CARTELLATE

Cartellate are sweets from Puglia region but they are produced also in neighbouring regions. They are generally prepared at Christmas and for the Christian tradition they could be the aureole or  swaddling-bends that wrapped Jesus in his cradle but also the crown of thorns of the Crucifixion.

Some students say that the word cartellata comes from the Greek word κάρταλλος (kartallos)= basket with a pointed shape. They were represented, for the first time, by a rocky picture of the 6^th century B.C. found near Bari city. It represents a similar sweet called “lanxsatura”. A dish full of them  was offered to Gods according to Cerere worship that probably had Greek origins. At the beginning of the  Christian era, these ritual pancakes were transformed in gifts to Madonna prepared to evoke her help for a good harvesting. Cartellate are also mentioned as” Nuvole et procassa” (Clouds) in a 1517 report written in occasion of the wedding lunch of “Bona Sforza” daughter of Isabel of Aragon and in a  document of 1762 written by Benedictine nuns in Bari.

1.According to Christmas tradition “Cartellate” are

a)    Jesus’ meal

b)    Madonna’s meal

c)    Jesus’ halo

d)    Madonna’s crown

2.Cartellate were represented

a)    In a Leonardo’s picture

b)    In a Michelangelo’s picture

c)    In a wooden picture

d)    In a rocky picture

3.Cartellate were mentioned

a)    For the marriage of Isabel of Aragon

b)    For the marriage of a Benedictine nun

c)    For the marriage of Isabel of Aragon’s daughter

d)    For the marriage of Isabel of Aragon’s son