Hello Friends and Lovers of all things Italian,
I love learning about the annual traditions and celebrations in Italy and I want to share a story about one of the most well-known Italian Saints and one, for reasons which will soon become evident, is a favorite. He is celebrated and feasted throughout Italy today, August 10theach year and in doing my research on him I immediately felt a kinship and wanted to take the liberty to share my modern-day interpretation of how he became a Saint. That said, know in advance that his may not be one of the most exciting posts that I have recently written.
Long before San Juan Capistrano had bells or swallows or adobe walls warming in the sun, Rome was a city of marble and menace. And in that city lived Lawrence, a deacon with a grin that always seems a little too wide for someone serving under an emperor known for torching Christians like lanterns.
He was a 3rd‑century Christian deacon and martyr. He’s one of the most beloved saints in Catholic tradition, known for his courage, his devotion to the poor, and the dramatic story of his death. San Lorenzo (Saint Lawrence) is the patron saint of cooks, chefs, the poor and firefighters. Lawrence had a reputation: he fed the poor, joked with the soldiers, and had a habit of turning every solemn moment into something gently irreverent. One summer evening, Emperor Valerian summoned him and said “Deacon, I want you to collect the treasures of the Church, meaning the money, and bring them to me by sunrise.”
Lawrence bowed and all night he walked the alleys of Rome…past bakers closing their shutters, past taverns spilling laughter, past families huddled in their doorways. He gathered the blind, the widowed, the crippled and the hungry…people who had nothing except each other.
At dawn, he marched them into the Emperor’s courtyard. Valerian demanded “Where are the treasures?” Lawrence swept his arm toward the crowd and said ‘Here…these are the treasures of the Church.”
For this act of holy defiance, he was sentenced to death by gridiron. A great iron grate was heated until it glowed like the sun and then Lawrence was laid upon it. And here is part of the legend that makes him unforgettable: As the fire roared and the soldiers wiped the sweat from their brows, Lawrence lifted his head, winked, and said “Turn me over…I’m done on this side.”
His grisly death by fire links him to the kitchen, particularly those who use grills and he is considered the protector against fire. He must have been one brave and bad ass dude with a wicked sense of humor. He is frequently depicted holding a grill grate, representing his method of execution.
The Basilica of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura is one of the 7 major pilgrimage churches in Rome, built over his burial site. His celebration is a feast day often marked by grilling steaks ala the famous ‘Bistecca Fiorentina’. The night of August 10th is known in Italy as La Notte de San Lorenzo often associated with the Perseid meteor shower, considered to be the sparks from his martyrdom. This annual celestial event peaks around August 12-13 with up to 100 bright ‘shooting stars’ per hour.
In terms of celebrations, because San Lorenzo was martyred on a gridiron, fire becomes the symbolic heart of the feast. center around solemn religious services, neighborhood street festivals, and stargazing traditions. Major events in Rome include masses at the Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls, local food markets, and public viewings of the saint’s relics including pieces of the gridiron he was executed on and pieces of his skull…whoa!
Grilling is central — especially in Tuscany, where people cook ‘Bistecca Fiorentina’ or other grilled meats as a nod to the grill. However, in Naples and Bologna, some communities abstain from meat out of respect for the martyr, serving grilled watermelon “steaks” instead…..not sure that’s such a great idea…cauliflower or broccoli steak makes a little more sense to me.
In his honor, I’ll be grilling a large porter house outside tonight with some rosemary roasted potatoes and some summer corn.
Happy celebrations to all you followers…
David & Tino
