In Monferrato and other parts of northern Italy, people traditionally eat ceci con le costine on Nov. 1. Italians eat the hearty soup of chickpeas and pork ribs at the start of two days devoted to saints and the dead, yet local legend links it to something far more hopeful.
All Saints’ Day, or Ognissanti, falls on Nov. 1, and All Souls’ Day, or Il Giorno dei Morti, follows on Nov. 2. Italians spend the two days honoring saints and remembering loved ones who have died. According to local legend, eating the soup on All Saints’ Day brings good luck and prosperity for the year ahead.
Some Families Set a Place for the Dead
In Trentino and Piedmont, some families traditionally leave the dinner table set overnight with plates, bread, water and wine. Families in Valle d’Aosta keep the same custom. The table gives visiting ancestral spirits a place to rest and refresh themselves before they return to the afterlife.
Pre-Christian European folklore held that the boundary between the living and the dead was especially thin as October turned to November. Over time, those beliefs blended with the Christian traditions of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Sweets Called ‘Beans of the Dead’
Fave dei morti, or “beans of the dead,” sound grim, but they’re actually almond-based sweets tied to All Souls’ Day. Their origins may go back to ancient beliefs that linked beans and other legumes to spirits and the underworld. Recipes vary across Italy, and different regions add their own ingredients and methods.
Lombardy, including Milan, has its own seasonal specialty: pan dei morti, or “bread of the dead.” Despite the name, they’re cookies. Farther south, some desserts for the occasion reflect historical Arab and Spanish influences on Italian cooking.
Venice Builds a Floating Bridge to Its Cemetery Island
Venice installs a temporary floating bridge that connects the city to the cemetery island of San Michele for All Souls’ Day. The bridge lets people walk across the lagoon to the cemetery, so residents can honor their late loved ones without a boat trip.
All Souls’ Day is mainly a time for remembrance rather than celebration, said Cecilia Cambero Yllera, ground operations manager at Walks of Italy. People visit cemeteries to pray. They also clean ancestral tombs and bring fresh flowers.
What Travelers Need to Know About Nov. 1
Cambero Yllera also has a practical tip for travelers. “Visitors should also be aware that November 1 is a national public holiday, so some museums, shops and attractions may have different opening hours or be closed,” she said. Check opening times before you head out, and keep a backup plan for any sight that’s closed.