Many common expressions in popular parlance have deep historical origins.
Going to discover them is part of the work of those who, like me, in the form of concert lessons, want to rediscover and not forget our popular traditions.
The Italian expression “making a manfrina=too long speech” derives from a very famous folk dance from the lands of Piedmont and, more precisely from Monferrato.
The name of this dance is La Monferrina, called in dialect “manfrina”.
It is a dance that sees the formation of a circle around the most skilled couple, done by the other participants in the dance who, holding hands, dance in a circle around them.
This dance is often interpreted also by dancers who wear the costumes of Gianduia and Giacometta who are the official Piedmontese masks.
Once again the tradition of the Commedia dell’Arte triumphantly returns to the scene.
The song La Monferrina is a popular song from the 1800s. it is sung in Piedmontese dialect that describes a dance party in Monferrato where Maria Catlina, a beautiful peasant, performs a dance with an officer of the Savoy house.
The song is very cheerful, with a chorus that is easy to remember and rejoice with joy.
Monferrato is an area of Piedmont, under the Po river, which includes the provinces of Alessandria and Asti (where Gianduia was born), very famous for its extraordinary wines: Dolcetto, Barbera, Grignolino and Moscato d’Asti . Video: La Monferrian