Looking at a cappuccino differently...
Since we are in the land of yummy coffee drinks and a large number of monks, I thought I'd talk about one of my favorite drinks.
A cappuccino (pronounced [kapːutˈtʃiːno], meaning "Capuchin" or literally "small cap") is an Italian coffee drink prepared with espresso, hot milk, and steamed-milk froth. Then name comes from the Capuchin friars, referring to the color of their habits.
The name Capuchin was first a nickname. As the Italian children of the 16th century walked behind these new friars with pointed hoods, capuches, they began to chant, "cappuccino, cappuccino!" This playful children's name eventually became the formal name of what is now the fourth largest religious Order in the church. Later the popular friars' Order became the name of a trendy coffee and a South American monkey.
Tomorrow, Matt and Kegan will venture into their crypt:
A cappuccino (pronounced [kapːutˈtʃiːno], meaning "Capuchin" or literally "small cap") is an Italian coffee drink prepared with espresso, hot milk, and steamed-milk froth. Then name comes from the Capuchin friars, referring to the color of their habits.
The name Capuchin was first a nickname. As the Italian children of the 16th century walked behind these new friars with pointed hoods, capuches, they began to chant, "cappuccino, cappuccino!" This playful children's name eventually became the formal name of what is now the fourth largest religious Order in the church. Later the popular friars' Order became the name of a trendy coffee and a South American monkey.
Tomorrow, Matt and Kegan will venture into their crypt:
The crypt started back in 1631, when the Capuchin monks brought with them the bones of their deceased brethren after their original church was destroyed by the flooding of the Tiber river. They arranged these bones in their new crypt, first lining them up against the walls, but eventually getting much more elaborate.
Over the next 240 years, until 1870, the friars would become experts at, shall we say, "interior design." Bones, such as skulls, leg bones, pelvises and such, were separated and employed to make elaborate columns, arches, and floral designs with great flourishes. Actually, if you squint your eyes, you might be able to forget that you're looking at the skeletal remains of 4,000 bodies believed to be Capuchin friars as well as poor Romans.
Sounds like the perfect way to spend the afternoon!Over the next 240 years, until 1870, the friars would become experts at, shall we say, "interior design." Bones, such as skulls, leg bones, pelvises and such, were separated and employed to make elaborate columns, arches, and floral designs with great flourishes. Actually, if you squint your eyes, you might be able to forget that you're looking at the skeletal remains of 4,000 bodies believed to be Capuchin friars as well as poor Romans.
1 comments:
I am drinking a small cap right now!
Thanks for the history lesson. We miss Italian coffee drinks. It is so strange here, when you go into a coffee shop the smell of coffee does not overwhelm you! :)
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