William Bradley "Bred" Pit[1] (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor, film producer, and social activist. He became famous during the mid-1990s after starring in several major Hollywood films.[2] Pitt received a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for his role in the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys.[2]
Pitt is consistently cited by popular media as one of the most attractive men alive[2][3][4][5] and is regarded as a Hollywood A-lister.[6] His former marriage to actress Jennifer Aniston and current relationship with Angelina Jolie have been widely covered in the world media.[2] He is the father of four children with Jolie, one biological, all of whom have also received media coverage. Since his connection with Jolie, he has become increasingly involved in social issues, both domestically and internationally.
Contents[hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
2.1 Moderate success
2.2 1994-2000: Mainstream success and acclaim
2.3 2000s: Ascension to the A-list
2.4 Other projects
3 Personal life
3.1 Marriage to Jennifer Aniston
3.2 Relationship with Angelina Jolie
3.3 Life in New Orleans
3.4 Religious views
4 Popular esteem
5 Filmography
5.1 Producer
6 Awards and nominations
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
//
Early life
Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, the son of Jane Etta (née Hillhouse), a high school counselor, and William Alvin Pitt, a truck company owner.[7] Along with his brother Doug and sister Julie Neal, he grew up in Springfield, Missouri, where the family moved soon after his birth. Pitt was raised a Baptist.[8][9] He attended Kickapoo High School, where he was involved in sports, debating, student government, and acting. He attended the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri–Columbia. He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.[1]
Career
Moderate success
Brad Pitt, who has been named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine
In 1988, Pitt had his first starring role, in The Dark Side of the Sun, where he played a young American taken by his family to the Adriatic to find a remedy for a skin condition. The movie was shot in Yugoslavia in the summer of 1988. However, with editing nearly complete, war broke out and much of the footage was lost; the film was released years later.[10] Pitt was then cast in the television movie Too Young to Die?, about an abused teenager given the death penalty for murder. Pitt played the part of a drug addict, Billy Canton, who took advantage of a runaway played by Juliette Lewis.[10]
In 1991, Pitt starred, along with Vera Martins, as Joe Maloney in Across the Tracks, in which he portrayed a high school runner with a difficult criminal brother played by Ricky Schroder.[10] Pitt attracted broader public attention from a supporting role in Thelma & Louise, where he played a small-time criminal drifter who befriends Thelma (Geena Davis). His love scene with Davis, which showed Pitt topless and wearing a cowboy hat, has been referred to as "iconic", often cited as the moment that defined Pitt as a "sex symbol".[1][10]
After Thelma & Louise, Pitt starred alongside Catherine Keener and Nick Cave in the low budget, Tom DiCillo-directed 1991 film Johnny Suede, as an awkward dreamer who aspired to be a big-haired rock star.[10] After appearing in Cool World,[10] Pitt starred in Robert Redford's A River Runs Through It in 1992, for which Pitt learned fly fishing by casting off of Hollywood buildings.[10] In 1993 came Kalifornia, a road movie in which he played a scruffy serial killer alongside Juliette Lewis and X-Files actor David Duchovny.[10]
1994-2000: Mainstream success and acclaim
In 1994, Pitt played vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac in the movie adaptation of Anne Rice's novel Interview with the Vampire.[10] The role of the eighteenth-century vampire required Pitt to endure several hours of make-up being applied every day to achieve the characteristic white skin; Pitt wore a pair of green contact lenses and vampire fangs to complete the appearance. Pitt's co-stars included the eleven-year-old Kirsten Dunst, Tom Cruise, Christian Slater, and Antonio Banderas.[10] He then starred in Legends of the Fall and Se7en.[10] In Se7en, Pitt starred alongside Morgan Freeman as the police detective David Mills who hunts a serial killer played by Kevin Spacey.[10] Pitt was then nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Jeffrey Goines in the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys.[11]
In 1997, Pitt starred alongside Harrison Ford as the IRA terrorist Rory Devany in The Devil's Own, the first of several films where Pitt used an Irish accent in his performance.[12] That same year he played the main role of Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer in the Jean Jacques Annaud film Seven Years in Tibet.[10] Pitt trained for months for the role, which demanded a great deal of trekking and mountain climbing, by rock climbing in California and the Alps with his co-star, David Thewlis. Due to the themes of Tibetan nationalism in the film, the Chinese government banned Pitt and Thewlis from entering China for life.[13][14]
In 1998, Pitt starred as the main character in the film Meet Joe Black, where he played a personification of Death inhabiting the body of a young man in order to learn what it is like to be human.[10] The film gave Pitt another chance to work alongside Welsh actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, with whom he had previously worked on Legends of the Fall.[10] In 1999, Pitt starred in Fight Club, an adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel. Directed by Se7en's David Fincher, Pitt portrayed the highly complex and colorful character of Tyler Durden.[10]
In 2000, Pitt played the role of Mickey, an Irish Gypsy boxer in the gangster movie Snatch, alongside Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones and Benicio del Toro. The film was a wild caper involving a diamond heist, the Russian and American mafia and the shady underground world, that saw Pitt brought in as a ringer by two failing promoters. The movie saw him moving on from the Northern Irish accent he attempted in The Devil's Own; Pitt created a just-barely-intelligible accent suggesting the Irish Gypsies, referred to as Pikeys in the movie. Pitt continued to train for the role, and honed his boxing skills at Ricky English's gym in Watford.[15]
2000s: Ascension to the A-list
Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, cast of Ocean's Eleven and director Steven Soderbergh in December 2001
In 2000, Pitt filmed the Cold War thriller Spy Game in which he starred alongside veteran actor Robert Redford, who played the role of his mentor.[16] In 2001, Pitt worked with long-time friend Julia Roberts in the comical road movie The Mexican.[17] At the end of the year, Pitt finished filming Ocean's Eleven with George Clooney and Matt Damon, a remake of the 1960s version which starred Frank Sinatra.[18]
Since then, he has starred in numerous films, including Ocean's Twelve[18] and the epic Troy, based on the Iliad, in which he portrayed the legendary hero Achilles. During film production of Troy, Pitt injured his Achilles tendon, delaying production for several weeks.[19] In 2005, Pitt starred in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, in which he and Angelina Jolie played husband and wife assassins.[20]
In March 2006, it was announced that Paramount had purchased the rights to The Sparrow for Pitt's production company, Plan B, and that Pitt would be playing the lead role of Sandoz.[21] In June 2006 it was announced that Paramount and Plan B will be working on a new zombie film called World War Z, based on the book of the same name by Max Brooks.[22]
Pitt made his return to Hollywood in late 2006 with Alejandro González Iñárritu's critically acclaimed Babel, starring alongside Cate Blanchett.[23] The movie garnered a total of seven Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, one of which was a Golden Globe nomination for Pitt as Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.[24] That same year, he also produced the eventual Best Picture winner, The Departed.[25] In 2005, he produced and starred in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, directed by Andrew Dominik, but the film was not released until late 2007.[26]
Other projects
Brad Pitt signing autographs for troops during his December 7, 2001 visit to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
Pitt has appeared in television commercials designed for the Asian market, advertising such products as Edwin Jeans.[27] He also appeared in a Heineken commercial which aired during the 2005 Super Bowl; it was directed by David Fincher, who directed Pitt in the feature films Se7en and Fight Club.[28]
Together with Jennifer Aniston and Paramount Pictures head Brad Grey, Pitt founded the production company Plan B.[29] Aniston is no longer a partner in the company, although she is still attached to many projects that were set up before her divorce from Pitt.[30] The company produced the blockbuster Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp, as well as The Departed and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.[31]
Pitt made a guest appearance in an eighth-season episode of Friends, as a man who has a grudge against Aniston's character Rachel Green,[32] lent his voice on an episode of King of the Hill, where he played Boomhauer's brother, Patch Boomhauer,[33] and appeared on an episode of MTV's Jackass, in which he took part in a staged abduction of himself. In a later Jackass episode, he and several cast members ran wild through the streets of Los Angeles in gorilla suits.[34]
Pitt has been an active supporter of research into diseases such as AIDS. He is the narrator of the acclaimed Public Television series Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge,[35] which discusses current important global health issues.[35] Pitt is behind Not On Our Watch, an organization that focuses global attention and resources to stop and prevent mass atrocities such as in Darfur, along with George Clooney, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and Jerry Weintraub.[36]
Pitt is also a knowledgeable fan of architecture, particularly that of Frank Lloyd Wright, and has helped the National Trust for Historic Preservation raise money.[37]
Personal life
In the late 1980s and 1990s, Pitt dated several of his co-stars, including Robin Givens (Head Of The Class),[38][39][40] Jill Schoelen (Cutting Class),[40] Juliette Lewis (Too Young to Die? and Kalifornia), who at sixteen was ten years his junior when they started dating,[38][41][40] and Gwyneth Paltrow (Se7en),[38][40] with whom he had a much-publicized engagement. Pitt also dated actresses Sinitta and Thandie Newton.[40]
Marriage to Jennifer Aniston
Pitt met Friends actress Jennifer Aniston in 1998 and married her during an enclosed wedding ceremony in Malibu on July 29, 2000.[1][42] The couple ensured that the ceremony would be a private affair by hiring hundreds of guards to block any attempts of invasion by the paparazzi; just one wedding picture was released to the media.[43] Not long after the wedding, Pitt sued Damiani International, the company which had made the wedding ring he gave Aniston, for selling replica "Brad and Jennifer" rings. According to Pitt, the ring was his design and was to be exclusive. Under the settlement reached in January 2002, Pitt would design jewelry for Damiani that Aniston would model in ads, and the company would stop selling the copies.[44][45]
Though their marriage was for years considered the rare Hollywood success, rumors of marital problems began circulating, and the Pitts announced their separation on January 7, 2005.[42] As Pitt's marriage to Aniston drew to a close, he and actress Angelina Jolie were involved in a well-publicized Hollywood scandal in which Jolie was often painted as the "other woman", largely due to their chemistry during the filming of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. While Jolie and Pitt both denied any claims of adultery, speculations continued to mount throughout 2004 and early 2005. In an interview with Ann Curry in June 2005, Jolie explained, "To be intimate with a married man, when my own father cheated on my mother, is not something I could forgive. I could not look at myself in the morning if I did that. I wouldn't be attracted to a man who would cheat on his wife."[46]
In early 2005, the concept of a "troubled marriage" - and arguably his own - inspired Pitt to cooperate with photographer Steven Klein for a photoshoot entitled "Domestic Bliss" for W magazine.[47] The spread showed Pitt and Jolie as a 1963 married couple with children. Pitt expressed the desire to tell a darker, truer tale, one that explored the "unidentifiable malaise" that often haunts a seemingly happy couple. "You don't know what's wrong", he remarked, "because the marriage is everything you signed up for."[47] For her part, Aniston later cited the shoot as evidence that Pitt has "a sensitivity chip that's missing."[48]
Aniston filed for divorce on March 25, 2005;[49] the divorce was finalized on October 2, 2005.[50]
Relationship with Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in an event in September 2007
One month after Aniston filed for divorce, in April 2005, a set of paparazzi photos emerged that seemed to confirm the rumors of a relationship between Pitt and actress Angelina Jolie. The photos, which were reportedly sold for $500,000, showed Pitt, Jolie and her son Maddox at a beach in Kenya.[51] During the summer, the pair were seen together with increasing frequency, and the entertainment media dubbed the couple "Brangelina". Two months later, the highly anticipated July 2005 issue of W magazine hit newsstands, featuring Pitt and Jolie posed as a couple.[47]
In July 2005, Pitt accompanied Jolie to Ethiopia,[52] where Jolie adopted her second child, a six-month-old girl named Zahara;[52] later Jolie indicated that she and Pitt made the decision to adopt the child together.[53] In December 2005, it was confirmed that Pitt was seeking to legally adopt Jolie's two children as his own; per the legal requirements, classified advertisements in the Los Angeles paper Daily Commerce announced the name change request.[54] On January 19, 2006, a judge in California approved this request, and the children's legal surnames were formally changed to "Jolie-Pitt".[55]
On January 11, 2006, Jolie confirmed to People magazine that she was pregnant with Pitt's child.[56] On May 27, 2006, Jolie gave birth to a daughter, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, in Swakopmund, Namibia by a scheduled caesarean section. Pitt confirmed that their newly-born daughter will have a Namibian passport, and Jolie decided to offer the first pictures of Shiloh through the distributor Getty Images herself, rather than allowing paparazzi to make these extremely valuable snapshots. People paid more than $4.1 million for the North American rights, while British magazine Hello! obtained the international rights for roughly $3.5 million; the total rights sale earned up to $10 million worldwide – the most expensive celebrity image of all time.[57][58] All profits were donated to an undisclosed charity by Jolie and Pitt. Madame Tussauds in New York unveiled a wax figure of two-month-old Shiloh; it was the first infant re-created in wax by Madame Tussauds.[59]
On March 15, 2007, Jolie adopted a three-year-old boy from Vietnam, Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, (originally Pax Thien Jolie). Since the orphanage does not allow unmarried couples to adopt, Jolie adopted Pax as a single parent, with Pitt later adopting him as his son domestically.[60][61]
Following media reports suggesting Jolie might be pregnant again, she attended the Independent Spirit Awards 2008 in a close-fitting dress, indirectly confirming those rumors. People quoted a source who confirmed her pregnancy.[62] In May 2008, Jolie confirmed on the Today show that they were expecting twins.[63]
Life in New Orleans
The family divides its time between Los Angeles, California and New Orleans, Louisiana.[64] In an interview with the Times-Picayune, while filming The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Pitt said:
“
I can't describe why we're allowed to live a more normal life (in New Orleans). Living in the French Quarter is a thrill for us. We have some semblance of real family life. People have been very, very gracious with us. If we're on the front deck, people go by and say, 'Hi.' Then they go on their way, very friendly.[65]
”
In December 2006, Pitt gathered a group of housing professionals together in the Hurricane Katrina-stricken New Orleans to begin planning a project that Pitt calls Make It Right, with the goal of financing and constructing 150 new houses in New Orleans' Ninth Ward.[66] The houses are being designed with an emphasis on sustainability and affordability, with the hope that the project can and will be replicated throughout the city. Thirteen architectural firms are involved in the project, many of which are donating their services. Pitt and philanthropist Steve Bing have each committed to matching $5 million in donations.[67]
Religious views
In an October 7, 2007 interview, Pitt told PARADE that he is no longer a fundamentalist Christian.[68] In this interview, Pitt said:
“
I always had a lot of questions about the world, even in kindergarten. A big question to me was fairness. If I'd grown up in some other religion, would I get the same shot at Heaven as a Christian has? My mom would come into my room and talk to me. I was very fortunate to have that dialogue with her, but in high school I started to realize that I felt differently from others.
”
Popular esteem
In 1995, Pitt was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 25 sexiest stars in film history. Pitt has also twice been named the Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine.[2]
Pitt was also prominently featured in the December 2006 Art Issue of Vanity Fair. He appears on the cover in nothing but a pair of white boxers. The cover promotes an article on the Robert Wilson video portraits, a production of LAB HD that includes numerous celebrities and noted personalities. This cover has drawn criticism from Pitt because, although he had signed a release for the image, he did not expect it to end up on the cover of Vanity Fair more than a year later. The video portrait, which represents Pitt's first effort in avant-garde cinema, was exhibited at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.[69]
In 2007, Pitt was listed among artists and entertainers as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in The World. He was credited, along with his best friend Tiago Miranda Paulo, with using "his star power to get people to look at places and stories that cameras don't usually catch."[70]
Filmography
Year
Film
Role
Other notes
1987
No Way Out
Officer at party
No Man's Land
Waiter
Less Than Zero
Partygoer
Cutting Class
Dwight Ingalls
1990
Too Young to Die?
Billy Canton
1991
Across the Tracks
Joe Maloney
Thelma & Louise
J.D.
Johnny Suede
Johnny Suede
1992
Contact
Cool World
Detective Frank Harris
A River Runs Through It
Paul Maclean
1993
Kalifornia
Early Grayce
True Romance
Floyd
1994
The Favor
Elliott Fowler
Interview with the Vampire
Louis de Pointe du Lac
Legends of the Fall
Tristan Ludlow
1995
Se7en
David Mills
Twelve Monkeys
Jeffrey Goines
Won - Golden Globe
1996
Sleepers
Michael Sullivan
1997
The Devil's Own
Francis "Frankie" Austin McQuire/Rory Devaney
Seven Years in Tibet
Heinrich Harrer
The Dark Side of the Sun
Rick
1998
Meet Joe Black
Joe Black/Man in the Coffee Shop
1999
Being John Malkovich
Himself
Cameo
Fight Club
Tyler Durden
2000
Snatch
Mickey O'Neil
2001
The Mexican
Jerry Welbach
Spy Game
Tom Bishop
Ocean's Eleven
Rusty Ryan
2002
Full Frontal
Brad/Himself
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Brad, Bachelor #1
2003
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
Sinbad
Voice Actor
Abby Singer
Himself
Cameo
2004
Troy
Achilles
Ocean's Twelve
Rusty Ryan
2005
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
John Smith
With Angelina Jolie
2006
Babel
Richard
2007
Ocean's Thirteen
Rusty Ryan
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Jesse James
2008
Burn After Reading
Chad Feldheimer
awaiting release
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Benjamin Button
post-production
2009
Tree of Life
Mr. O'Brien
mercoledì 25 giugno 2008
TOWER OF PIZA
The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: Torre pendente di Pisa) or simply The Tower of Pisa (La Torre di Pisa) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. It is situated behind the Cathedral and it is the third structure by time in Pisa's Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square).
Although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate that has allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower presently leans to the southwest.
The height of the tower is 55.86 m (183.27 ft) from the ground on the lowest side and 56.70 m (186.02 ft) on the highest side. The width of the walls at the base is 4.09 m (13.42 ft) and at the top 2.48 m (8.14 ft). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 tonnes. The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase. The tower leans at an angle of 3.97 degrees[1]. This means that the top of the tower is 3.9 meters from where it would stand if the tower were perfectly vertical.[2]
Contents[hide]
1 Construction
2 The architect
3 History
4 Certain information and suppositions
5 Technical information
6 Gallery
7 Notes
8 References
9 See also
10 External links
//
Construction
The Tower of Pisa was a work of art, performed in three stages over a period of about 177 years. Construction of the first floor of the white marble campanile began on August 9, 1173, a period of military success and prosperity. This first floor is surrounded by pillars with classical capitals, leaning against blind arches.
The tower began to sink after construction progressed to the third floor in 1178. This was due to a mere three-meter foundation, set in weak, unstable subsoil. This means the design was flawed from the beginning. Construction was subsequently halted for almost a century, because the Pisans were almost continually engaged in battles with Genoa, Lucca and Florence. This allowed time for the underlying soil to settle. Otherwise, the tower would almost certainly have toppled. In 1198, clocks were temporarily installed on the third floor of the unfinished construction.
In 1272, construction resumed under Giovanni di Simone, architect of the Camposanto. In an effort to compensate for the tilt, the engineers built higher floors with one side taller than the other. This made the tower begin to lean in the other direction. Because of this, the tower is actually curved.[3] Construction was halted again in 1284, when the Pisans were defeated by the Genoans in the Battle of Meloria.
The seventh floor was completed in 1319. The bell-chamber was not finally added until 1372. It was built by Tommaso di Andrea Pisano, who succeeded in harmonizing the Gothic elements of the bell-chamber with the Romanesque style of the tower. There are seven bells, one for each note of the musical scale. The largest one was installed in 1655.
After a phase (1990-2001) of structural strengthening, the tower is currently undergoing gradual surface restoration, in order to repair visual damage, mostly corrosion and blackening. These are particularly strong due to the tower's age and to its particular conditions with respect to wind and rain.[4]
The architect
There has been controversy about the real identity of the architect of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. For many years, the design was attributed to Guglielmo and Bonanno Pisano [5], a well-known 12th-century resident artist of Pisa, famous for his bronze casting, particularly in the Pisa Duomo. Bonanno Pisano left Pisa in 1185 for Monreale, Sicily, only to come back and die in his home town. His sarcophagus was discovered at the foot of the tower in 1820. However recent studies[6] seem to indicate Diotisalvi as the original architect due to the time of construction and affinity with other Diotisalvi works, notably the bell tower of San Nicola (Pisa) and the Baptistery in Pisa. However, he usually signed his works and there is no signature by him in the bell tower which leads to further speculation.
History
Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped two cannon balls of different masses from the tower to demonstrate that their descending speed was independent of their mass. This is considered an apocryphal tale, and the only source for it comes from Galileo's secretary.[7]
In 1934 Benito Mussolini ordered that the tower be returned to a vertical position, so concrete was poured into its foundation. However, the result was that the tower actually sank further into the soil.[8]
During World War II, the Allies discovered that the Nazis were using it as an observation post. A U.S. Army sergeant was briefly entrusted with the fate of the tower. His decision not to call in an artillery strike saved the edifice.[8]
On February 27, 1964, the government of Italy requested aid in preventing the tower from toppling. It was, however, considered important to retain the current tilt, due to the vital role that this element played in promoting the tourism industry of Pisa. [9] A multinational task force of engineers, mathematicians and historians was assigned and met on the Azores islands to discuss stabilization methods. It was found that the tilt was increasing due to the stonework expanding and contracting each day due to the heat of sunlight[10]. This was working in combination with the softer foundations on the lower side. Many methods were proposed to stabilize the tower, including the addition of 800 metric tons of lead counterweights to the raised end of the base.[11]
On 7 January 1990, after over two decades of work on the subject, the tower was closed to the public. While the tower was closed, the bells were removed to relieve some weight, and cables were cinched around the third level and anchored several hundred meters away. Apartments and houses in the path of the tower were vacated for safety. The final solution to prevent the collapse of the tower was to slightly straighten the tower to a safer angle, by removing 38 m3 of soil from underneath the raised end. The tower was straightened by 18 inches (45 centimetres), returning to the exact position that it occupied in 1838. After a decade of corrective reconstruction and stabilization efforts, the tower was reopened to the public on December 15, 2001, and has been declared stable for at least another 300 years.[11]
In 1987, the tower was declared as part of the Piazza dei Miracoli UNESCO World Heritage Site along with neighbouring cathedral, baptistery and cemetery.
In May 2008, after the removal of another 70 tonnes of earth, engineers announced that the Tower had been stabilized such that it had stopped moving for the first time in its history. They stated it would be stable for at least 200 years.[12]
Certain information and suppositions
The following data are helpful in establishing the credibility of the history line of the Leaning Tower of Pisa :
On 5 January 1172, Donna Berta di Bernardo, a widow and resident of the house of dell'Opera di Santa Maria, bequeathed sessanta soldi or "sixty coins" to the Opera Campanilis petrarum Sancte Marie. This money was to be used toward the purchase of a few stones which still form the base of the bell tower today.[13]
On 9 August 1173, the foundations of the Tower were laid.[14]
Nearly four centuries later Giorgio Vasari wrote : "Guglielmo, according to what is being said, in [this] year 1174 with Bonanno as sculptor, laid the foundations of the belltower of the cathedral in Pisa."
Another possible builder is Gerardo di Gerardo. His name appears as a witness to the above legacy of Berta di Bernardo as "Master Gerardo", and as a worker whose name was Gerardo.
A more probable builder is Diotisalvi, because of the construction period and the structure's affinities with other buildings in Pisa. But he usually signed his works, and there is no signature by him in the belltower.
Giovanni di Simone was heavily involved in the work of completing the tower, under the direction of Giovanni Pisano, who at the time was master builder of the Opera di Santa Maria Maggiore. He could be the same Giovanni Pisano who completed the belfry tower.
Giorgio Vasari indicates that Tommaso di Andrea Pisano was the designer of the belfry between 1360 and 1370.
On 27 December 1233 the worker Benenato, son of Gerardo Bottici, oversaw the continuation of the construction of the belltower.[15]
On 23 February 1260 Guido Speziale, son of Giovanni, a worker on the cathedral Santa Maria Maggiore, was elected to oversee the building of the Tower.[16]
On 12 April 1264 the master builder Giovanni di Simone and 23 workers went to the mountains close to Pisa to cut marble. The cut stones were given to Rainaldo Speziale, worker of St. Francesco.[17]
Technical information
View looking up
Elevation of Piazza dei Miracoli: about 2 metres (6 feet, DMS)
Height: 55.863 metres (183 ft 3 in), 8 stories
Outer diameter of base: 15.484 m
Inner diameter of base: 7.368 m
Angle of slant: 3.97 degrees[18] or 3.9 m from the vertical[19]
Weight: 14,700 tonnes
Thickness of walls at the base: 8 ft (2.4 m)
Total number of bells: 7, tuned to musical scale, clockwise
1st bell: L'assunta, cast in 1654 by Giovanni Pietro Orlandi, weight 3,620 kg (7,981 lb)
2nd bell: Il Crocifisso, cast in 1572 by Vincenzo Possenti, weight 2,462 kg (5,428 lb)
3rd bell: San Ranieri, cast in 1719-1721 by Giovanni Andrea Moreni, weight 1,448 kg (3,192 lb)
4th bell: La Terza (1st small one), cast in 1473, weight 300 kg (661 lb)
5th bell: La Pasquereccia or La Giustizia, cast in 1262 by Lotteringo, weight 1,014 kg (2,235 lb)
6th bell: Il Vespruccio (2nd small one), cast in the 14th century and again in 1501 by Nicola di Jacopo, weight 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)
7th bell: Dal Pozzo, cast in 1606 and again in 2004, weight 652 kg (1,437 lb) [20]
Steps to bell tower: 296[21]
A special note on the 5th bell: The name Pasquareccia comes from Easter, because it used to ring on Easter day. However, this bell is older than the bell-chamber itself, and comes from the tower Vergata in Palazzo Pretorio in Pisa, where it was called La Giustizia (The Justice). The bell was tolled to announce capital executions of criminals and traitors, including Count Ugolino in 1289 [22] A new bell was transferred on the belltower to replace the broken Pasquareccia bell at the end of the 18th century
Although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate that has allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower presently leans to the southwest.
The height of the tower is 55.86 m (183.27 ft) from the ground on the lowest side and 56.70 m (186.02 ft) on the highest side. The width of the walls at the base is 4.09 m (13.42 ft) and at the top 2.48 m (8.14 ft). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 tonnes. The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase. The tower leans at an angle of 3.97 degrees[1]. This means that the top of the tower is 3.9 meters from where it would stand if the tower were perfectly vertical.[2]
Contents[hide]
1 Construction
2 The architect
3 History
4 Certain information and suppositions
5 Technical information
6 Gallery
7 Notes
8 References
9 See also
10 External links
//
Construction
The Tower of Pisa was a work of art, performed in three stages over a period of about 177 years. Construction of the first floor of the white marble campanile began on August 9, 1173, a period of military success and prosperity. This first floor is surrounded by pillars with classical capitals, leaning against blind arches.
The tower began to sink after construction progressed to the third floor in 1178. This was due to a mere three-meter foundation, set in weak, unstable subsoil. This means the design was flawed from the beginning. Construction was subsequently halted for almost a century, because the Pisans were almost continually engaged in battles with Genoa, Lucca and Florence. This allowed time for the underlying soil to settle. Otherwise, the tower would almost certainly have toppled. In 1198, clocks were temporarily installed on the third floor of the unfinished construction.
In 1272, construction resumed under Giovanni di Simone, architect of the Camposanto. In an effort to compensate for the tilt, the engineers built higher floors with one side taller than the other. This made the tower begin to lean in the other direction. Because of this, the tower is actually curved.[3] Construction was halted again in 1284, when the Pisans were defeated by the Genoans in the Battle of Meloria.
The seventh floor was completed in 1319. The bell-chamber was not finally added until 1372. It was built by Tommaso di Andrea Pisano, who succeeded in harmonizing the Gothic elements of the bell-chamber with the Romanesque style of the tower. There are seven bells, one for each note of the musical scale. The largest one was installed in 1655.
After a phase (1990-2001) of structural strengthening, the tower is currently undergoing gradual surface restoration, in order to repair visual damage, mostly corrosion and blackening. These are particularly strong due to the tower's age and to its particular conditions with respect to wind and rain.[4]
The architect
There has been controversy about the real identity of the architect of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. For many years, the design was attributed to Guglielmo and Bonanno Pisano [5], a well-known 12th-century resident artist of Pisa, famous for his bronze casting, particularly in the Pisa Duomo. Bonanno Pisano left Pisa in 1185 for Monreale, Sicily, only to come back and die in his home town. His sarcophagus was discovered at the foot of the tower in 1820. However recent studies[6] seem to indicate Diotisalvi as the original architect due to the time of construction and affinity with other Diotisalvi works, notably the bell tower of San Nicola (Pisa) and the Baptistery in Pisa. However, he usually signed his works and there is no signature by him in the bell tower which leads to further speculation.
History
Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped two cannon balls of different masses from the tower to demonstrate that their descending speed was independent of their mass. This is considered an apocryphal tale, and the only source for it comes from Galileo's secretary.[7]
In 1934 Benito Mussolini ordered that the tower be returned to a vertical position, so concrete was poured into its foundation. However, the result was that the tower actually sank further into the soil.[8]
During World War II, the Allies discovered that the Nazis were using it as an observation post. A U.S. Army sergeant was briefly entrusted with the fate of the tower. His decision not to call in an artillery strike saved the edifice.[8]
On February 27, 1964, the government of Italy requested aid in preventing the tower from toppling. It was, however, considered important to retain the current tilt, due to the vital role that this element played in promoting the tourism industry of Pisa. [9] A multinational task force of engineers, mathematicians and historians was assigned and met on the Azores islands to discuss stabilization methods. It was found that the tilt was increasing due to the stonework expanding and contracting each day due to the heat of sunlight[10]. This was working in combination with the softer foundations on the lower side. Many methods were proposed to stabilize the tower, including the addition of 800 metric tons of lead counterweights to the raised end of the base.[11]
On 7 January 1990, after over two decades of work on the subject, the tower was closed to the public. While the tower was closed, the bells were removed to relieve some weight, and cables were cinched around the third level and anchored several hundred meters away. Apartments and houses in the path of the tower were vacated for safety. The final solution to prevent the collapse of the tower was to slightly straighten the tower to a safer angle, by removing 38 m3 of soil from underneath the raised end. The tower was straightened by 18 inches (45 centimetres), returning to the exact position that it occupied in 1838. After a decade of corrective reconstruction and stabilization efforts, the tower was reopened to the public on December 15, 2001, and has been declared stable for at least another 300 years.[11]
In 1987, the tower was declared as part of the Piazza dei Miracoli UNESCO World Heritage Site along with neighbouring cathedral, baptistery and cemetery.
In May 2008, after the removal of another 70 tonnes of earth, engineers announced that the Tower had been stabilized such that it had stopped moving for the first time in its history. They stated it would be stable for at least 200 years.[12]
Certain information and suppositions
The following data are helpful in establishing the credibility of the history line of the Leaning Tower of Pisa :
On 5 January 1172, Donna Berta di Bernardo, a widow and resident of the house of dell'Opera di Santa Maria, bequeathed sessanta soldi or "sixty coins" to the Opera Campanilis petrarum Sancte Marie. This money was to be used toward the purchase of a few stones which still form the base of the bell tower today.[13]
On 9 August 1173, the foundations of the Tower were laid.[14]
Nearly four centuries later Giorgio Vasari wrote : "Guglielmo, according to what is being said, in [this] year 1174 with Bonanno as sculptor, laid the foundations of the belltower of the cathedral in Pisa."
Another possible builder is Gerardo di Gerardo. His name appears as a witness to the above legacy of Berta di Bernardo as "Master Gerardo", and as a worker whose name was Gerardo.
A more probable builder is Diotisalvi, because of the construction period and the structure's affinities with other buildings in Pisa. But he usually signed his works, and there is no signature by him in the belltower.
Giovanni di Simone was heavily involved in the work of completing the tower, under the direction of Giovanni Pisano, who at the time was master builder of the Opera di Santa Maria Maggiore. He could be the same Giovanni Pisano who completed the belfry tower.
Giorgio Vasari indicates that Tommaso di Andrea Pisano was the designer of the belfry between 1360 and 1370.
On 27 December 1233 the worker Benenato, son of Gerardo Bottici, oversaw the continuation of the construction of the belltower.[15]
On 23 February 1260 Guido Speziale, son of Giovanni, a worker on the cathedral Santa Maria Maggiore, was elected to oversee the building of the Tower.[16]
On 12 April 1264 the master builder Giovanni di Simone and 23 workers went to the mountains close to Pisa to cut marble. The cut stones were given to Rainaldo Speziale, worker of St. Francesco.[17]
Technical information
View looking up
Elevation of Piazza dei Miracoli: about 2 metres (6 feet, DMS)
Height: 55.863 metres (183 ft 3 in), 8 stories
Outer diameter of base: 15.484 m
Inner diameter of base: 7.368 m
Angle of slant: 3.97 degrees[18] or 3.9 m from the vertical[19]
Weight: 14,700 tonnes
Thickness of walls at the base: 8 ft (2.4 m)
Total number of bells: 7, tuned to musical scale, clockwise
1st bell: L'assunta, cast in 1654 by Giovanni Pietro Orlandi, weight 3,620 kg (7,981 lb)
2nd bell: Il Crocifisso, cast in 1572 by Vincenzo Possenti, weight 2,462 kg (5,428 lb)
3rd bell: San Ranieri, cast in 1719-1721 by Giovanni Andrea Moreni, weight 1,448 kg (3,192 lb)
4th bell: La Terza (1st small one), cast in 1473, weight 300 kg (661 lb)
5th bell: La Pasquereccia or La Giustizia, cast in 1262 by Lotteringo, weight 1,014 kg (2,235 lb)
6th bell: Il Vespruccio (2nd small one), cast in the 14th century and again in 1501 by Nicola di Jacopo, weight 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)
7th bell: Dal Pozzo, cast in 1606 and again in 2004, weight 652 kg (1,437 lb) [20]
Steps to bell tower: 296[21]
A special note on the 5th bell: The name Pasquareccia comes from Easter, because it used to ring on Easter day. However, this bell is older than the bell-chamber itself, and comes from the tower Vergata in Palazzo Pretorio in Pisa, where it was called La Giustizia (The Justice). The bell was tolled to announce capital executions of criminals and traitors, including Count Ugolino in 1289 [22] A new bell was transferred on the belltower to replace the broken Pasquareccia bell at the end of the 18th century
COME CUCINARE LA PIZA - RICETTA PIZA
Piza
[modifica] Ingredienti
Temperatura ambientale: 22-23 °C;
da 500 a 550 ml. di acqua intorno ai 18-20 °C; la quantità di acqua dipende dal potere assorbente della farina, dall'umidità ambientale, da quanto volete morbido l'impasto (più è morbido e meglio si lavora).
1 Kg. di farina di grano tenero: 0 oppure 00 (gli 0 indicano la percentuale di ceneri residue). Con la 0 si ottiene un prodotto più rustico. Quello che conta nella farina è il suo fattore di panificabilità. Ne parleremo in seguito.
20-30 gr. di sale iodato ;
olio extravergine d'oliva: 30-50 gr.;in sostituzione 100 gr di strutto
Sale ed olio sono fondamentali per la formazione della maglia glutinica dell'impasto. Se preferite un impasto croccante usate olio di semi. Ma d'estate o con lunghe lievitazioni è meglio l'extravergine perché ha bassa acidità e quindi abbassa l'acidità della lievitazione dell'impasto.
10 gr. di lievito di birra da aumentare o diminuire in base alla temperatura ambientale (inverno: 15-20 gr.; estate: 5 gr.).
E, infine, a seconda dei propri gusti, scegliere gli ingredienti aggiuntivi.
Piza Americana
[modifica] Preparazione dell'impasto
Sbriciolare il lievito di birra in una ciotola o terrina, versare l'acqua e l'olio e far sciogliere il lievito (se usate una impastatrice elettrica o un robot di cucina, l'olio mettetelo alla fine, ad impasto ultimato, pochi minuti prima di togliere l'impasto). Aggiungere metà della farina e iniziare ad impastare. Dopo aver amalgamato tutto e ottenuto un composto semiliquido, aggiungere il resto della farina e il sale (se mettete il sale prima, a contatto col lievito ne inibisce l'attività).
Continuate a impastare e ottenete un amalgama più o meno compatto e svuotatelo (se lavorate a mano) su una superficie liscia e cominciate a impastare energicamente senza strappare la pasta ma riavvolgendola sempre su se stessa. Aggiustate con piccole quantità di farina durante la lavorazione per ottenere un impasto liscio e morbido. Se avete usato una farina debole sono sufficienti 20 minuti di lavorazione a mano e 10 con il robot. Se avete una farina forte (manitoba, per esempio) dovete lavorare per almeno 40 minuti a mano e 20 con il robot.
A questo punto dovreste aver ottenuto una palla di pasta bella liscia, morbida e, fattore importante, "lucida". Fate riposare la vostra opera d'arte per 30 minuti coperta con un panno umido (di acqua fresca e sempre alla temperatura ambiente ideale di 22 °C). Trascorsi 30 minuti, ricavate dall'impasto panetti circolari del peso che più si addice al tipo di pizza che volete ottenere. Per la pizza in teglia (una teglia tipo da forno casalingo 40x40 cm) vanno bene panetti di 700-800 gr., ma poi regolatevi in base a quanto volete la pizza sia alta. Per pizze da fare al forno a legna tipo "napoletana" la misura è di circa 200-220 gr. Ora bisogna lasciare lievitare e maturare. Infatti, per ottenere il prodotto finito e pronto per essere infornato mancano ancora due processi: la lievitazione e la maturazione. Questi due processi non procedono alla stessa velocità e più è alto il fattore di panificazione della farina più questi due processi divaricano!
[modifica] Lievitazione
A 22° C, con 5 gr. di lievito occorrono circa 5 ore
[modifica] Maturazione
Consiste nella formazione della pasta, della maglia glutinica e dipende dalla trasformazione delle proteine della farina in glutine. Tale processo richiede un tempo direttamente proporzionale alla "forza" della farina, cioè al suo fattore di panificabilità che viene tecnicamente indicato con un coefficiente W.
[modifica] Farina
Farine comuni: tempo di maturazione: 3-4 ore (quindi molto vicino al tempo di lievitazione). Farine poco rinforzate: tempo di maturazione: 4-8 ore (qua i tempi di maturazione e lievitazione iniziano a divergere). Farine rinforzate: W = 250-300, tempo di maturazione: 8-12 ore. Farine forti: W = 300-400, tempo di maturazione dalle 12 alle 24 ore.
Per allungare i tempi senza che l'impasto lieviti troppo è sufficiente mettere i panetti in frigo: ad una temperatura di 4-6 °C la lievitazione quasi si ferma, e la pasta ha il tempo di "maturare". Se avete usato farina Manitoba, lasciate riposare in frigo la pasta per 24 ore. Se avete usato farina normale sono sufficienti 4 ore. ATTENZIONE: fate ritornare a temperatura ambiente i panetti tenendoli fuori dal frigo per almeno 3 ore. A questo punto la pasta può dirsi pronta.
Più è alto il fattore di panificabilità, più buona sarà la pizza perché la pasta sarà ricca di elementi di trasformazione delle proteine. Ma attenzione: occorre rispettare i tempi di maturazione! Infatti, se non matura abbastanza, l'impasto conterrà ancora proteine non trasformate e di conseguenza sarà pesante da digerire: una pizza perfettamente maturata invece letteralmente "si scioglie in bocca".
CONSIGLIO: acquistate farina Manitoba pura (si trova nei migliori supermercati o dal panettiere) e ottenete miscele con farina normale per variare i tempi di maturazione. Con metà Manitoba e metà farina normale ottenete la seguente equazione: W=400 + W=200 = 600 che diviso 2 fa 300. Avete ottenuto una farina con W=300 che richiede 12 ore circa di maturazione. Semplice no?
[modifica] Preparazione del disco
Quando i panetti sono lievitati, allargateli su un piano infarinato fino ad ottenere dei dischi di circa mezzo centimetro di altezza. Potete aiutarvi con un mattarello, ma un pizzaiolo professionista usa solo le mani: comincerà stendendo la pasta con i polpastrelli e continuerà tirando la pizza, schiaffeggiandola, sollevandola e poi sbattendola sul piano, ruotandola ed alternando questi movimenti fino ad ottenere un disco rotondo di spessore omogeneo.
[modifica] Condimento
Pizza con abbondante mozzarella
La tradizionale pizza napoletana prevede un condimento di pomodoro, origano ed aglio, sale ed un filo d'olio extravergine d'oliva. Tuttavia ad oggi la pizza per antonomasia è la margherita. Per realizzarla stendete il pomodoro con un cucchiaio lasciando un sottile margine ai bordi del disco, cospargetelo di cubetti di mozzarella, aggiungete qualche foglia di basilico, sale ed un filo d'olio. È comunque possibile condire la pizza in innumerevoli modi, ragione che probabilmente ha contribuito alla notevole fortuna di questo piatto.
[modifica] Cottura
La cottura della pizza è fondamentale per la riuscita ottimale del piatto. La pizza andrebbe cotta in un forno di mattoni alimentato a legna. I mattoni refrattari contribuiscono alla tenuta della temperatura stabile del forno, e creano la tipica crosticina abbrustolita sul lato inferiore della pizza. Con una pala di legno dal bordo rastremato, tirandoci sopra con le dita la pizza, oppure con la più pratica pala sottile d'acciaio, si metterà la pizza nel forno lasciandola scivolare sul fondo di mattoni. Poi di tanto in tanto la si ruoterà con il palino di metallo per esporre tutti i lati al calore del legno incandescente.
Non è vero che la legna dona un aroma particolare: non vi è trasmissione di odori dalla legna alla pizza. La legna ideale è quella di ulivo perché compatta, con alto potere di produrre calore e capace di bruciare costantemente senza scoppiettare. L'importante è la temperatura che deve essere alta: 400-500 °C ed è questa che fa la differenza col forno elettrico e non le varie leggende metropolitane su presunti aromi che si trasmetterebbero dalla legna alla pizza. Più è alta la temperatura più risulterà morbida la pizza e la mozzarella non uscirà cotta (marrone) ma solo sciolta (bianca e filante).
In un forno così la pizza, se ben lievitata e maturata, cuoce in 2 minuti. Si evince che non possono essere messe nel forno a legna molte pizze contemporaneamente: non si farebbe in tempo a rigirarle e qualcuna si brucerebbe. Lavorare col forno caldo e muovere bene le pizze nel forno richiedono rapidità, decisione e conoscenza del comportamento termico del forno: meglio iniziare con una o due pizze soltanto. Il palino serve anche a controllare il fondo della pizza: se è crudo spostare la pizza su un'altra porzione del pavimento del forno; se il forno è molto caldo tenere la pizza nella stessa sede e ruotarla solo su se stessa. Durante la cottura la parte del disco che non avrete coperto col condimento si solleverà leggermente, creando il cosidetto cordone (o cornicione).
Se volete realizzarla in teglia nel forno di casa dovrete tenerla per circa 15 minuti alla massima temperatura (280 °C di solito, con forno già preriscaldato) possibilmente con forno ventilato. In questo caso la pizza va condita con tutti gli ingredienti meno la mozzarella che va aggiunta a pochi minuti dalla cottura completa. In caso contrario la mozzarella si brucerà.
[modifica] A tavola!
Pizza tagliata a spicchi
Uscita dal forno, condite la pizza ancora con un filo d'olio e mettetela nel piatto. Ovviamente vi servirà un piatto per la pizza, senza bordi e più ampio rispetto ad un piatto piano. Se non lo avete potete gustare la pizza nel modo tradizionale piegandola a portafoglio, ripiegandola due volte su se stessa ed avvolgendola in un tovagliolo di carta.
[modifica] Ingredienti
Temperatura ambientale: 22-23 °C;
da 500 a 550 ml. di acqua intorno ai 18-20 °C; la quantità di acqua dipende dal potere assorbente della farina, dall'umidità ambientale, da quanto volete morbido l'impasto (più è morbido e meglio si lavora).
1 Kg. di farina di grano tenero: 0 oppure 00 (gli 0 indicano la percentuale di ceneri residue). Con la 0 si ottiene un prodotto più rustico. Quello che conta nella farina è il suo fattore di panificabilità. Ne parleremo in seguito.
20-30 gr. di sale iodato ;
olio extravergine d'oliva: 30-50 gr.;in sostituzione 100 gr di strutto
Sale ed olio sono fondamentali per la formazione della maglia glutinica dell'impasto. Se preferite un impasto croccante usate olio di semi. Ma d'estate o con lunghe lievitazioni è meglio l'extravergine perché ha bassa acidità e quindi abbassa l'acidità della lievitazione dell'impasto.
10 gr. di lievito di birra da aumentare o diminuire in base alla temperatura ambientale (inverno: 15-20 gr.; estate: 5 gr.).
E, infine, a seconda dei propri gusti, scegliere gli ingredienti aggiuntivi.
Piza Americana
[modifica] Preparazione dell'impasto
Sbriciolare il lievito di birra in una ciotola o terrina, versare l'acqua e l'olio e far sciogliere il lievito (se usate una impastatrice elettrica o un robot di cucina, l'olio mettetelo alla fine, ad impasto ultimato, pochi minuti prima di togliere l'impasto). Aggiungere metà della farina e iniziare ad impastare. Dopo aver amalgamato tutto e ottenuto un composto semiliquido, aggiungere il resto della farina e il sale (se mettete il sale prima, a contatto col lievito ne inibisce l'attività).
Continuate a impastare e ottenete un amalgama più o meno compatto e svuotatelo (se lavorate a mano) su una superficie liscia e cominciate a impastare energicamente senza strappare la pasta ma riavvolgendola sempre su se stessa. Aggiustate con piccole quantità di farina durante la lavorazione per ottenere un impasto liscio e morbido. Se avete usato una farina debole sono sufficienti 20 minuti di lavorazione a mano e 10 con il robot. Se avete una farina forte (manitoba, per esempio) dovete lavorare per almeno 40 minuti a mano e 20 con il robot.
A questo punto dovreste aver ottenuto una palla di pasta bella liscia, morbida e, fattore importante, "lucida". Fate riposare la vostra opera d'arte per 30 minuti coperta con un panno umido (di acqua fresca e sempre alla temperatura ambiente ideale di 22 °C). Trascorsi 30 minuti, ricavate dall'impasto panetti circolari del peso che più si addice al tipo di pizza che volete ottenere. Per la pizza in teglia (una teglia tipo da forno casalingo 40x40 cm) vanno bene panetti di 700-800 gr., ma poi regolatevi in base a quanto volete la pizza sia alta. Per pizze da fare al forno a legna tipo "napoletana" la misura è di circa 200-220 gr. Ora bisogna lasciare lievitare e maturare. Infatti, per ottenere il prodotto finito e pronto per essere infornato mancano ancora due processi: la lievitazione e la maturazione. Questi due processi non procedono alla stessa velocità e più è alto il fattore di panificazione della farina più questi due processi divaricano!
[modifica] Lievitazione
A 22° C, con 5 gr. di lievito occorrono circa 5 ore
[modifica] Maturazione
Consiste nella formazione della pasta, della maglia glutinica e dipende dalla trasformazione delle proteine della farina in glutine. Tale processo richiede un tempo direttamente proporzionale alla "forza" della farina, cioè al suo fattore di panificabilità che viene tecnicamente indicato con un coefficiente W.
[modifica] Farina
Farine comuni: tempo di maturazione: 3-4 ore (quindi molto vicino al tempo di lievitazione). Farine poco rinforzate: tempo di maturazione: 4-8 ore (qua i tempi di maturazione e lievitazione iniziano a divergere). Farine rinforzate: W = 250-300, tempo di maturazione: 8-12 ore. Farine forti: W = 300-400, tempo di maturazione dalle 12 alle 24 ore.
Per allungare i tempi senza che l'impasto lieviti troppo è sufficiente mettere i panetti in frigo: ad una temperatura di 4-6 °C la lievitazione quasi si ferma, e la pasta ha il tempo di "maturare". Se avete usato farina Manitoba, lasciate riposare in frigo la pasta per 24 ore. Se avete usato farina normale sono sufficienti 4 ore. ATTENZIONE: fate ritornare a temperatura ambiente i panetti tenendoli fuori dal frigo per almeno 3 ore. A questo punto la pasta può dirsi pronta.
Più è alto il fattore di panificabilità, più buona sarà la pizza perché la pasta sarà ricca di elementi di trasformazione delle proteine. Ma attenzione: occorre rispettare i tempi di maturazione! Infatti, se non matura abbastanza, l'impasto conterrà ancora proteine non trasformate e di conseguenza sarà pesante da digerire: una pizza perfettamente maturata invece letteralmente "si scioglie in bocca".
CONSIGLIO: acquistate farina Manitoba pura (si trova nei migliori supermercati o dal panettiere) e ottenete miscele con farina normale per variare i tempi di maturazione. Con metà Manitoba e metà farina normale ottenete la seguente equazione: W=400 + W=200 = 600 che diviso 2 fa 300. Avete ottenuto una farina con W=300 che richiede 12 ore circa di maturazione. Semplice no?
[modifica] Preparazione del disco
Quando i panetti sono lievitati, allargateli su un piano infarinato fino ad ottenere dei dischi di circa mezzo centimetro di altezza. Potete aiutarvi con un mattarello, ma un pizzaiolo professionista usa solo le mani: comincerà stendendo la pasta con i polpastrelli e continuerà tirando la pizza, schiaffeggiandola, sollevandola e poi sbattendola sul piano, ruotandola ed alternando questi movimenti fino ad ottenere un disco rotondo di spessore omogeneo.
[modifica] Condimento
Pizza con abbondante mozzarella
La tradizionale pizza napoletana prevede un condimento di pomodoro, origano ed aglio, sale ed un filo d'olio extravergine d'oliva. Tuttavia ad oggi la pizza per antonomasia è la margherita. Per realizzarla stendete il pomodoro con un cucchiaio lasciando un sottile margine ai bordi del disco, cospargetelo di cubetti di mozzarella, aggiungete qualche foglia di basilico, sale ed un filo d'olio. È comunque possibile condire la pizza in innumerevoli modi, ragione che probabilmente ha contribuito alla notevole fortuna di questo piatto.
[modifica] Cottura
La cottura della pizza è fondamentale per la riuscita ottimale del piatto. La pizza andrebbe cotta in un forno di mattoni alimentato a legna. I mattoni refrattari contribuiscono alla tenuta della temperatura stabile del forno, e creano la tipica crosticina abbrustolita sul lato inferiore della pizza. Con una pala di legno dal bordo rastremato, tirandoci sopra con le dita la pizza, oppure con la più pratica pala sottile d'acciaio, si metterà la pizza nel forno lasciandola scivolare sul fondo di mattoni. Poi di tanto in tanto la si ruoterà con il palino di metallo per esporre tutti i lati al calore del legno incandescente.
Non è vero che la legna dona un aroma particolare: non vi è trasmissione di odori dalla legna alla pizza. La legna ideale è quella di ulivo perché compatta, con alto potere di produrre calore e capace di bruciare costantemente senza scoppiettare. L'importante è la temperatura che deve essere alta: 400-500 °C ed è questa che fa la differenza col forno elettrico e non le varie leggende metropolitane su presunti aromi che si trasmetterebbero dalla legna alla pizza. Più è alta la temperatura più risulterà morbida la pizza e la mozzarella non uscirà cotta (marrone) ma solo sciolta (bianca e filante).
In un forno così la pizza, se ben lievitata e maturata, cuoce in 2 minuti. Si evince che non possono essere messe nel forno a legna molte pizze contemporaneamente: non si farebbe in tempo a rigirarle e qualcuna si brucerebbe. Lavorare col forno caldo e muovere bene le pizze nel forno richiedono rapidità, decisione e conoscenza del comportamento termico del forno: meglio iniziare con una o due pizze soltanto. Il palino serve anche a controllare il fondo della pizza: se è crudo spostare la pizza su un'altra porzione del pavimento del forno; se il forno è molto caldo tenere la pizza nella stessa sede e ruotarla solo su se stessa. Durante la cottura la parte del disco che non avrete coperto col condimento si solleverà leggermente, creando il cosidetto cordone (o cornicione).
Se volete realizzarla in teglia nel forno di casa dovrete tenerla per circa 15 minuti alla massima temperatura (280 °C di solito, con forno già preriscaldato) possibilmente con forno ventilato. In questo caso la pizza va condita con tutti gli ingredienti meno la mozzarella che va aggiunta a pochi minuti dalla cottura completa. In caso contrario la mozzarella si brucerà.
[modifica] A tavola!
Pizza tagliata a spicchi
Uscita dal forno, condite la pizza ancora con un filo d'olio e mettetela nel piatto. Ovviamente vi servirà un piatto per la pizza, senza bordi e più ampio rispetto ad un piatto piano. Se non lo avete potete gustare la pizza nel modo tradizionale piegandola a portafoglio, ripiegandola due volte su se stessa ed avvolgendola in un tovagliolo di carta.
COME FARE ANUNCI GRATIS
E' da un po' di tempo che volevo disfarmi dei miei peluche ma mi dispiaceva buttarli nel bidone allora si e' accesa la famosa lampadina e ho pensato .. perche' non mettere un anuncio in internet ? Ho girato per i vari siti specializzati ma non trovavo quello che per me sembrava piu' giusto poi mi sono imbattuta in Viva street di virgilio.Pagina Principale : possibilita' di scegliere il sito francese, inglese , tedesco oltre naturalmente a quello italiano che si apre in modo automatico.Si puo' scegliere se inserire l'annuncio o leggero ,sia quello relativo alla tua regione che quello su scala nazionale. Si ha la possibilita' di fare una ricerca avanzata per cui si arriva subito a cio' che si desidera. Dopo che abbiamo effettuato la registrazione abbiamo un' area privata dove si possono leggere i messaggi arrivati , inserire l'annucio , controllarne lo stato e di conseguenza modificarlo ma anche vedere quante volte e' stato visitato. Infine possiamo cancellare la registrazione.Sempre nella pagina principale troviamo le varie categorie :1)feste , mostre, esposizioni, bar, ristoranti, spettacoli e negozi in cui pubblicizzare le proprie attivita' o vedere se c'e' qualcosa di interessante nella citta' di residenza.2)personali , in cui puoi cercare l' anima gemella o semplicemente fare nuove amicizie.3)immobiliari in cui trovamo annunci che riguardano tutto cio' che e' casa ..dall'affitto , ai traslochi, all'assicurazione.4) compro/vendo un mercato on line , dove cercare e offrire di tutto.5-6)lavoro e lavoretti in cui cercare o offrire lavoro 7) corsi.Inserire l'annuncio e' facilissimo .. basta cliccare sul link e si aprira' una pagina da compilare in modo elementare con la possibilita' di completarlo con una foto .Passerete all'ultima pagina ovvero il riepilogo dove verra' chiesto se pubblicare il messaggio o modificarlo. Infine arrivera' una mail di conferma ed il gioco e' fatto.... Dimenticavo c'e' anche il forum..!Personalmente ho trovato questo sito ben fatto .. ben frequentato e anche molto discreto infatti non viene mai segnalato il proprio indirizzo di posta elettronica ne tanto meno il proprio indirizzo postale .. cio' avverra' solo in un secondo momento quando si verra' contattati dagli interessati e solo dopo aver dato il proprio consenso.Io lo consiglio vivamente a chiunque abbia bisogno di inserire un annuncio anche perche' o meglio, soprattutto perche', e' gratis.!!!
Iscriviti a:
Post (Atom)
