Consul General Series - 駐香港及澳門意大利總領事Clemente Contestabil

Date: 3/9/2019 25/9/2019

Place: Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong

(駐香港及澳門意大利總領事Clemente Contestabil)

「Festival」,這個字是源於古羅馬語,所以可以說是意大利人在幾個世紀前「創造」了節日。意大利有很多不同的節日,有音樂節、電影節、美食節和傳統節等等。意大利有些傳統節日已經舉辦了多個世紀,最為香港人認識的意大利傳統節日就是「威尼斯狂歡節」(Venice Carnival Festival),當日人們會穿著上漂亮的服飾、又會為製作特色糕點和糖果來慶祝「狂歡節」。除了在威尼斯舉行的節日外,許多嘉年華都受意大利人歡迎,如托斯卡尼嘉年華(Viareggio Carnival),人們當日會打扮成為不同人物,又會有花車巡遊等;另外值得一提的節日是在伊夫雷亞(Ivrea)舉行的「柳橙大戰」(The Battle of Orange),人們會互相丟橙子。此外,在士耶拿舉行的「士耶拿賽馬節」(Palio di Siena) 也是十分受歡迎的意大利傳統節日,那天人們會在城市的中心舉行在賽馬比賽。Giostra della Quintana 也是十分有名的傳統賽馬比賽,在每年的八月舉行,其中一個特色是人們會打扮成為中世紀惡魔以慶祝當地的傳統節日。

You know ‘festival’ itself is a word coming from ancient Romans, so we invented festivals centuries ago. Italy is full of festivals: music festivals, film festivals, food festivals, heritage festivals. When I say heritage festival I mean festivals that have been ancient traditions of our country for centuries. Perhaps in Hong Kong the most famous is Carnival festival, the Venice Carnival festival is really famous, when you see people dressing in beautiful costumes. It’s the time of the year when we savor bakery 1 sweets specifically made for that moment of the year. Beside Venice festival, there are other very popular Carnival festivals in Italy. In Viareggio festival you can see big moving machines made with paper representing funny faces or characters from our culture and politics. Or in Ivrea festival where people fight with oranges. Other heritage festivals very famous are Palio di Siena where all historical districts of the city compete against each other in a horse race in the city center, or the Giostra della Quintana in Ascoli which is also an old knights competition with people dressing in medieval costumes in August to celebrate the cavalry traditions of the place.

在意大利,每年都會舉辦過百個美食節,很多都是在夏天舉行的,例如拿坡里 (Napoli) 的薄餅節、被稱為All'amatriciana意粉發源地的阿馬特里切 (Amatrice) 舉行的All'amatriciana意粉節、亦有阿馬爾菲 (Amalfi) 檸檬節和阿爾巴 (Alba) 松露節等等。除此以外,還有盛產萄葡酒的維羅納 (Verona) 每年都會舉辦美酒節。

Then of course, we have food festivals, hundreds of them, especially during summertime, from the pizza festival in Naples to Pasta alla Matriciana in ,

which is the hometown of this pasta recipe. You have Lemon festival in Amalfi, Truffle festival in Alba, one festival in Verona, where prosecco comes from.

我們耳熟能詳的意大利威尼斯電影節,是電影界的盛事。除此以外,近幾年羅馬電影節也吸引越來越多電影圈的注意,意大利亦有Giffoni青少年電影節。在米蘭時裝周中,亦會舉辦時裝設計電影節,今年十二月初,意大利的時裝設計電影節將會首次在香港亮相。現在是「米蘭時裝周」,每年世界各地的人都來到米蘭參加時裝周。米蘭是一個時尚之都,到當地除了欣賞時裝外,那裡的藝術、建築、甚至傢俬都值得一看,到米蘭旅遊可以能會改變你對設計的定義,所以我都十分推薦香港的朋友到米蘭旅遊。

Then we can move to film festivals, Venice film festival, Rome film festival is gathering more and more interests in the film industry in latest years and then we have niche film festivals, like the teenagers film festival called Giffoni which is really nice, or design film festival in Milan during Milan design week. We are bringing Milan Design film festival in Hong Kong for the very first time in early December to celebrate the business of design week. Right now you have in Milan the Milan fashion week which is one of the main reasons why people travel to Milan in this time of the year, but Milan is more and more also a design city and Milan design week is an amazing festival of design, perhaps one of the most important in the world, and in that week you can really experience different ways to look at design in art, furniture, fashion, shoes and architecture.

我很喜歡香港的文化,我之前在北京生活了四年,所以我也十分欣賞中國的傳統文化。說到最喜歡的節日,我最喜歡的中國傳統節日是中秋節,我很喜歡食月餅,還因為吃月餅而長胖了!除此之外,我也喜歡端午節,因為那天會有龍舟比賽和粽子吃。我也很期待元旦的來臨,因為當天維港兩岸會有璀璨的煙火匯演,而意大利都有新年放煙火的傳統。我和我的家人都住在廣州,因為我的妻子是意大利駐廣州領事館的領事,兩地的往來都十分方便。新年的時候我們都會聚在一起,一邊欣賞煙火匯演,一邊和親朋好友吃晚餐,是一件很美好的事情!

I have really been amazed by the rich and ancient culture coming from China. In Hong Kong of course I enjoyed very much the Mid-Autumn festival. I love to eat mooncakes, I had actually a collection of mooncakes and they are responsible for the extra pound I gained. Beside the Moon Festival, I really enjoy the Half Moon Dragon Boat festival , watching the race and eating rice dumplings, and I am looking forward for New Year. Every time I like to spend the (Western) New Year in Hong Kong because we have very similar traditions with the fireworks and and everything else, but fireworks on Honk Kong Harbour are brilliant.

夏妙然博士、駐香港及澳門意大利總領事Clemente Contestabil、宣柏健
托斯卡尼嘉年華(Viareggio Carnival)
夏妙然博士、駐香港及澳門意大利總領事Clemente Contestabil