"Perugia lies beneath the sign of the Lion and of the Virgin," Ciatti
says in his account, which is as usual, unlike the account of anybody
else, and highly entertaining, "and from this cause it comes that the
city is called _Leonina_[48] and _Sanguinia_, and the habits of the
Perugians are neither luxurious nor effeminate. Like those of whom
Siderius writes, they came forth strong in war, they delighted in fish,
were humorous in speech, swift in counsel, and loved the law of the
Pope.... The women," he continues with a certain monastic indifference
to female charm, "were not beautiful, although Siderius calls them
elegant;[49] the genius of Perugia was ever more inclined to the
exercise of arms than the cultivation of beauty, and many famous
captains have brought fame to this their native city through their brave
deeds. In Tuscany the Sienese have the reputation of being frivolous,
the Pisans astute and malicious, the Florentines slow and serious, and
the Perugians ferocious and of a warlike spirit."
Concerning the clothes and the feasts of this combative race of people
who lived for warfare rather than for delight, we hear that they were
accustomed to wear a great deal of fur, the nobles using pelisses of
martin and of sable, the poor, sheep or foxes' skins. The fur tippets
still worn by the canons of cathedrals in Italian towns in winter are
probably a remnant of these days. For the rest an adaptation of the
Roman tunic was perhaps worn by the men, whilst the women kept to the
tradition of the Etruscan headgear. "Victuals," Bonazzi tells us, "were
of a coarse description, more lard and pepper was eaten in those days,
than meat and coffee in ours. But at the feasts of the priests and
nobles an incredible quantity of exquisite viands was consumed; great
animals stuffed with dainties were cooked entire, and monstrous pasties
served at table, from which, when the knife touched them, a living and
jovial dwarf jumped out upon the table, unexpected and to the great
delight of all the company."
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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