Race of the 4 Maritime Republics (IT. Regata delle 4 Repubbliche Marinare)

This year the "Race of the 4 Maritime Republics" will be held in Pisa on the afternoon of June 23, on the Arno river.

Every year, on a day between the end of May and the beginning of July, in our country there is the Race (or Palio) of the Ancient Maritime Republics. These are: Pisa, Amalfi, Genoa and Venice. 

Each republic has its own colour and its own distinctive symbol on the galleon, which is equivalent to the emblem of the city: the red colour and the eagle for Pisa, the blue colour and the winged horse for Amalfi, the white colour and the gryphon for Genoa , the green colour and the winged lion for Venice.

The site of the battle is rolling across the 4 cities, where, before the race, people parade

through the streets of the host city wearing the clothes of ancient characters that characterize the republic. The idea of an event that would group the 4 ancient Maritime Republics of the Middle Ages was born at the end of the 40s of the twentieth century by the Pisan Mirro Chiaverini. He presented his idea to the Provincial Ente of Tourism, which immediately accepted it and sent it to the other three cities to join in. At the beginning Venice didn't want to participate in the race but only in the historical parade. However, the three other cities insistet so much that, it finally agreed.
The cortege in Pisa refers to the legend of Kinzica de 'Sismondi, the heroine who according to the tradition, saved the city from the Saracens in 1004. But not just her, in fact there are costumes that recall the various leaders who led one after another the government of Pisa (consuls, mayor, captain of the people). The soldiers, recognizable by the black eagles, a symbol of the Empire, which appears on the chest, the sailors, the trumpeters and timpanists take place in the parade too.

The regulation of the Race remains the same in its substance, despite having undergone some small changes. Four crews take part in the race, each made up of eight rowers and a coxswain, in addition to some reserves.

Athletes must come for half from the region and for another half from the province. The boats, called galleons, must possess all the same structural parameters: before departure they are regularly weighed at no load and with accessories, oars not included, and they must weigh less than 760 kilograms.

The four galleons must be recognizable through the colours and the figurehead, the structure placed at the bow of the boat, that is the animal which is the symbol of the city.

The Race, like any other rowing race, is 2km long.
It differs depending on the locality where it is performed: in Pisa you row on the river Arno, in Amalfi along the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, in Genoa in the harbor basin of the Ligurian Sea and in Venice in the quaint lagoon on the Adriatic Sea.



The winner is the boat whose figurehead passes the finish line first: for Pisa it is the ends of the claws of the eagle, for Amalfi the tip of the front hoof of the winged horse, for Genoa the tip of the nostrils of the gryphon, and for Venice half of the sword contested by the winged lion.

It's forbidden to invade the opponent's lane, unless you are a boat ride away (a unit of measurement of rowing) from him.

The winning city receives in award a trophy in gold and silver, which represents a galleon supported by four sea-horses, under which the coats of arms of the four Maritime Republics appear. The winner holds it for a year, until the day of the next edition, when it is again on the field.
At the base of the trophy a coin with the symbol of the winning city, which remains for ever to the winner, is also being paid from year to year.

These are the results of the races witch have been taken place until today:

City	1º	2º	3º	4º
Venice	30	14	7	5
Amalfi	10	7	9	30
Pisa	8	20	18	10
Genoa	8	15	22	11

This year the race will take place here:

For more information:

http://www.giugnopisano.com/

Contact the organizers:
City of Pisa   Via degli Uffizi, 1-56100 Pisa
Phone: 050 910111
Fax: 050 500242
E-mail: comune.pisa @ postacert.toscana.it
Web: http://www.comune.pisa.it/it/home



Review by:

Maria Chiara Fanteria

Chocolate salami

CHOCOLATE SALAMI

Ingredients for 4 people:
- 100gr of butter
- 150gr of sugar
- one egg
- 60gr of cocoa powder
- 300gr of biscuits (for example "Oro Saiwa") 
-2 spoons of milk

At the first we break the biscuits and we loosen the butter on the flame.
When we are finished we can mix the biscuits and the butter with the other ingredients.
When we have all the ingredients all together we put the mix of ingredients in the foil paper.
We have to make an oval shape with the foil paper because it is the same shape of a salami.
Finally we put the cake in the freezer for 1 hour and it is ready!!

Castagnaccio

Castagnaccio is a cake made ​​with chestnut flour, a typically autumnal dish easy to prepare and very good to eat. It originated as a poor dish for the rural populations who had chestnuts as their main staple food. Today, instead, this cake is the protagonist of numerous celebrations and festivals.

Here is a recipe for 8 people.
The ingredients you need are:
-water: 750 ml
-chestnut flour: 500 gr
-walnuts: 100 gr
-pine nuts: 100 gr
-rosemary: a handful
-raisins: 80 gr
-salt: a big pinch
-extravirgin olive oil: 6 tablespoons

PREPARATION



To prepare the Castagnaccio, the first thing to do is preheat the oven at 200°, then take the raisins and put them to soak in warm water (1) ; proceed sifting the chestnut flour into a large bowl to remove possible lumps (2) and after having added a generous pinch of salt, pour gradually water in the flour (3) mixing everything with a whip until you obtain a well blended and soft batter (4).



Then squeeze and dry the raisins, and add them to the mix together with pine nuts and walnuts coarsely chopped (5) (set aside a small amount of these three ingredients that you will sprinkle on the surface of the castagnaccio before baking). Take a shallow baking tin with a diameter of 40 cm and grease it with some olive oil using a brush. Later pour the mix in the baking tin, sprinkle the castagnaccio with the ingredients set aside and with the rosemary (6), pour two more tablespoons of oil on the surface and finally bake it for 30 minutes at 200 ° until it will form a crust on the surface.

This dish is classified as a cake but it is not very sweet, it has a particular flavor that I like very much, for this reason I chose this dish. I have never prepared it, but I'd like to do it one day.

Ylenia Foschetti

Conchiglie alla vodka

VODKA SHELLS

It serves 6 people:

• 3 spoons of extra vergin olive oil
• 6 rip tomatoes peeled and chopped
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• 1 clove of garlic thinly sliced
• 1 stick of celery thinly sliced
• 1 carot thinly sliced
• a pinch of red chili powder
• salt
• 120 ml of Vodka
• 120 ml of thick cooking cream
• 600 gr of pasta shells
• 45 gr of grated chees

Heat the oil over low heat in a pan with high sides. Add chopped fresh tomatoes, the onion, the garlic, the carrot and the chili and cook everything for about 30 minutes, stirring often, until the liquid has evaporated. Add salt at your leisure.

Pour the Vodka and the cream in the sauce and continue cooking, always stirring, until the sauce will become thick, or else for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring abundant salted water to a boil in a soucepan and cook the pasta shells. Drain well and transfer them to the pan with the sauce.

Mix gently for dressing the pasta well, then put it in a preheated pot, sprinkle with a bit of grated cheese and serve.

Jacopo Orsini