XXXVIII SAGRA DEL CARCIOFO A CERDA

On April 25th we went to Cerda for the 38^th annual Sagra del Carciofo, the artichoke festival.  Cerda bills itself as the artichoke capital of Sicily, and who am I to argue?  This little town, population 5,214, sits at the base of the Madonie mountains about 45 kilometers southeast of Palermo.  On a clear day, you can see the Mediterranean from town.  

In addition to its artichokes, Cerda is famous for being the start and finish line of the Targa Florio, the world’s oldest open road endurance sports car race.  The course tears through the Madonie, down to the sea, and back, covering some 72 km of breathtaking scenery, various micro-climates, and 800 to 900 curves, more than a few of which are hairpin.  To put that in perspective, most modern purpose-built circuits normally have between 18 and 20 corners.  So, a hair-raising experience!  Below you can see that the original course was twice as long as today's.  The race was discontinued in 1977 after a series of deadly accidents over the years claimed the lives of drivers and spectators.  It is now run as a rally event, and it looks like EU funds are supporting the reiteration of this historic race.

The Targa Florio was founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Florio, Jr., whose grandfather made his fortune in Marsala wine and the spice trade.  Junior was a dilettante, disinterested in business, who preferred to play in the watering holes of Paris, Nice, Cannes, and Monte Carlo.  In addition to fast cars, he loved luxury yachts, of which he owned five.  Unfortunately for the family, his debts and bad business judgment squandered the family fortune and bankrupted the company.  The Targa Florio, on the other hand, was a vroom vroom success. This year’s race—the 103^rd—will run October 10th through the 13^th and will once again start and end in Cerda. 

Dan Gurney, Targa Florio, 1964

We arrived at the festival at about 17:00, having just missed a performance by a group of bandieri, flag tossers in medieval dress.  We hiked up into the town where the action was and stopped along the way to buy a lovely piece of pecorino stagionato (aged sheep cheese) studded with black peppercorns, from a woman who was selling her cheeses out of the back of her car.   Ours was just like the cheese on top of the overturned basket, lower left, in the photo below, only more authentic, since it came out of the back of a car.  😉

A little further on our progress was interrupted by a caretto, a traditional Sicilian hand-painted, wooden cart, drawn by a grey mare decked out in truly extravagant harnesses, blankets, and bridles.  Her headdress was pinnacled by piles of pheasant plumes, which waved gently in the mild evening breeze and as she shook her head.  I’ve never seen such an elaborately decorated cart or sartorial horse.  

Artisanal items were a little few and far between after that, however.  The main street was bordered with stands on either side; they were full of kitsch and crap that were more amusing than useful.   Ronaldo is holding his own with Jesus, the BVM, and Padre Pio, the patron saint of truck drivers (no joke).

There were also amusement rides for the kids and

some astonishing furniture and artwork for the nest builders.

But we were certain we would find something worth the trek and continued to the highest point of the town.  There we found the main church and the municipio (town hall), as well as a statue of a giant artichoke.  

We sat in the piazza, had a glass of wine with a splash of Campari bitter, and watched the passeggiata (the evening stroll through town).  

We started a conversation with a local couple who gave us some advice on where to eat (Ristorante il Marchese—reservations essential!) and where to find the best canoli (Pasticceria Cusumano).  The restaurant (below) was extremely hip—in Cerda?!—but fully booked, so I took their card for future reference.  It might be fun to go back there in October when the Targa Florio roars through town.   Reservations doubly essential, then, no doubt.  

Excellent advice on the canoli!  No Hype!   (By the way, in my opinion, the only canoli worth eating are those that are filled while you wait.  Otherwise, they get soggy.  The shell--the canolo--should be crunchy.)

Keep it real!

Marilyn