Caltagirone Nativity Scenes and Sicilian Christmas Cookies!

Buongiorno a tutti! I hope that you are all well and had a very spooky Halloween. Well, the bad weather has officially hit Italy now which means one thing - Christmas is coming! I know that our American amici will be well into the festive spirit now as they prepare for Thanksgiving and in Sicily preparations are being made for the traditional Nativity scenes that appear across the island in the month of December.

One city in particular that attracts thousands of visitors each year to its Nativity displays is Caltagirone. This Baroque town in the province of Catania has long been famous for its beautiful pottery, in particular its ceramics and terracotta, and actually takes its name from the Arabic words for 'Hill of Vases'. The city's main landmark is the staircase of Santa Maria del Monte which was built in 1608 in the old section of the town. Each of the staircase's 142 steps is adorned with different hand-decorated ceramics using varying styles and figures from the town's ancient tradition of pottery making. To celebrate Caltagirone's Patron Saint 'San Giacomo', or St. James, on the 25th July the steps are lined with terracotta oil lamps which are lit simultaneously by hundreds of locals creating a spectacular effect.

For the month of December the town comes alive with beautiful Nativity scenes made entirely of terracotta which are displayed throughout Caltagirone, some residents even open their homes to show their own intricate displays. One fine example of a Nativity scene is 'Il Presepe Animato in Terracotta' which can be found in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine. This Nativity display features moving figures and extends over 80 square metres - the largest in Italy. On the 25th and 26th December and the 6th January there will be a 'live' Nativity scene in the town's historic centre featuring more than 200 local residents dressed in costume.

Throughout the month of December there will be Christmas markets and processions in the town such as that on the 'Festa dell'Immacolata' on the 8th December. For the two days prior to this feast day there is a delicious aroma throughout the town as bakeries sell the traditional 'muffulette' - a local bread made with fennel seeds.

Any of our friends still looking for inspiration for their Christmas presents should take a look at our new Etna Collection at http://www.sicilianconnections.com/jewellery_13914.html. These necklaces, bracelets and earrings are handmade with real volcanic lava and Swarovski crystals. To thank you for your continued support we are also offering our followers a 10 percent discount until Christmas - just enter the code 'AMICIZIA' at checkout.

So, Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends in the US and I hope that all of you across the world are beginning to feel that festive spirit. Don't forget to use our recipe for Sicilian Christmas Cookies, or 'Mastazzoli' on last December's blog at - http://sicilianconnections.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/tis-season-of-sicilian-christmas.html.

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!!

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!!

Sicilian Pride and Passion Across the World!

Buona sera amici! We are now into October which, in the USA, is celebrated as 'National Italian Heritage Month'. Throughout America there will be numerous celebrations highlighting the sense of pride and loyalty felt towards Italy by the many immigrants who left the peninsula long ago.

Between the years of 1861 and 1965, almost 25 million Italians left the peninsula in search of a new life. This is considered to be the biggest mass migration of contemporary times and, in Sicily, was partly due to the drop in economy and over-population experienced after the unification of Italy.

In 1906 alone, 100,000 Sicilians emigrated to the United States of America and in 1920, 87 percent of Sicilian immigrants were still headed for the US. Other countries with a significant number of Sicilian immigrants were Venezuela, Brasil, Mexico, Canada, Australia and other countries throughout Europe. Some of the main cities in America where Sicilians settled were New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco and these immigrants tended to reside together in groups depending on the area that they came from. For example, in New Orleans there was a district called ‘Little Palermo’.

 

 

 

These Sicilians were so passionate about their homeland that they took many of their traditions and values with them. They believed in these customs so much that many aspects of Sicilian life have become an intrinsic part of communities worldwide and are still very much in evidence today. Throughout the year there are festivals across the world to celebrate different Sicilian traditions. The island’s way of life is echoed daily in neighbourhoods worldwide through their cuisine, language and culture, such as the music listened to or the plays seen at the theatre.

 

 

 

An example of a tradition which has been taken to America is the ‘Festa di Santa Rosalia’ in Brooklyn which is dedicated to the Patron Saint of Palermo. This annual festival originally took place in the first Italian parish in Brooklyn, the Sacred Hearts and St. Stephens Church in Carroll Gardens, and has since been moved to the community of Bensonhurst. The procession originally involved followers walking barefoot through the streets of the neighbourhood to show their devotion to the Saint.

 

Every year Italian-American merchants set up stalls at the various festivals around the country selling Sicilian specialities such as ‘cannoli’, zeppole’ and ‘arancini’ and entire communities come together to celebrate their heritage and tell stories about their ancestry. It is viewed as a real honour to belong to such a loyal and devoted community and it is this devotion that will ensure that the respect for ‘u paese vecchiu’, or the old country, will stay strong long into the future.

 

 

 

I created Sicilian Connections because over the years I have met many people of Sicilian origin that, for various reasons, have emigrated and live in different locations worldwide, but the passion that they feel for their homeland has remained strong. It was my aim to create a community where Sicilians could come together and share their wonderful stories of the island and memories of their ancestors and, thanks to the pride and devotion of our Sicilian Connections friends worldwide, this is now a reality.

 

 

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 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!!

Ferragosto - A Magical Midsummer Celebration!

Buongiorno a tutti! I hope that wherever you are in the world you are enjoying some of the summer sun which is currently in abundance on the island of Sicily. Temperatures have been consistently hitting 40 degrees celsius and across the island beaches are full of both residents and holiday makers looking for a welcome escape from the midsummer heat.

Next week it will officially be midsummer according to the Italian calendar as the entire peninsula celebrates 'Ferragosto' on the 15th August. This festival derives from the Latin Feriae Augusti (the holidays of the Emperor Augustus) and traditionally celebrates summer and the end of hard labour in the fields. In the past, businesses used to close for the whole month of August and even now offices often close for at least one week as Italians travel to the beach for their annual holiday. Cities across the country become almost deserted apart from the ever-present tourists as residents leave the humid city air behind for the unrivalled beauty of the Italian coastline.

Many families and groups of friends actually make their way to the beaches on the evening of the 14th August to light campfires and spend the night under the stars. This often coincides with the peak activity of the Perseid Meteor Shower which is generally between the 9th and the 14th August - providing beach-goers with a front row seat for this spectacular sky scene. According to tradition, the falling stars represent the tears of St. Lawrence who was buried on the 10th August 258 A.D. following a martyr's death. In fact, the Night of St. Lawrence (or La Notte di San Lorenzo) is an enchanting occasion for Italians who look to the sky in the hope of making a wish on a shooting star.

In the early morning of Ferragosto, revellers sit around their campfires and watch the famous Sicilian sunrise before making their way to the nearby beach-front cafés for a morning espresso and delicious granita. This is one of my favourite Italian traditions and one which is now celebrated around the world. An example of this is in Arthur Avenue, New York (or Little Italy in the Bronx) where over 15,000 Italian Americans take to the streets each year in September to enjoy their ancestor's fascinating culture and delicious food.

Buon Ferragosto amici! I hope that you will find a summer celebration near you ... and if not, at least be sure to look up to the sky next week and be ready to make a wish!

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 page. Grazie mille for your support!!

Stragusto! Trapani's International Food Festival

Buongiorno amici! We are now in the middle of July, which in Sicily means that Summer is now in full swing. As residents seek shelter from the 40 degree Mediterranean heat, the thousands of tourists now on the island enjoy Sicily's unrivalled selection of golden beaches.

July also means that it is finally time for Stragusto! Trapani's International Food Festival which takes place every year in July. This year the event will take place between the 22nd and 24th July in Piazza Mercato del Pesce, the city's historical fish market which offers a breathtaking panorama over the Mediterranean Sea.

Every evening from 7pm until midnight this beautiful location will play host to stalls selling an endless variety of delicacies, all created and cooked for you in the piazza. These foods include Sicilian specialities such as zeppole, arancini and sfincioni but also showcase a wonderful selection of cuisine from other Mediterranean countries. There will be live entertainment and music including performances displaying international traditions and customs. Wine connoisseurs will also have the opportunity to indulge in tasting at the festival's 'wine sensory analysis laboratories'!

The province of Trapani has long been renowned for its international aspect due to its status as an important fishing port, its vicinity to Tunisia and, like the rest of the island, its many conquerors throughout history. This has culminated in the creation of a fascinating local cuisine which is a fusion of the province's many influences. The area's most famous dish is fish couscous and the town of San Vito lo Capo holds a world-renowned annual couscous festival in September.

San Vito lo Capo is also famous for its beautiful golden beach which has just been voted the best beach in Italy for the second year in a row.

So, buon appetito amici ..... and just incase if you can't make it to this this year's festival, here is a video of Stragusto 2010 for you to enjoy -

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 page. Grazie mille for your support!!

My Sicilian Paradise - Taormina & Hotel Villa Angela

Buona sera amici!! This is the first post that I have written in a while as I have been travelling around Sicily undertaking some research for my upcoming travel articles. I have had a wonderful time and seen some truly spectacular places and I would like to share one of the highlights of my trip with you. As I'm sure you all know from my previous posts, I am completely in love with the hill-top town of Taormina in the Sicilian province of Messina. It is my favourite place on the entire island and therefore I could not resist taking the opportunity to stay there overnight while on my journey.

For some time now I have heard wonderful reports about a certain hotel in Taormina and this research trip presented me with the perfect chance to experience the hotel's offerings for myself. This hotel is the Hotel Villa Angela and is the result of a vision by Jim Kerr, the lead singer of Simple Minds who owns the residence and guided its creation from day one. Mr. Kerr was obviously enchanted by Taormina's magic just as I was and he also fell in love with the town many years ago, thus deciding to build the hotel and allow others to enjoy the same experience.

As I travelled up the winding roads above Taormina towards Hotel Villa Angela, the views across the Bay of Naxos became more and more breathtaking and the presence of Mount Etna more magnificent. We arrived at the establishment to find that there was ample car parking which, as anybody who has experienced the labyrinthine 'vias' of Southern Italy will know, is a real bonus. The reception area below opens out onto a large terraced area, with the views of the Ionian Sea ever-present, and we were immediately greeted by the Hotel Manager Charlie Galea who was courteous and obliging from my very first contact with Villa Angela.

In-keeping with the rest of the hotel, our room was adorned with Sicilian furniture and beautiful Caltagirone ceramics and featured a large terrace overlooking the swimming pool. Many hotels in Taormina do not have a full-size pool due to the towns hill-top location therefore it was truly heavenly to take advantage of this element and swim in such a picturesque setting. Breakfast is served on the restaurant terrace and there is a vast selection of local produce on offer.

In the evening, we used the hotel's shuttle bus service and ventured into the resort centre to dine at the Ristorante Granduca which is situated on the seafront. The perfect setting to indulge in some Sicilian cuisine and chilled vino bianco! After dinner we visited my favourite bar 'Caffé Wunderbar' in Piazza IX Aprile and listened to a Sicilian accordian player before heading back to the hotel.

I had such an enjoyable experience in Taormina and at the Hotel Villa Angela that I really didn't want to leave. I shall console myself, however, with the fact that I can now share my time there with my Sicilian Connections friends worldwide and hopefully I shall see you there one day soon!

The hotel's website is www.hotelvillaangela.com if you would like to take a look at their beautiful photographs.

A presto :-)

Debra
www.sicilianconnections.com