The Fruit, Herbs and Vegetables of Italy (1614)

By Giacomo Castelvetro

Book Overview

This is a new edition of a classic of the early 17th-century. The book was written by the Italian humanist, Protestant convert and refugee, Giacomo Castelvetro whom, upon coming to England, was horrified by the English preference for large helpings of meat, masses of sugar and very little greenstuff. Italians were good gardeners and had a familiarity with many varieties of vegetable and fruit that were as yet little known in England or, as he noted in his dedication, were being grown only for display rather than for human consumption. Castlevetro circulated his Italian manuscript (Brieve racconto di tutte le radici, di tutte l'herbe, e di tutti di frutti, che crudi o cotte in Italia si mangiano) among his aristocratic supporters and dedicated it to Lucy, Countess of Bedford. Castelvetro takes us through the gardener's year, listing the fruit and vegetables as they come into season, with simple and elegant ways of preparing them. Practical instructions are interspersed with tender vignettes of his life in his native city of Modena. He writes of children learning to swim in the canals of the Brenta, strapped to huge dried pumpkins to keep them afloat; Venetian ladies ogling passers-by from behind screens of verdant beanstalks; sultry German wenches jealously hoarding their grape harvest; and his intimate chats with Scandinavian royalty about the best way to graft pear cuttings and discomfort the Pope. This edition is printed in two colours, has a graceful typography (using the Galliard typeface) and generous layout. This translation has been recognised as being fluent, entertaining and accurate from its first appearance in 1989 and is equipped with a knowledgeable and informative introduction by Gillian Riley as well as a foreword by the food writer Jane Grigson.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1903018641
• ISBN13: 9781903018644
• Release Date: October 2012
• Publisher: Prospect Books (UK)
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 7.2"

Customer Reviews

Amazing, enchanting, entertaining and beautiful book

I saw this book in our library and just was entranced. The 16th century paintings are so beautiful, but what really shines is Castelvetro's charming enthusiasm and personality and love of food. Kudos to the translator Gillian Riley for bringing this out. Great for reinactors and SCA, as well as anyone who loves simple, delicious natural food. It is not so much a recipe book as an exhortation to eat more fruits and veggies and to treat your food right. Incredibly entertaining for a lecture. I would have named Castelvetro if anyone asked me the famous "who would you go to dinner with living or dead" question.

The Fruit , Herbs & Vegetables of Italy - Giacomo di Castelv

Dear Mr. RileyThe book translation has a mistake that I would like to correct. Fig: The word "Fioroni" translate litteraly in english means large flowers. But in this case, in italian "Fioroni" are called the fruits of the first figs crop. Not the flower. Castelvetro was correct, the translation was not. Sincerely Giulio Santillo