Legendary dinners: a walk in Genoa, among miracles and good food

The story

THE LOVE STORY OF PACCIUGO AND PACCIUGA

Each time Pacciugo the sailor had to leave for a long voyage and leave his wife Pacciuga at home alone, they were both sad, but they consoled themselves with the thought that after a few months they would be reunited happier and closer than before. That time too they said goodbye with a long kiss. He boarded and set off towards the East, and she stayed in their house in Prè, praying every day that her husband would return as soon as possible. Those were the times when the Saracens were very warlike and their raids frequently reached the Ligurian coasts too, causing indescribable damage. One can only imagine how cruel the Turkish corsairs themselves were when a Genoese sailor ventured as far as their lands. Pacciugo in fact was captured and taken prisoner by the pirates.

Time passed, and while the unfortunate sailor tried to devise a way to escape, dreaming day and night of his beloved, she took refuge in prayer. After a few years the women of the village began to laugh at her, and to tell her that Pacciugo would never return anyway. But she did not listen to them; instead every Saturday she went to the Sanctuary of the Coronata, up in the hills, to pray to the Madonna that she might bring her husband back. Twelve years passed, and one fine day Pacciugo managed to escape from his captivity, reaching Genoa. His heart beat fast and he already savoured the moment of embracing his wife again. He entered their old house and found it empty. So he began asking the neighbours if they knew where Pacciuga was. "We wouldn't know, on Saturdays she always goes around, who knows who she meets," the village gossips answered.

Great was Pacciuga's happiness in embracing him again, and she immediately told him that she was, as every Saturday, praying for him. The man believed her at the time, but a nagging doubt stayed in his head and gave him no peace: "If my wife has remained faithful, why do the neighbours speak so ill of her?" The following Saturday they decided to go and pray at the Sanctuary together. The husband suggested to the woman that they take a stretch by boat to shorten the journey. Once at sea Pacciugo, blinded by jealousy, attacked his wife with a knife and, after wounding her fatally, threw her into the sea. Then he went to the church, so as not to arouse suspicion. When he entered the house of God, he saw Pacciuga safe and sound, praying as she had done for so many years while waiting for him to come home.

It was a miracle of the Virgin that saved the woman, as well as bringing relief to Pacciugo's soul, by then tormented by infernal remorse. It would be hard to say whether Pacciuga did well to wait for her husband. Nor is it known whether divine justice later arranged for the spiteful women to be carried off by the Saracens. It does seem certain, however, that from that moment on Pacciugo and Pacciuga found their serenity again and lived happily ever after.

A DINNER AT CA' DE PITTA

After hearing this old Genoese love story with a happy ending, we decide to discover another story, this time a gastronomic one, which after a long past is enjoying a flourishing period of its own. From the Foce we climb along the Bisagno up to Piazzale Bligny, to spend an evening at the table at the Ristorante Braceria e Pizzeria Ca' de Pitta, one of the oldest establishments in Genoa. "There was a trattoria here already in the post-war period. After various changes of name and management, it had been closed for about ten years. Since we took over two years ago, the place has been renewed and today it is enjoying great success," Davide Simioli tells us, who runs the restaurant together with his old friend Matteo Vinciguerra. We settle into one of the three spacious air-conditioned rooms where free Wi-Fi lets our tech-loving friends stay connected even during dinner.

We begin with the exquisite coccotina of gratinated crescenza accompanied by Parma ham and rosemary schiacciata, the homemade rabbit tonno and the Apulian burrata with Tuscan ham. After these tasty appetisers we taste some chianina ravioli with white loin and cadea ragù, as well as some porcini ravioli with sausage ragù. Some of our friends cannot even resist the rich salads, while the youngest in the group split between the children's menu and the pizzas. We continue with the delicious specialities of the braceria, tasting various cuts of excellent quality meat, served in generous portions and, as in the case of the fiorentina, at an extremely low price. The beef fillet grilled over the coals is in fact a third larger than usual. Some of us choose the grilled veal chop, others the chicken cooked under a brick, but we also taste some pork ribs and the excellent grilled sausage.

Our dinner ends with the tasty desserts of the house, and with the decision to return here soon, for one of the themed evenings or for a party to be organised right in these rooms.