I am lactose intolerant and I am Sicilian and every time I go to Sicily I eat everything and nothing hurts me. I have to tell you that often foods are made with fresh milk, both cheese and ice cream, and therefore it’s not condensed or powdered milk. I often eat sweets and also arancini, calzones, lasagna, pasta with cheese but nothing hurts my stomach. The reason is the quality of the food and the raw materials that are fresh. So I can advise you to eat granita for breakfast, with a nice Sicilian “Brioscia”. You will be full and you won’t have any stomach problems. Then for lunch you can eat all the arancini you want or if you want there are also panelle or calzoni, or even pizza (not the round one but the one they sell in pieces in the takeaways) and you will be happy and satisfied too. Furthermore, in Sicily there is a lot of very fresh fish and you can eat it for lunch and dinner.
There is this story that my grandmother told me some time ago. Of her who was close to marriage with her great love, who was later my grandfather, and of his family who searched far and wide for a photograph of her to deliver it to a maara in the country so that she could curse them and separate them for always. Fortunately, my grandmother, and despite her beauty, had only been photographed a few times.
The maare, village witches and mysterious women, were therefore nothing but great bitches. They destroyed marriages and bent men to their will. They drove them crazy, they made them worse than soulless puppets. They even managed to force them to have feelings: a drop of menstrual blood in the coffee was enough and the game was done. Imagine how many poor males have been ruined by the unbridled power of women.
How bad, what fear.
But it is something that sounds quite familiar to me, this of hatred towards the female gender. The idea that women are evil has been around since the dawn of time, and it is not necessary to bring up the history of witchcraft to prove it. It seems that the woman instigates to sin regardless: it is something inherent in her forms, so most say, in the sharp look or in the refinement of her intelligence. Whatever you touch becomes bad, dies, withers. Here in Sicily to say, and this is a land where we do not send things to say eh, here we say them exactly as they are without any fear, here in Sicily until recently women with periods were prevented from touching their plant. “You will make them die, you are unclean”, they said. We are daughters of the devil, not for nothing: we bring life and, if we want, even death.
But isn't this the ideal context, the one that sees us women as inferior beings but endowed with extraordinary abilities of manipulation, the ideal context in which to turn in our favor what instead would like to demote us? In Sicily, fifty years ago - and perhaps still today - women had no other function than that of procreating and nursing their own children and those of others; clean the house, serve the men of the family, keep your eyes down and cancel your identity within that of the father, brother, husband. It was like that for all women, but only one category was saved. That of the witches. Essential figures within society, they interceded between earthly and out-of-control things, and were just one step lower than the priests, but they were much, much more fearful.
The Sicilian maare were women who were not satisfied with living by inertia, who did not passively accept destiny and instead tried to change it, with magic, spells, prayers and all that was in their possibilities. And they had no scruples, yes, but who had scruples with them?
From the mythological Circe to the girls burned in the fires of the Inquisition, passing through the seas of the South and ending with me, the witches have been the resistance in a society that has always looked at women with distrust and superiority. And that's why I'm not ashamed of my identity as a witch. Indeed I want to tell you all here, in black and white.
We Sicilians, islanders by birth but continental in spirit, anarchoids and slaves to laws and codicils, social and individualistic, obedient and rebellious, incorporated into infinite family clans and associated with shady and deadly business clans, children never grown up and wise men never listened to , lovers of carnal pleasures and eternal penitents, always beached wherever possible to flock or in solitude, lovers of the sun and the sea as we are of the night and the mountains. We are all this, irreducible sinners and desecrators, firm believers in the duties of others, ironic, cynical, subtle minds and Pirandellians, but here, on this sand or on this rock, we touch our deep self, we feel our soul warm up and lose the chill of our follies, finally finding peace, and in the silence of our many anxieties, the pleasure of essentiality, the love of that simplicity that the clamor of our contradictions never makes us live and enjoy.
Catania is known as "the black city" because of the color of its buildings, blackened by the soot and ashes of the Etna volcano, whose eruptions have often damaged and even destroyed the city, which has always been able to rise again from the her ashes becoming more and more beautiful. Etna is the highest volcano in Europe and every now and then you can see magmatic explosions and fumes coming out of its lava mouths.
In Syracuse, very armored sets set up in two of the most evocative places in the city: at the Neapolis archaeological park, and in particular at the Ear of Dionysus and at the Grotta dei Cordari. Then to the Maniace Castle, in the historic center of Ortigia. In addition to Harrison Ford also the female protagonist Phwoebe Waller-Bridge. Ropes, very steep wooden stairs, a chase between tunnels, even in the unique scenarios of Syracuse the archaeologist (or rather his stand-in) seems to have been put to the test. And here is that the Ear of Dionysus lends itself to being transformed into a mine, and the Maniace Castle is the heart of several scenes shot between the mainland and the sea with spectacular special effects: explosions, smoke and gunshots.
Eagle Pictures has chosen Sicily and in particular Trapani, San Vito Lo Capo, Cefalù and Syracuse to set the fifth episode of the saga. The mega production booked luxury villas and hotel rooms on the island, and of course the various services such as restaurants and drivers for the approximately 600 people working on the film. Millions of euros for traders from all over Sicily.
Pizza, pistachio desserts and almond biscuits. The most famous archaeologist of cinema lands in Sicily and chooses a bakery in Paternò, in the Catanese area, for a quick lunch. Harrison Ford, 79, arrived at Catania airport for a week of filming the new Indiana Jones in Sicily (theatrical release scheduled for July 2022). First stop in Syracuse for the Hollywood star, then by car to Cefalù where the set designers have been working for several days to give the city the image of a 1969 town.
Syracuse, a fascinating and evocative place that Cicero defined as “the most beautiful city of Magna Graecia”, bears intact the signs of its history as a cultural capital from the Greek age to the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Unesco World Heritage Site since 2005, the city stands in the setting of a suggestive natural harbor, closed to the east by the island of Ortigia and behind the Epipolis plateau.
The city preserves in every corner the testimonies of its past. Greek, Roman and Baroque styles come together in an irresistible scenario that tells millennia of history.
Starting from the ancient nucleus on the island of Ortigia, you can admire the cathedral, with its Baroque façade that rises on the peristyle of the Doric temple of Athena of the century. V BC, remodeled in the Norman era and later. Other important churches are that of San Giovanni alle Catacombe with the crypt of San Marziano, and the Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia with the painting by Caravaggio "Burial of Santa Lucia"
Going around Syracuse and observing the ancient vestiges of the city is surprising. Other examples of the archaeological wealth of Syracuse can then be admired at the "Paolo Orsi" regional archaeological museum, the largest in Sicily.
Absolutely not to be missed, on the extreme tip of the islet of Ortigia, a visit to the castle of Maniace, a remarkable example of military architecture built by Frederick II in the first half of the 13th century.
Those who love nature, must go a short distance from Syracuse, in this small area, located at the southernmost tip of Italy, which has become a paradise for those who love the environment, where there are four protected areas: the Anapo valley , the Cava Grande del Cassìbile, the Pantani di Vendìcari and the river Ciane with the Saline of Syracuse.
Finally, to be able to relax by the sea, near the city you can visit the seaside resorts of Lido Arenella, Ògnina (port-canal) and Fontane Bianche.
The Reserve is located between the municipalities of Noto, Avola and Syracuse. It is a complex of soft limestone rocks, located in the low Hyblaean plateau excavated by the Cassibile river, which over time have formed steep valleys called “caves” due to the action of erosion. One of the most spectacular is the Cava Grande crossed by the Cassibile river. 10 km long and 250 meters deep, it was the site of inhabited settlements in the Paleolithic era. Eight thousand cave-like rock tombs have been excavated in the walls, dating back to between the tenth and ninth centuries. B.C.
We can all think that poverty is a characteristic of certain undeveloped and economically behind countries. We can all imagine homeless people in bad places and bad weather. But instead thousands of poor people live in places where they should have assistance and help and instead have none. Why?
How do politicians eat their dinner and go to their children who live in a beautiful place if there are so many people out there without dinner? Isn't it absurd that politicians first of all think about spending money on guns instead of giving a home to all those people without a shelter?
What cities exist without these poor people who are ignored by everyone? I cry looking at these people because they seem not to exist for anyone and yet they are there and everyone can see them. Which cities are left without poverty? Is this the civilization we built? Is this progress? My grandparents are Italian and lived in a tiny village in Sicily. I have never seen anyone in that tiny village without a home. You ask me why? I don’t know but I can say that my grandparents used to say that after the war everyone tried to help each other. So is the civilization of aid over? The priests always gave food to those who didn’t have any, my grandparents told me this. Is religion over now then? What caused this inhuman humanity that helps no one? Politicians are all thieves and do not come to the government to help the people but only to demonstrate power and success. Why are we so bad? Why do we let this happen? I grew up with my generous and selfless grandparents but here where I live now there are a lot of selfish people with no love for others. What caused all this non-love for others?
Yet finding yourself like this is a moment, just being without a social network, losing your job, not being able to pay rent, not being able to find work, having had to deal with a separation, having a serious mental disorder, such as depression. People rarely become homeless by choice, at first they are thrown out, expelled from the system. Then a silent mutation takes place, we are transformed into invisible citizens, inhabitants of the interstices of the city, which becomes an improbable but only possible home. In the city, it is sometimes reduced to wandering in the throes of alcohol and hallucinations and then, exhausted, falling asleep at the mercy of the darkness of the night, of metropolitan life, of the street.
The Sanfratellano dei Nebrodi horse (or San Fratello breed) is an Italian breed originally from the Messina area. Majestic and rustic, docile and proud, the Sanfratellano horse has been the undisputed master of the Nebrodi mountains for centuries.
The ancient Greeks called this area “the land of roe deer”, and it is precisely from “nebros”, roe deer, that the name of the park was born. The Nebrodi Park, which with more than 80 thousand hectares of surface, is the largest protected natural area on the island, represents a breathtaking spectacle of unspoiled nature. Through its paths and paths there are different types of vegetation to discover and a rich and complex wildlife community.An ideal place to indulge in a dream trekking during your Sicilian holidays. Formed by the rushing waters of the San Basilio stream, at a height difference of 30 meters carved by time, the waterfall is located in the territory of Galati di Mamertino in an area full of charm that offers numerous ideas for pleasant walks.A small corner where you can also relax by offering a prayer to the Madonna present in the icon placed by the citizens of Caronia Montagna to consecrate the wood to the Lady of Nature.
This is the icon of the Madonna present in the green area.Lake Maulazzo is a suggestive artificial reservoir of about 5 hectares on the north-eastern slopes of Monte Soro, the highest peak of the Nebrodi. The path leading to the lake proceeds through hidden and unusual paths. You can admire streams of clear water, small mammals, diurnal birds of prey, griffins and, with a little luck, even the golden eagle. There is no shortage of plants, flowers and mushrooms typical of the undergrowth. Lake Maulazzo is an important lake environment: although it was born as an artificial lake, over time it has naturalized, offering shelter to many animal and plant species.The Sicilian Black pig, also called Nero dei Nebrodi, Nero delle Madonie or Nero dell Etna is a native breed with very ancient origins. It is a very fine breed with a strong and highly recognizable meat flavor. Sicilian black pigs are raised in the wild and semi-wild state in the wooded areas of the island, free to feed according to nature, guaranteeing the goodness of their meat thanks to proper nutrition consisting mainly of acorns and chestnuts.It is enclosed between the borders of Randazzo and Tortorici. It is a natural alpine lake and is the highest in Sicily (1435 m asl). Its waters besides quenching the thirst of numerous herds, attract numerous avian species, including gray herons, coots, moorhens and mallards.If you are looking for adventure in contact with nature, if you are attracted by the unknown or if you (simply) like walking, you cannot miss this Sicilian stop, to be added immediately to your “to do list”, that is to the list of 1000 things to do on the weekend. The next one, for example.Birdwatching of Nebrodi griffins. From the educational laboratory “La Tana delle Idee” you can watch the griffons thanks to dioramas and cameras present in the nesting sites of the Griffons. These large birds with their wingspan of over three meters, can travel hundreds of kilometers in one day.Three pairs of golden eagles live in the area of the Nebrodi Park and one of these, the one that lives in the stupendous landscape of the fortresses of the Crasto di Alcara li Fusi, is linked to a singular and fascinating legend. It is said, in fact, that a hermit, San Nicola Politi, who lived in a cave among these inaccessible mountains had established an exceptional relationship with the Golden Eagle and every day provided for his sustenance receiving the blessing of the sacred man. This tradition finds testimony in the paintings that can be observed in the town of Alcara li Fusi and the relationship of affection of the locals towards their eagle is still alive and testified by the good health of this couple, which is among the most fruitful and productive of the whole Sicily.
Clear water of the sea in Mondellosome picturesque boatsBeach in MondelloTipical octopus salad (stret food)Seafront in MondelloMondello by nightMondello’s tower and seagullsMondello FestMondello’s CircolettoYoung people at the beach
This is D&G Spring and Summer dresses and I love all these colors and I hope you can dream of the sea and the sun and many beautiful things looking at these dresses, which represent all the colors of Sicily
THE PRODIGY OF IDEAS 