In North American or northern European settings, those who observe Easter will feast with friends and family on the evening of Easter Sunday, following a long Lenten fast. And this is generally when the festivities and Easter contemplations end. Not in Italy, however. On Easter Monday, it’s as if they have chosen to celebrate the resurrection of Christ one more time, breaking out Cuddura di Pasqua yet again after the dawn of this new day.
On 27 June, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii announced that a new fresco depicting a focaccia (an Italian flatbread) had been discovered. In recent years, the site has begun excavating previously unexplored areas of the once bustling town that was buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.
Just a few hours ago, on 27 June 2023, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii announced that a fresco of ‘mensa’ flatbread has been discovered during the ongoing excavations of Insula 10 of Region 9! And I am so excited that I cannot sleep! (…it’s 3:24 am in Malibu).
What did bread from ancient Pompeii taste like? Farrell Monaco knows. The experimental archaeologist replicates ancient technologies and specific ingredients, even growing her own starters, to bring to life the breads that ancient Pompeiians would have eaten. But recreating the bread goes beyond culinary curiosity—baking it is a way to understand how one simple food item can bring people together, a practice that resonates today, even as it did once in Pompeii.
Join award winning archaeologist and food-writer, Farrell Monaco, for an ancient Roman culinary master class at Eataly Los Angeles! Embark on a journey into the beauty, simplicity, and sophistication of Roman breads, sweets, and pastries. Then explore various types of archaeological, artistic and literary evidence that provide archaeologists with clues as […]
Be the first in your insula to own a Signaculum 79 bread stamp today and tell that pesky pistor where to stick that loaf of spelt!
From recreating Roman breads to eating four heads of garlic with no fear, Michaela and Farrell discussed the value and intrigue of these ancient foods as well as the importance of cooking and eating together as we gather socially once again following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In A.D. 79 the eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in ash and pumice, and carbonized many of their organic contents—including the bread in Pompeii’s bakeries. Farrell Monaco, a culinary archaeologist, researched one popular bread’s history and has re-created the recipe.
Yup. You read that right. It’s a recipe for an ancient Roman sourdough bread starter made from legumes!
A pestilence is sweeping our land. The gods are pissed. It’s time to take this situation into our own hands with an ancient Greek sacrifice. Be gone, pestilence, be gone!
Join archaeologist and University of Leicester alumna, Farrell Monaco, to find out about bread and bakeries in ancient Rome, and then learn how to make a 2,000-year old Roman bread recipe as described by Cato the Elder.
Join award-winning experimental archaeologist, Farrell Monaco, for a FREE 1 1/2 hour presentation and workshop on bread and bread-making in ancient Rome. Farrell will discuss the archaeology of bread in ancient Rome, sources of evidence, methods of manufacture, form, function and symbolism.
About the author:
Farrell Monaco is an award-winning Classical archaeologist and food-writer whose research centers on food, food preparation, and bread in the Roman Mediterranean. She writes regularly on the role of food and food preparation in Roman daily life on her site, Tavola Mediterranea, and publishes in both English and Italian. Farrell has also written exclusively for Atlas Obscura and BBC Travel. Her work has been featured prominently by National Geographic, Popular Science, The Atlantic, the BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Economist, Esquire Magazine, SAPIENS Magazine, Saveur Magazine and Milk Street.
