The Cross and Caduceus

This wrought-iron grate covers a small window at the Grillo Pharmacy. The symbols used to represent a hospital or a pharmacy are the cross and the caduceus, two snakes entwined around a winged staff. This symbol dates back to the age of the Mesopotamians.

The esoteric meaning of the caduceus can be interpreted from the sum of its parts. The staff was a symbol of authority carried in the hands of messengers. The winged wand of Hermes (a Greek god) is in keeping with the alchemical or astrological importance of Mercury (his Roman version) - often meaning fluidity, transformation, information, and new beginnings. The snake is often depicted in non Judeo-Christian traditions as a source or deliverer of wisdom. The snakes are bound to each other in a double helix - a shape of stability, creation, and life (the very shape our DNA conforms to).

From this we can deduce that the caduceus represents the authority to quickly deliver vital or wise information so as to aid, assist, negotiate, and enlighten. It is no surprise then that the caduceus is used as a symbol by a variety of professions which have a connection with Hermes/Mercury, the god of commerce, eloquence, invention, travel and thievery.

Contemporary users of this symbol include merchants, journalists, postal workers and...hospitals and pharmacies.

Puff

My 8-year-old son spotted this odd cloud lurking over the shopping mall just outside of town. (yes, we do have modern stuff here in Molfetta, too! I just haven't shown you very much of it yet...too enthralled with the sea in the summer!) It was all by itself and really big and fat and just hanging there...as if were trying to decide if it wanted to enter the mall through the Coop supermarket or the Media World area...

Molfettans Around the World

Molfettans, like Italians from all over the nation, but particularly the South, have emigrated to the four corners of the earth in search of a better life and opportunities. This phenomenon began in the late 1880s, if I've got my history right, and continues today. Some city streets are named after these emigrants. Via Molfettesi del Venezuela is dedicated to those Molfettans living in Venezuela. There is also Via Molfettesi d'Argentina, Via Molfettesi d'America, and so on.

Great numbers of these emigrants return to Molfetta each year for the patron saint's festival held on and around September 8. The patron saint of the city is Saint Conrad (who is said to have died nearby on his way home from the crusades), but the Madonna of the Martyrs also plays an important role during the festival.

I'll post more about the festival over the weekend.

What is It?

This doesn't count as a Mystery Photo, really, because anyone who can understand Italian or who carefully examines the logos along the bottom of the billboard can figure it out... But, here goes nothing...it says: "it's exciting, it takes your breath away and it's about to begin...GUESS WHAT IT IS?"

What do you think?

Villa Pina

This is a view through the gates of an old villa just off one of Molfetta's main streets. I have never seen anyone go in or out of this villa, but the neighbors assure me that there is an elderly couple who come regularly to tend to the plants and the garden. There is a great tradition in Molfetta of living in town, but having a small plot of land in the countryside (some with and some without a small house) where you can cultivate some olive and fruit trees and escape the heat of the city in the summertime. Many of these villas used to be well outside town limits, but have since found themselves in the middle of urban development.

Sheet Messages

In recent years, a new channel of communication has taken over the streets of Molfetta in the form of "sheet messages." They are just what the name I have invented for them implies...messages written on bedsheets and hung out in a public space. Often you find them hanging down from overpasses or bridges. The most common message offers best wishes for couples about to marry, but they have also been used recently to mourn the untimely deaths of local young people. This same kind of public message used to be written on photocopied flyers plastered to walls and telephone poles, but the sheet is "in" now.

The sheet above says, "The public is advised that on September 4, '08 a magnificent dream is about to come true. Tonio and Marta, bride and groom!!"

This one is a bit more complicated as it is written in rhyme, which I don't think I can replicate in translation...but the gist is: "An ice-cream truck stopped in front of a house... And he won her heart with a popsicle... 10 years have passed... And they have gotten into lots of scrapes... And finally the long desired day has arrived... Flora and Francesco, bride and groom! Congratulations!" They put this one up a bit early since the wedding isn't for another 3 days!

Welcome to Town

There are several of these city maps located around town to help you find your way. Handy info and phone numbers are listed down the side and there's a red dot and arrow to indicate that You Are Here. The photo is in focus, but the glass covering the map has become a bit murky with age. Don't we all?