L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano S e p a r a t e d b y a mere two miles of sparkling sea a t i t s s h o r t e s t d i s t a n c e , t h e island of Sicily sits off the toe of Italy's "boot," looking s o m e w h a t l i k e a f o o t b a l l readied for the punt. Italian by association, yet distinct and unique in cul- ture, tradition, mindset, and even language, this beautiful Mediterranean Island holds her share of mystique. O f I t a l y ' s 2 0 r e g i o n s , Sicily ranks 10 th in popular- ity with tourists. The draws are pretty obvious – amaz- ing food and wine, gorgeous beaches, cool history – yet there are lesser-known bits of intrigue that make the island even more enticing. Volcanoes Most folks are aware of Sicily's famous Mt. Etna, that snow-capped peak fea- tured in many Sicilian travel b r o c h u r e s . K n o w n t o t h e locals as "M o n g i b e l l o , " Etna holds rank as Europe's m o s t a c t i v e v o l c a n o , a mighty force for 2,000 years now. But many don't know t h e r e a r e m o r e t h a n 1 0 other volcanoes on Sicily, as well. Only two others are regularly active, Stromboli and Volcano, and both live on their namesake islands o f f S i c i l y ' s n o r t h e a s t e r n shore. Much like our Old Faithful, Stromboli typical- ly flares, spews, and sput- t e r s a l m o s t d a i l y . Interestingly so, the noun " v o l c a n o " c o m e s d i r e c t l y from…I'll leave you with one guess! Love language Ah, the sonnet. That lyri- cal rhyming scheme of 14 lines bespeaking love — and c r e a t e d b y S i c i l i a n p o e t Giacomo da Lentini in the 13 th century. Derived f r o m t h e I t a l i a n w o r d "sonetto," sonnet styliza- tion became increasingly p o p u l a r i z e d t h r o u g h o u t Europe over ensuing cen- turies. That English Bard fellow (and quite a few other n o t a b l e p o e t i c g i a n t s ) might've had to spend a lot more creative energy if not for Sicily's Giacomo. Why three legs? Any search on "the most unusual flags" will unearth a c o l l e c t i o n g u a r a n t e e d t o include Sicily's striking flag. The unusual centerpiece of t h r e e r o t a t i n g l e g s s u r - rounding a bodyless head a r e r i c h w i t h m y t h i c a l meaning…and fitting of the Sicilian's pride and tenden- cy to hold fast to supersti- tion. The Trinacria, as the center symbol on the flag is known, features the mytho- l o g i c a l M e d u s a – t h e s n a k e - c o i f f e d g o d d e s s known for her abilities to fight the forces of evil, and w e l l … t u r n m e n t o s t o n e , too. Intertwined ears of corn and sprigs of wheat speak of Sicily's great fertility. The three legs whirling about Medusa's head have ties to ancient symbolism related to time and phases of the moon; however, here they a l s o s t a n d f o r t h e t h r e e main promontories of the island. The Trinacria, a part of Sicilian culture for as long as anyone knows, was so admired by the visiting Normans in 1072, they bor- rowed it for use on The Isle of Man's Flag. Perhaps the world's oldest "new" flag, the basic format has repre- sented Sicily since 1282, yet was only officially adopted in 2000. Blame it on island time? The island(s) of Sicily S i c i l y p r o u d l y c l a i m s rights as the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (9,927 sq. miles), but not too many realize she is also big sister to an impressive collection of smaller sur- rounding islands. Perhaps m o s t w e l l - k n o w n a r e t h e Aeolian Archipelagos, s e v e n d i s t i n c t v o l c a n i c i s l a n d s s i t u a t e d o f f t h e northeastern coast of Sicily. So unique and spectacular a r e t h e s e , t h e y w e r e d e c l a r e d a n U N E S C O World Heritage Site in 2 0 0 0 . T h e y a r e a l s o t h e most populated of the island groups, even if considered lightly populated compara- tively speaking. To the southwest lay the P e l a g i e A r c h i p e l a g o . Being tectonically linked to the African continent and a mere 70 miles from Tunisia, t h e t h r e e i s l a n d s o f Lampedusa, Linosa, and Lampione are more akin to stepsisters to Sicily. Idyllic volcanic beaches, unspoiled natural beauty, and slow- p a c e d l i f e a t t r a c t I t a l i a n tourists in the know here. It s e e m s l o g g e r h e a d t u r t l e m o m s a r e f o n d o f t h e Sicily's little secrets PAULA REYNOLDS islands, as well. New gener- ations are laid in the sand annually…and lovingly cele- brated by local citizens. The three Egadi Islands hug the west coast of Sicily as if keeping an eye on the s a l t f l a t s o f n e a r b y T r a p a n i . M a n y I t a l i a n tourists seek enjoyment in t h e p r i s t i n e w a t e r s a n d relaxed pace of life found here amongst the acclaimed fishermen. Paleolithic and N e o l i t h i c f a m i l i e s r e c o g - nized the islands appeal, t o o . W e l l p r e s e r v e d c a v e paintings were discovered as recently as 1949, their charcoal and fat rendered designs revealing everyday work and play. Continued to page 28 Levanzo, on the Egadi islands (Photo: Tonino Corso/Dreamstime) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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