Tag: Falcone
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Day 16 of 16 Days of Sicily | Stories of Unknown Superheroes that Must Be Told
On my last tour, one of my guests who has 100% Sicilian heritage asked me a question about the mafia. I responded, “I will talk about it – – a lot – – but when we are with the whole group. I’ll tell you some stories.” Discussing organized crime and corruption and how it has…
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Grazie per Tutto, Remembering Falcone
I pause from the glory of my current adventures in Sicily to recognize the sacrifices of so many who have worked to fight the Sicilian mafia. Specifically today, we recognize Giovanni Falcone on the anniversary of his death by the Cosa Nostra. Sicily is a different place than it was 26 years ago because of…
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Be Inspired Intellectually
Our small-group tours of less than 12 people offer travelers special opportunities to interact with locals–even if they only speak Italian and you only speak English. Between our local, English speaking guides and my cultural interpretation (both literally from the Italian language and conceptually, by discussing Sicilian culture with you through an American lens), we…
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Power of the People
25 years ago today, on May 23, 1992, at the location pictured left that now features this monument in Capaci, along Sicily’s autostrada between the Punta Raisi airport and Palermo, a half-ton of explosives were detonated under the highway killing anti-mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone, his wife Francesca Morvillo, and his police detail including Rocco Dicillo,…
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Savoring Sicily, Day 11: Freedom from the Plague
This beautiful tree is so because it represents a movement. A movement driven by people who want to be free of a plague. In 1624, the bones of Santa Rosalia helped cure Palermo of an infectious disease. Well, over the last 24 years, the Falcone Tree has acted as a relic (and a memorial) for…