Sicilia Parra Bi-annual Newsletter of Arba Sicula: An International Organization that Promotes the Language and Culture of Sicily Volume XXX I Number 1 Spring 2019 Arba Sicula’s 26th enthusiastic accolades, so I do not end of February when a decision has know what is preventing those people to be made. This is the letter I sent to Anniversary Tour who had expressed an interest in the members whose email address I have: tour from sending their deposits. We I am reprinting it here in case you do ur 26th consecutive tour of still have plenty of time for people to not have an email account: OSicily is scheduled to depart make up their minds, but it’s clear that on June 3 and return to New York on we cannot run a tour unless we reach Dear Members of Arba Sicula, June 15, 2019. At this point some- the minimum number of participants For the past 25 years we have thing very unusual is occurring. In to make it financially viable. I have conducted a tour of Sicily for our our previous 25 tours, by this time, sent an email to our members and members that have earned accolades not only had we filled every seat in the a few have responded positively, but from everyone lucky enough to have tour, but we had to compile a waiting we have to reach a minimum by the taken part in one of them. Members list for those who wanted to join us have come more than once, some of for whom we had no availability. I am them three, four, and five times. Of at a loss to understand why this year course, no one will ever come close we have not received enough deposits to Hindman Doxey Jr. who came 17 to guarantee that the tour would run. times until he passed away. The economy is doing fairly well and This year, our 26th tour, inexplica- I do not see any international crisis bly, is under subscribed. In past years, looming in the distance, the dollar is by this time we usually have had to put relatively strong against the euro and people on a waiting list. Some of you the price of the tour remains the same. may be thinking of joining us in the In fact, looking around at what other future, but I can tell you that the tour tours charge ours is definitely the best cannot be repeated indefinitely. If you by in town. The tours have received have been thinking about rewarding yourselves by visiting the island that means so much to you, this is the time. Table of Contents Do not postpone it any longer. When I said that we would stop Arba Sicula’s 26th Anniversary Tour ...............................................................1 running the tours on the twentieth, President’s Message ............................................................................................2 You Can Buy a House For 1 Euro in Sambuca di Sicilia ..............................3 we were deluged with participants Prickly Pears ................................................................................................3 and had to do two tours that year, one The Towns of the Madonie Mountains ........................................................4 after the other. I don’t want to repeat Sicilian Citrus Fruits May Fly to China .......................................................6 the same experience, but if you have Tradition and Art in Sicily ...........................................................................7 been thinking about joining us, this “The Death of Giufà” by Gesualdo Bufalino ................................................8 is the right time. We need a few more The Annunziata of Antonello da Messina Won’t Travel to Milan.............. 10 Sicilian and Other Stereotypes by Uncle Floyd Vivino ............................. 11 participants to make the tour viable. On the Character of Sicilians By Clive Cussler ........................................ 12 Send me an email and put your NOPAQUIE ........................................................................................... 12 deposit in the mail in the next couple The Rarest Christmas Tree Is in Sicily: by Andrea Di Piazza .................... 13 of weeks. Puisia siciliana/Sicilian Poetry .................................................................. 14 Best regards as always Book Reviews ........................................................................................ 16 Tour 26 Itinerary............................................................................................. 20 Gaetano Cipolla Sicilia Parra 2 President’s Message s I sit down to write this message which was supposed to be about Athe plans for the future for Arba Sicula, one major problem that I need to resolve before we can discuss other plans is space for all the items that I have accumulated through the years in connection with the organiza- Sicilia Parra tion. I would like to focus briefly on one problem that can be easily solved is the official newsletter of with the collaboration of some of our members. When we publish each is- ARBA SICULA, Inc., an international sue of Arba Sicula we normally print a few more copies than the number of organization promoting the language and our members so we can have extra copies for new subscribers. Through the culture of Sicily. Unless otherwise indicated, unsigned year I have accumulated several unopened boxes that contain 50-60 copies articles are by Gaetano Cipolla. of the journal of various issues, some of which go back in time. Naturally, www.arbasicula.org I maintain an archive that has copies of every issue we have produced. The copies I am referring to are basically leftovers. I see two options here: 1) turn the copies into pulp, that is, dispose of them, and 2) try to use them as EDITOR incentives to interest possible subscribers to our journal. The first option is Gaetano Cipolla really a terrible alternative that I would rather avoid. Lots of work went into the creation of each issue and to see them turned to pulp would be painful. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Senior Citizens and Students $30 I know that some of you are involved with other organizations and cul- Regular subscriptions $35 tural societies. Some of you may have businesses dealing with the public. Outside US and Institutions $40 My idea is for these issues to reach as many people as possible and I would be glad to send them to those of you who can pass them on to others free MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO ARBA of charge. You can distribute them to all your associates, friends and neigh- SICULA and send them to our mailing bors who might be interested in Sicilian culture. You would be performing address: a service to Arba Sicula and would be instrumental in furthering our goals Arba Sicula / Gaetano Cipolla of promoting our organization. If you think you can distribute these issues P.O. Box 149 of Arba Sicula, drop me a line, and I will be glad to ship them to you. You Mineola, NY 11501 can also send me an email telling me where to ship the books. Here is my email address: [email protected] ARBA SICULA is a non-profit At this time, I don’t have a list of what is left, but I know that I have a organization. All contributions and good number of boxes with perfectly good journals in them. subscriptions are tax deductible. Please consider my request. I look forward to receiving your responses. All members of ARBA SICULA in Tanti beddi cosi a tutti. good standing automatically receive Sicilia Parra, Arba Sicula, as well as supplements published by the organi- zation. Sicilia Parra is published twice a year, in the Spring and in the Fall. For information and to submit materials for the newsletter, write to Dr. Gaetano Cipolla at the address above. Advertising rates for Sicilia Parra are as follows: Full page $250 Half page $125 Quarter Page $75 Business Card $45 Sicilia Parra ISSN 8755-6987 Camera Ready Text by Legas Proofreading: Carole Scarito Heffley 3 Sicilia Parra You Can Buy a Prickly Pears where you are. In my home town we call the white one giardara. The prickly pears House For 1 Euro in id you know that Sicily is the ripen between August and December. To Sambuca di Sicilia Dsecond largest producer of the extend the period of ripening Sicilians fico d’India in the world? Like some knock off the flowers of the plant before they become fruit and the plant regrows iuseppe Cacioppo, Mayor of other plants and vegetables that have another flower that reaches maturity the town of Sambuca di Sicilia, become part of the Sicilian cuisine, G later in the year. These prickly pears are which recently was recognized as one of tomatoes and corn, the prickly pear is called bastarduni and they are usually the most beautiful little towns in Italy, not a native plant in Sicily. They were larger than the regular pears. Sicilians launched a program to try to revitalize imported from Mexico, the largest pro- love prickly pears. They eat them for the dwindling population by offering ducer of the fruit. Yet, everywhere you breakfast sometimes, and they use them houses for sale at the incredible price go on the island you see the plant. Sicil- to sweeten tomato sauce. But they also of 1 Euro. This beautiful little town ian property owners often use the plant know that you can’t eat too many of was founded by the ancient Greeks, which does not require much in terms them at one sitting. The large seeds the and was later conquered by Saracens of maintenance as a boundary line, a natural barrier against human or animal pears contain can have untoward effects trespassers. The plants thrives especially on your digestive system! I will say it in well in sandy soil. It is most abundant on Sicilian: Ntuppanu! the south-western slopes of Mount Etna, in the Belice valley and around the town of San Cono. Arba Sicula has visited the area while driving from Piazza Armerina Mr. Vincent Ciaramitaro, former to Siracusa. The prickly pear plants cover owner of Joe’s of Avenue U in Brook- miles and miles of land and are produced lyn, has developed a web site that on an industrial scale.