ADVENTURES IN EASTERN SICILY AND SOUTHERN CALABRIA

Timing is everything, as the saying goes. So a trip to eastern Sicily and southern Calabria in mid-October 2014 was perfect timing, since every day was sunny and warm as opposed to a few days later in early November when Italy was deluged with heavy rains and mudslides and even a cyclone in Sicily. A group of mostly National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) members traveled together, mostly from the New York and New Jersey area and also a few people from our area, including OSIA Fairfax Lodge official Joe LaMarca and his wife June, and this writer.

We flew on Alitalia from New York to Rome and then to Catania, Sicily - the third-busiest airport in Italy after Rome and Milan. After landing in Catania, we hit the ground running - beginning with a trip to a big shopping center nearby which had lots of beautiful stores and even an enclosed child care room - a colorful play area for kids with a sign saying “Baby Parking.” After we finished shopping, we headed for Modica where we would be staying while in Sicily, and along the way we passed fig trees, vineyards, palm trees and, eucalyptus trees.

We learned that eucalyptus leaves can be boiled into a tea and are said to cure colds and congestion. We also discovered that oranges are called “portoghesi” in many Italian dialects because the Portuguese brought them from China in the 14th century. Modica is a wonderful city that is famous for its chocolates, so we visited the oldest chocolate shop in the city, Antica Dolceria Bonaiuto, and we tasted some delicious chocolates with peperoncino, with salt, with pistachios, even with jasmine (gelsomino). Plus we even found the famous Sicilian Zibibbo wine as well as the grappa di Zibibbo. Of course we tasted them too!! Then we walked around Modica and saw the beautiful church of San Giorgio, the city’s patron saint.

While staying in Modica for the duration of our time in Sicily, we made several day trips. First we went to nearby Ragusa. The city of Ragusa is actually in two parts - Ragusa Ibla, the older part which was destroyed by an earthquake, and Ragusa Patro, the modern part. Ragusa is known for producing highquality asphalt which is used for paving roads all over Italy. After leaving Ragusa, we headed for a town called Marinella on the southern coast, where it just so happened that they were getting ready to film an episode of “Commissario Montalbano,” the popular TV detective show.

We watched as the crew set up the scene with the Alfa Romeo “police car” in front of Montalbano’s house on the beach. A crowd had gathered to watch the filming, hoping to catch a glimpse of Luca Zingaretti, the actor who plays Montalbano and who was in a van (“dressing room”) parked down the street.  Unfortunately for us, the filming was not set to take place until night time. Since some members of our group were big fans of the show, we hit the road and went to Scicli where the show is also filmed. There was a slight delay on the way as we had to stop to let a big herd of sheep and goats cross the streetled by a lone shepherd. Animals get the right of way, of course!!

When we got to Scicli, we immediately went to the town hall/police station (questura) where for a couple of euros, you are allowed to tour the mayor’s office, where the TV show shoots the scenes where Montalbano gets called on the carpet and chewed out by Montalbano’s house his boss (the sindaco).

We enjoyed taking our pictures sitting behind the mayor’s desk, and one member of our group said he is going to put a caption on his photo, “Montalbano answers to me.” (On a side note, while in Ragusa Ibla, we visited the shop where Montalbano bought the wedding rings for his right-hand man Mimi, and we met the owner, artist Barbara Arezzi, who made a cameo appearance in that episode). On our return to Modica, we stopped in Noto, a small city which is known for its fine palaces and churches built in the Sicilian baroque style. Noto is souwthwest of Siracusa at the foot of the Iblean mountains.

At the center of town is an open-air market next to a playground for kids, complete with a big merry-go-round. There were lots of kids playing, and people strolling or just sitting on benches enjoying the sunny, warm weather. The next day, on the way back to Catania, we saw many nice homes with palm trees and cactus in the front yards. As we passed through the small towns along the way, many of them had typical traffic circles with palm trees and flowers in the middle. So then we were back in Catania, a city of 300,000 (actually 600,000 if you count the suburbs) which has some of the highest city walls of any place in Italy, in order to protect against the lava flowing from the Mount Etna volcano nearby. But that didn’t always work, though, because in past centuries, the lava has flowed into the city, and even nowadays the airport is sometimes shut down due to the eruption of Mount Etna.

We learned that Catania is famous for world-class eye care and for electronics, and the city has been called “the Silicon Valley of Europe.” Located on the east coast facing the Ionian Sea, Catania ws founded in the 8th century B.C. From the 14th century to the Renaissance, Catania was one of Italy’s most important cultural, artistic and political centers, and it was home to the first university in Sicily. In the middle of the city, there is an amphitheater made with lava where gladiators fought in ancient times - a stone’s throw from where you can now find stores such as “Sony Bono Store” on Via Etna, “Hot Shot,” and “Dopo Teatro Hot Dogs” (really!!).

Also nearby is the Teatro Massimo Bellini opera house, named in honor of Catania’s native son, opera composer Vincenzo Bellini. A famous dish has been named for Bellini’s most well-known opera, Pasta Norma (made with eggplant). The main piazza in Catania, called Elephant Square, has an elephant statue made of lava. It’s a statue of an Indian elephant, which is smaller and more trainable than the African elephant and is the kind which was used by Hannibal to cross the Alps many centuries ago.

Around the square are many elegant shops where some real bargains are to be found. Of course, we could not leave Catania without visiting the famous pescheria, the huge market that sells every kind of fish and so much more. Since you can stand outside the market and look at the sea just a couple blocks away, it is no surprise that the fish are so fresh you can see the gleam in their eyes. The fishmongers are everywhere selling all kinds of fresh fish, even squid. octupus and eels, and not to mention every variety of meat, cheese, fruits and vegetables.

Just walking through this amazing market and seeing all the delicious food is enough to make anyone hungry!! After leaving Catania, we headed up the eastern coast of Sicily towards Messina, the city of 250,000 that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1908 and then rebuilt. The city is located in the northeast corner of Sicily. We arrived in Messina just in time for the amazing event that takes place at 12 noon each day in front ot the beautiful cathedral. The ceremony at the bell tower (campanile) beside the cathedral commemorates the Sicilian Vespers War in the 13th century.

The belltower contains the biggest and most complex mechanical and astronomical clock in the world. A complex system of counterweights, leverages and gears determines the movement of the gilded bronze statues located in the facade overlooking the square. This extraordinary event begins when the bells chime precisely at noon and then the first statue, a lion, begins to move, waving a flag held in its paws, moving its tail, turning its head toward

the crowd in the square, and roaring three times (symbolizing the courage of the Sicilian people). Next, a rooster raises its  head and crows three times (symbolizing the warning to the people that the invaders were coming and also symbolizing the awakening of mankind). Then you see a dove flutter, representing the Holy Spirit, and then an angel brings a letter to the Madonna followed by the ambassadors, representing the belief that St. Paul visited Messina in 42 A.D. and then the people of Messina sent their ambassadors to Jerusalem to pay respects to the Virgin Mary while she was still alive. Meanwhile, the Ave Maria is being played on stringed instruments, and throughout the square, people are transfixed, watching and listening to this amazing ceremony filled with so much historical and religious significance.

Watching this emotional scene unfold can easily bring a tear to your eye. It’s definitely worth a trip to Messina. Meanwhile, you can watcha recorded glimpse of this scene on You Tube. (AMHS member Pino Cicala recalls that his high school was on the north side of the piazza and so he would often go to the noontime ceremony during the school year). After the ceremony was over, we headed for the ferry which crosses the Strait of Messina over to Reggio Calabria on the mainland. The ferry is big enough to hold buses and cars, and you can climb the steps to the upper deck to look out on the water during the short crossing which takes less than 20 minutes.

We heard about the “Fata Morgana,” the optical illusion that, when you are standing on the coast of Calabria facing Sicily, makes Sicily seem closer than it really is. This is said to have caused many sailors to shipwreck over the centuries. Once we got off the ferry in Reggio Calabria, we took a short ride to the lungomare, a beautiful seafront area with merry-gorounds, palm trees, gelato stands, wide sidewalks and bougainvilla blooming everywhere. This stretch of land by the sea was called by poet Gabriele D’Annunzio “the most beautiful kilometer in Italy.” We stopped at a bar, the Caffè Vittorio Emanuele, a block from the sea, right up the street from the national museum.

The specialty of this bar was gelato bergamotto, so of course we had to try it, since the bergamot citrus fruit is a specialty of this area. We learned that 90% of the bergamot in the world comes from this southern part of Calabria, with the remaining 10% grows in France and the Ivory Coast. In fact, there is a “bergamotteria” in Reggio Calabria that sells only products made with bergamot, such as candy, oils, candles, soap, wine and other products (you can use a drop of the oil in making a cake). Next we headed up the street to the Museo Nazionale, the home of the world-famous Riace Bronzes, the two famous Greek bronze statutes of a young warrior and an old warrior which were discovered in 1972 in the shallow waters near the town of Riace.

The bronzes were believed to be on a ship that sank during a storm centuries ago, and their discovery was a major archaelogical event in Italy. There was even a stamp with their images on it issued in Italy. These amazing statues are larger than life and the lifelike detail is truly fascinating. The bronzes have just finished a years-long restoration and they now rest on a marble stand that is earthquake-proof. They are rightly famous around the world, and there has been some controversy lately over a plan to bring them to the world’s fair (Expo 2015) in Milan this year, but it looks like that’s not going to happen. So if you want to see thesemagnificent warriors, you will have to go to Reggio Calabria. Well, why not? It’s a beautiful city, and there is much to see in southern Calabria, as we found out.

We left Reggio Calabria and drove up the A3 highway headed for Vibo Marina, on the Tyrrhenian Sea (Mar Tirreno) where we would be staying during our time in Calabria. As you descend the road leading to Vibo Marina, the views of the sea at sunset are simply breaktaking with the fishing boats and sailboats still visible. Vibo Marina is the port area of Vibo Valentia, which itself is a beautiful city. It was destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt and was once called Monteleone because the people fought valiantly on the side of the Romans during the Punic Wars. And the ancient poet Cicero used to come to Vibo Valentia to relax at his friend’s villa.

The city has a famous castle which was used as a prison in the 19th century. During feudal times, after a battle soldiers from the losing side were sometimes hanged at the castle, which has been recently renovated, with a museum added. On display at the museum are ancient bronze helmets, some gold, silver and bronze coins dating back to the Punic Wars, and a mummified woman with a tiny sign on her chest with directions for the afterlife. Leaving the castle, we were slightly delayed by a herd of baby goats (caprete) crossing the street. Our next stop was a big shopping center (Ducati Due Mari) in Lamezia not far from the airport. There were lots of beautiful stores of all kinds - and even better, lots of discounts!!

While in Vibo Marina, we stayed at the beautiful Hotel Cala del Porto just a block from the water, with many beautiful stores nearby and a nice boardwalk that in the evening was filled with music, people taking a passegiata and children playing. From Vibo Marina, we took day trips all over southern Calabria. We passed through the Aspromonte mountains of the Aspromonte National Park. The green slopes of the mountains are covered by thick woods so that even during the daytime, the area seems dark and foreboding - and that was before we learned that this was where the ‘Ndrangheta would hide their kidnap victims for months or even years and where wealthy oilman J. Paul Getty’s grandson was held in the 1970s (until his ear was cut off and a ransom was paid). We also learned that the Aspromonte park is known for wildlife such as black squirrels, wolves and  peregrine falcons, and for a wide variety of trees and shrubs.

The rare bergamot citrus fruit can also be found in one area of the Aspromonte National Park. Going across Calabria, we passed by towns such as Rosarno and Gioia Tauro, where kiwis, oranges and lemons grow, many of which we learned are picked by immigrants and sold to the Coca Cola Company. Prickly pears are also grown there. It must be said that the food throughout Calabria was really delicious. In Vibo Marino, we had the incomparable tonno rosso (red tuna), which we learned has become harder to come by since the tuna catch has been limited by law due to overfishing. We also had a delicious dish of garfish wrapped in pancetta.

We arrived in Gerace where we took the trenino to reach the hilltop town, while listening to Calabrian songs on the short ride up the hill. Before enjoying a delicious meal of local specialties, we visited the Cathedral which has a display of one of only five double crosses brought back from the Crusades. We also saw the beautiful works of goldsmiths and silversmiths from Naples. Gerace is surely a beautiful town (and it’s also the hometown of former CIA Director Leon Panetta’s father). Next we went to Locri, right on the coast of the Ionian Sea (Mar Ionio). We visited the museum where there are ancient Greek and Roman ruins outside, and on the way, the path is lined with wild rosemary, the scent of which was everywhere.

After leaving Locri, we stopped in nearby Gioia Ionica at a gelateria, just in time to see a wedding at the church across the street. The church bells rang after the bride and groom exited the church, as the beautifully dressed wedding party waited for them. Our next day trips were to the beautiful towns on the western coast built on cliffs, like Tropea, which were invaded by the Saracens centuries ago. The scenic beauty of Calabria is amazing, and in a short distance you go from the sea to the mountains. The beautiful town of Tropea attracts vacationers from all over Italy, and you can see many big houses which are vacation homes for wealthy people. No wonder - the views of the sea are absolutely stunning!! Nearby Capo Vaticano is beautiful too, and well-known for its olive oil, eggplant and red onion (Tropea is also famous for the red onion).

Another specialty is ‘nduja, a spicy spreadable sausage. Before leaving the town, we saw the beautiful overlook where you can see Sicily in the distance across the sea, and also see Stromboli, the volcanic island. We also went to Pizzo Calabra, a beautiful town that was known for fishing, especially tuna, but due to overfishing, there are laws restricting fishing which carry big fines, so now many in the town are unemployed. For a time, they got work on cruise ships but now other nationalities are being hired for that work. In parts of Calabria, there were immigrant camps where several years ago there were reports of their mistreatment, but in Pizzo Calabra we were told that when one immigrant family was in dire straits, the whole town took up a collection to help them. The most famous site in Pizzo Calabra is the castle where Napoleon’s brother-in-law Joachim Murat was executed by order of Napoleon, who had given Murat the Kingdom of Naples.

But after he got on Napoleon’s bad side, Murat was sentenced to death by firing squad. The historical records of the castle show that Murat faced death with courage and dignity. Some of his men who were put on the firing squad didn’t want to fire their weapons, but Murat told them he understood they had to do their duty and he forgave them. We learned that whenever bad things would happen in the town, they call it “the curse of Murat,” and one family asked the local priest to remove the curse. Before leaving Pizzo Calabra, we went to see the “Chiesetta di Piedigrotta,” a grotto-like small church probably built in 1725.

Inside are many statues carved out of rock, such as the one of St. George slaying the dragon (Santo Protettore di Pizzo). More recently, an artist carved the profile of President John F. Kennedy facing the profile of Pope John XXIII, which the artist intended as a symbol for the hope for peace and an end to the Cold War. On our last Sunday, some of us went to Mass at a small church in Vibo Marina named Chiesa del Santo Rosario. When we told people at the church afterwards that we had a church by the same name in Washington, D.C., with Mass in Italian, you can imagine their surprise. When it was time to leave Vibo Marina, we took a last look at the beautiful marina as we headed up the road to the Lamezia airport on our way back to Rome and New York. We realized we had seen and done so much during our all-too-short time in beautiful eastern Sicily and southern Calabria.