News feed
The past year has seen many people across the world grapple with a very specific type of loss; the sadness of a trip not taken, the mourning of exploring new cultures, the yearning for experiences beyond the anomie of the supermarket. As that strong desire for, and impulse to, wander the world fell prey to the pandemic in a turbulent 2020, we seemed at one point to be surging toward an anticipatory dystopia. Who were we without travel? What do we have to look forward to when there is no international holiday booked for summer?
Over the course of the past 12 months, we’ve been commissioning artists, painters and illustrators from different cities all over the world to paint a picture of what they see out their windows – either real or imaginary. Most artists have been confined to these cities during the global lockdowns, and all have a close connection to the place they have illustrated. Each artist has a “GRAZIA At Home City Guide” perched on their window sill, insider guides to the cities you need to visit and recollections of moments past in these nooks of the world; how they drank in the palaces, how they wandered through the parks and how they ate and ate and ate. There’s recommendations too – local dishes, phrases and lessons – so you can start imagining your own itinerary from the comfort of your own home. Today, we’re headed to Foggia in Italy.
“There is a phrase that I am fond of because my grandfather used to say it,” recalls illustrator Caterina delli Carri. “‘A chi appartìne?’ Translated to English, it means, ‘Who do you belong to?’ This phrase is used a lot in Foggia to ask someone about their family, to know their origins.”
Visitors to the cerulean waters of this Southern Italian city are dwarfed by Foggia’s ancient churches and palaces, so numerous they make you wonder what the city’s eldest inhabitants did beyond worshipping and curtseying and drinking. A city and commune of Puglia, delli Carri tells of the wonderful upbringing she had in Foggia; the Baroque and Romanesque buildings, the trips to the local second-hand market – “Le Pezze” – with her mother for vintage buys, the boundless wheat fields that connected the city to her family’s country house by the sea.
“My illustration represents a view of the historical centre of Foggia,” explains delli Carri. “The cathedral bell tower and a view of the rooftops is the most beautiful and inspiring part of the city, especially at sunset, when everything is coloured with pink and orange tones
The city’s scent – best experienced along its oldest street, the beautiful Via Arpi – is one of “embers, typical of the kiosks scattered in the streets of the city,” delli Carri says. “When the world opens up, get lost in Foggia’s narrow streets, try its typical restaurants and trattorias and let yourself be overwhelmed by the local nightlife.” She also suggests picking a handwoven basket.
“The fibres used for the weave of the bags are olive and cane, and the weave represents an ancient art where each piece made is unique,” the artist says. “These baskets are also often used as decorative elements for the walls of houses and restaurants.”
Yes, while Manfredonia, Monte Sant’Angelo and San Sevaro are popular tourist destinations, delli Carri says nothing beats a bottle of wine and Scaldatelli, a traditional snack made from flour, extra virgin olive oil, wine, salt and fennel seeds – may we suggest this recipe.
“The typical ones of my area are called “Scaldatelli” and besides the classic taste there are a lot of variations! My favourites are the potato ones!” she says. Of course, don’t miss the sunset.
Follow Caterina delli Carri @caterinadellicarri
Helen Kaminski Handwoven Basket SHOP NOW
Byredo Woods Candle SHOP NOW
