Daily Rome Shot 77

4 Comments

1. ThePapalCount says:

   14 February 2021 at 1:44 PM

   THE PLAQUE commemorates the fact that the young St Aloysius Gonzaga once lived here for a time before he became a Jesuit. Cardinal Scipione Gonzaga, owner of the palazzo, was his uncle. The Roman poet Torquato Tasso also lived here enjoying the “grace and favor” of the cardinal who was a generous benefactor to writers and artists. The palazzo is over 400 years old and today is but a sad shadow of its former glory. Its an apartment and office building today and there is no access to it. Tasso, the great Roman poet, whose most famous and lengthy piece is ” Jerusalem Delivered” which depicts the great crusade to free the Holy Land from Islamic control. Tasso was so revered as a prolific poet that the pope honored him several times. However, near the end of his life, sadly, Tasso went mad. His famous poem has endeared him to the Knights of the papal Order of The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in whose church he is buried (S Onofrio). The church, near the Pontifical North American College, is a beautifully kept treasure with peaceful surroundings.
   Saint Aloysius gave up a life of privilege and nobility to become a priest. However, ill health was a constant companion for him. During a plague that swept Rome he put aside his studies and tirelessly worked among the sick. His own health deteriorated and he died age 23. He was never ordained but was soon declared a saint. His body is entombed in the Jesuit church of Sant Ignazio and is a place of veneration for pilgrims.
   Now, the palazzo also has fixed on it one of the Roman street shrines to Our Lady and when seen last it appeared in pretty good condition.
   A block away from the photograph is the famous restaurant “Alfredo” which is the birthplace, over 100 years ago, of “Fettuccine Alfredo”. It remains their signature dish. The restaurant is filled with photographs and autographs of movie stars, nobility minor royals, politicians and sport figures who have dined there. During the filming of Roman Holiday, Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn were frequent diners. History never tasted so good.
2. Gab says:

   14 February 2021 at 10:51 PM

   @ThePapalCount, informative as well as being interesting. I like your style! Thank you.
3. TonyO says:

   16 February 2021 at 1:32 PM

   Great details. I always wondered what “alfredo” did to modify “fettuccine”, and now I see: it references the creator of the dish.

   [Ummm… no.]
4. ThePapalCount says:

   16 February 2021 at 4:08 PM

   FrZ is correct in his admonishment to my suggesting that Alfredo invented the dish per se. Fettuccine with rich butter and creamy cheese is an old Italian family recipe going back eons. Alfredo featured this old Italian staple at his restaurant and it gained notoriety . He apparently added significantly more butter to the dish. Its to die for though. In fact some have called it “heart attack on a plate”.
   Alfredo’s restaurant continues to thrive on this old Italian dish. The dish is prepared before your eyes at the table.

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