A Day in the Life: Sicily, Italy
Introduction
The “toe” of the boot, That’s Sicily. Sicily has always been referred to as such, especially by the people who have never been there…such as myself. But after some extensive research, I’ve began to realize that the Sicily is a scenic island, rich in arts, history, cuisine, and literature. However, that’s not the reason why I chose to do a blog on this poetic location. If I had to be honest, what really intrigued me to do a “day in the life” blog was, well…the role the island played in the critically acclaimed movie: The Godfather (and The Godfather part II). Aside from the fact that it was a phenomenal movie, and the fact that the characters of the movie had their genealogy traced back to the providence, the importance of family loyalty intrigued me about the characters of the movie. I wanted to know, was this just a cinematic perception, or was the reality?
Brief History:
The island is located in such a strategic part of the Mediterranean that it was easy for the people of North Africa to find their way on the island. Early settlement on the island dates back to around 1000 B.C. when a population of Phoenicians made their homes on the island. The island was then taken over by the Greeks around 750 B.C. and around 250 B.C., the island was conquered by the Roman Empire. Over the course of the new millennia, Sicily saw settlements from numerous different cultures, such as the Germans, Arabs, and Normans. It is because of a culmination of the seeds planted by these settlers, that makes Sicily so rich in history, art, and literature. Fast forward to 1861, the island became annexed by the Italian kingdom. However, at first, the citizens of the island did not want to be a part of the Union, and justifiably so; they were treated unequally. After a few revolts and bloodshed, they were finally able to regain their significance in Italian society in the late 19th century…pretty much the same story we’ve heard, this time, in a different time and different place.
Now, because the Italian government was still providing inadequate law enforcement to the island in the late 19th century, the Mafia formed. To begin, Italy redistributed a lot of the public and church lands to the people when Sicily annexed. Because most people with land now were peasants, they couldn’t afford to pay off the contracts they had signed to seize the land. Also, a new law had passed that outlawed the governmental seizing of land to be considered as payment for the debt. Also, with the rising food prices, lack of law enforcement, and overall local desperation, the citizens turned to external arbitrators and protectors we now familiarize as the Mafia. The mafia ended up serving as the medium between the society and the state. The mafia gained a lot of power fast as they protected numerous Sicilian citizens. They ventured their way into several different businesses and had their own taxing system from the people they protected. As more criminal activity ensued, the mafia found themselves protecting more and more thieves and smugglers. They gained political power as they forced the people to vote for politicians that had favorable policies. Once the criminal activity became noticeable, the Italian government sent law officials and prefects, such as Cesare Mori, to crack down on the mafia. By the 1920's and 30's, thousands of members of the mafia and people protected by the mafia were arrested.
However, when World War II came around, the island was a perfect place for the Allied armies to invade the fascist Italian government and it’s dictator, Benito Mussolini. The island endured an astounding amount of Allied artillery bombing before they set foot on land. Once the Allied forces arrived, they mistook the Mafia prisoners for prisoners of war and set much of them free. This was a pivotal role in the prevalence of the mafia in Sicily, as it is still prominent there to this day. But the war really helped he island of Sicily. Because the island is such a convenient location for an invasion, along with their growing population through emigration, the government of Italy figured it would be wise to give the people of Sicily more power. Therefore, soon after the war, Sicily gained their long awaited autonomy as a region of Italy in 1946.
What to do/How to communicate:
Being that Sicily is an island, one can imagine the scenic features that come with it. Also, because I am an aficionado of the outdoors, I will likely suggest activities to do in Sicily that requires one to be willing to soak in whatever mother nature has to offer. With that being said, one of the tourist attractions I wouldn’t be able to pass up is the Alcantara river. The 32-mile long river is filled with several scenic landmarks, such as caves and is unique because of the lava flows it crosses. This is because several thousand years ago, the river was blocked by lava that came from the volcano of Mount Etna. Now the origin of the river stems from the mountains of Nebrodi and the river empties in the Ionian Sea.
The river provides plenty of outdoor activities which satisfies my general forte. The river has plenty of fun fish to catch, namely the northern pikes and carp beams. The caves located alongside the river create a whole other adventure and photographic opportunities. Parts of the river have sand shores which provides a miniature beach feel for those beach bums and there are plenty of deep areas located by cliffs that allow for cliff jumping. A day on the river for me and the hypothetical party I travel with would involve plenty of canoes, fishing poles, cigars, some nice Sicilian wine, and some snorkel gear. With that, we would venture out to catch as many fish as we can, swim/snorkel into caves, paddle to the sea, and jump off cliffs into the deeper areas of the river.
Personally, along with my interest in the outdoors, I also have a strong interest in the arts. As Sicily is an island that is rich in current and historic art, why would I not visit an influential place of Sicilian art. Therefore, another place I could pass up on visiting is the Ancient theater of Taormina. This theater originates back in the seventh century B.C. and was used by the Greek settlers. It is considered one of the most monumental features of the Taormina city and is one of the most celebrated ruins in all of Sicily. It has stood the test of time though it is mainly built by brick and has an astounding diameter of 120 meters. Occasionally there are still opera concerts and low key theatrical performances on it, but frequent use of the venue would be counterproductive to the preservation efforts. If I could, I would try and make my way to one of those performances even though there is a good chance I won’t be able to understand what is going on. The reason why I would still go is because it would open up a phenomenal world of Sicilian art to me, and I would be enlightened by the traditions and respects of their culture.
Finally, on this hypothetical vacation to Sicily, at some point, I am going to inevitably get hungry. Fortunately for me, Sicily prides their world class cuisine. Agriculture is a vital part of the Sicilian industry and the fertile soil yields great wheat. So, with that being said, wheat pasta there has to be superb and worth the price. According to my research, popular pasta dishes include Pasta alla Norma, Pasta con le sarde, and Marnicotti. Sicilians often have their pasta served with bread as well, their special biscuit bread is Biscotti Regina alongside some fine olive oil.
Along with their spectacular cuisine, most Sicilians like to eat while they drink wine. Some sources say Sicilian wine is average, other sources say it’s great, but that’s all opinion. What is factual, is that Sicily is the third largest wine producer in all of Italy. Also, the region of Mount Etna is known for growing grapes, and that has to go for something. In my opinion, it means their wine is original and is at least worth trying. Sicilians drink both red and white wine. I’m personally not a huge wine enthusiast so I don’t really have a preference here, I guess I’d have to try them both. Last but not least, Sicily has incredibly rich desserts that can satisfy even the sweetest tooth. Being someone who isn’t a real sweet tooth, this doesn’t sound very enticing, but on this hypothetical vacation, I’ll have to try something, maybe the Frutta di Mortarana. It looks incredibly delicious and it is fruit based so it can’t possibly be that unhealthy…okay I know it doesn’t work like that but I’ll accept whatever makes me feel better about myself.
Now Sicilians differ from Americans in their view on family. Not to dish on Americans in any way, but Sicilians value family loyalty so much more than the American culture. I guess this perception of Sicily really held up with the portrayals in those mafia movies. Friends and family are the very core of Sicilian culture, loyalty is one of the most desired traits in Sicilians. For example, very night, regardless of how busy each individual family member is, dinner is to be had in the dining room, together as a family. The only exception is if the family is eating out or if a family member is out of town. This goes to show how traditional the Sicilians really are.
In communication, Sicilians have their own language, but most Sicilians are bilingual, being fluent in the languages: Italian and Sicilian. However, Sicilian is still very similar to the Italian language and some consider it to be just another dialect of it, but experts just claimed it was distinct enough to be considered a whole other language. Within the Sicilian language are a long list of dialects as well, stemming from all sorts of regions of Southern Italy. The language is usually only spoken in very informal settings, such as over the dinner table. In most public spheres, the Italian language is the tongue of preference. Lots of verbs are said differently too. For example, Sicilians don’t say “going” really at all; instead, they renovate the sentence by saying “to go” and they use a completely different word to do it.
As for their dress code, Sicilians, rather Italians in general, don’t ever really wear shorts unless they are preparing to exercise or when they are going to the beach. They typically wear pants and women usually don’t ever expose their shoulders. Many cuisine restaurants will not be accepting of customers who are not dressed properly and many refuse to allow the admittance of men with shorts on. Also, flip flops and sandals are not a popular thing in Sicily, unless of course, they’re being worn on a beach. On beaches, shorts and typical beach attire are expected. Nude beaches are no where to be found in Sicily, but on certain beaches, nudism (or naturism) is not outlawed. Therefore, seeing nudity on the beaches of Sicily will not be uncommon.
In regards to religion, the island of Sicily has been known to be traditionally Christian/Catholic. Church and Mass remain a very vital priority for Sicilians to this day. Along with the Catholic teachings, mannerisms remain very formal in certain settings. Among strangers, they may seem dull with a unique sense of humor, but like mentioned, loyalty is probably the most important attribute a Sicilian can possess. Therefore, when a Sicilian becomes a friend, they carry their proper mannerisms into their friendships and concern genuinely for the well-being of their friends. The social purpose for men in this culture is to climb up the societal echelons and to provide for their family. Women are expected to accept a life of protection and guidance from their husbands.
Final Thoughts:
After this extensive research I conducted on the island of Sicily, it has only made me want to visit the island even more, however, I do hope that my research hasn’t over-hyped the island itself. But I don’t think it’s possible to over-hype the island of Sicily. The traditional views and mannerisms should give a tourist a warm welcome, the attractions that document the rich history of the island should really keep that tourist interested, the landmarks should provide them with more fun than they can think of, and the food should satisfy any sort of appetite they may need. Now doesn’t that sound like an amazing time?
