Buon Giorno, Sicilia!
My favorite part of the world is the Mediterranean region and it was great to be back there recently, exploring the fascinating island of Sicily on an OAT adventure. I’m glad I did my homework, i.e. a lot of reading and research, before the trip. Otherwise, I might have been overwhelmed by the details of Sicily’s long and complex history. For close to three millennia, different groups of people have been drawn to Sicily and they have all left their mark on its culture, language, cuisine, art, architecture, religion, and gene pool. I think Sicily’s multi-cultural past and present is what made this destination so appealing to me. (Note that I give a brief summary of Sicily’s history at the end of this post.)
You may wonder if there’s enough on an island the size of Vermont to warrant a trip of a little over two weeks. The answer is an emphatic “yes!” There’s great variety in the landscape, from the coastline to the terraced hillsides dotted by olive trees, grape vines, prickly pear cactus, and citrus groves, to the heights of Mount Etna. There are ancient ruins galore, dating back to Greek, Roman and Byzantine times. You’ll see Arab-Norman and Baroque styled churches, and townhouses and public buildings with Liberty style (the Italian version of Art Nouveau) façades. Charming medieval villages, fashionable seaside resorts, and bustling cities showcase Sicily’s blend of cultures over the centuries. Throughout the island, you’ll find gorgeous mosaics, traditional ceramics, and whimsical folk art. A highlight of any visit to Sicily is the food, always fresh and bursting with flavor. On top of all that, the people are invariably warm and welcoming, skies are blue, and the sun is usually shining.
So, let’s go! – or, as our tour leader Sonia taught us to say in Sicilian, “Amonine!”
My trip began in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, on the island’s northwest coast. Founded by the Phoenicians nearly 3000 years ago, Palermo today is Sicily’s largest city. Our hotel was ideally located in the Kalsa quarter, near the harbor and the Porta Felice gate, and within easy walking distance of several historic sites, numerous shops, and spacious restaurant-lined piazzas.
With a map in hand, I set out to explore on my own. First of all, to recover from my jet lag after the overnight flight, I located the gelato shop recommended by Sonia, my OAT tour leader. A generous serving of my two favorite flavors, pistachio and hazelnut, helped restore my energy. I then took a look around the Piazza Marina, where it was impossible to miss a large, colorful vehicle – I’m not even sure what to call it. Sonia later explained that this lavishly decorated example of Sicilian folk art is nicknamed “The Little Giant.” It’s used several times a year for religious processions honoring the city’s patron saint, Saint Rosalia, a 12thcentury Norman nun.
Also near the piazza is the Palazzo Chiaramonte, an intimidating fortress-like building where those accused of heresy were imprisoned during the Inquisition, which came to the island courtesy of Queen Isabella in the late 1400s. Until that time, Jews, Muslims, and Christians had lived in peace in Sicily for several centuries during Arab and Norman rule. In fact, I knew from my reading that a significant Jewish community had existed in Palermo for over 2000 years, with many members arriving during Roman times. By the 12thcentury, the Jewish population of the city numbered approximately 5000. When the Inquisition arrived, about half the Jews chose to leave, most relocating to the mainland, while the other half remained and converted to Christianity. Although the former synagogue was converted to a church many years ago, I sought out the old Jewish quarter, the Meschita, where several streets signs were written in Hebrew and Arabic.
Next morning, after multiple cups of cappuccino and way too many carbs at the hotel’s breakfast buffet, I set out with my fellow travellers on a guided walking tour of Palermo’s historic area. The main street running through the historic center is Via Vittorio Emanuele, with the Porta Felice at the harbor end and the Porta Nuova at the other end. The Porta Nuova was originally built in the 16thcentury and rebuilt in the 17thcentury. It’s practically adjacent to the Arab-Norman Palace.
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| Porta Felice |
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| Porta Nova |
The Quattro Conti (literally, Four Corners) marks the center of the historic area. It’s an early 17thcentury Baroque square where two of the city’s principal streets, Via Maqueda and Via Vittorio Emanuele, cross.
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| One corner of the Quatto Conti (Four Corners) |
Sonia then led us to the Piazza Pretoria, better known as the Piazza of Shame due to the naked statues cavorting near the fountain. In the background you see the Dome of San Giuseppe dei Teatini (St. Joseph), decorated with dazzling blue and yellow majolica tiles. It’s an excellent example of Sicilian Baroque.
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| "Piazza of Shame" |
Also near the Quattro Conti, We saw another example of blended religious and architectural traditions at the Church of St. Cataldo in the Piazza Bellini in the Jewish/Arab quarter. The church was built in 1154 in the Arab-Norman style. Notice the three domes of the original Arab mosque.
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| St. Cataldo |
The impressive Palermo Cathedral is a fascinating blend of architectural styles, ranging from Norman to neo-Classical, reflecting the 700 years devoted to building the structure. It’s actually built on the site of an ancient mosque, which sat on top of a Byzantine church, which occupied the site of the ancient Roman forum. The Gothic Catalan portico was added by the Spanish, and the neo-Gothic towers date from the 1830s. The highlight of the interior is a stunning silver altar, the silver coming from the New World.
Not surprisingly, Palermo is filled with churches. Just a few blocks from our hotel, I peeked into a neighborhood Baroque church, Santa Maria della Pieta.
At the Argento Teatro dei Pupi, a marionette theater, we learned about this traditional form of entertainment from a puppeteer whose great-grandfather started the theater in 1893. At an earlier time (before television, movies, internet, etc.), there were 30-40 such theaters in Palermo. Nowadays, only three remain. (Interesting note: the audience was all male!) The stories presented are based on historical subjects, one of the most popular being the Norman struggle to overcome the Saracens.
Hunger pangs were developing by the time we plunged into the bustling Capo open air market, with its mouthwatering displays of fresh fruit and vegetables. I was delighted when Sonia stopped us for a tasting of olives and Sicilian street food. The aranciniwere much bigger and more delicious than any I’d tasted in the U.S. The deep fried balls of rice were stuffed with a mixture of meat, vegetables and saffron. Equally delicious were the panelle, fried squares of chickpea flour dough. I had already decided to banish all thoughts of calories for the duration of the trip.
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| Baseball-size arancini |
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| Panelle (fried squares of chickpea flour dough) |
Needless to say, food was one of the highlights of my adventure in Sicily. On my first evening in Palermo, I joined a couple of fellow jet-lagged travelers for a light but delicious Sicilian dinner of seafood salad and a mixed salad. The next evening, at our official welcome dinner at Le Cattive, an upscale restaurant housed in the magnificent 18thcentury Palazzo Butera, Sonia raised her glass of Sicilian wine and taught us a toast in Italian.
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| Fresh fish for dinner at Le Cattive |
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| A toast with Sonia |
On my final evening in Palermo, I dined al fresco at a restaurantin the Piazza Marina and indulged in my first authentic Sicilian pizza. From a long list of pizza options, I selected one with tomato sauce, eggplant, zucchini, and spinach. That sounds healthy, but given the size of the pizza, it must have contained at least 2000 calories. Of course, I couldn’t finish it – but I tried! Note that the restaurant is quite uncrowded because I chose to dine at 8pm, which is unfashionably early by Sicilian standards.
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| This is definitely a pizza that requires a fork and knife. |
We got a view of another side of Palermo late one afternoon when we split into groups of three and climbed into apes (compact three-wheel vehicles, literal translation “bee”) for an open-air ride from our hotel to the modern part of the city, including the Via della Liberta with its high-end shops. Much of the area was destroyed by bombs during World War II. Fortunately, the Politeama Garibaldi Theater, which dates from the late 19thcentury, was spared.
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| Our ape driver |
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| Riding in an ape with Ki and Francine |
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| Politeama Garibaldi Theater |
One of the most memorable experiences of my visit to Sicily occurred on our last evening in Palermo. It was billed as a conversation about the Sicilian Mafia, or La Cosa Nostra. I actually considered skipping the event because the day of sightseeing had been long and tiring. However, I’m glad I decided to attend because it turned out to be so much more interesting than I had anticipated. The presenters were two men in their late thirties, friends since adolescence, who came from the town of Corleone, a center of Mafia activity.
The presentation began with an overview of the history of the Mafia. I learned that the Mafia initially began as a loose organization to protect the local people from foreign invaders and rulers. In fact, the word “mafia” comes from a Sicilian-Arabic slang term that means someone who is suspicious of central authority. In the 19thcentury, the Mafia evolved into small armies that extorted protection money from wealthy landowners. After the unification of Italy in 1861, the new central government in Rome found it impossible to control the chaos and crime on the island and turned to the Mafia for help. The government intended this to be a temporary measure, but the Mafia used the opportunity to expand their criminal activities and to become entrenched in Sicily’s economy and politics.
The presenters then related their families’ personal experiences with the notorious criminal organization. We were surprised to learn the identity of one of the featured speakers. Angelo Provenzano is the son of Bernardo Provenzano, head of the Sicilian Mafia until his arrest in 2006 after over 40 years on the run from authorities. The elder Provenzano, who died in prison in 2016, was implicated in several brutal crimes, including the murders of Italian prosecutors Falcone and Borsellino in 1992. Angelo lived in hiding with his mother and brother until he was in his teens. He didn’t attend school, had little contact with the outside world, and had no knowledge of his father’s Mafia involvement. He remembers his father as distant but loving. All of that changed when he entered his teens and his father relocated the family to their hometown of Corleone. For the first time, Angelo attended school, made friends, and began to learn of his father’s role in the Mafia. Angelo himself was never involved with organization. To this day, he continues to struggle to reconcile his feelings of affection for his father with the knowledge of the horrendous crimes his father committed.
For the past several years, Angelo has made his living from speaking about his experiences. Many families of Mafia victims are upset that Angelo profits financially from his father’s criminal past. While I can understand their feelings, I’m glad I had the opportunity to attend what proved to be a very interesting and informative presentation.
Speaking of crime – as a tourist, I felt safe the entire time I was on the island – whether wandering around and getting lost in a maze of streets in the dark, or when crossing the major thoroughfares in a big city like Palermo, where traffic can be intense. On our first day, Sonia demonstrated how to cross a busy street where cars seem to be whizzing past non-stop. You simply step into the roadway, and all the cars, motorcycles, and trucks slow down to let you proceed to the other side of the street. I was somewhat dubious, but I tried it and was very impressed with the courtesy of the drivers, who seem to have internalized a reliable algorithm for avoiding pedestrians.
As much as I enjoyed my time in Palermo, I was eager to see more of the island. My next blog post will feature other towns I visited in the province of Palermo.
In case you’re interested, here are some highlights of Sicily’s complex history, going back to around 900-700 BCE:
- 900-700 BCE Carthaginian (Phoenician) settlements on the west coast of the island, including Palermo
- 750-215 BCE Greeks arrive; colonies including Naxos on the east coast of the island
- 218 BCE – 468 CE Romans control of Sicily; because of its fertile agricultural lands, Sicily becomes “The Granary of Rome”
- 468 – 535 Vandals and Ostrogoths arrive
- 535 – 827 Byzantines in control (Greek language and culture dominate)
- 827 – 1061 Arabs or Saracens (Muslims from North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula) invade and conquer Sicily; Palermo becomes one of the most populous and cosmopolitan centers in the world; trade flourishes; era of religious tolerance
- 1060 – 1194 Normans conquer Arabs but adopt Arab ideas of architecture, administration, religious tolerance; Latinization of the church (end of Greek influence)
- 1194 – 1266 Swabians/Hohenstaufens reign, including Frederick the Great
- 1266 – 1282 Angevin French appointed to rule Sicily by French pope; period of great oppression; 1282 – Sicilian Vespers – popular uprising against French occupiers
- 1282 – 1516 Aragonese fight Angevins in War of the Vespers to gain control of Sicily, ushering in five centuries of Spanish domination, isolation from the rest of Europe, ineffectual government, power in the hands of corrupt nobility; Inquisition brings an end to religious tolerance
- 1516 – 1713 Spanish Habsburgs – Spanish focus on New World; peasants suffer under feudal conditions; rise of gangs who rob and plunder, supported by oppressed populace; huge eruption of Mt. Etna and major earthquake on east coast of island lead to spectacular rebuilding program (Baroque)
- 1713 – 1734 Austrian Habsburgs rule briefly
- 1734 – 1860 Spanish Bourbons rule with exception of brief period when British take over; revolutionary spirit develops
Finally, when Garibaldi’s forces drove out foreign rulers, unified Italy, and established a monarchy in 1860, Sicily came under the rule of King Vittorio Emanuele. Unfortunately, by this time, the majority of Sicily’s population was poor and illiterate. Even after unification, the old aristocracy retained most of its wealth and privileges. The central government in Rome could do little to effect meaningful changes on the island. Faced with few opportunities to improve their living conditions, many Sicilians emigrated to the U.S. in the early 20thcentury. Today, Sicily has a population of 5 million and remains primarily agricultural. Literacy rates and economic conditions have slowly improved but the island still lags behind the Italian mainland. Many Sicilians continue to emigrate to northern Italian, Germany and the U.S. in search of jobs and a better future.
Ciao for now!
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