Rotondella

Rotondella (Neapolitan language: ) is a town and comune in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.

Language

The local vernacular lies on the eastern tip of the Lausberg area, and as such it is an archaizing dialect of the Neapolitan language. It features a notable amount of inherited Ancient and Byzantine Greek words, like surigghia, "lizard", from *sauricola, a late diminuitive of σαύρα (saúra); ghattuvigghia "bat", from a similarly-formed diminuitive of νυκτερίς (nukterís), also influenced by ghatt "cat"; or zilona, "turtle", from χελώνη (chelóna), all with the same meaning.

Cuisine

• U pastizz rutunnar: (protected traditional food), half moon-shaped pie filled with mincemeat.
• Frizzule c'a muddiche: pasta kneaded on a knitting needle (called frizzulo in the local vernacular) and served with meat sauce and fried, paprika-flavoured breadcrumbs.
• Sospiri di Rotondella: a local twist on an all-Southern glazed sponge cake with cream filling. Also produced in Pisticci, with a slightly different recipe (the Rotondellese one is kept secret by the local pastry chef).

Twin towns

• Casalfiumanese, Italy

References

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