What is *pane di Matera* and why does it have three peaks?
Il pane di Matera e le sue forme tradizionali
B1 Italian listening practice · Standard Italian · Picked for people who know some
Pane di Matera is a pane IGP (PGI-protected bread) baked in southern Italy from durum-wheat semolina from the Murgia plateau. Two classic shapes: the cornetto (the horn) and the high pane alto. The split high loaf gets three peaks, called by the priest’s blessing: Padre, Figlio, Spirito Santo (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
Up until the 1950s, families brought their dough to a forno comune (communal oven) for baking; bread was so central that the baker stamped each loaf with the household initials so nobody went home with the wrong loaf. The clip’s host marvels: « che poesia, che meraviglia » (what poetry, what wonder), running a finger along the crust.
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Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · OpenSubtitles 2018 (HermitDave) (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸On Italian food TV like MasterChef Italia on Sky Italia and 4 Ristoranti on TV8 when chefs travel to Matera
- ▸In Italian food writing on Gambero Rosso and La Cucina Italiana covering southern cucina povera
- ▸At Matera’s historic bakeries along Via San Biagio in the Sassi district, where loaves still come out of forni a legna (wood ovens)
- ▸In Italian travel coverage of Basilicata in Repubblica Viaggi and the Touring Club Italiano when writers chase pane IGP trails