Sicily is an industrial wasteland, really?

Sicily is not really industrial, but some areas have been devastated by industrial developments that have gone badly. Recently, I received a message by one of SicilyGuide followers signaling the article A haven in an industrial wasteland by Sarah Raven. Our follower was upset at the article because it was diminishing Sicily in her own view.

Mrs. Raven talks about how she was convinced by her husband to visit the island and how shocked she was when she first saw the area between Syracuse and Augusta:

a completely trashed, industrialised catastrophe.

She goes on:

Then I started to walk out towards the point. On either side of the track emerged one of the most abundant and glorious gatherings of spring flowers that I’ve ever seen. That’s Sicily for you – an appallingly managed and largely wrecked landscape, sheltering in its nooks and crannies all the riches of Mediterranean flora you might ever dream of. The building boom in the past 20 years – inextricably linked with the ever-present Mafia – has all but ruined the place. But in the leftover spaces one glimpses the naturally rich Arcadia that Sicily once was.

Even if these are harsh words, I beg to differ with our reader. Somehow I can relate more to Mrs. Raven. Coming from nearby Milazzo – an area that can be compared to the one the journalist refers to in the article. I share these same strong feelings. Although I love being there, I also get extremely angry when I see the garbage all around and how the beauty of the area has been severely damaged by the refinery and fossil fuel-fired electric power plant in San Filippo del Mela.

This video by the Qbeta - a Sicilian folk group – is a parody of the area (unfortunately the song is in Italian only).

Here is an approximate translation from Google Translate of the song:

Go … My heart from flower to flower gently and with love for me … Go … that my happiness lives only reality near you … I want to live like this with sunny faces and happy singing blissfully … I want to live and to rejoice the air of the mountain because this spell does not cost anything Ah, ah! Today I ardently love that stream impertinent minstrel of ah, ah! The blossoming of the trees shall feast this heart you know why? I want to live well with sunny faces and happy song I sing to myself. . . . . . . Ah, ah! Today I ardently love that stream impertinent minstrel of love Ah, ah! The blossoming of the trees shall feast this heart you know why? I want to live well with sunny faces and happy singing song for me!

Locals are exasperated by the situation, but they feel powerless. Sicilians have been fighting relentlessly throughout history with little payback. But they should know that nothing is permanent. They should not lose hope and should look at their land as the foreign journalist does in her article discovering flowers and colors that she never saw before with a critical approach.

This seemed to be the signature of Sicily, an occasional paradise in what is being turned into hell. The tide of lava, concrete breeze blocks and plastic polytunnels seems set to continue to swallow it up. For flower lovers, the sooner you visit, the better. 

Sicily is unique and authentic. No matter what, it cannot leave the visitor indifferent. Someday perhaps I will learn how to accept Sicily in its totality.

The 10 best reasons to visit Sicily this summer

Reason #1 People

Sicilians might look intimidating and distant at times, but they open up pretty quickly. They are resourceful and among the most generous people I know. They might not fully understand you while you order your meal in English or ask for directions, but whatever they answer or mimic to you will be perfect anyway.

Reason #2 Beaches

It is summer and it is going to be how. No question about it. So, get ready to head to the beach to cool off.  Sicily has an impressive array of beaches: sandy, rocky remote… San Vito Lo Capo is always ranked among the best Italian beaches.

Reason #3 Minor Islands

If you have already been to Sicily several times and you ready to explore more. Think about going to one of the minor islands that can be easily reached by boat.

Reason #4 Food & Wine

No matter what you order, food is going to be good because it is fresh and in season. Granita in the morning or arancini as an afternoon snack are great temptations… Sicily has a great wine tradition, but Sicilian wines have been considered cut wines in the past. The last twenty years have seen a rediscovery of some local wines thanks to wineries such as Planeta and Tasca d’Almerita.

Reason #5 Archaeology

Do you know that Sicily and Southern Italy identified as Magna Graecia by the Romans were the new world for the ancient Greeks? This is the reason why they built so much in Sicily. They were fighting back home and most of the monuments built in Sicily are still well-preserved.

Reason #6 Cities

Palermo has an Arab tone. Siracusa is Greek. Enna, Trapani, Ragusa, Trapani, Agrigento, Messina, Taormina, Erice… All Sicilian cities and towns have a wonderful story behind and beautiful sightseeing to enjoy.

Reason #7 Events

Summer is the season with countless events in Sicily: feasts in virtually every town, fireworks, festivals, outdoor concerts… What’s not to like about it?

Reason #8 Mount Etna

Mount Etna is spectacular these days. Looking at one of its eruptions is a treat! Follow your guide’s advice if you try to be adventurous here.

Reason #9 Baroque Architecture

The Sicilian baroque is unique. The eight towns in southeast Sicily, Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli are Unesco World Heritage.

Reason #10 Authenticity

Sicily might have its own problems. However, if you are looking for a great and authentic travel experience, it is the perfect choice. Sicily never pretends to be something else. It is what it is with its centuries of history and foreign invasions. Most past events have brought pain to the island, but also cultural enrichment and an unparalleled heritage.

I shared mine, what is your reason #1 to visit Sicily?

The Magaggiari Beach - Photo by Maria Lina Bommarito

 

The Pitchfork Movement

The movimento dei forconi – which I translated with pitchforks into English – is weakening the already feeble Sicilian economy. According to the AGI (Agenzia Giornalistica Italia), companies in Sicily were allowed to continue their protests by 5 more days, until January 25. “We were granted an extension until January 25 “, said the head of Sicily haulage companies’ association AIAS, Giuseppe Richichi, who is leading a protest, staged alongside fishermen and the self-styled Pitchfork Movement of farmers, which has brought traffic on the island to a standstill for days. The protest was originally scheduled to end at midnight on Friday, but police authorities allowed organisers to continue their action by 5 more days. The move is aimed at keeping the ‘Forza d’urto’ movement united, given that farmers and fishermen already announced they would continue their protest indefinitely, although in a softer form.

Is it the right way to protests in these times when everybody is called o big sacrifices? Why are the Sicilians reacting as the Greeks? Is it the Greek blood? Who is behind this movement? It looks like that parties from the extreme right have leadership positions in the movement. The name they picked for themselves “pitchforks” says to me that they are not so peaceful. Tourism will temporarily suffer from this. Please call local authorities or check with friends and relatives in the island if you are traveling during those dates.

Indignados Are in Messina

The squares around the world seem to be on fire. After the indignados of Madrid, Occupy Wall Street in New York, etc… the protests arrive in Sicily too.

According to Sergio Busà at Corriere della Sera, one of the major Italian newspapers, the protest broke out in Messina lately. View slideshow.

 

September in Sicily

September is a lovely month to visit Sicily. The weather is beautiful and the sea temperature is still wonderfully warm which makes it perfect for a late summer swim. There are less tourists compared to August which is Italy’s “holiday month” and beaches and other top attractions are not invaded by tourists.

Prices for accomodations and rentals drop from their high season levels by the middle of the month.
The first substancial rains arrive, usually after mid-month. For the temperature, the month of September can be considered an extension of the long Sicilian summer.

The weather is ideal for sightseeing, it’s an ideal time to visit Sicily’s beautiful towns, small medieval centers, archaeological ruins and natural reserves.

In September harvests begin throughout the island. Grapes are certainly the main fruit of the season but not only: almonds, pistachios, prickly pears and figs are at their best. This is the time of harvest celebrations and festivals organized to promote typical products of the different areas.

By Maria Lina Bommarito

Just Another Beautiful Sight…

I’m here in the veranda of my home in Cinisi relaxing after lunch. Here in Sicily as in other Southern regions, it is usual to rest in the afternoon, especially during the summer when the days are very hot. In front of me I have the most beautiful sight of the mountains of Cinisi that seems to reach the “Venus Paradise” blue-colored sky. For me it’s amazing and I never stop admiring this scene that Nature offers.

When I say to my husband (born in Sicily): “Isn’t it beautiful?”, he answers carelessly: “Sure, but it’s always been there.”. This indifference, this neutrality drives me mad. I must realize, though, that for him and for those born in this magnificent land, it’s normal to live surrounded by such beauty. It’s normal to wake up in the morning and see these thousand-year old mountains that change colors depending on the season or the hour of the day.

What is there to do? I’ll just continue admiring the mountains, the deep blue sea and all there is to see…of this wonderful island.

By Maria Lina Bommarito

Map

Vacation… Finally!

Vacation has finally arrived. Vacation is a time to relax and stay with loved ones. I am writing this post at midnight, just after finishing packing. Soon I will head back home for a few weeks and I look forward to it, even though I am happy to live the life I have in NYC. The last few months have been a continuous turmoil: the world seems to face an emergency everyday. It will be nice to take a break and worry about everything later on. Hopefully, things will improve for everybody soon.

SicilyGuide will not be completely idle while I am on vacation. I worked on a biography series of famous Sicilians that it is already running. I have to admit that I am learning a great deal myself thanks to the editing of these articles licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License that use material from the Wikipedia article “Metasyntactic variable” and Creative Commons by Commons Deed.

I would like to publish more posts and tweet a lot since I am on location, but I cannot promise I could do it. Last year I had a painful Internet connection at my parents’. I am always connected in the US: it is a big shock when I arrive home and I have no Internet access, but I get used to it in two days. The first day is the worst, but I guess this is what you can call a real vacation nowadays!

A few days ago, I published a poll. Thanks for all your answers. Most of our readers would like for SicilyGuide to expand its activities. I will study the possibility and try to meet potential suppliers back home. If anything seems feasible, I will try my best.

It is late now. Forgive me if you see any mistake here. Enjoy the rest of the summer and keep reading SicilyGuide!

P.S.: If I have the chance, I will keep posting.

A Nice Note from a Reader

It is really nice to hear from our readers. This is one of the last messages that we have received.

When we launched the Website with no budget a few years ago, our goal was to portray Sicily in a different and more positive way than the mainstream media without forgetting the problems that Sicily still has.

Emails like this one make us hope well for Sicily. Diane gave us permission to publish this note and we thank her very much for sharing.

Both of my parent’s families came from Italy. My mother’s family immigrated from Calabria, my father’s from Sicily. I am almost 60 years old and recently made my first trip. In all my travels in many countries in Europe, I have never experienced a kinder group of people. And the beauty of Sicily was far beyond what I imagined. My daughter, who had been to Greece said the ancient ruins were far more spectacular than anything she had seen in Greece. To top it off, I met the grandchildren of my grandmother’s identical twin sister outside of Palermo. (My grandmother came to the U.S. in 1913 for an arranged marriage and never saw her identical twin or her parents again). It was just an amazing trip. No matter how long it takes you to get there, it is so worth it!

Palermo Prison’s Inmates Have Been Banned from Wearing Designer Suits

Vogue reports that Italian criminals have been banned from wearing designer suits in prison. New governor of Palermo‘s Ucciardone prison Rita Barbera has banned labels such as Prada, Gucci, Valentino, Versace and Louis Vuitton from being worn inside in its walls.

“The popular image of this jail is linked to the silk suits of godfathers and we need to cancel that image,” Barbara told Italian newspaper La Stampa. “We need to cancel class differences and the showing off of status, power and wealth.”

The Palermo prison is known to its inmates as The Grand Hotel, with one prisoner Michele Catalano having thrown a Champagne and lobster birthday banquet in the gym – while another criminal arranged his daughter’s wedding in the jail chapel. The wives of the prisoners have been left less than happy with Barbera’s new rules.

Source: Vogue

They Do Not Make Things Easy for Lampedusa

 

Lampedusa is a small island south of Sicily. After the explosion of the Libyan war, this relatively quiet place turned into the very first harbor refugees from North Africa find on their way to Europe. The economy of the island is suffering a great deal and things have not improved in spite of all the politicians’ promises. Now Siremar – the main company that operates ferries between Porto Empedocle in Sicily and Lampedusa – and the major airlines flying into the island have increased their fares during the months that should bring the most tourists to the island. In the meantime, tourism is down 90%.

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