Giuseppe “Pino” Puglisi was killed in Palermo on September 15, 1993, his 56th birthday. A courageous defender of the poor in the Sicilian capital’s inner city neighborhood of Brancaccio, Blessed Father Puglisi worked tirelessly to convince young people that there was a better life than organized crime. He was extremely outspoken about the Mafia and…
Category: Observations about Culture
Celebrating The Madonna On September 8
September 8 is considered the birthday of the Blessed Mother by the Catholic Church. As a result, throughout Sicily this weekend, there are festivals to celebrate the Madonna. It’s not clear why this date was officially chosen as such; however, because this time of the agricultural year is traditionally a major harvest season, for centuries…
Paying Homage To Palermo’s Santa Rosalia
Palermo’s patroness, Santa Rosalia (Pictured: her likeness illustrated in Palermo’s Immaculate Conception Church), is recognized annually on September 4, the day she died in 1166, with a solemn pilgrimage to her sanctuary at the top of Mount Pellegrino.Tomorrow, pilgrims will arrive from far and wide to process up Mount Pellegrino, often barefoot or on their…
Reserve Your Sicilian Sunset
When planning your itinerary to Sicily, consider being somewhere special at sunset. You can search on the internet for the precise minute the sun will go down at your destination prior to your departure so that you make your dinner reservation for just the right moment. This is something we do for our clients… It…
Averna: Sicily’s After Dinner Bitter
Averna is an amaro, or a bitter liqueur that many Italians drink after dinner as a digestif. Amari (plural of amaro) can have bitter, sour, or bittersweet taste as a result of the aromatic herbs, bark, fruit, roots, rinds, and more that are combined to create the cocktail. Averna, which was founded in 1868 by…
Time To Make The Estratto
All over Sicily, right now, they are making the estratto… Tomato paste, in order to bottle it for the year’s supply. Did you annually make tomato sauce and paste with your mother or grandmother?
Hypnotized In Siracusa’s Piazza del Duomo
Ortigia’s Piazza del Duomo seduces me with her beauty, but then, when she adds in the harmonies and melodies of an accordion player, I’m hypnotized.
Sicily’s Symbol The Trinacria
The Trinacria, pictured, always intrigues! It is the symbol of Sicily that you’ll see on its flag and depicted in various forms all over the island. Three legs joined at the center is an ancient symbol, one that also appears on the coat of arms of the Isle of Man, a island in the Irish…
Breadmaking As A Ritual
Ritual bread making in honor of Saint Joseph (San Giuseppe) in Salemi.
Palermo Watches The Bustle
Palermo is a wise woman. An antique postcard next to a photo from May 2019 of the Martorana Church in Piazza Bellini illustrates that. We change, and she watches. Music about Palermo, written by Allison Scola and Joe Ravo. Performed by Villa Palagonia music duo… https://villa-palagonia.com/music/palermo-2/