"Dolci" sospiri e non solo!

But what do a very famous bridge, delicious sweets, and an ecstatic boy have in common?

If you haven't found the answer, then we'll try to find it out together!

There was once and it is still there today, a bridge symbol of Venice considered to be the bridge of love, whose real name is Ponte dei Sospiri, the Bridge of Sighs! It is located in Riva degli Schiavoni, not far from Piazza San Marco. What for many from all over the world is known as the Bridge of Lovers hides secrets and curiosities that perhaps few people know.

In 1600 after a serious fire at the Doge's Palace, where the prisons were then located, it was decided to transfer them to the bank in front, leaving only the rooms of the magistrates in the historic building. As a consequence, a bridge was built to create a passage between the court and the new prisons. According to popular tradition, the name derives from the prisoners' sighs who while crossing the bridge, expressed their sadness in seeing the sunlight and the panorama of the lagoon for the last time. Giacomo Casanova was also locked up in these prisons and he too probably sighed on that bridge for his lost freedom. But he was also the only one who managed to escape! In short, there is no trace of love left here...

Instead, we find love in Bisceglie, a very old town in Puglia between Trani and Molfetta, with its typical sweets that are called 'sospiri d'amore' (sighs of love). They come from a very ancient recipe from the 1500s. It seems that they were first made by the cloistered nuns of the town to celebrate the wedding between Lucrezia Borgia and the Count of Conversano. Unfortunately, however, the wedding did not take place, and the guests who in the meantime were sighing during the long wait, consoled themselves by eating these delicious pastries! In the past, they were garnished with a drop of rosolio, the liqueur of roses, traditionally prepared at home. Now instead, lemon juice is added in its place. If you have the opportunity to visit Puglia, don't forget to try them, an unforgettable experience for your palate!

And you too, after tasting them, will breathe a sigh of happiness!

The word 'sospiro', a masculine noun of only three syllables, derives from the Latin verb 'suspirare' which means: to desire, to regret ardently, to yearn, but also to wait anxiously, as well as to cry and complain. In short, sospiro contains many stories and different meanings. It can be something deep, something light, of pain, love, regret or relief. In this slow and deep inhalation and exhalation we manifest our emotions. As the writer Enzo Siciliano wrote: '...his eyes and sighs tell me much more than his words'.

And so good 'sighs' to everyone!

Buoni sospiri a tutti.