If you’ve ever visited Italy, you’ll have noticed that in some cities and towns there is at least one monument.
Some monuments are placed in squares, some others in public parks or on traffic circles.
Many of them are built to commemorate famous historical personalities such as Giuseppe Garibaldi, Vittorio Emanuele II, Pope Pio XI, Pope Giovanni Paolo II, but also to commemorate famous Italian public personalities such as Mike Bongiorno.
In general, Italian monuments mirror the Italian culture, so it’s not surprising that among the many monuments you’ll come across in Italy a lot of them are dedicated to Italian food.
So, in this article I’m going to talk about three Italian delights starting from three Italian monuments.
THE MELON MONUMENT
This monument was built in Rodigo, a town near Mantova.
If I’ve to be honest, I don’t particularly like this monument since it reminds me more of a cocoa bean than of a melon, however, despite what I think, this monument was built to honor one of the Italian delights produced in Rodigo: the melon.
Indeed, the Francescons own a company that is the major producer of melon in Italy.
The company was started in 1968 and is able to provide melons all over the year.
In Italy the most famous dish made with melon is eaten in Summer and is called prosciutto e melone, ham and melon.
Obviously, to honor this product a melon festival is also organized every year in the town of Rodigo.
There you can taste different Italian delights made with melon such as rice and melon, tortelli with melon, melon cream, ham and melon, and so on.
THE SALAMA DA SUGO MONUMENT
Another monument dedicated to one of the many Italian delights is the Salama da Sugo monument located in Madonna dei Boschi, a town near Ferrara.
Salama da sugo is a typical Italian salami made in Emilia-Romagna.
It’s made grinding different porks cuts like cheek, ham, tongue, etc, and mixing them with some spices. Finally, some red wine is added.
Salama da sugo is boiled and usually eaten with some mashed potatoes.
Even in Madonna dei Boschi a festival is organized every year to honor salama da sugo.
THE TORTELLINO MONUMENT
The monument of Tortellino Emiliano is in Castelfranco Emilia, a town near Modena and it really resembles a real Tortellino.
Tortellino is one of the most famous Italian delights all around the world.
For those of you who don’t know it yet, it’s a ring-shaped pasta stuffed with ham, cheese or meat and usually served with some broth.
Abroad, instead, it’s usually eaten like pasta, with some sauce on it.
Tortellino is also known with the name of Ombelico di Venere – Venus’ navel – and the reason is linked to the legend of its origin.
The legend tells that Lucrezia Borgia was staying at an inn in Castelfranco Emilia.
One night the host became so captivated by Lucrezia’s beauty that couldn’t help to take a peek.
So, he went near her door and peeked through the keyhole.
The room was pretty dark and all he could see was Lucrezia’s navel.
He was so inspired by the vision that that same night he created tortellini.
If you love tortellini, don’t miss the famous tortellino’s festival that is organized every year in the town of Castelfranco.
Did you already know these three Italian delights? Do you like them?
Have you already seen these three Italian monuments?
Credits
Original image by Hans
Ten Italian masculine and feminine nouns with different meanings
