Blog Guest Katia Amore from LoveSicily

We are very proud and happy to have Katia Amore from LoveSicily as blog guest today. She was born and grew up in Modica (southeastern Sicily), spending countless hours in the kitchen with her grandmother, mother and aunts. After living in the UK for ten years, she decided to move back to Sicily and open a cookery school. Many of the recipes she prepares at the are directly taken from notebooks Katia’s grandmother kept. Kudos for Katia! Here is her unfiltered interview.

1- You told me that you lived in England for ten years before moving back to Sicily? Can you share with us a little bit of your life then?

I lived in the UK for about 10 years. I first moved to there to study for an MA and then a PhD in Ethnic studies which led to my work as a researcher in the field of immigration and asylum. I loved my work and had a great time in England, which was also the place where I met my husband. My interest for food and my old dream of having a cooking school never left me though. While living there, I loved following the work of British chefs, like Rick Stein, who helped me discover great local producers and never missed a farmer’s market in my area. I used to quarrel with some British friends as, against all stereotypes, I argued with them about the great food you can have in the UK if you just care about it. They seemed to prefer my Italian dinners though. I was quite popular with friends and colleagues especially for my Sicilian dinners and never managed to travel light when I was coming back from Sicily, trying to satisfy their requests for Modica’s chocolate, almond biscuits, cheese, Sicilian wine, etc.

2- Why did you return to Sicily?

My husband and I decided to get married in Sicily, so we took a month off and moved there to organise our wedding. It was April of 2003, Sicily was in bloom, sunny, green, with a smell of wild flowers everywhere, we were hooked! As we went back, we kept thinking about a way to move there and achieve that great work-life balance we dreamt of. We wrote down a list of pros and cons regarding life in the UK and Sicily, the first one had various plusses regarding career and job opportunities, the second one won when it came to family and lifestyle.

3- How did the idea of LoveSicily start?

We thought we had to move and try to make it in Sicily, as we both wanted to avoid a life of “what if?”. We decided to make my dream come true and start a cooking school in Modica. The name popped immediately in my head, my surname “Amore” means “love” in English, so that was it, lovesicily.com was created. We wanted to restore my grandparents’ old house in the centre of Modica and use it as a cookery school and a holiday house. While we worked on the restoration project, I started running cookery holidays using other farm houses and hotels as our base, then in 2008 my school was finally ready and the whole dream came to life. I still work on some research projects during the winter months, but never looked back.

4- Can you tell us a little more about LoveSicily and your customized cookery vacations?

Our aim was that of creating a tour where learning about Sicilian food could be fun, inspiring and relaxing. This is how we designed our week-long cookery holidays which are available on set-dates or on a tailor-made basis for groups who propose their chosen dates.

The itinerary of the week includes visits to nearby towns, local producers and the seaside with relaxed, hands-on courses in the kitchen.

Enjoying Sicilian food and each other company in the kitchen, is the main aim of the lessons, which are open to people of all levels of cooking ability. In the class, I propose a combination of classic Sicilian recipes, my family’s specialties and some of my own creations based on research of classic or historical recipes and my love for local quality ingredients. The itinerary of the tour and the menu of the cooking lessons, vary according to the season. However, we never miss a visit to our favourite wine and extra virgin olive oil producers, the oldest chocolate factory in Modica and Ortigia’s market.

5- How do you see Sicily in the Italian tourist map?

Sicily is [on the map].

6- Your area at the Southeastern point of Sicily has seen an incredible surge in attention and foreign tourism, what do you think it is doing right?

Firstly it is doing little for tourists, which is a good thing from my point of view. What I mean is that people in this area are getting on with their lives regardless of tourism, which means that visitors can find an authentic atmosphere in our cities and towns and are welcomed like friends, thus avoiding what has happened to certain areas in the South of Spain which are currently being deserted by tourists as they do not feel like Spain any longer. Few weeks ago, an article on the Times claimed that “British tourists avoid Spain because it’s ‘no longer foreign enough’”. The combination of beautiful nature, Baroque architecture and great weather is doing most of the job.
Secondly, the late development in the tourism industry in the area, spared us the big characterless hotels on the beach that have ruined many coastal areas in the Mediterranean, leading to a much nicer network of charming B&Bs, holiday houses and hotels that visitors really love. They become part of the experience in Sicily rather than just a place for the night. Finally, food! Starting with the great quality of ingredients and extraordinary products, a rich culinary tradition and the wish to keep experimenting with food. The area also offer amazing Michelin starred restaurants and a variety of fantastic trattorie, osterie, rosticcerie, dolcerie and pasticcerie.

7- How do you think your activity has contributed in improving the image of the island abroad?

I hope it has done so in two different ways, through our website, especially my blog, and thanks to the experience we offer to our clients who can than go back home and talk to their friends about “the Sicily” they discovered. In both activities, we are very much directed by passion and instinct, promoting only what gets our enthusiasm going. We wanted to avoid representing a stereotypical version of the island both in the blog and in the culinary tours, so our efforts are always going in the direction of promoting Sicily’s history and traditions as well as contemporary development and innovation in various fields, as I always say let us not forget to talk about “history and tradition in the making”. This is also true of my cooking classes.

8- What else do you think needs to be done to promote tourism to the island?

I think that the first priority should be simply that of improving roads, keeping cities and the countryside clean and promote those events which are already popular, like the Greek Plays in Siracusa or religious Easter traditions, to make them even more of a stable fixture in the yearly calendar of activity of the Island. This said, there should be much more interaction between people in Sicily and the many “Sicilies” abroad. I think that many communities of Sicilian immigrants or people of Sicilian descent abroad are already doing a great job to promote the island, but certainly a more coordinated approach and a stronger collaboration with those who are in Sicily could really be crucial. The island does the rest, as it offers great material, nature, art, tradition, music, handicraft, food, fashion………..so much to work with.

9- What is your favorite Sicilian recipe?

This question is too difficult for me. How can I choose one? At least two: a meat based one and a fish one. A typical winter dish that I love is “ravioli co sugu”, which are ravioli stuffed with our local cow ricotta and marjory leaves, then served with a sauce (“sugu”) prepared in a terracotta pot using various cuts of pork meat (including fat cuts and sausage) and “strattu” (a special thick home-made tomato paste dried in the sun during summer). One of my favourite summer recipes is “Tunnina Ca Cipuddata”, Tuna with Onions. It is prepared with fresh ventresca di tonno (the belly of the tuna) which is cooked in extra virgin olive oil with onion until it becomes crispy golden on both sides, completely against the modern fashion of eating mainly rare tuna fillet.

10- Anything else you would like to add?

Pasta alla Norma, Polipo al Nero d’Avola, Pollo al cioccolato, Caponata, Cunigghiu a stimpirata, Cucciddatu, Cassate, Mpanatigghi, Cannoli, Granita di caffè, Pasta ‘ncaciata, Timballo di Ziti, …………..and many other favourite recipes;)!

For more information about Katia Amore and her cookery school, visit LoveSicily.com

Sicily’s rivers

Most people do not know that Sicily has rivers. The longest one is Salso in the Caltanissetta province, followed by Simeto on the slopes of Mount Etna (see pictures on the right). Here is an interesting table that lists all the river of the island:

River	Length
Salso River	89 miles / 144 km
Simeto	70 miles / 113 km
Belice	66 miles / 107 km
Dittaino	65 miles / 105 km
Platani	64 miles / 103 km
Gornalunga	50 miles / 81 km
Gela (river)	46 miles / 74 km
Salso Cimarosa	45 miles / 72 km
Torto	36 miles / 58 km
Irminio	35 miles / 57 km
Dirillo	34 miles / 54 km
Verdura	33 miles / 53 km
Alcantara	32 miles / 52 km
Tellaro	28 miles / 45 km
Anapo	25 miles / 40 km

Salso River (below), the longest Sicilian river

Things are changing in Sicily and for the better

I feel optimistic. I think that we do not realize it, but things have slowly changed in Sicily and this is helping its perception abroad. I know that there is still a lot to change and fight for, but many signs in the last few years are making me hope for the best.

Ten or fifteen years ago, it would have been unthinkable to have Sicilian wines on a wine list in a renowned restaurant in New York. The work of visionary entrepreneurs has paid off. You find good Sicilian wine very easily. See a list of the best Sicilian wines and wine producers at http://sicilyguide.com/what-to-do/food-wine/sicilian-wines/

Ten or fifteen years ago, a web site that specializes exclusively about Sicilian villas would have been crazy. This web site exists today thanks to Rossella and Huw, who launched Think Sicily in 2002. They thought Sicily has the most impressive mixture of history, culture, gastronomy, climate and natural beauty of anywhere they ever visited. They were right on their bet and paved the way to a different way of thinking about Sicily.

Ten or fifteen years ago, Addiopizzo Travel would have not been possible. Today, this tour company provides ethical tours of Sicily. They take tourists to those businesses who have said “no” to the Mafia’s requests for protection money.

Ten or fifteen years ago, the term Ragusashire did not exist. Now we have foreigners who fall in love with Sicily. They move to the island and start the Ragusashire trend. Some of them blog about its  virtues, as Welshcake Limoncello does on Sicily Scene.  Others build a home there, as the two New York architects William Brockschmidt and Richard Dragisic that I had the pleasure to meet in person a few months ago.

Ten or fifteen years ago, to sell ruined homes for € 1 would have been considered schizophrenic. Vittorio Sgarbi did that for Salemi seizing an unknown publicity for the town. Another town followed this path.

Ten or fifteen years ago, Sicily could have not been voted by Travel + Leisure Magazine among the sexiest destinations in the world, thanks  to new infrastructures such as Kempinski Hotel Giardino di Costanza Sicily and Verdura Golf & Spa Resort.

Ten or fifteen years ago, Antica Dolceria Bonajuto chocolate was not available at my local supermarket in Brooklyn. Now, they air a youtube commercial making fun of American chocolate. The company has been in business since 1880, but only recently it has gained international attention.

Ten or fifteen years ago, the keys of the Sicilian villa where the notorious Mafia godfather Toto “the Beast” Riina spent his final months as a fugitive could not have been handed over to the local branch of the Italian journalists’ guild. Today, they can. See Another punch to the Mafia.

As I said there is still so much to do and work for, but let’s stop the negativity and think for a moment how much we have accomplished in the last decade. I would also like to include SicilyGuide into this honorable list. In the last few years, we have documented these changes and have worked constantly in promoting good aspects of the island without sacrificing objectivity when necessary. We are probably missing many things in this post. There are lots of men and women of goodwill working hard every day.

Antica Dolceria Bonajuto – Funny video

I still remember the first time I had some chocolate of Antica Dolceria Bonajuto. I was in Milazzo and a little pastry shop was carrying these vintage wrapped chocolate bars. It was love at first bite! Now I find the chocolate even in my neighborhood in Brooklyn either at Union Market or Bierkraft. I recently found Antica Dolceria Bonajuto on Facebook and saw this video that I absolutely need to share with you. It is their commercial and lasts only 55 seconds. It made my day.

Here is a bit of history from the company’s web site:

In 1880, Francesco Bonajuto, following in his father Frederico’s footsteps, opened a small cake shop in the picturesque, baroque setting of Modica. From his shop, he brought forth exquisite cakes of Arabian and Spanish origin, the fruit of centuries-long traditions, earning acclaim and appreciation from the townspeople.

For more information and/or order some of the best Sicilian chocolate, please visit www.bonajuto.it.

Antica Dolceria Bonajuto
Address: Corso Umberto I 159
Modica, RG
Phone/Fax: +39 0932 941225

Sicily: a winning experience

I report here the story of an American MBA student who won a trip to Sicily and worked on the land confiscated to the Mafiosi. Her name is Rebecca Evangelista. Inspiring!

As one of the twelve students who won a trip to Corleone in Sicily, I don’t think we had a concrete idea of what we had gotten ourselves into before we left. The posters around the school stated that we would “Win a trip to Sicily!

Have fun! Do Good!” and it all sounded pictureperfect. We would work on land that had been confiscated from the Mafia and given to Corleonesi farmers, and do a little sight-seeing as well. Many of us had ideas of both Sicily and the Mafia before we went: Sicily was ‘good food and friendly people.’ The Mafia was ‘the Godfather, codes of silence, drugs, arms trafficking, and violence.’ The trip was a chance to see what these stereotypes were all about. The Mafia still has a strong presence in Corleone. We were told, “You’ll see them here in Corleone. You won’t know they’re in the Mafia, but they are.” The Mafia has a much different reality for the Corleonesi from the images seen in film. There are times when the Corleonesi cannot farm their legally- owned land, because the former Mafia owners find innumerable ways to make it difficult. The battle over the farmland seems disparate from the image of Mafiosi seen in the films, but this is where the struggle for legality is playing out.

None of us had bargained for the full-on cultural experience we were about to have. We were the first American students to join the Tuscan association
ARCI, which sends volunteers to work in these fields on a fairly regular basis. We were also the first volunteers to stay in host families while we
were there, connecting ourselves with the community of everyday people in Corleone. We had to adapt quickly to the Sicilian sense of time (which
is non-existent), and we had no trouble at all adapting to Sicilian food.
Saturday was our day of volunteer work. We went to the countryside and staked an entire barren field to become a vineyard. The day contained many
rewards. One was the satisfaction of finishing our section of the vineyard, which will produce about 40,000 bottles of wine a year for legal sale. The
other was our lunch. Franco, one of the men we worked with, promised us a feast and asked us not to eat anything for breakfast in preparation. We
had an outdoor barbeque, with bruschetta, sausage, lamb, pork, some wine, and desserts (including, of course, cannoli). This was the Sicilian way of thanking us and showing their hospitality. During the lunch, a few police cars drove up, and a man in a suit stepped out. He was a prosecutor against Mafiosi, and he had come to see the fields and to meet us. His presence made us realize that all of these ‘firsts’ really meant a lot in the fight against the Mafia. We were showing that Americans care about the fight for legality,
that we were willing to lend a hand. Throughout this trip, we got to know people with completely different lives, with both sides trying to
speak in Italian instead of English or Sicilian. It was tiring and sometimes confusing, but we were able to attach real faces, personalities, and places to
things we’d only heard about before. And we definitely appreciated the hospitality we received in return. SUF student Alana Edmunds had this to say: “What we couldn’t fully comprehend [before our arrival] was the impact of our presence on the fields in Corleone. The only way to understand how much our weekend in Corleone meant to the
workers of the Cooperative was to get to know them and look them directly in the eye. In complete honesty, before my trip to Sicily, I would have most likely written a check to the efforts of the cooperative instead of volunteering to work—and my experience would never have been quite the
same.”

Source: http://www.syr.fi.it/img/publications/Villa%20Rossa%20Voice%20-%20April%202007.pdf

Is Sicilian fashion trendy? Yes, according to NYTimes

I just came across this article, which is actually a sort of blog post of the NYTimes.com. I saw that Dolce & Gabbana are trying to find inspiration in Sicily again on the news, but I did not give a serious thought.  Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana said they were inspired by Baaria. “Sicilian, sartorial, sensual,” chorused Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana about their new menswear collection. The designers were talking about focusing on their kind of basics: masculine bodies rippling with machismo as they took louche strides down the runway. Behind them, projected on a screen, smoldered the Sicily of an earlier era in “Baarìa,” the Giuseppe Tornatore film that was up for best foreign movie at the 2010 Golden Globes.

Is fashion good to market a destination? Does it any good when it markets long underwear and models walk on the catwalk dressed this way? Maybe, it is too extreme…

Is it really fashion week again, already? Not to fear, as ever, Scorecard is here keeping tabs on all the critic talk so you don’t have to. The opening day of the Milan men’s-wear shows Saturday marked the big 2-0 for the Dolce & Gabbana duo and a centennial for Ermenegildo Zegna, so it’s no surprise that amid the birthday festivities designers were all about going back to their roots. Critics, meanwhile, were feeling this archive digging — so long as fashion flashbacks didn’t land squarely in the “Flashdance” era.

Dolce & Gabbana
Designers: Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana
Date and Location: Saturday, Jan. 16, Viale Piave, 24
Photos: slide show

* “Everything a macho, sexy, tough Sicilano could want. . . . In other words, what Dolce & Gabbana does — and has always done — best.” (GQ.com)
* “The designers were in top form with this collection, making it seem racy, relevant and in their own image.” (International Herald Tribune)
* “Celebrating the 20th anniversary of their men’s collection this year, Dolce & Gabbana flagged Sicily, the wellspring of their inspiration. . . . Yes, things have come full circle, and it seemed only appropriate that a return to their roots should produce their best collection in years.” (Style File)
* “Revolved around sharp and neat silhouettes.” (Vogue.com UK)
* “It was the rugged, yet elegant wardrobe for fall that really stole the show.” (Women’s Wear Daily)

More at NYTimes.com

Mandaci una cartolina – Carmen Consoli

People who know me also know that I like Carmen Consoli, a Sicilian pop singer. She was recently on a USA tour. Unfortunately, I could not attend her concert in New York since the same night was my friend’s birthday.

I just came across one of her latest songs “Mandaci una cartolina” dedicated to her father.

Listen to the song here:

Text @ http://squeezermag.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/mandaci-una-cartolina-carmen-consoli-video-e-testo-elettra-2009/

Blog interview with William Brockschmidt

The New York Times published an article on October 27 that caught our attention and made us published a post the following day. The post put us in contact with William Brockschmidt, one of the architects behind the reconstructing of a beautiful  house cave-like looking in Sicily. We would like to thank William for his gracious collaboration. I love the ending quote of this interview (I would love a direct flight to Catania too!) and how William describes the workers who intensified their work on the house the days before they were arriving.

1. Can you please tell us a little about yourself?

Richard and I are both trained as architects.  He is from Texas and I grew up in Virginia, but we met in Chicago where we were both working for architecture firms in the early 90s. I have always been interested in historic and classical architecture.  In fact, I studied Latin in school as soon as it was offered because the Latin class had a field trip to Rome – and I’m still in contact with my Latin teacher after all these years.  Richard and I moved from Chicago to New York after I participated in a six-week intensive study of classical architecture at what is now called the Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America, where I am now a Fellow and chair the travel committee.  We both began working for architectural firms designing in the classical and traditional vernacular architectural languages.  In 2001 I started Brockschmidt & Coleman, LLC, Decoration and Design with Courtney Coleman.  Richard has been a senior project designer at the renowned classical firm of Fairfax & Sammons Architects.

2. Why did you choose Sicily?

We first visited and fell in love with Sicily in 2000.  Richard and I had been working very hard during our first five years in New York.  It was a great opportunity to work on interesting and substantial traditional projects, but we realized that we spent all of our time on the job with little time for travel and exposure to the classical architecture and urbanism that inspired us.  We decided to leave our firms for three months to take a sabbatical in Italy.  We had been to Rome and Venice in the past, and wanted to spend a month “living” in each of those architecturally rich cities.  In preparation for the trip I had read Goethe’s Italian Journey and became fascinated with his descriptions of Sicily and his notion that “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything.”  Once we began to consider spending our first month in Sicily, friends and acquaintances who had been there encouraged us based on their own experiences, including architects trained at Notre Dame’s school of architecture who had spent 10 days in Sicily as a mandatory part of their architectural education.  We started to research and planned a trip starting in Palermo and visiting Segesta, Erice, Trapani, Selinunte, Agrigento, Enna, Caltigirone, Piazza Armerina, Ragusa, Modica, Scicli, Noto, Siracusa, Catania, and Taormina.  Our favorite area was the area of which we knew the least, the Val di Noto with its distinctive baroque cities.  We were amazed by the cultural variety in Sicily, and the way the things that had become familiar from previous trips to Italy were interpreted so exotically in Sicily. In an odd coincidence, just before leaving New York, we were introduced to some sympathetic people near Ragusa who in turn provided us with introductions that allowed us to visit several private palaces and homes.  Therefore, we were lucky to have experienced Sicilian hospitality during our first visit.  During this visit, we saw absolutely as much of the Island as possible, rarely resting, since we did not know if we’d ever return. However, once we were back in New York, we wanted to share our experiences with friends and returned for a week the very next year, seven of us renting a villa near Palazzolo Acreide.  The trip occurred less than a month after the devastation of September 11^th, and though we debated whether it was appropriate even to travel, our group had a magical and memorable experience.  After that trip, I organized a Sicilian drawing tour for architects through the Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America.  And after that tour, it had become apparent that we’d like to retire one day to Sicily and our thoughts turned to finding and buying a house.

We had just finished renovating and decorating our loft in Manhattan, and had not even been thinking of a second home.  As architects, we certainly fantasized about designing a retreat, and had even made sketches for country dream houses, imaginatively setting them perhaps in Sag Harbor or the Hudson River or Delaware River Valley.  We had not set about to own a house in Europe and so we didn’t actually choose Sicily as a place to build or restore a holiday house.  Rather, we realized that Sicily had bewitched us and one way or another we wanted to spend at least part of our lives there, and so we convinced ourselves that a house made sense, and since we were likely to find a house in need of renovation, perhaps we could buy one now and inhabit it gradually over time.

3. Do you think it is a growing trend?

One of the reasons we decided to purchase sooner rather than later is that we thought Sicily was being discovered and prices were likely to rise.  In the four years of visiting Sicily between our first and third visits, Ortigia in Siracusa seemed to have changed from a slow and forgotten urban treasure to a bustling city full of stylish people from Sicily and Milan all restoring palace after palace.  Since 2000 boutique hotels, shops and bars have appeared.  It wasn’t, however, until we had purchased our house and began meeting Sicilians in Sicily and New York that we had met any Americans purchasing houses in Sicily.  Since the “Casa Grotta” article appeared in the New York Times in October, we’ve had calls and e-mails from several Americans who were either in the midst of house-hunting, had fantasized about house-hunting or even had inherited property in Sicily.  Many of the people we’ve met who are buying or searching for properties in Sicily have some Sicilian background or family.  But neither Richard nor I have any Sicilian or even Italian descendents.  Despite this, we were captivated by the island and the Sicilians.

4. And why did you pick Modica?

We knew that we wanted to be in the Val di Noto.  While we love Palermo and Catania, we already live in a big city, but our lifestyle is too social to live isolated in the countryside.  The baroque cities of southeastern Sicily are near mountains and sea, have a varied agricultural tradition and a delicious regional cuisine, and are stunning small cities with majestic urban set-pieces in a gorgeous soft honey-color stone.  On our shortlist of small cities were Ortigia, Ragusa Ibla, Modica, and Scicli. Ortigia, however, had already become quite expensive, especially for houses or apartments with views of the sea.  It also seemed like it was becoming a chic resort.  Ibla and Scicli are dramatic and beautiful, but perhaps a little quiet.  Some friends suggested that the inhabitants of Modica are friendly and open-minded.  And we had noticed that due to its natural setting, the center of town was particularly bustling and active. The center of town was once the convergence of two rivers with dense and steeply sloping neighborhoods on each side, and so the main street, Corso Umberto, is gritty with traffic, commerce and activity, but lined with elegant buildings.  At night during the passegiata there are exuberant youths and elegant couples, and all of the stores seem to sparkle. Everyone that we’ve met in Modica has been extremely friendly and proud of their city.  This seems fitting: in a 1905 London guidebook Sicily, the New Winter Resort the author wrote of Modica that “its inhabitants are the nicest people in Sicily.”

5. How did you coordinate all the labor to build the house from New York?

Once we chose Modica as the place where we would buy a house, our Ragusan friend generously offered to help us, advising us on contractors, architects, and so many related aspects of restoring and reconstructing a house.  Since he had undertaken several restoration and building projects of his own, he recommended craftsmen whom he trusted and whose work he knew well.  We were incredibly fortunate in this regard.  Once we received the title to the house and the gigantic old-fashioned keys, we set about measuring so that we could prepare drawings showing the existing conditions.  There had been three houses in Modica that we were considering.  We decided on the “Casa Grotta” when we realized that by adding a central interior staircase, we could really transform the house, gaining additional light into the cave and creating a sense of movement between the floors.  Of course, we came up with this design concept after we were back in New York with only a few photos of the house.  We couldn’t know if the design would work and that we’d made the right decision until we could measure.  We started drafting the floor plans on the airplane ride back to New York, and our plan seemed to work.  Because there are no right angles in the house and the cave was not orthogonal and had an unstable dirt floor, we weren’t positive, but we were hopeful.  We prepared a set of drawings that included floor plans and elevations, and prepared a written scope of work in English and our cobbled-together Italian.  We sent the drawings to the contractor and planned to meet on our next trip.  In January, we met with contractors and subcontractors to go over the scope of work and drawings and found examples of details in the neighborhood so that we could get a price estimate in order to move forward.  We also met with the local architect who would correspond with the contractor, artisans and with us, and would prepare the submittals required for approval required by the city and regional government.  In addition to complying with requirements to match the original stucco color, to leave exposed the fragments of a former wall, and to simplify the stone surround of a new doorway overlooking the courtyard, we were also required to replace the roof and install a rigid reinforced concrete collar at the upper perimeter of all walls.

Once we had adjusted the design to fit within our budget, we would prepare either CAD drawings or free-hand sketches that we would e-mail to the local architect.  She would meet with the contractor and artisans as required and would e-mail photos and occasionally her own sketches when decisions were required.  We were limited to about three trips to Sicily each year and between the closing in October 2006 and the time we inhabited the house for the first time in September 2009 we had been to the site nine times.  Each time we were in Modica, we’d spend as much time on site as possible, meeting from morning to evening with the local architect, general contractor, stone mason, carpenter, millworker, iron worker, plumber, electrician, painter, etc.  We would also photograph as much as possible during each trip so that we had references for corresponding with the architect during the time we were back in New York.  In addition, our friend who had introduced us to the architect, contractors and artisans would make visits to the site and would review the progress with a discerning eye.  He and his partner were so generous with their time and expertise.  The project would likely have been completed more quickly if we had been able to go to the site more often.  (A neighbor told us once upon our arrival on the street that she knew we were coming because work picked up in full-force again.)  However, the relatively slow pace allowed us to participate more extensively in the process, which we truly enjoyed, and while the house is now habitable in warm weather, we still need to install radiators, to install interior doors, to install the entire kitchen, a few bathroom vanities, some interior and exterior cabinetry, and to paint all of the natural wood and ironwork!

6. Can you share with us something that has been and is still a surprise to you while in Sicily?

We are still amazed and delighted by the hospitality and by our ability to make friends.  For Richard’s 50^th birthday party, there were probably 60 people who came to our cave house.  Some of them were people we had not yet met, neighbors and friends of friends whom our friends thought we would like to meet.  But many others were friends that we’ve been seeing on our trips to Sicily who came from nearby villas, but also all the way from Siracusa and Catania just for the evening.  We’ve been invited to the most wonderful lunches and dinners and to visit villas and palaces.  The group of friends we’ve made are all interested in Sicilian culture, history and architecture and many group outings are planned to see landmarks of interest.  In fact, after the party fourteen of us went to Palermo for a weekend of sightseeing.  We’ve been pleased that our Sicilian friends have also been visiting us in New York, and delight in hosting parties and dinners or arranging similar visits for them while they’re in the US.  Another initial surprise is how much our Sicilian friends love Sicily (of course it’s contagious) and the way that when one is in Sicily, it truly feels like the center of the world while also feeling like an exotic far-away island.  Our friends are quite cosmopolitan and while they understand certain limitations and provincial aspects of island, they have such a deep appreciation for their native land, and would not want to live anywhere else.

7. Do you think stereotypes about Sicily are pure fiction or partly true?  Can you give examples?

When we first went to Sicily, we really did not know much about it at all.  We were both a bit worried about the crime that is such a storied part of Sicily’s reputation.  We had read stories about the overwhelming and chaotic nature of Palermo with its mixture of architectural treasures and extreme natural beauty juxtaposed with decay and illegally-built apartment blocks ruining the landscape.  During our first trip, we were probably more on the lookout for stereotypes.  In Bagheria, we were certain that the dark and mysterious place we had chosen for lunch was filled with Mafiosi staring at us for invading their hangout.  When we took a wrong turn and found ourselves heading into the heartland between Palermo and Agrigento, we were nervous about being lost and ending up somewhere we shouldn’t be.  Even in Ragusa Ibla, a young noblewoman described how she returned home to her villa one evening to find that all of the furniture had been stolen.  However, these dark fantasies were likely unjustified, and since spending time in Sicily, we have experienced no crime or mysterious circumstances.  In fact, we understand that the Ragusa province is one of the safest in all of Italy.  Certainly there is a crime element in Sicily and Italy in general, but it’s not been anything that we’ve experienced, nor are we paranoid.  We don’t feel the need to exercise any more caution than we do in quite-safe New York City.  Another possible stereotype is that the Sicilians are loud, emphatic, and boisterous.  While it’s true that among Sicilians a discussion over where to have the next coffee can erupt into passionate debate, it is a quality that I appreciate, especially coming from stiff-upper-lip northern European descendants. My Italian is improving, but I’m far from fluent, and after while I just surrender and enjoy the operatic arguments until the decision is resolved.  Even during site-meetings for our house, the subcontractors would argue emphatically, often losing us in Sicilian dialect, but then they would somehow resolve the seemingly insurmountable problem with a smile and a chorus of “va bene, va bene”.  As to the stereotype that Sicilians are lazy and untrustworthy, the Sicilians that we’ve met are industrious, active, generous and honest.  Those who work, work hard, and those who are fortunate enough not to need to work, are busy with projects and activities.  However, they also balance work time with an incredible zest for living, enjoying food, wine, desserts, art and architecture, nature, relaxation and friendship. Of course, this also means that things happen in Sicilian time – but why not?  I’m hoping to assimilate.

8. As a foreigner, did your stay in Sicily help to change your perception of the island?

It’s difficult now to recall our initial perception of the island.  Before our first month-long trip, we really didn’t know what to expect.  Sicily was a bit of a mystery and the more we discovered, the more we were entranced.  I’m sure, however, that we changed others’ perceptions of the island with our stories.  Richard’s father, for example, thought that we would be unwelcome in a place that was so damaged by the Americans during WWII and was amazed by the way we were received.  Others are inspired by the way we’ve so easily made friends.  We’ve certainly inspired friends to go to Sicily, either with us or on their own – and they typically love their experience.

9. Obviously you believe in Sicily’s potential for tourism.  What could the island do better to become a real player in this sector?

We hope that Sicily never forgets that it is Sicily and does not try to be something else in the name of creating tourism.  It is so critical that tourism development is sympathetic and does not destroy the unique character of the cities and landscapes.  I think that there is an understanding of this to some degree with local “slow” food, restoration of landmarks, nature preserves, etc. in some areas, but there must be a commitment to quality.  Cities must work to be both landmarks and real places for everyday local citizens so that there is a vibrancy as well as beauty and history – a delicate but crucial balance.  Travel development must be sophisticated as well.  For example, it’s wonderful that the Val di Noto is recognized for its baroque achievements, but “baroque” cannot become a meaningless catch-word to sell a product that has nothing to do with the baroque and then diminishes the meaning.  The food culture could also be further exploited in a way that is similar to Napa Valley in which local and fresh foods are produced and developed in such a way to attract tourists.  Cultural destinations can be improved – in Modica, for example the Palazzo Polara was converted into a museum of art and included a few period rooms, but it’s never been opened since we’ve been coming to Modica.  And within the municipal jail there is an important restored cloister that survived the earthquake of 1693, but because it is in the prison, it is not open to the public. As is true throughout the world, sprawl must be controlled and landscapes preserved.  And selfishly, we’d love a direct flight from New York to Catania!

For more information about architects William Brockschmidt and Richard Dragisic please visit www.brockschmidtandcoleman.com and www.fairfaxandsammons.com

Slideshow of the house (how it was before and during the reconstructing)

Slideshow of the house now

Take a bite of virgin’s breasts from Catania

Francis Lam from Salon.com writes about the virgin’s breasts of Saint Agatha in Catania. I think it is totally funny to read the story written from a total different perspective…

I looked at the cakes, and then turned my head to look at them again. Alabaster mounds — not more than a handful — set in pairs, each topped with a pert cherry. “Those are certainly … suggestive,” I said.

“They’re called virgin’s breasts,” my friend translated. I admire that. Why go for the double entendre when the single will do?

But they’re not sexy pastries, even if they are rounds of sponge cake piled with sweetened ricotta and covered in marzipan. They’re devotional, an homage to Saint Agatha, patron saint of the Sicilian city of Catania. A beautiful if uncomfortably young virgin, Agatha caught the attention of Quintianus, the local Roman prefect. And, as early Christian stories go, it’s rarely a good thing when you catch the attention of the local Roman prefect. (This means things are going to get gnarly, so be warned.)

So Quintianus tried to kick it with Agatha, but his game was wack. Agatha’s heart belonged to Jesus, and that doesn’t make for a very competitive love triangle. And whatever charm he did have, he didn’t show it by banishing Agatha to a brothel, run by the incredibly named Aphrodisia.

When being forced to live in a brothel failed to make her love him, Quintianus tried putting her in prison instead, where she was visited upon daily by foul men with bad intentions. Agatha was still unmoved. Finally frustrated, Quintianus had his thugs cut off her breasts, naturally inspiring future bakers to make cakes in the shape of her sacrifice.

More at Salon.com

Bedda Sicilia Blog by Joe Zarba

Joe Zarba is a friend. He has been kind enough to give Sicily Guide some of his beautiful Sicily shots. He travels to Sicily quite often and loves the island more than some Sicilians. I would like to introduce his new blog Bedda Sicilia. Thanks, Joe!

Here is more about him:

Joe Zarba is a retired NYC photography teacher with a passion for Sicily which is where his father grew up. His passion led him to find his remaining family still living in Leonforte in the same home his father grew up in. Having done this has further fueled his desire to have others share this passion which he feels is best expressed through his photography  which was pretty much dormant during his teaching career. Joe often helps friends and people in general with travel plans to this magical, mythical, sensual and most beautiful island.

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