A Siracusan Ghost Story for Halloween!

Buongiorno a tutti! With our memories of the long, hazy days of summer fading fast and the dark evenings setting in, it seems that the time has come again for my traditional Halloween ghost story! Those of you who have visited rural Sicily in the winter months will be aware of the eerieness that descends on the towns as the flocks of tourists leave. As the seasonal mist shrouds the rustic villages, the atmosphere changes and a drive through the Sicilian countryside brings you across many abandoned homes and isolated towns.

This particular legend is set in the province of Siracusa, to be precise, on the road that leads to the town of Ognina. If you travel along this road you will come across an old dilapidated house - which is known in local dialect as 'la casa re spiddi' (the house of the spirits). You will also notice that fellow motorists will sound their car horn three times when passing by this house.

Many legends and local stories surround the house but the most famous version is that of the three sisters who lived in the house in the 9th Century. These sisters lived their entire lives waiting to find potential suitors for them to marry but unfortunately they were deemed too unattractive to pursue. These young girls turned into bitter women who stopped going into the outside world and spent their final years in loneliness within the four walls of their home. Out of their bitterness was born an evil curse which condemned anybody who passed by their house without acknowledging them and sentenced them to death in a brutal car accident.

All motorists who pass by must sound their car horn three times in recognition of the women and to this day sightings are still noted of mysterious hitchhikers outside the house who simply vanish into thin air.

 

If this story hasn't already sent a shiver down your spine, you can watch this documentary video about the legendary Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, or 'le Catacombe dei Cappuccini' -

These catacombs are also featured in the novel by Trinacria: A Tale of Bourbon Sicily by Anthony Di Renzo at http://www.indiegogo.com/trinacria.

So, Happy Halloween to all of my Sicilian Connections friends worldwide ........ don't forget to sound your car horn three times if you find yourself on a dark, Siracusan road!

A presto,

Debra
www.sicilianconnections.com

P.S. If you enjoy reading my blog please become a follower by registering at the Google 'Join this site' icon on the right of the blog page. Grazie mille for your support!!

Trinacria: A Tale of Bourbon Sicily

Buongiorno amici! I hope that you have all had a very enjoyable Summer and, following the advice from my August post, made a wish on a shooting star for 'La Notte di San Lorenzo'!

I am very happy to share with you all that I have recently been given the title of Duchessa ....... I must be honest, however, and admit that this is actually as part of an exciting campaign to publish the historical novel 'Trinacria: A Tale of Bourbon Sicily'. The author of this novel, Anthony Di Renzo, is a Professor at Ithaca College and is also a friend of mine who has impressed me immensely over the past months with his knowledge of Sicily and his enthusiasm for this project.

I was very happy to put Sig. Di Renzo in touch with the experienced Business Consultant Roberto Ragone and together they have created this wonderful campaign to raise the necessary publication funds for Trinacria. The sponsor of the campaign is the Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere, a beautiful villa in Staten Island overlooking the Verrazano Bridge, which is dedicated to preserving and promoting an appreciation of the Italian language, culture and heritage.

 

Set in 18th- and 19th-century Palermo, Naples, and London, Trinàcria: A Tale of Bourbon Sicily revolves around the Marchesa of Scalea, Zita Valanguerra Spinelli, notorious beauty, ferocious wit, secret murderer, and reluctant businesswoman, whose turbulent life mirrors her world’s rocky transition from feudalism to capitalism.

For anybody that wants to get involved (and maybe even gain Duca or Duchessa status!) the Trinacria campaign is at the following link - http://www.indiegogo.com/trinacria.

You can also watch this fascinating video about the novel's story -

A presto!

Debra Santangelo
www.sicilianconnections.com

P.S. If you enjoy reading my blog please become a follower by registering at the Google 'Join this site' icon on the right of the page. Grazie mille for your support!!