If the pictured wall were Australian, ceramic ducks might “fly” on it.
In Altomonte – a very pleasant, historic, hilltop town in Calabria – this wall’s ceramic decorations celebrate a member of the cactus family.
Along with all but one other of the circa 127 members of the cactus family, prickly pears originally grew only in the Americas.
They arrived in Europe in the 16th century.
Australia’s first prickly pear was delivered by “The First Fleet” in 1788.
In Australia prickly pears are generally detested, and classed as “noxious weeds”.
In southern Italy they are much-loved, actively cultivated – for their “delicious” fruits, and as “beautiful”/“ornamental” garden plants.
It is interesting to note the original “home addresses” of plants that are essential ingredients in “quintessentially Italian” pizza, pasta and risotto dishes.
All of the following only reached Europe via human intervention: tomatoes, potatoes, corn/maize and chillies are all relatively recent arrivals (post-1492) from the Americas, whilst wheat, rice, aubergines/eggplants and lemons all originated in Asia.
(photo is copyright Doug Spencer, taken in Altomonte on 17 September 2023)