Castellammare del Golfo

Castellammare del Golfo (Sicilian: Casteddammari) is a town and comune in the Trapani Province of Sicily. The name is roughly translated “Sea- Fortress (castle (on the) sea) of the Gulf”, deriving from the medieval fortress in the harbor. The body of water it sits upon also takes its name from the fortress, Golfo di Castellammare.

In ancient times, Castellammare had been the harbor of Segesta, one of the main towns of the Elymian people. Fishing has been important in Castellammare del Golfo dating back to ancient times. Today the town’s economy continues to be based on fishing with the addition of tourism.

The small town is noted, however, for having been the birthplace of many American Mafia figures, including Salvatore Maranzano, Stefano Magaddino, Joseph Barbara, Gaspare Milazzo, Peter Magaddino, Giovanni Bonventre, Pietro Caiozzo, Gaspare DiGregorio, Matteo DiGregorio, Sebastiano Domingo, Giovanni D’Anna, Francesco Puma, Camillo Galante, Pietro Crociata, Michele Adamo, Girolamo Asaro, Francesco Garofalo, Giovanni Fiordilino, Giovanni Tartamella, Joseph Buccellato, Francesco Buccellato, Vito Buccellato, Natale Evola, Vincenzo Danna, Charles DiBenedetto, Jimmy Costa, Giovanni Romano, Sasa Parrino, Cola Schiro, Joseph Notaro and Joseph Bonanno.

From this name comes also the Castellamarese war, fought by Joe Masseria clan against Salvatore Maranzanoclan for the leadership of the Italian Mafia in New York City.

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Students Become Tour Guides for Cruise Passengers in Messina

In Messina, the Istituto Tecnico Commerciale «A. M. Jaci», City Hall and Port Authority are promoting a program that will turn students into tour guides for their city. They will guide cruise passengers through the tourist attractions of their city.

The students will lead mini-itineraries on complimentary transportation provided by the city and tell tourist about the history, culture, festivities, folklore, archaeological remains, monuments, museums, legends and food.

The port of Messina is one of the most visited in the Mediterranean with 27 million passengers per year from 2008 to 2010. Cruise traffic accounted for 473,389 passengers, a 6% increase in 2010.

 

For Those Seeking Authentic Italy, Sicily Is Not to Be Missed

It is not us saying this, but Jo Piazza on FoxNews.com… Sicily, long romanticized as the birthplace of the Mafia, has begun attracting attention for its more fashionable and scenic attributes.

The design team of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana has put their favorite haunt, the Eastern seaside party town of Taormina, on the map, and the recent volcanic eruptions of Mt. Etna that have attracted 20 percent more tourists this year alone.

Yet to the traveler’s detriment, this tiny island in the southernmost region of Italy, still gets passed over in favor of the tourist-friendly environs of Rome, Florence and Venice.

For those seeking the authentic Italy, this tiny island is not to be missed.

Read more at http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2011/09/23/guide-to-finding-secrets-authentic-sicily/

 

Sferracavallo, A Seaside Village near Palermo

Sferracavallo is a small seaside village in the suburbs of Palermo which lies between Mount Billiemi and Pizzo Santa Margherita. Its origins date back to the 15th century when a group of fishermen from Palermo and Isola delle Femmine settled in the area trying to make a better living.

In the early 20th century Palermo’s aristocracy began to build elegant “art nouveau” villas along the coastal strip of Sferracavallo reaching the nearby town of Isola delle Femmine. Since then the increasing urban development transformed this fishermen colony into one of Palermo’s best reputed seaside resorts. Today, Sferracavallo’s economy is based on fishing and tourism.

One of the particularities of Sferracavallo are the numerous restaurants located along the seaside promenade. These restaurants offer a rich menu of local fresh fish. The restaurants of the village are also well-known as among the first to offer “fixed price” menus.

The “Villaggio Gastronomico” in Plaza Beccadelli is famous for the numerous gazebos where it is possible to taste typical Palermo gastronomy based on pane con la milza  or pane ca meusa in dialect (a spleen sandwich, typical of Palermo’s “street food”), panelle (chickpea fritters), potato croquettes, broccoli fritters and caponata. It is also possible to taste seafood specialities as ricci di mare (sea urchins), cozze (mussels) octopus and snails.

Sferracavallo is easily accessible from Palermo through pubic transportation.

By Maria Lina Bommarito

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Sicily’s Hidden Gems

If you are looking for less touristic destinations, consider Sicily and within Sicily consider Terrasini or Castellammare del Golfo.

Recently our friends Maria Lina Bommarito and Joe Zarba have sent to us marvelous photos of less known spots in Sicily: Terrasini in the Palermo province and Castellammare del Golfo near Trapani.

Terrasini is located 19 miles (30 km) west of Palermo, between the mountains and the Gulf of Castellammare near the Palermo International Airport. Terrasini’s population works mainly in fishing and tourism. The population triples during the summer. Bounding communes are: Carini, Cinisi, Partinico and Trappeto.

Castellammare del Golfo (Sicilian: Casteddammari) is a town and comune in the Trapani Province of Sicily. The name is roughly translated “Sea- Fortress (castle (on the) sea) of the Gulf”, deriving from the medieval fortress in the harbor. The body of water it sits upon also takes its name from the fortress, Golfo di Castellammare.

 

Note: This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from theWikipedia article “Metasyntactic variable” and Creative Commons by Commons Deed. This information was accurate when it was posted, but can change without notice. 

Sherbeth Festival in Cefalù

September 15, 2011 5:00 pm

to

September 18, 2011 11:00 pm

Sherbeth Festival, the international festival of ice cream, takes place in Cefalù – Sicily which claims the origins of ice cream.  This event is called after an arabic term  Sherbeth, which was given to the first “ice sorbet” produced in Sicily during the Arabic domination in IX century.
Since its first edition in 2007, the festival has been very popular. From September 15 through 18, 35 ice cream makers coming from all over the world will showcase the products that better represent the territory in the festival’s fifth edition.

 

Cefalù with its history, cultural heritage, and beautiful sea will turn into an ice cream town: tastings and workshops will entertain a diverse public for four days. For more information, visit www.sherbethfestival.it (in Italian) and/or visit the photo gallery.

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L’Opera dei Pupi (Sicilian Puppet Theater)

Anyone visiting Palermo has certainly seen these colorful marionettes displayed in every souvenir shop. These marionettes called Pupi Siciliani are a core symbol of Sicilian folk-art and represent the island’s cultural identity as the carretti Siciliani (Sicilian painted horse carts) and cannoli.
The Pupi Siciliani are the protagonists of the Opera dei Pupi (Sicilian Puppet Theater), a popular form of entertainment originated in the 19th century with roots that stretch back to the 15th century.

The performances of the Opera dei Pupi are inspired by Sicily’s turbulent history, works of literature, folklore and comedy. The characters in the Opera dei Pupi impersonate heroes of southern Italy’s history as Norman knights against the Saracens. Much has been adopted from the lyric poetry of the Troubadours and the epic tales of chivalry known as the Chansons de Geste (the Songs of Deeds). The performances in which Orlando and Charlemagne are protagonists are derived from the famous Chanson de Roland, while various interpretations are inspired by Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso.
The Opera dei Pupi also covers subjects from classical Greece and Rome such as Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey”.

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The dialogues of the Sicilian Puppet Theater are usually improvised but the plots remain the same. The skill of the puparo is not only displayed in the actions of the marionettes but also in the improvisation of the dialogues. In the last 50 years, with the advent of more modern forms of entertainment, this ancient Sicilian tradition has declined. To preserve this unique folk-art, UNESCO has designated the Sicilian Puppet Theater as one of the world’s “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”.
In recent years Sicilian cultural movements supported by regional government funds are working to preserve the tradition of the Opera dei Pupi organizing puppet festivals and Sicilian puppetry schools.
It is possible to admire the Pupi Siciliani in theaters and museums throughout the island.

By Maria Lina Bommarito

In Palermo:

Museo Etnografico Siciliano Giuseppe Pitrè

Teatro dei Pupi Cuticchio – www.figlidartecuticchio.com
Via Bara all’Olivella
90133 Palermo
Mimmo Cuticchio has played a fundamental role in the contemporary renewal of the Opera dei Pupi. He has also appeared in the film The Godfather (part III).
Museo Internazionale della Marionette Antonio Pasqualino
www.museomarionettepalermo.it

Piazzetta Antonio Pasqualino, 5
90133 Palermo

In Partinico (prov. Palermo):

Real Cantina Borbonica (in the photos) – www.realcantinaborbonica.it
Viale della Regione, 27, 90047 Partinico

Ass. Culturale I Pupi di Nino Canino – www.ipupidipartinico.it

In Messina:

Opera dei Pupi Famiglia Gargano – www.teatrodeipupigargano.it

In Catania:

Teatro Stabile dell’Opera dei Pupi – Cultural Center “Le Ciminiere”
Viale Africa, cap 95100 – Catania

In Acireale (prov. Catania):

Museo dell’Opera dei Pupi Mario Grasso
Teatro dell’Opera dei Pupi Emanuele Macrì – www.teatropupimacri.it

In Caltagirone (Prov. Catania):

Museo Teatro Stabile dei Pupi Siciliani

In the Mood for Some Sicilian Luxury?

Summertime on Sicily is a time of long, lazy days on the beach and in the sea, of ripening peaches and figs in the orchards, and of an exclusive new early booking package at Verdura Golf & Spa Resort.

This is a great opportunity to enjoy the best that the island and resort have to offer: couples can learn to cook Sicilian-style with our chefs, or improve their game with a tailor-made golf lesson for two. A choice of individual experiences includes a one-to-one tennis lesson, round of golf or watersports activity. And, of course, there will plenty of time to relax, too, whether in the spa, by the pool, or by spending a complimentary €100 credit in the resort’s excellent restaurants and bars. It’s a holiday that starts with a welcome cocktail, and ends long after you get home.

Offer available for stays through August 31, 2011. For more information, visit www.versuraresort.com.

Siracusa (Video)

The area of what is today Siracusa was settled in ancient times, as showed by the findings in the villages of Stentinello, Ognina, Plemmirio, Matrensa, Cozzo Pantano and Thapsos,all of whom lready had links to Mycenaean Greece.

Siracusa was founded in 734 or 733 BC by Greek settlers from Corinth, led by the oecist Archias, who called it Sirako, referring to a nearby swamp. The nucleus of the ancient city was the small island of Ortygia. The settlers found the land to be fertile and the native tribes to be reasonably well-disposed to their presence. The city grew and prospered, and for some time stood as the most powerful Greek city anywhere in the Mediterranean.  (from Wikipedia).

A beautiful video of the archeological area of Siracusa (3:10).

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easyJet launches new route to Catania

easyJet has launched a new route from its biggest base London Gatwick to the beautiful baroque city of Catania.

The inaugural flight departed on Saturday June 25. The new route will fly three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday).

Situated on Sicily’s eastern coastline, Catania boasts wide streets, majestic palaces, historic Roman amphitheaters and glorious summer sun. As the tenth largest city in Italy, Catania has a baroque center and is now one of the country’s most prominent cultural, artistic and political centers.

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