Wherefore Art Thou, Gnocchi-o? Fair Verona Has Another Enduring Love Story
Forget Romeo and Juliet. The most riveting love story out of Verona is about another couple whose passion thrives today: the city and gnocchi.
You can find pillowy potato dumplings anywhere in Italy, or possibly, the planet. But it's only here, in this former Roman colony perched on the Adige River, that the dish has inspired an actual holiday. It's called Venerdì Gnocolar — in English, "Gnocchi Friday" — and it always falls during Carnival on the final Friday before Lent. This year, that's March 1.
And one sure sign it's approaching is the sight of a fat, bearded gentleman holding a huge, bejeweled fork piercing the world's largest (fake) piece of gnocchi.
Meet Papà del Gnoco, or "Gnocchi Dad," the Santa-esque figure who's the symbol of this celebration. He's the crowned king of Verona's carnival, and he and his court of costumed assistants — who also wield oversized cutlery — head the city's grand parade on Venerdì Gnocolar. But this is no monarchy. Each year, about a month before
