L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano I think we all agree on t h i s : P a l e r m o i s one of Italy's most b e a u t i f u l c i t i e s . Crossroad between East and West, it is a melting pot of cultures, people, fla- vors and colors. It is remini- scent of the Middle East like no other place in the country and, for this reason alone, it would be magical already. But it has so much more. F o r i n s t a n c e , d i d y o u know it has the largest histo- ric centre in Europe? Well… some Italians would disa- gree, mentioning Genoa and Naples as more likely win- ners, but UNESCO thinks differently: Palermo's Old Town is the biggest and only Lisbon's can compete with it. Palermo is also home to the m o s t a n c i e n t p a p e r d o c u m e n t i n t h e O l d Continent, a bilingual Greek- Arabic letter known as the Lettera di Adelasia degli Aleramici: Adelasia, also known as Adelaide, was the third wife of Roger I, count o f S i c i l y a n d C a l a b r i a , Norman conqueror of the island. And what about its f a m o u s — a n d , t o m a n y , u t t e r l y c r e e p y — Capuchins' Catacombs, where for centuries local holy men and nobility were buried? Did you know they were a must-see location of that famed Grand Tour that brought to Italy Byron, the Shelleys, Goethe and Wilde, among others? Of course, we can't forget P a l e r m o i s a l s o t h e v e r y cradle of our beautiful, belo- ved language. In the year c o m m e m o r a t i n g D a n t e Alighieri, we cannot ignore the fact that the language in which he believed so much, the volgare, was first used in p o e t r y a n d p r o s e a t Frederick II's court, and that t h e l i t e r a r y w o r k s o f t h e Scuola Siciliana inspired Il Sommo Porta greatly. These are only a handful of interesting facts about P a l e r m o , w h i c h m a y n o t have the grandeur of Rome or the popularity of Naples, but which, when it comes to beauty and history, is second to no place. Let's take a look together at some more inte- resting facts. The Teatro Massimo is t h e l a r g e s t o f i t s k i n d i n Europe and has an …intere- sting history The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is the largest building dedicated to opera in Europe. Its con- s t r u c t i o n b e g a n i n 1 8 7 5 , w h e n t h e C h i e s a d e l l e S t i m m a t e a n d t h e Monastero di San Giuliano w e r e t o r n d o w n t o m a k e space for it. According to the legend, the grave of a nun was destroyed during the works and she wasn't happy about it. Her ghost, known in Palermo as la Monachella (the nun), has haunted the t h e a t e r s i n c e . L a Monachella has a bit of a temper, and likes playing practical jokes: it seems that skeptics always trip over the same step, which is aptly known as the grading della suora, the "nun's step." 2 . L a F o n t a n a d e l l a Vergogna Its real name is Fontana Pretoria, but everyone in t o w n k n o w s i t a s t h e Fontana della Vergogna, or t h e " f o u n t a i n o f s h a m e . " Commissioned in 1554 by Florentine nobleman Luigi Toledo, he wasn't able to pay for it, so it was eventually b o u g h t b y t h e c i t y o f Palermo in 1581. Its nickna- me comes from the presen- ce, all around it, of 48 naked statues, which have been at the heart of plenty of gossip throughout the centuries. Some people believe they r e p r e s e n t a b u n c h o f Palermo's naughtiest from the 18th and 19th century, while others mention Queen Joan of Anjou, apparently known for her unmatched sexual appetite and who's believed to be the lasciviou- s l y p o s e d s c u l p t u r e l y i n g next to that of a horse… 3. Santa Lucia's "cuccia" If you've been to Sicily on o r a r o u n d t h e 1 3 t h o f December, then you must be familiar with the cuccia di Santa Lucia, a dish made of w h e a t c o o k e d i n m i l k o r cream, or even mixed with sheep ricotta. It can be eaten both with cocoa, sugar or olive oil and salt, a bit like porridge. Tradition tells us that, back in 1646, famine had brought Palermo to its k n e e s . O n t h e 1 3 t h o f December, though, things changed when a ship filled with wheat finally reached its p o r t . A p p a r e n t l y , p e o p l e were so hungry they didn't even ground the wheat, but ate as it was. Since then, the cuccia is a staple of Santa Lucia's feast in Palermo, and a b i t e v e r y w h e r e a r o u n d Sicily. 4. Palermo's secret rivers Not many know that the first Palermitans built their homes along a river. Known as Cannizzaro, or Kemonia River, it had a pretty bad reputation because it tended to flood regularly. This is why it was also nicknamed t h e " b a d w e a t h e r r i v e r . " W h i l e i t n o l o n g e r e x i s t s t o d a y , i f y o u w a l k t o V i a Porta di Castro you'll find a plaque remembering its pre- sence. 5. "Il Genio:" he protects t h e c i t y j u s t l i k e S a n t a Rosalia E v e r y o n e k n o w s t h a t S a n t a R o s a l i a , p a t r o n saint of Palermo, is worship- ped and loved in town. Not many, on the other hand, m a y b e f a m i l i a r w i t h i l G e n i o , a m y t h i c a l f i g u r e thought by locals to protect the city. He is represented as a crowned elderly man, his beard divided in two, his body embraced by a snake. Y o u c a n f i n d h i s e f f i g y around the city: in the foun- tain of Villa Giulia, in front of Palazzo Pretorio and even in the Vucciria. He is thou- g h t t o b e t h e s y m b o l o f Palermo and its citizens, the c i t y ' s o r i g i n a l p r o t e c t o r . W h i l e t h e r e i s n ' t a c l e a r mythology associated with him, historians believe its cult may date all the way back to pre-Roman times! Five — or maybe more! — things you may not know about Palermo CHIARA D'ALESSIO The Teatro Massimo, in Palermo: the largest opera house in Europe (Photo: Aleksandar Todorovic/Dreamstime) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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