Classic Taste Taralli EVO
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Fennel Taralli
Between Lake Varano and the Umbra Forest lies Carpino, one of the most characteristic villages in the Gargano National Park. Defined as the city of oil, Carpino places one of the secrets of its strength and uniqueness in its prized crops. Another unique characteristic is the one linked to the typical Gargano tarantellas and the use of the so-called chitarra battente (present not only here but also in southern Campania and Calabria).
The sounds and rhythms produced by the five-string guitar were made famous by three over-eighty year olds, the now very famous “Cantori di Carpino”, who over the years have even become the object of study and interest by scholars, musicologists, musicians and directors. For several years, in the summer, an important folk music festival called Carpino Folk Festival has been held, attracting spectators from all over Italy.
Another important item for the Gargano town is craftsmanship, recently enhanced by initiatives of the National Park. In particular, woodworking and, above all, weaving expertly done by hand on ancient looms from the 1800s are becoming increasingly popular.
In fact, in the heart of the historic center, in via Cairoli 3, a delightful museum has been set up for a few years: the Weaving Museum.
Carpino dates back to around the year 1000 when refugees from the nearby city of Uria found refuge in the woods a few kilometers from Lake Varano. However, the first official dating dates back to 1158.
The most extravagant feature of Carpino, however, lies in a detail kept on the side portal of the church.
This is a fourteenth-century portal, admirably sculpted and chiselled by the best medieval craftsmen.
Looking at the engravings on the right side of the portal, we can see Solomon's Knot, with eight grooves, similar to those found in Monte Sant'Angelo and Manfredonia, while a little to the right of the Knot, we can observe something unique in the world.
Looking really carefully, a little to the right of Solomon's Knot, you can clearly see a Lappish Swastika, known as Tursaansydän or Mursunsydän, meaning walrus heart.
This is a very ancient symbol, known only in Finland, especially in the northern part occupied by the ancient Sami population.
In these places it was used to decorate buildings and objects until the 18th century, when it was replaced by a simple swastika. The discovery of the symbol by the ARGOD archaeo-speleological team was greeted by the University of Helsinki with surprise, as it would be the first discovery of such a symbol not only outside Lapland, but outside the entire area of Northern Europe.
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