Join Us Online this Thursday for a heartwarming evening that will connect you to Sicily and the world of Ameri-Sicula! Experience Sicily presents Ameri-Sicula: Sicilian Culture in America, A Book Reading and Discussion. When: Thur., Nov. 19, 7:30. Zoom. Complimentary. Edited by Mark Hehl, Ameri-Sicula: Sicilian Culture in America is a new book published by…
Tag: old photo
Ameri-Sicula Book Reading and Discussion: Thursday, November 19
Join Us Online this Thursday for a heartwarming evening that will connect you to Sicily and the world of Ameri-Sicula! Experience Sicily presents Ameri-Sicula: Sicilian Culture in America, A Book Reading and Discussion. When: Thur., Nov. 19, 7:30 to 8:45PM Zoom. Complimentary. Edited by Mark Hehl, Ameri-Sicula: Sicilian Culture in America is a new book…
Acknowledging The Ancestors On The Day Of The Dead
Halloween, All Saints Day, and November 2–All Souls Day or the Day of the Dead (Giorno dei Morti, or in Sicilian, Un juornu re muorti)–mark the end of the agricultural year and recognize the delicate boundary between the living and the dead. In pre-Christian times, a similar set of Roman-era feast days called Lamuria were…
Going Places
My uncle Steve on a Vespa in Bagheria, Sicily (1950).
Vintage Palermo Scene
Antique postcard of the Port of Palermo with Mount Pellegrino in the background. Thanks to Roberta, who found a pile of these in her home, for thinking of me!
A Kid in a Pastry Shop
A kid in a pastry shop–better than a candy story, I think. A little nostalgia for today: my dad’s birthday–and in anticipation of Father’s Day (US) on Sunday. Here’s my father Peter at 8 years old in Bagheria at my great uncle’s pasticerria Bar Aurora. Written on the back of the photograph, my uncle Stefano…
Conca d’Oro, 1950
I recently read Dacia Maraini’s memoir “Bagheria.” In her book, the well-known Italian writer details returning to Bagheria after World War II. She describes in detail the natural beauty of the Conca d’Oro in the 1940s and 1950s before massive over-development changed the landscape. This photo was taken by my Uncle Stefano in June 1950.
Some Things Don’t Change
My father, who was 8 years old when this photo was taken, happily gets a gelato (probably chocolate, knowing him!) from the guys (Nicola, Toto, and Toto “Il Grande”) at Bar Aurora in Bagheria. The photo was taken by my uncle Stefano in 1950.
It was Grand at Bagheria’s Bar Aurora
During its day, Bagheria’s Bar Aurora was a big attraction. Its espresso, pastries, gelato, and decor were well-known throughout post-war Sicily. This photo, sent to my grandmother in New York by her brother Domenico Cuffaro, the owner, is from Bar Aurora’s grand opening.