An original composition for the Northumbrian Smallpipes. It is a jig in four parts I found myself humming one morning and I thought it would sound good on the pipes.
I decided to dedicate this tune to an inn in Bertinoro, a medieval fortified town in central Romagna, Northern Italy. The Ca’ de Bè (“House of Drinking” or “House of Wine” in the Romagnol language) is one of three inns (the other two being Ca’ de Vén in Ravenna and Ca’ de Sanzvés in Predappio) founded by Alteo Dolcini in order to promote the tradition of Romagnol winemaking, and the culture that surrounds it. I’ve gone to Bertinoro and to its inn ever since I was a child, and it is a place I am very connected with. The inn has a terrace which commands stunning views of the hills and valleys stretching as far as the sea, and is just below the upper square, a belvedere with a parapet, with the medieval Palazzo Comunale to its back. The column with rings which is seen at some point is the symbol of the town, found on its coat of arms. Each ring was linked to a family of the local nobility, and when the wayfarer arrived in Bertinoro in ancient times, he would tie his horse to one of the rings. The family corresponding to the ring would then accommodate the wayfarer during his stay in the town. For this reason, Bertinoro is known as “the town of hospitality”, a key concept in Romagnol culture.
The hillsides and the surrounding country are characterised by rolling hills covered by vineyards, which produce some varieties of fine wine Bertinoro is renowned for. The town is relatively small but has always had some importance in the history and culture of Romagna, even to this day. Its name comes from Latin “Castrum Brittinori”, the castle of the Britons. In fact, during the Middle Ages, pilgrims coming from the British Isles and headed to Rome regularly stopped there along their way and had an important station in the town, which eventually took its name from them. For this reason, I though that the Northumbrian Smallpipes, being British, would fit the occasion. The music plays to some photos I took a spring of a couple of years ago.
