Alia: the Sicilian fairy-tale village
In this episode we'll visit Alia, a strange village with woodden doors, many brooms, a mysterious cave and the delicious Pitirri
In this episode of the Cannolo Report:
- News in Sicily
- Out and about in Sicily
- Next weeks in Sicily
- Sicilian Almanac of the past
News in Sicily
Following the news of this episode
Michael Cavalieri: from Limina to Malibù
The actor Michael Cavalieri from our Cultural Department hosts this episode from Malibù, California. Michael tells us about his connection with Sicily and his last movie shooted in Limina (Sicily).
Sicilian Tarantella
Here it is the typical Sicilian folk dance
The gelataio
This is the gelataio the ice- cream vendor. With the motoape he still appears in the streets of many Sicilian towns. He announces himself with a loud sound that is the horn and while he’s parking he also rings the whistle. Kids of all ages come to ask him for a gelato.
Out and about in Sicily
- Valley of Temples (Unesco’s)
- Mount Etna (Unesco’s)
- Villa Romana di Piazza Armerina (Unesco’s)
Almanac of the past
Between October 26 and the 28 of 2500 years ago the Thesmophoria were celebrated in Sicily, a festival in honor of Demeter, goddess of fertility and of the sorrowful Spring for the kidnapping of her daughter Persephone by Hades, king of the underworld. During these festivals Sicilian women offered Demeter sacrifices of cereals, wine, cheese, oil and other foods, cooked the meat of sacrificed animals, feasted, exchanged obscene slogans and scourged each other, invoking the Goddess to guarantee a large and healthy offspring. The ritual was forbidden to men.On
November 02, 1928 a powerful eruption of Etna arrived a few steps away from the sea, destroying the town of Mascali. Here are the images in this video from the Luce Institute.
On November 3, 1801, Vincenzo Bellini, the composer from Catania, famous all over the world for the Norma, was born. Catania, his city, has dedicated to him a famous pasta with eggplants, tomato sauce, ricotta salata and basil. But also the municipal villa and the city airport
Sicilian saying Sicilian proverbs are like pieces of the gospel (scritta da mettere su Sara) Fui, fuisti, fuit: isti pi futtiri and fusti futtutu, more than a proverb is a way of saying, joking, almost a tongue twister. We play with the past tense of the verb to be in Latin, fui, fuisti, fuit; and the Sicilian, isti pi futtiri and fusti futtutu, which translated would be: you went to cheat and you were cheated.
Photos of the past We are in 1928 in the wonderful village of Tindari and these Sicilian women carry water with jars on their heads. This photo with three generations of women at this fountain is truly emblematic. The bare feet, the grieving mother with a mustache face, the young lady who might still be alive today. A Sicily of almost 100 years ago!
Next weeks in Sicily
Weather forecasts
November 1, in Akray (Palazzolo Acreide). Walking the via Selinuntina (ancient Siceliota road, V b.C., who connected Siracusa to Selinunte), 8 kms, from Akray to Kasmenai
The fruit seller
Slurp slurp … let’s see what the greengrocer propose this time
The fish seller
Slurp slurp … let’s see what the fishmonger propose this time
THE CULTURAL DEPARTMENT “SEBASTIANO TUSA” OF SPLENDID SICILY PRESENTED THE CANNOLO REPORT THIS EPISODE WAS ATTENDED BY MEMBERS MICHAEL CAVALIERI (MAIN HOST), GIOVANNA BATTAGLIA (PRESS OFFICE) AND SARA FAVARO’ (PROVERBS, EDITING SICILIAN LANGUAGE).
This episode was broadcasted from Malibù (California)
