Jake Rabinowitz, his wife and daughter arrived in Rome, Italy last summer; the 9-hour flight was uneventful, except for the predictable request from some fellow passengers that Jake change his seat to accommodate a family wishing to sit together. Jake obliged them, relocated, and sat back contemplating his upcoming Italian adventure. Neither he nor his wife, Belle nor his daughter Marissa had ever been to Italy before, though for many years previous Jake had extensively studied Roman and Italian history and so his upcoming trip had a strange familiarity for him. With his knowledge of Italian and Jewish history, he fancied himself the descendant of Jews who very well might have been Roman slaves 2,000 years earlier, exiled from Judea by the Flavian emperors. Despite all that, Jake, being the contrarian that he was, did not want to stay in Rome itself with its hyperactive environment and often, oppressive heat.
No, for Jake, the thing to do was to stay instead in the countryside, 40 miles from Rome, preferably in the cooler mountains east of Rome in the region known as Ciocheria. He imagined himself a latter-day Hannibal who wouldn’t confront Rome directly, but would take selective day trips from his mountain retreat east of Rome, do his touring each day and retreat back in the evening to the cool mountain air. Jake had read an advertisement in the local New Jersey papers describing an older, once first class, retreat in a small town called Fiuggi where Orthodox Jews from Milan operated a kosher catering facility during the summer. Nestled in the mountains, the hotel, on its own private grounds near the center of town, was called the Grand Palazzo Della Fonte, a rather ponderous name for a rather picturesque resort.
After clearing customs at the Fiumicino airport outside Rome, the Rabinowitzes quickly found their pre-arranged Italian driver, Gianluca, who instructed them to follow him outside the terminal where his van awaited. Large swaths of people surrounded them as they worked their way through the busy airport, crowded with departures and arrivals.
“Fiuggi is about one hour’s drive from Rome,” Gianluca informed his passengers in accented English as he pulled out of the parking garage.
About half way to Fiuggi, the terrain became decidedly more rural in aspect; soon the van began the ascent to Fiuggi. The summer morning sun reflected off the leafy trees. Farms lined the highway; after 20 more minutes, a sign to Fiuggi appeared and in a matter of minutes, Gianluca steered the Rabinowitz family into the quiet town of Fiuggi. The Grand Pallazo was located near the center of town on its own private grounds, reached at the end of a well-manicured approach road perhaps 100 feet above the town itself.
“We have arrived,” shouted Gianluca who descended from his cab to assist Jake and his party. The entrance to the palazzo was elegant, complete with marble columns, steps and fountains. Within minutes, Jake had registered at the reception desk with the help of Alena who spoke fluent Italian, English and Russian. When Jake inquired whether any other guests from America were staying at the hotel Alena replied:
“Not yet, but we are expecting a group of Americans for the weekend. Tomorrow, Wednesday, 150 Russian cyber security experts are arriving for a three day conference at the hotel. So it will be busier!”
Jake and his wife both raised their eyebrows at that last remark. Back home the words “Russian cyber security expert” were the subject of multiple Congressional investigations at that time.
“What have we possibly gotten ourselves into,” they both thought simultaneously?
After checking in, the Rabinowitzes headed upstairs to inspect their lodgings for their weeklong stay. Jake began unpacking his suitcases. He stood by the side of the king size bed. Belle, as was her nature, had already quickly unpacked her luggage, hanged her dresses and skirts in the limited closet space allotted her, and explored the bathroom, which was of good size and equipped with shower, bath and other expected amenities. It was now about 11 a.m.
“I’m hungry,” Belle soon said to Jake. “Aren’t you?Let’s see if anyone else is at the hotel.”
Five minutes later, the Rabinowitz clan descended by elevator to the marble-colonnaded reception area to receive an orientation from the concierge. It turned out they were in fact the only Orthodox guests in the hotel. As Alena had advised Jake, others were expected on the weekend, but Jake and family would be the only religious patrons fort the next two days. The concierge guided the Rabinowitz family through the large passageway from the reception area, past walls decorated in Italian baroque style with intricate tapestries, paintings and vaulted ceilings, until they arrived at the dining area set aside for the kosher guests. Jake and his party were free to choose from four empty tables set out before them. The brunch food consisted of a mixture of salads, fruit and pasta, all fresh and tasty. Jake felt as if he were dining on his private country estate in rather ornate surroundings. On their table stood green-colored bottles of the ubiquitous Fiuggi sparkling water; the Rabinowitzes were soon informed by staff that Fiuggi had been for centuries a desired summer retreat of no fewer than five popes who sought the healing powers of Fiuggi’s natural, medicinal steams, known for their power to dissolve kidney stones. The taste of the water reminded Jake of Pellegrino or Evian water.
Following their meal, Jake and his family decided to explore the grounds outside the hotel; they visited the large, outdoor pool area, viewed from a distance the old, upper city of Fiuggi, and ultimately, toured the indoor pool and spa area. Massages, facials and steam room and sauna completed the Romanesque facilities.
The Rabinowitzes decided to spend the rest of their arrival day in Fiuggi relaxing at the outdoor pool; the sky began to cloud over shorthly and rain threatened but little fell. Soon it turned cooler poolside and they returned to their room for a brief nap.
They descended to dinner at around six o’clock. They were looking forward to meeting their Milanese hosts, the Minkowitzes at dinner. The Minkowitzes ran facilities in Florence and Fiuggi during the summer as well as during the Jewish holidays and their clientele was truly international. Signor and Signore Minkowitz and their daughter were charming hosts at dinner. They confirmed to Jake that other Jewish guests would be arriving for the weekend and, even more interesting, the hotel would be hosting an Orthodox destination wedding at the palazzo the following week that would be attended by some of our New Jersey neighbors. During dinner, the Minkowitzes described to Jake’s family what life as Milanese Jews was like, but even more intriguing, they described the lengthy history of the Jews of Fiuggi that dated back to 1184. According to Signor Markowitz, a local Roman Catholic priest recounted to him that Fiuggi historians believe the “children of Abraham” did business with non-Jewish locals in the town during the 12th century. Jews in fact had lived in Fiuggi during that time as buildings from that period had been excavated with mezzuzot and stars of David attached!
Jake was fascinated by this history lesson given by his hosts at dinner. But soon travel fatigue set in. The elevator took him and his group upstairs to their rooms. As he thought about all that had happened that day, and all that awaited their first, exciting visit to Rome the next morning, Jake, perhaps the descendant of one time Roman slaves, felt more like a free citizen than an indentured one. What a difference 2,000 years can make!
By Joseph Rotenberg
Joseph Rotenberg, a frequent contributor to The Jewish Link, has resided in Teaneck for more than 40 years with his wife Barbara. He has spent most of that time searching his surroundings for signs of intelligent life. His first collection of short stories and essays entitled “Timeless Travels: Tales of Mystery, Intrigue, Humor and Enchantment” will be published by Gefen later this year.
