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Gargano's Towns
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Orchids in the Natural Park - Photo (c)
Renata
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Gargano. Mediterranean spirit
The Mediterranean spirit which exists in the Gargano region strokes
even the least sensitive traveler. It's not only perceptible on
cliffs, in woods or on the rocky white spurs, It's the very essence
of the Gargano. This peninsula is pointing out towards Greece and
the Balkan coast.
With the passing of the seasons, the
colors multiply and then fade, telling of luxuriance or the struggle
for survival.
The spirit of the Mediterranean tells the tale of a partly forgotten
world where orange and olive groves fill the air with their heady scent
at every breath of wind, and all the senses are alerted to Nature in its
daily recital.
Things to do...
You can go to the National Park of Gargano to see the spontaneously
growing orchid flowers.
Autumn in the Park: we are near one of the
most beautiful seasons to live in the Park. Visiting Gargano in autumn is a
unique and exciting experience.
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This is the period of the year in which nature
dresses many colors, animals put on their wonderful winter mantle to face the
cold weather. Everything falls in a fascinating and surreal silence and the
breeze, even if cold, begins to gently caress our face. In these heavenly
environments the threshold between fairy tale and reality disappears.
Gargano: Man and the land
Man has always wrested areas from Nature on which to build homes, grow
crops and rear animals. The Gargano area is a perfect example of how man
has managed to find his niche and nurture life in an area which seems
impossible to tame.
It is from this very centuries-old relationship of interdependence between
man and nature that the charm of the Gargano stems. Witness Peschici,
balancing on a breth-taking cliff, or Monte Sant'Angelo, embracing the
cave chosen by the Archangel Michael to appear to man. Witness the
houses in Vico, which perch on the hill following its natural curves.
These are but a few examples of man's impact on the area.
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Panorama from Gargano - Photo (c)
Renata
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Gargano: A land of Holiness
There are a places which, as a result of their history, position or the
exceptional events which occurred there, are shrouded in a veil of
almost tangible sacral athmosphere pervading every nook and cranny.
The Gargano is a “holy” land, a much-visited venue for some of the most
important religious gatherings on a world-wide scale. The apparition of
the Archangel Michael on Mount Gargano is without doubt the core of
religious experience in this land. Thousands of pilgrims travel to visit
the cold, dark grotto which Michael chose as his earthly dwelling.
But it is not only the cult of St. Michael which exalts the religious
spirit of this area – there are the many churches, set against
breath-taking backdrops, such as the Convent of St. Matthew in San Marco
in Lamis.
In more recent times, the presence of Padre Pio, who lived in San
Giovanni Rotondo, has provided a strong attraction for millions of
people. But it is the Gargano as a whole which expresses its divine
beauty in every time and space.
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Gargano: Food for the five senses
A table spread with the local dishes and products of this area is a feast
for the senses. The variety of colors of the fruit, vegetables, fish,
meat, cheeses and soups charm the eye and the spirit, and the nostrils
are assailed with aromas at once delicate and heady. Tasting these
dishes and the combinations of flavors is not the final act of a
journey through the cuisine of this area. There is the history of this
land, which tells of culinary “inventions”, different biotopes which
have mingles dishes and foods from mountain, sea and lakeside areas, and
from the various peoples who, from time to time, have passed through the
area, leaving their mark on the culinary traditions of Gargano.
Local delights include lamb, kid, eel, orange and lemons salads, stuffed
morsels, cheeses, broad beans, snail soup, grape and fig cordials,
macaroni with goat's meat sauce...
But what lends the most intense flavor to all these dishes is
the olive oil which the land of Gargano so generously produces.
More on Gargano Natural Park... >>>
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Texts courtesy of Comunità Montana del Gargano
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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