L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE Arabic flair is everywhere in Caltagirone, which derives its name from the Arabic words "gal'at-al-ghiran", or Hill of Vases. Believed to have been inhab- ited even in prehistoric times, the site has yielded two necropolises and many archeological Greek artifacts such as a large krater vase depicting a potter at work under the protection of goddess Athena. Caltagirone plays an impor- tant role in the history of ceram- ics worldwide. The art of majoli- ca art – tin-glazed pottery – has been produced here since time immemorial. "The raw material, the natural clay, is dug out from our mountains," says Pace Gravina, whose paternal grand- father Biagio Pace was a noted archeologist in the '30s and '40s. Caltagirone is located at 611 m above the sea between the Erean and the Hyblaean Mountains that are composed of limestone. It has deep clay caves all around. Local artisans are steeped in traditional majolica techniques that imply hand painting the pieces before they are glazed. It is delightful to stroll along the cobbled streets generously supplied with artisan boutiques displaying the iconic Moorish heads, gigantic green, red and blue pinecones and miniature ceramic owls and snails. Typical Caltagirone motifs appear on ware. Every piece is unique and attains the highest level of crafts- manship. The colors are gold yellow, copper green, cobalt blue and manganese. The top attractions in town include the ceramics museum, the 18th century Borbonic jail that features a chamber of tor- ture, a crèche museum showcas- ing the best of the Sicilian tradi- tion, and the public garden. Among the many churches, the Basilica Collegiata, Saint James Church, Saint Bonaventure Church and the Church of Santa Maria di Gesù are not to be missed. The place is bustling with tourists, yet local young people leave. "The millennials who earned a good-grade degree are forced to do that. They look for opportunities that they cannot find here," says Pace Gravina. Many Calatini, as inhabitants of Caltagirone are called, left for the US during the first wave of migration between around 1880 and 1924. The majority of them settled in Brooklyn, New York. Among them was the family Bagnara, who gave hospitality to the Catholic priest and prominent politician don Luigi Sturzo when he landed in New York on October 1, 1940 after a London exile. One of the most illustrious sons of Caltagirone, Sturzo founded the Partito Popolare Italiano in 1919, but with the rise of Fascism was forced into exile in 1924 in London, and later NY. His remains rest in Caltagirone. On July 25, this colorful town dresses up for its liveliest and most explosive festa to honor their patron saint, San Giacomo. The celebration includes a cou- ple of weeks of religious festi- vals, vivid local folklore and a riot of colors on the Santa Maria del Monte stairs illuminated by oil lamps to form a huge mural or mosaic up the entire set of steps. "Foreigners fall in love with our magnificent land that retains an authentic and timeless atmos- phere," says Pace Gravina. Continued from page 10 Another scenic view of Caltagirone, from the top of its famous stairs (Copyright:Dreamstime)

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