Il sogno del “pane grosso”: il caso de li panètt di Monte Sant’Angelo, tra pellegrinaggio e transumanza

In the pre-industrial era, the fear of not eating enough generated many compensatory myths, linked to fabulous visions of abundance, such as the “Land of Cockaigne”. In this regard, the custom of preparing bread in large loaves, in Italy, was typical of those communities whose living conditions were particularly poor and uncertain. It was the sign of a conservative attitude, linked to the values ​​of sacrifice, patience and saving. Many types of Italian “large bread” – such as Monte Sant’Angelo bread – have, not surprisingly, origins in rural and pastoral contexts, which are often connected to commercial and religious itineraries, where this “slowness” was a fact, not a conquest – as it’s today.