Northwest Ruminations: Who is a Sicilian?

South of Rome was terra incognito for Ann and me. In mid April, we embarked on a thrice-postponed trip -- COVID-19, you know -- to Basilicata, Puglia and Sicily. Basilicata is the arch of the Italian boot; Puglia, its heel; and Sicily? Well, Sicily is part of Italy but arguably not Italian at all. We discovered how little we knew, know, about its history, its arts and foods, its role as pivot around which spun and clashed the Mediterranean religions, cultures, and civilizations.

Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Svevians, Angevins, Aragons, Spaniards, Piedmontese, Austro-Hungarians, Bourbons of Spain -- wave after wave came and ruled leaving behind a mélange of people with the most convoluted DNA imaginable and an unique language. And the question: Who is a Sicilian?

Three weeks does not an expert make. But our readings (Lampedusa, Durrell, Norwich, Auci, and more), listening to our guides, and observing lead us here:

Who is a Sicilian?

• If you’re a man with mafia*

• if you’re a woman who mainly stays at home, when in public appears modest and subordinate, but, mamma mia**, is truly in charge;

• if you believe rules are suggestions;

• if you’re a native Italian who thinks Italian is the others’ language;

• if your family was last to accept and least supportive of Mussolini’s Fascism;

• if you view nepotism as responsible, honorable care of family;

• if you’re one for whom third cousins come before city, tribe, or nation;

• if you’re an Italian with a persistent sense of grievance and victimhood;

• if you automatically challenge authority and presumption;

• if to you Garibaldi was not hero but pillager and freebooter;

• if you value loyalty above all else;

• if you view revenge as duty;

• if you wink at finagling one’s way out of taxes or conscription, futtitinni***;

• if you budget bribes;

• if you’re secretive around strangers;

• if you’re the Italian who expects the worst;

and

• if you’re proud of coming from an ancient island always in the crosshairs of the Mediterranean,

allora****, it’s likely you are Sicilian.

And if you don't say just si, but si,si,si,si,si then for sure you are Sicilian.

* mafia, from the Arabic: swagger

** mamma mia: OMG

*** futtitini: fuggedaboudit!

**** allora: so / therefore / then / OK

What follows are some of our favorite photos keeping fresh our memories of this remarkable trip.

Piazza Amerina, a base for
Villa Romana del Casale

On the hunt for wild asparagus
which nestles amongst old olive trees

Making cavatelli on
the farm

Catania: would you buy a used
swordfish from this man?

Seaside, fresh water spring of
Arethusa kept Ortigians alive,8thC BCE

40' monolithic column
from Athena's Temple,
now part of Siracusa's
Cathedral

Modica: the FIAT 500 Club
gets ready to roll

Our track

A Catanian fish merchant gives
that Sicilian-stare

The Greek theatre at Taormina
with Etna as backdrop

Matera, the troglodyte warren
of walkways and staircases

Matera: Eggplant, pasta, seafood
and wine -- what's not to love?

Castelbuono: the Serpotta brothers
went rococo-loco

Lecce: the paper mache' sculpture of
Claudio Riso is breathtakingly artful

The tulli of Alberobello

Matera: cave homes, like a prairie dog village

Matera: Excavating a 5thC CE Orthodox
cave church, with frescos

About half-way up on the flanks of Mt. Etna

Salt evaporation ponds at Marsala

Monreale: a 12thC Byzantine cathedral built by a Norman,
using Arab architects, and decorated by Greek mosaicists.

Monreale: 68,000 sq.ft. of mosaics

Lecce: the architect of the Cathedral. Jimmy
Durante's forebearer?

Palermo: Angelo Provenzano, son of Bernardo Provenzano, U Trattore, head of the Corleonesi Mafia, Capo dei tutti Capi. Angelo had to Zoom with us having tested positive the day before our meeting.