L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2024 L'Italo-Americano LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE dominion. Segesta, an ancient Elymi- a n c i t y , i s s i t u a t e d n e a r Alcamo and Castellammare del Golfo. Within its territo- ry lies an archaeological park featuring a Doric-style Greek temple (dating from 430- 420 BC) and a Hellenistic- era theater, both carved into the hillside. Further archae- ological research and exca- vations have also revealed a Hellenistic-Roman town and a medieval village. The temple, also known as the "Great Temple," stands atop a hill outside the city walls. When Goethe visited on April 20, 1787, he record- ed in his Italian Journey that the temple had been restored in 1781. The theater, by contrast, was constructed on the high- est point of Mount Barbaro, behind the agora, which had been a place of worship cen- turies earlier. Built at the end of the 3rd century BC, Mediterranean, arrived in Sicily and, upon reaching its w e s t e r n c o a s t , f o u n d e d S e g e s t a a n d E r i c e . T h e s e refugees took on the name Elimi. Supporting the theo- ry of a "Trojan" origin is a reference in Virgil's Aeneid, w h e r e h e r e c o u n t s t h a t Aeneas, fleeing from the city of Troy along with some of his fellow citizens, stopped i n S i c i l y b e f o r e r e a c h i n g R o m e . I t w a s h e r e t h a t Aeneas' father, Anchises, settled along with some of the other travelers. Although the Elimi's descent is still not certain, they were a peo- p l e o p e n t o G r e e k a n d Roman cultural influences, w h i c h a l l o w e d t h e m t o engage in favorable trade with the Phoenicians. The Romans, recognizing their c o m m o n T r o j a n o r i g i n s , granted Segesta certain priv- ileges, including exemption from taxes, and treated the city as an ally rather than a t h e t h e a t e r d i f f e r s f r o m other Greek theaters in that i t s c a v e a d o e s n o t r e s t directly on the rock but is supported by retaining walls. With two entrances, the the- a t e r c a n a c c o m m o d a t e approximately four thou- s a n d s p e c t a t o r s . I t i s remarkably well-preserved, a l t h o u g h s o m e s c h o l a r s believe the missing top tier was likely repurposed during the Middle Ages, a period w h e n i t w a s c o m m o n t o r e u s e b u i l d i n g m a t e r i a l s from existing structures. The theater, with a diameter of around 60 meters, offers a sweeping view of the magnif- icent Gulf of Castellammare and the surrounding hills. Its enchanting location and naturally perfect acoustics make it one of the most ideal venues for performances, w h i c h , h e l d a t s u n s e t o r dawn, mesmerize audiences who come from across the island, seated on the ancient stone steps. Since 1997, Segesta has been joined with Calatafimi, forming the municipality of Calatafimi Segesta. The city flourished during the Emi- rate of Sicily (827–1061 AD), becoming one of the main Muslim centers in western Sicily. During this time, the n e a r b y h i l l w a s n a m e d Qal'at Fîmî, or the Castle of Euphemio, later evolving into Calatafimi. The city was struck by two major earth- quakes: the first in 1693, which also caused destruc- tion in eastern Sicily, and the second in 1968, which dev- astated many towns in the Belice Valley. Calatafimi also played a key role in the unification of I t a l y , p a r t i c u l a r l y d u r i n g Garibaldi's expedition of the T h o u s a n d . T h e b a t t l e between Bourbon troops and Garibaldi's forces is com- memorated by the Pianto R o m a n o M e m o r i a l , a m a u s o l e u m d e s i g n e d b y a r c h i t e c t E r n e s t o B a s i l e , where the fallen soldiers are laid to rest. Meanwhile, the second e d i t i o n o f t h e F e s t i v a l o f Beauty is being held at the S e l i n u n t e A r c h a e o l o g i c a l Park. i n t h e i r q u e s t t o c o n n e c t with God, accompanied by the graceful swirling of their white costumes and distinc- tive Mevlana hats. G i v e n t h a t t h e a r e a o f Sicily where Segesta is locat- ed was influenced by Islamic culture in centuries past— evidenced, for example, by the campaigns of Frederick II—the ancient stone theater serves as a fitting venue for this type of performance. Its h i s t o r i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e i s w e l l - m a t c h e d b y T h e Dervish of Bukhara, which e x p l o r e s a s p i r i t u a l i t y expressed in languages vast- ly different from those of Western or Christian tradi- tions. The exact founding date of Segesta is unknown, but it is documented that the city was inhabited as early as the 9th century BC. According t o t h e G r e e k h i s t o r i a n T h u c y d i d e s , T r o j a n refugees, sailing across the T h e h o t S i c i l i a n s u m m e r f a v o r s outdoor perfor- m a n c e s , a n d indeed, starting from May, there are numer- ous events held in various locations across the island, u n d e r t h e s t a r l i t s k y o r b a t h e d i n m o o n l i g h t . Although they occur bienni- ally, the most famous perfor- mances take place in Syra- c u s e — w h e r e , f o r s e v e r a l d e c a d e s n o w , G r e e k tragedies and comedies have been performed in the the- ater and amphitheater, after sunset. But the largest island in the Mediterranean, known as Trinacria for its triangu- lar shape, boasts many other o p e n - a i r t h e a t e r s , a l m o s t always of Greek or Roman origin. These are also known as "stone theaters," and as the name suggests, they are carved into the rock, with s t e p p e d s e a t i n g t h a t descends toward the stage. However, it's not just Greek or Latin tragedies and come- dies that are performed in t h e s e t h e a t e r s , b u t a l s o a wide variety of other works and performances. This summer, for instance, at the Teatro di Segesta— a t o w n i n t h e p r o v i n c e o f Trapani, which has shared its name with Calatafimi since 1997 and was officially grant- e d c i t y s t a t u s o n A p r i l 2 , 2009—an opera by Alberto S a m o n à , a j o u r n a l i s t , writer, and playwright with distinguished intellectual ancestors, was staged. The work, titled The Dervish of Bukhara, was featured in the 2024 season. Joining Samonà on stage, alongside other actors, was Tito Rine- si & Ensemble Dargah, performing live with vocals, a frame drum, and the saz— the former of Mesopotamian origin, the latter of Turkish. Persian and Sufi dancers g r a c e d t h e s t a g e a s w e l l , engaging in continuous, ritu- a l w h i r l i n g ( s a mā , o r whirling dervish), releasing s p i r i t u a l i t y , m e d i t a t i o n , energy, and mystical thought TERESA DI FRESCO Segesta: between myth, history and cultural exchange Images from The Dervish of Bukhara at the Theater of Segesta

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