniversary Celebration in Honor of Santa Rosalia in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

Celebrating Ferragosto

Focaccia Barese

Ferragosto has been a cherished day of celebration in Italy for more than two millennia. Its origins lie in the Feriae Augusti (Festivals of Augustus), established by Emperor Augustus in 18 BC as a period of rest and thanksgiving following the agricultural harvest. Centuries later, the Church gave the holiday its highest meaning by associating it with the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated on August 15th. Today, Italians traditionally mark the occasion with family gatherings, festive meals, and excursions to the beach or the mountains.

In that same spirit, we celebrated the day surrounded by family and friends. We were treated to another wonderful home-cooked meal, spent the afternoon splashing about in the pool, and enjoyed laughter, conversation, and good company. Traditions like these remind us that the greatest blessings are often the simplest: faith, family, friendship, and a shared table. Buon Ferragosto!

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 15th, Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Arancini, olive di Gaeta, e crocchè di patate

Zucchini alla poverella

Prosciutto

Mozzarella 

Peperoni arrostiti

Melanzane grigliate sott'olio

Pizza Montanara

Ravioli alla vodka

Salsiccia alla griglia

Cotoletta di manzo

A Changing of the Guard at Ernesto il disingannato

We extend our sincere gratitude to Professor Gianandrea de Antonellis for his many years of dedicated service as founder and Director of Ernesto il disingannato. His vision and commitment have shaped the publication since its founding in 2017 and established the course it continues to follow today.

As Riccardo Pasqualin assumes the role of Director, we wish him every success in carrying forward this important work while remaining faithful to the principles and traditions upon which the journal was founded.

Dios, Patria, Fueros y Rey!

Simple Pleasures: A Gift from Monte Sant’Angelo

San Michele Arcangelo, ora pro nobis

There are few gifts more meaningful than those that carry the memory of a holy place. Just in time for St. Michael's Lent, a dear friend returned from a pilgrimage to the Santuario di San Michele Arcangelo in Monte Sant’Angelo, Puglia, and placed into my hands a small reliquary containing stones from the Apparition Grotto where, according to ancient tradition, St. Michael the Archangel revealed himself.

To hold those blessed stones is to feel a tangible connection to one of Christendom’s oldest and most revered pilgrimage sites. It is a reminder that the greatest souvenirs are not objects of luxury, but humble relics of faith that draw our hearts toward God and keep alive the memory of the holy places that have shaped our civilization. ~ Giovanni di Napoli

Feast St. Hyacinth at Corpus Christi Church in South River, New Jersey

The Tears of St. Lawrence

San Lorenzo, ora pro nobis

Unable to sleep, last night I crept into the backyard with a glass of absinthe and looked toward the heavens. The Perseid meteor shower was nearing its peak, and the new moon promised unusually favorable conditions. I had already gone searching for them on August 10th, La Notte di San Lorenzo, the Night of St. Lawrence, but the weather was less accommodating. Pontarlier in hand, I waited in the darkness in the vain hope of catching even a fleeting streak of light across the summer sky.

In Catholic tradition, the Perseids are known as Le Lacrime di San Lorenzo, the Tears of St. Lawrence, their falling light recalling the tears shed for the martyred deacon. Another tradition sees in their fiery descent the glowing embers of the flames upon which he was roasted.

Though no celestial fire revealed itself to me that night, I made my annual wish beneath the obscured heavens, trusting the old custom even without a shooting star to carry it.

Whether I saw them seemed almost beside the point. Simply keeping vigil beneath the firmament, meditating on the martyr whose blazing embers return to us every August, was enough. Somewhere beyond my sight, the Tears of St. Lawrence were falling. Evviva San Lorenzo!

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 13th, Feast of Sant’Ippolito Martire

Viva 'o Rre! Happy Birthday King Francesco I of the Two Sicilies

b. Napoli, 14 August 1777 – d. Napoli, 8 November 1830

In memory of King Francesco I of the Two Sicilies, we pray for the happy repose of his soul. Viva ‘o Rre!

Eternal rest grant unto His Majesty, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

Among the Shelves: Treasures in a Friend’s Library

Il Blasone in Sicilia (The Blazon in Sicily),
presented in its protective clamshell box

Recently, I had the pleasure of exploring a friend’s private library. I know several people whose collections far surpass my own, and I always enjoy seeing the paths their interests have taken them and the remarkable volumes they have managed to acquire over the years. Every collection reflects the interests and passions of its owner, making the experience of browsing another person’s library a pleasure in itself.

Among the highlights was I Borbone delle Due Sicilie (The Bourbons of the Two Sicilies), the magnificent Scripta Maneant edition limited to just 399 copies. Accompanied by five commemorative medallions bearing the portraits of the Bourbon Kings of the Two Sicilies, it is as much a work of art as it is a historical publication.

Equally impressive was Il Blasone in Sicilia (The Blazon in Sicily) by Vincenzo Palizzolo Gravina, Baron of Ramione. Originally published in Palermo between 1871 and 1875, this monumental work remains one of the foundational references for the study of Sicilian nobility and heraldry. Its detailed histories of noble families, descriptions of coats of arms, and beautiful chromolithographic plates make it an enduring treasure for anyone interested in the history and genealogy of Southern Italy.

On a more personal note, I was delighted to find a copy of Ciri-Biri-Bin by Mel Silverman, a book I loved as a child. Published in 1957, it captures the warmth and vitality of Italian-American neighborhood life through Silverman’s bold, woodcut-inspired illustrations. Centered on a young boy named Mario and culminating in the excitement of a neighborhood feast reminiscent of San Gennaro, it remains a charming celebration of family, community, and the joyful spirit of Italian America.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 13th, Feast of Sant’Ippolito Martire

(L) Gilt-stamped coat of arms of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies on the leather-bound cover of Il Blasone in Sicilia (The Blazon in Sicily). (R) Autographed photo of the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The personal dedication from HRH Prince Carlo has been digitally removed to protect the owner's privacy

(L) Ornate clamshell box for I Borbone delle Due Sicilie (The Bourbons of the Two Sicilies). A Kennedy Half Dollar is shown for scale. (R) I Borbone delle Due Sicilie (The Bourbons of the Two Sicilies) housed within its protective box

Five commemorative medallions bearing the portraits
of the Bourbon Kings of the Two Sicilies

Double-Page Spread featuring an antique map of the Kingdom of Naples

Double-Page Spread featuring a detail of the
ceiling in the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples

(L) Cover of Carlos III: Majestad y Ornato. (R) Recto
featuring a portrait of HM King Carlos III

(L) Slipcover for Ruggero II d'Altavilla. (R) Gilt-stamped cover

(L) Recto featuring the mosaic of Roger II of Sicily being crowned by Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio, Palermo. (R) Cover of Cerimonial dei Borbone di Napoli (1734-1801)

Double-page spread from Cerimonial dei Borbone di Napoli (1734-1801) featuring the portraits of King Carlo of Naples and Sicily and his consort, Maria Amalia of Saxony 

(L-R) Covers of Francesco II di Borbone: Immagini,
documenti, testimonianze and I Briganti di Sua Maestà

Cover of Cinque Borbone

(L-R) Covers of Cuore a Sud and Diario di Francesco II di Borbone (1862-1894)

(L-R) Rectos from Diario di Francesco II di Borbone (1862-1894)
featuring portraits of HM King Francesco II di Borbone
and HM Queen Maria Sofia of Bavaria

(L-R) Covers of Carlo III and Un Cardinale Condottiero 

(L-R) Covers of Ferdinando IV: Re di Napoli and Un
regno in America per Francesco II di Borbone?

(L-R) Covers of A Tavola Con I Borboni and Ciri-Biri-Bin