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Sources

French Park Rangers Mistake Catholic Mass For Rave Party

LE POINT , NICE MATIN (France)

Worldcrunch

NICE - Overzealous forest rangers of the Mercantour National Park in the French Alps, gave a 1,500 euro fine to an association for organizing a catholic mass without authorization.

At first, the rangers told them that it was forbidden to hold a religious event or play the saxophone in the forest. "They seemed understanding and so we celebrated the mass without music," the president of the Aléa association Lucien Carlès told the French daily Nice Matin. "Then they came back and accused us of organizing an unauthorized religious event," eventually slapping the small congregation with a 1,500 euro fine.

The gesture left the worshippers bewildered and sparked the ire of several officials, including mayor of Nice and former French Industry minister Christian Estrosi, who told the French weekly magazine Le Point : "I find restrictions for such traditional celebrations shocking," he said. "It goes against the principles I'm fighting for in our villages."

The Aléa association has been holding this mass for the past 15 years in remembrance of its deceased members.

"The rangers compared it to a ‘rave party". It's just preposterous!" said Lucien Carlès .

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food / travel

Pasta v. Fascists: How Italy's Staple Dish Became A Symbol Of Resistance

Pasta may not be considered controversial today, but it played an important role during Italy's fascist years, particularly in one family's celebration of community and liberation.

Photo of the Cervi family.

Photo of the Cervi family, whose seven children were shot by the Fascists on December 28, 1943, at the Reggio Emilia shooting range.

@comunisti_alla_ribalta via Instagram
Jacopo Fontaneto

ROME — Eighty years ago — on July 25, 1943 — the vote of no confidence by the Grand Council of Fascism, leading to Benito Mussolini's arrest, set off widespread celebrations. In Campegine, a small village in the Emilian province, the Cervi family celebrated in their own way: they brought 380 kilograms of pasta in milk cans to the town square and offered it to all the inhabitants of the village.

The pasta was strictly plain: macaroni dressed with butter and cheese, seen as more of a "festive dish" in that period of deprivation. As soon as the Cervi brothers learned about the arrest of Mussolini, they procured flour, borrowed butter and cheese from the dairy, and prepared kilos and kilos of pasta. They then loaded it onto a cart to distribute it to their fellow villagers. Pastasciutta (dry pasta) specifically regards dishes with noodles that are plated "dry", not in broth. That would disqualify soup, risotto, ravioli...

Even though pastasciutta is the most stereotypical type of pasta today, it had a complicated relationship with the government during Italy's fascist years.

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