One of Milan’s trades, now disappeared
Among the disappeared professions of Milan there is the Polentatt, or sellers of hot polenta.
One of the most famous was “the Polentatt della Madonina”, like the famous Brera street.
The Polentatt craft was typical of Milan, both of the Middle Ages, and was entirely of Bergamo origin.
At the beginning of the fourteenth century it was not so widespread that they had to make a public announcement to limit its presence.
Initially it was an ambulance, which arrived in the square, and was preparing the cauldron to prepare the polenta.
After about two centuries they began to accompany the polenta with “osei” (birds) as per the Bergamo recipe. As the years passed, street vendors began to open shops on the street for takeaway sales.
Together with the birds they began to sell fried fish and hake.
With the arrival of the first restaurateurs they slowly converted into takeaways and then disappeared immediately after the Second World War.
Source: Milano Scomparsa o Quasi
