A delightful geographically themed puzzle from Peto. Find it to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword
The usual preamble:
A cryptic puzzle themed on one particular place in the world. Its name should be inserted at 20 down. Work out the place by solving the * asterisked clues. Their solutions have some relevance to the place, such as famous people, locations and culture
I found this a very enjoyable puzzle with some neat and inventive clueing. The location revealed itself to me fairly early with AVENTINE, which proved helpful, and none of the other thematic solutions were too obscure – though as always that comes down to individual general knowledge so others may disagree. I particularly liked the long anagram at 5/11/10.
Thanks, Peto!
Definitions in non-thematic clues are underlined in the clues below. Thematic clues are marked by an asterisk and have no further definition.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1/28 | ST PETER’S BASILICA |
* Safe standing originally with fellow in charge during St Andrew’s opening (2,6,8)
|
| PETER (safe) + first letter (originally) of Standing + BASIL (fellow) + IC (in charge) inserted into (during) ST + first letter (opening) of Andrew
Big church in Vatican City, which is entirely within Rome |
||
| 5/11/10 | CASTEL SANT’ANGELO |
* Translation of Seneca at long last (6,4,6)
|
| Anagram (translation) of SENECA AT LONG LAST
Castle in Rome originally commissioned by Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself |
||
| 9 | AVENTINE |
* Article about large Starbuck’s coffee essentially inept (8)
|
| AN (article) about VENTI (large Starbuck’s coffee) + middle letter (essentially) of inEpt
One of the seven hills upon which Rome is built |
||
| 12 | VIA GIULIA |
* Luigi somehow breaking through antipathy at the outset (3,6)
|
| Anagram (somehow) of LUIGI inserted into (breaking) VIA (through) + first letter (at the outset) of Antipathy
A famous and historically significant street in Rome |
||
| 13 | TOSTI |
* Drunkard upset by note (5)
|
| SOT (drunkard) reversed (upset) + TI (note)
Paolo Tosti, 1846-1916, Roman composer |
||
| 14 | SPOT |
Detect an awkward situation (4)
|
| Two definitions | ||
| 16 | TERENCE |
* Tailless bird seen on space in front of church (7)
|
| TER[n] (bird) with last letter removed (tailless) + EN (space) + CE (church)
Publius Terentius Afer, Roman playwright of the second century BC, known in English as Terence |
||
| 19 | RAMBLER |
Climber and risk taker right for start of glissade (7)
|
| [g]AMBLER (risk taker) with R (right) replacing G (the start of Glissade) | ||
| 21 | MOLE |
Letters from Carole Lombard brought back by spy (4)
|
| Letters from carolE LOMbard, reversed (brought back) | ||
| 24 | SCENE |
Apprehended they say in a field (5)
|
| Sounds like (apprehended) “SEEN” | ||
| 25 | MUSSOLINI |
* American extremely large living in small type of car (9)
|
| US (American) + SO (extremely) + L (large) in MINI (small type of car)
Italian dictator who came to power through the March on Rome in 1922 |
||
| 27 | OPIATE |
A poet I savaged for inducing sleep (6)
|
| Anagram (savaged) of A POET I | ||
| 29 | SAMPAN |
Bridge sheltering American member’s boat (6)
|
| SPAN (bridge) containing (sheltering) A (American) + M (member) | ||
| 30 | PALATINE |
* Secretary taking language course finally (8)
|
| PA (secretary) + LATIN (language) + last letter (finally) of coursE
Another of the seven hills of Rome |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | STARVE |
Go without food processor ultimately pinched by staff (6)
|
| Last letter (ultimately) of processoR inserted into (pinched by) STAVE (staff) | ||
| 2 | PREFAB |
House assembled on site of Prince Edward’s debut? Wonderful (6)
|
| PR (prince) + first letter (debut) of Edward + FAB (wonderful) | ||
| 3 | TOTTI |
* Measure it up (5)
|
| TOT (measure) + IT reversed (up)
Francesco Totti, Italian footballer who played his whole professional career for AS Roma |
||
| 4 | RINGLET |
Daring lawyer ignored the French tenor’s long curl of hair (7)
|
| [da]RING with DA (lawyer) deleted (ignored) + LE (the in French) + T (tenor) | ||
| 6 | AU NATUREL |
Posh character held by gangster naked (2,7)
|
| U (posh) + NATURE (character) contained (held) by AL (Capone, gangster) | ||
| 7 | TREASONS |
Society upholding the principal justification for crimes against the state (8)
|
| S (society) following (upholding) first letter (principal) of The + REASON (justification) | ||
| 8 | LIONISED |
Song about handsome chap rejecting Bill when treated as a celeb (8)
|
| LIED (song) around [ad]ONIS (handsome chap) less (rejecting) AD (bill) | ||
| 15 | PALAESTRA |
* Is French artist supporting mate over hint of animosity? (9)
|
| EST (is in French) + RA (artist) following (supporting) PAL (mate) + first letter (hint of) Animosity
Public gymnasium, originally a Greek invention but popular in Rome |
||
| 17 | FRESCOES |
* Former MP Sebastian’s novel abridged earlier (8)
|
| COE’S (former MP Sebastian’s) with FRES[h] (novel) dropping the last letter (abridged) before (earlier)
Murals painted onto wet plaster, of which there are several famous examples in Rome, perhaps the most famous being the ceiling of the Sistine chapel |
||
| 18 | IMPERIUM |
* Yours truly silent about beautiful fairy (8)
|
| I (yours truly) + MUM (silent) about PERI (beautiful fairy)
Power of rule over a public or military body held by magistrates in ancient Rome |
||
| 20 | ROME |
[See Notes] (4)
|
| The place to which the solutions to all asterisked clues are connected | ||
| 21 | MASCARA |
Area with blemish covered by mum’s cosmetic (7)
|
| A (area) + SCAR (blemish) inserted in (covered by) MA (mum) | ||
| 22 | BIKINI |
Mostly large relatives with single swimming costume (6)
|
| BI[g] (large, mostly) + KIN (relatives) + I (one, single) | ||
| 23 | PIRATE |
Good value for contravener of copyright (6)
|
| PI (good) + RATE (value) | ||
| 26 | OUIJA |
Supernatural message board showing Marat’s agreement with Jacque’s initial answer (5)
|
| OUI (Marat’s agreement) + first letter (initial) of Jacque + A answer |
Most enjoyable puzzle. Unfortunately I never go to Starbucks so nho of VENTI as a size of coffee.
Thanks Peto and Widdersbel.
Ditto re Venti, SM, but because I never go there on principle. But yes, I enjoy these geographical puzzles, although a dnf today. Needed help with Aventine and frescoes (Sebastian … arrows …? Oggi, no). All part of the fun, thanks Peto and Widders.