A Message from the State 3rd Vice President

What a year 2020 has been and is. My prayers are with all that have been affected by the fires, hurricanes and floods. I would again like to thank my brothers and sisters as well as the many lodges that reached out to me doing this difficult time with my health problems. I would like to assure you your prayers have helped. I’m well on my way to being healthy again.

Now for some Italian trivia.

November is truffle season in Italy, especially in and around the Piedmont region, and to celebrate the fall harvest, the Fiera Internazionale Tartufo Bianco D’Alba (Alba White Truffle Festival) is held from early October through late November each year. Considered one of the biggest truffle events in the country, the Alba White Truffle Festival features a wide range of truffles including the highly coveted Tartufo Bianco, an aromatic and flavorful variety that’s one of the most expensive truffles worldwide. This colorful festival is held in the medieval Tuscan town of San Miniato on the second, third, and fourth weekends in November. Craft stands, entertainment, and restaurants feature the celebrated truffles during the fair, and you can even take part in a truffle hunt where you can pick and eat your own.

November is also the height of the chestnut harvest season in many Italian towns and villages. Piancastagnaio, in the Province of Siena, hosts this festival from October through early November each year, when you can enjoy roasted, boiled, and dried chestnuts while perusing local art and vendor stands. Afterward, don’t miss the special fall menus at regional restaurants, which highlight truffles, chestnuts, and wild mushrooms, and be sure to look for special harvest dishes served on Sundays throughout the month as well.

One of Venice’s most important celebrations, the Feast of Our Lady of Good Health (La Festa della Salute) is held each year on November 21 at Madonna Della Salute Church. It commemorates Venice’s deliverance from the plague in 1621 with a temporary bridge erected across the Grand Canal marking the occasion. On the day of the event, thousands of pilgrims cross over the bridge to the church in a very beautiful procession.

On November 30, 2019, there is a festival dedicated to wine grown in Italy’s most extreme environments. Taking place in Forte di Bard in the Aosta Valley, an hour’s drive from Turin in northern Italy, Vins Extremes features guided tastings and seminars on extreme wine growing. Every wine you taste at this event has been grown on a high slope or remote island, where there is zero risk of contamination. These are some of the purest wines you can taste and if you’re interested in the art of winemaking, this event is a great reason to finally take that trip to the Italian Alps.

Until next month may God bless you and keep you safe.