L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano T he readers of popular online food and wine daily All Food Sicily (www.all- foodsicily.it) selected the most beautiful place on their island: Militello in Val di Catania. The publication, which focuses on the rich and multifaceted world of Sicilian eno-gastronomic tradition, proposed a survey to vote the island's most charming place, in a competition that pre- sented other popular loca- tions including Mistretta and Novara di Sicilia – both in the Messina province, which reached respectively second and third place. The medieval borough of Erice, which led the initial phase of the com- petition, ended in fourth place. More than 500.000 peo- p l e c a s t t h e i r v o t e , o f t e n invited by local authorities eager to see their hometown win. The All Food Sicily ini- tiative sits in a well-estab- lished tradition of "popular" competitions, such as the Borghi più Belli d'Italia and the Luoghi del Cuore, pro- moted by FAI, Fondo per L' Ambiente Italiano, where citizens are asked to vote for their favorite village, bor- ough or local attraction. It is, indeed, a powerful and w e l c o m e w a y n o t o n l y t o bring attention to lesser- known beauties of our coun- try, but also an opportunity for smaller communities to gain visibility and, often, obtain funding to promote their history, traditions, art, and territory. The Borgo più B e l l o d i S i c i l i a a d d s t h e importance of food and wine tradition to the list of things that count: a key addition when considering how cen- tral both are in our national culture. This is not the first time that Militello's artistic sig- nificance is recognized, as t h e t o w n i s o n e o f t h e baroque pearls in the Val di N o t o t h a t , i n 2 0 0 2 , obtained UNESCO World Heritage status. Militello is also one of the Borghi più Belli d'Italia. In a chat with All Food S i c i l y , M i l i t e l l o ' s m a y o r G i o v a n n i Burtone explained why, in his opinion, Militello won the first place: "This victory is the result of a common effort, especially of our resi- d e n t s a n d c i t i z e n s ( … ). Militellesi from abroad, from Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and the US got involved, as well as all those who live in other parts of Italy, but left their heart here, in our town." Among them, Burtone mentions an iconic Militellese, known by e v e r y I t a l i a n , T V personality Pippo Baudo, who actively supported the c a m p a i g n , a s w e l l o t h e r f a m o u s p a e s a n i , L e o G u l l o t t a a n d G i n o Astorina. Indeed, it seems that, even if this isn't the first time Militello's beauty i s r e c o g n i z e d o f f i c i a l l y , b e i n g e l e c t e d B o r g o p i ù Bello di Sicilia is especially important to locals: "This prize, perhaps because it c o m e s f r o m a p r o c e s s o f sharing and of direct partici- pation, has been particularly welcomed by our communi- ty," Mr. Burtone concluded. But what made Militello a winner? T h i s v i l l a g e o f a l m o s t 8 . 0 0 0 i s k n o w n f o r t h e beauty of its baroque archi- t e c t u r e , e s p e c i a l l y i t s churches and palaces, the importance of which, we've said, has been recognized on more occasions. We don't really know when Militello was founded: one theory, proposed by local historian Pietro Carrera, says the first to settle in the area were a g r o u p o f R o m a n s o l d i e r s w h o , d u r i n g t h e s i e g e t o conquer Syracuse in 212 BC, tried to escape a plague epi- demic by finding refuge on the surrounding hills. That's when they founded Militum Tellus, or "the land of sol- diers." Another version, on the other hand, says that the name Militello comes from the color of local stone, sim- ilar to honey, from which we'd get Mellis Tellus, or "the land of honey." , W h i l e a r c h a e o l o g i c a l findings demonstrate the e x i s t e n c e o f s e t t l e m e n t s already in prehistoric times, Militello appears in docu- ments only around the year 1 0 0 0 A D , w h e n t h e t o w n became a marquisate under the Cammarana family. T h e t o w n r e a c h e d t h e apex of its beauty and devel- opment during the 16th and 17th centuries, under the rule of Prince Don Francesco Branciforte, who supported the architectural develop- ment of Militello greatly. Among the buildings and works of art from that peri- od we can still admire, we s h o u l d l i s t t h e M a d o n n a d e l l a C a t e n a C h u r c h , t h e Benedectine monastery, and the Ninfa Zizza fountain. U n f o r t u n a t e l y , a t r a g i c earthquake destroyed many valuable and beautiful works of art in 1693, but just like a phoenix that rises from its ashes, Militello was born again in the 18th century, when baroque design and flair recreated its outline. It is, indeed, to baroque jewels such as San Nicolò and San Salvatore Church (1721) and the Madonna della Stella Church (1722), among oth- ers, that Militello owns its place in the UNESCO World Heritage. A n d , w h e n i t c o m e s t o M i l i t e l l o ' s v i c t o r y , h o w couldn't we mention its cui- sine? Locals will suggest you t r y b u s i a t i w i t h r a g ù d i m a i a l e , p a s t a c o n i broccoli, fish couscous and t h e i c o n i c S i c i l i a n c a p o n a t a . A s a dessert, you may like cous- cous dolce, a sweet version of the traditional northern African delicacy, made with b u t t e r , s u g a r , m i l k , a n d fruit. LUCA SIGNORINI A view of Militello, recently voted the most beautiful village in Sicily (Photo: Leonid Andronov/Dreamstime) Militello: a baroque jewel is Sicily's most beautiful village ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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