Episode Transcript
Hello and buongiorno. My name is Bailey Alexander and welcome to my podcast called Life is Like a Detective Novel. I'll explain why by reading stories from my latest book called the Personal Legends of Piemonte and how these legends fulfilled their destiny. In this book, we enter the lives of 12 Italians who, one could argue, have found their bliss. But how do they do this? This is what you will discover when you read these interviews along with the stories I wrapped around them, showcasing their daily lives, exposing their motivations, and most importantly, how they figured it out. And listen. I had to travel a great distance and live in a lot of countries before I could fulfill my own destiny. But these northern Italians did not have to move a mile. They often found it in their own backyard by celebrating the treasure beneath their feet.
I interviewed 12 Piemontese wine and cheese makers, herbalists, a famous chef, a bar owner, a teacher, a bureaucrat and a car mechanic named Luigi. After all, it is Italy. The two herbalists I interviewed in this book are quite different in their approach. In my prior podcast, I spoke about Anna and her famous nature hikes. They are truly a peak experience.
In this episode we meet an Enrique Maria Marchioni, granddaughter of the famous herbalist Teodoro Negro. We learn of three generations of herbalists. Once upon a time, people could not afford doctors. They took risks and they came from all over Italy to meet Teodoro. So let's learn how Enrica has continued the strong tradition in a town called Cesole in the region of Piemonte. So I'm going to read from chapter four in my book called Personal Legends of Piemonte and it is called the Alchemist.
No one likes a show off unless it's Italy. In Cunio, the maritime and cozy alps exist as if only to impress. When I see Monte Rosa from a distance, it's obvious why they call it the Stone King. Little wonder why this mountain inspired the iconic Paramount movie logo. Everything is so cinematic.
Entering my sixth year, I still stop the car, get out and take a photo on the way home. But here's the difference between me and the Piemontesi. When I see a mountain, I think it's pretty. When they do, they see vast opportunity. Whether they be Loazzolese, Bubbiese or Cessolesi, Vision and determination stir deep within their minds. If it strikes me as strange to live so far from my next neighbor and I perceive it as a disadvantage, it is not so for the locals, but simply attaches them closer to their magical land. Especially in the case of Teodoro Negro. Because of Teodoro, I can integrate magic into my daily life.
It happened one day, while cruising alongside these photogenic mountains, synchronicity came into play. The car pulled over of its own accord. It was only an herbal shop, but one with magnetic appeal.
Erborestoria Negro. Instantly, I was drawn to its charming front yard. There were these little signs, hand painted in cursive, advertising various herbs lined up on top of slim slices of bamboo. A dozen or so to read and admire, creating a border behind round tables with mushroom shaped chairs firmly planted in the ground.
As my eyes slid to the right of the garden, there was this quaint building with oblong windows, teasing more surprises inside. Right there, nestled in between Anna's secret garden, breathing deep in the forest, and my own paradise. On top of the hill in Loazzolo, I found my alchemist.
Her name is Enrica Maria Marchioni, the granddaughter of Teodoro Negro of Cesare.
Enrica also discreetly invited magic to become a daily part of my life. Even her shop appears polite, as if incapable of causing the teeniest bit of distress. Once you've passed Vesime and arrived in Cesole, it's just a quick trip across a teeny bridge to the herbal shop situated in the Bormada Valley, which happens to be the setting for many of my tales. A most impressive stretch of land extending from the Ligurian Alps through Savona into Piemonte, in between the hills of Monferrato in the Langue and Po Valley, a major geographical feature of northern Italy. This is where a young man named Teodoro Negro spent his life roaming the valley and investigating the land, gathering herbs and ideas. He studied the earth as if combing for clues. And after testing and rearranging the details, Teodoro would create the famous Amero Toccasana, a true elixir of herbs, over 37 separate herbs and typical of the Piemontese land. I wish I could have met the man, but at least I can channel the emotions of Anna and her ability to rejoice in the mysteries and melodies that spring from the treasure beneath our feet.Teodoro was so inspired, he gave life to an aromatic and beneficial amaro, an authentic panacea.
Speaking of life, Teodoro was born two months premature. In an era when incubators did not exist in the countryside. His survival was already celebrated as a small miracle. In popular tradition, people born in the seventh month are said to be endowed with great sensitivity and empathy. He had the gift of dowsing at just 8 years old and was responsible for Dozens of artesian wells dug in the countryside. He could also put people at ease. Not everyone had access to a doctor. When people became sick, they took risks. But Teodoro understood the healing power of herbs and their properties. His knowledge was made available to the people with generosity, in the same way Anna's would be. People came from all over Piemonte. In fact, they came from places much farther away to have Teodoro lay his hands on them and help heal their bodies. If this is not magic, I do not know what is. If I aspire to get closer to my health, this was the place for me. Eventually, I would visit Enrica each and every month, where she prepared the potion for my daily tisana. I drink it twice a day, after lunch and then after dinner. It's called dopo pasto after the meal. You can find it in other regions of Italy, though I doubt the ingredients prove as powerful as they do here in Piemonte. Teodoro Negro opened a shop in the early 40s and eventually undertook a path of science and studied the art of infusion. Then on to the University of Pavia, where he was among the first to graduate in herbal medicine. His history and gifts were successfully passed on to Enrica, who caught them with ease. She continues the art of listening, offering the promise of reuniting the mind with the body. If this occurs just by talking about it, the placebo effect plays a minor role. These kinds of qualities flow through the family DNA. With Enrique, blending her pharmaceutical knowledge with the power of herbal medicine. The research of the past is present, and when I walk into her space, she focuses her large, liquid aquamarina eyes on me. And as she has all the time in the world, with little patience at my disposal, this place lets me pretend I have plenty.
Her personal style enhances the romantic ambiance. It's intimate, with dozens of drawers filled with dried plants enclosed beneath the soft celadon green surface. Delicately drawn herbs and flowers cover the drawers and the walls. The technique feels arabesque. The atmosphere feeds the imagination, offering promise with secrets ready to become known. Teodoro's Ebore Esteria reminds me of my past in Rome, when I lived in the neighborhood of Tristevere and I used to walk right by Antica Spezzeria di Santa Maria della Scala. For three years, I practically ignored the oldest herbal shop in Rome. Founded in the 16th century, it was often called the pharmacy for the Popes.
Actually, I think I did venture in one time just to admire the ancient decor. Located in the first floor of the Convent of the Discoused Carmelites. It may be the oldest in Europe, but I didn't believe in the healing power of herbs. Willfully ignorant that princes cardinals and papal doctors were regular clients.
To think it only took a decade and half a dozen countries defined Enrica and Eborestoria Negro to invite me in. There's a set of glass doors. There's another set, but one should wait and sit at a small round table until the previous client has finished their discussion and Enrica has found a solution. When I see them leave, I walk in and have the option of sitting down or standing as Enrica listens to my medical concerns. I don't think I've ever left without a parting gift, maybe a sample of herbal soap or or a small bottle of cream made from the Nebula grape. First I get to watch her create my tisana. Then she collects various potions from the drawers. She measures the contents on the scale, pouring in a little more if necessary, and when satisfied, Enrique proceeds to write down every single ingredient at the back of the bottom of a long, narrow brown paper bag. The script is tiny and complete. The final flourish is a miniature yellow wooden clip at the top.
As I collect my potions and gifts, they don't feel like a purchase of preventative medicine. In my hands is the chalice. That is all.
It isn't my destiny to acquire what Enrico and Anna took a lifetime to learn. There is too much of it and I don't have the patience to learn what takes a lifetime. I just want my tisana to make life a little better so I can enjoy my Italian diet full of pasta and risotto along with a couple glasses of Piemontese wine. At the end of the day, crossing the bridge, I am closer to my own destiny towards finding my own bliss. Because Teodoro, Enrique and Anna found their own.
So hey, that's a teaser from my book called the Personal Legends of Piemonte and I'm happy to announce I'll be having a book signing in Rome in the eternal city on April 10th at the almost Corner Bookshop on Via del moro. Hey, if you're brushing up on your Italian and getting ready for a trip to Italy, my book Personal Legends is written in both English and Italian together. The first half is in English, the second in Italian. So not only can you read about fulfilling your own destiny, you can learn a little Italian and check out my website on BaileyAlexander.com for further information, book signings, giveaways, little films, and oh so much more. And hey, thank you so much for listening. Ciao for now. arrivederci.
