Image Courtesy of wikipedia.org
The great bard William Shakespeare was seemingly infatuated with Italy and Italian culture. From Julius Caesar, to Romeo and Juliet, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona, his depth of understanding of the Italian culture and demographic is hard to fathom.
There is a school of thought that theorizes Shakespeare was actually born in Italy as Michelangelo Florio Crollalanza and his family fled to London during the Holy Inquisition at which time his name was changed. This theory further explains that young William was educated by Franciscan monks in Latin and Greek which accounts for his well-written prose.
Others believe that Shakespeare was indeed born and educated in England and that his love of Italy came from the personal interviews of friends who traveled or books containing general knowledge about Italy and its inhabitants. This would lead one to believe that the bard had an uncanny ability to assimilate information and bring it to life with his pen as though he had lived there himself.
Think about the great play Romeo and Juliet. Who doesn’t know about the famous balcony scene? When you read the playwrights words you will quickly discover that the exterior of the home described is a dead ringer (no pun intended) for a beautiful, early 14th century home located in Verona which was named the Casa di Giulietta. There is a huge amphitheater in Verona and the city is replete with museums, galleries, and the most amazing architecture. Shakespeare was able to describe the countryside and cities that he had never travelled to and breathed vitality into the settings of his stories.
Shakespeare was adept at detailed description of places and character development and brought these images seemingly to life in his writings. He was, however, not as adept in food descriptions. While he made the odd references to beef, quince, pastry, and wine, he did not seem to be overly concerned about how important cuisine was to his well-developed Italian characters–a travesty, if you ask many of his fans, yet it lends more credence to the belief that Shakespeare was indeed born and bred in England. It leads one to wonder if he ever truly savored an authentic Italian meal.
Do not fear though! You will never have to give a second thought to having an authentic Northern Italian meal once you have dined at Christini’s Ristorante Italiano. Make your reservations now, and discover the wonder and satisfaction of an expertly prepared Italian meal–the kind that Shakespeare missed out on all those years ago. After you’ve enjoyed your fine dining Orlando experience, sit back, relax, and imagine how much better the writings of William Shakespeare would have been with first-hand knowledge of the flavors of Italy!
Do you love Italian food? Show Shakespeare how it’s done and send us your original Italian food poem. We’re excited to read and share them.
