Buona Madonna! This is how my cousin Evelina in Sicily greeted me by text today. So, Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception or la Festa dell’Immacolata to you! Today’s feast recognizes that the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived without original sin — something with which, in Catholic dogma, every person is considered…
Tag: trapani
Busiate: Sicily’s Curly Pasta
Busiate pasta is particular to western Sicily, specifically Trapani province. It’s special because it’s made to look like ringlets, and when it is made by hand, it is created by wrapping the dough around thin, long reeds and rolling and pulling your hand in a particular way, creating the curls. From personal experience, I can…
At Ease In Lo Zingaro
Close your eyes and take a breath. When you open them, imagine that you are here, at the sea of Lo Zingaro Nature Preserve feeling the wind in your hair as your catamaran boat takes you along the Tyrrhenian coastline. Imagine feeling totally at ease and refreshed. It can happen in Sicily. This moment can…
Sicilian Poetry Reading At Seaton Hall University
Ni viriemu! See you! Thurs., Nov., 8 at Seaton Hall University, actor Michael Badalucco will read the poetry of Sicilian poet Nino Provenzano (from Castellammare del Golfo, pictured), translated by Professor Gaetano Cipolla. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Delegation of the Constantinian Order and the Alberto Italian Studies Institute, the event is at 6 p.m. in…
Peace Dove in Mazara Del Vallo, Sicily
Tile on the a wall in the kasbah of Mazara del Vallo (Photo Credit: Peter DiGeronimo)
Another Black Madonna in Sicily
Tucked away near the castle that gives Castellamare del Golfo its name is the Chiesa di Maria SS del Rosario, which is believed to have been built in such a secluded corner during the Norman era, circa 1100, to hide it from invading pirates. Inside is this alter devoted to the Madonna dell’Agnuni, or Madonna…
Mazara del Vallo
Piazza della Repubblica, pictured, is the heart of the city of Mazara del Vallo in southwestern Sicily. Mazara del Vallo is considered the most important fishing port in Italy. Founded by the Phoenicians as a trading post, it was significant during the Arab era, when it was the capital of Val di Mazara, one of…
Let’s Talk Cheese: Part 9
In the Valle del Belice in Trapani Province, Sicily, they produce a DOP (Denominazione d’Origine Protetta or Protected Designation of Origin) certified “pasta filata” (stretched/pulled) cheese called Vastedda della Valle del Belice. The name, vastedda, comes from the local Sicilian language–vasta means “gone bad.” In other words, the cheese is made from pecorino cheese that…
The Black Pearl of Sicily
I wish I could say I took this photo from Pantelleria, the largest of Sicily’s off-shore islands, but alas, I have yet to go there! Thanks to my friend Alessandra B., who is vacationing this week on the wind-swept “Black Pearl of the Mediterranean,” for sending this image and more to me. Note the dammuso,…
Dance Under The Stars
Make a wish and dance under the stars! August 10th is the Feast of San Lorenzo–or as Italians know it, “the night of the shooting stars,” when the Perseids, a meteor shower, has its most vibrant activity. If the sky is clear, look for a shooting star and make a wish. Then dance the evening…