L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 L'Italo-Americano with the Circumetnea Rail- way, for journeys to Bron- te —perfect for tasting its renowned pistachios. This nostalgic journey will also take you to places like T u s a i n t h e p r o v i n c e o f Messina, Santo Stefano di Camastra, and Taormina; Porto Empedocle in Agrigen- to; Roccapalumba in Paler- mo, home to an important astronomical observatory once beloved by Margheri- ta Hack; and other stops including Catania, Mazara del Vallo in Trapani, and Caltanissetta. It will be a unique experience to settle into the seats of these vin- tage carriages while enjoying the local culinary specialties o f t h e a r e a s y o u p a s s through. But beyond the food and sights, traveling on these trains—steeped in history a n d p a r t o f S i c i l y ' s o w n story—visiting, or even just glimpsing a small, old sta- t i o n w i t h F S I t a l i a n Tourist Trains and Circu- metnea Railway, historic trains will travel across the island, passing through vil- lages, archaeological parks, a n d c u l t u r a l l a n d m a r k s . From Saturday, September 14, to Sunday, December 8, there will be 33 trips, taking passengers to destinations such as Agrigento and the V a l l e y o f t h e T e m p l e s Archaeological Park; Santo S t e f a n o d i C a m a s t r a a n d Caltagirone to discover their ceramics; Syracuse to visit its historic center and Orti- gia; Castelvetrano and 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; and Modica, with its Baroque beauty and famous chocolate, celebrated during a festival dedicated to this unique delicacy made with a cold-processing method. The main departure stations will be Palermo, Messina, and Catania, with Giarre includ- ed, thanks to a collaboration tion along the way, is a way of connecting with a piece of our past. A m o n g t h e s e r o u t e s , there's one station that won't see any historic trains pass- ing through, but it surely deserves a stop—if only to visit the Museum Train of Mining, Rural Life, Rail- ways, and Emigration. T h e m u s e u m i s h o u s e d inside old freight cars, no longer in use, parked on a dead-end track. This station is that of Villarosa, in the p r o v i n c e o f E n n a . Redesigned and rebuilt in 1761 with an octagonal lay- out by architect and painter Rosa Ciotti, she modeled it a f t e r P a l e r m o ' s P i a z z a Vigliena, the Quattro Canti. The small station survived an attempted dismantling by Ferrovie dello Stato, thanks to the relentless dedication of its stationmaster, Primo D a v i d , who passed away just a few months ago. He left the task of preserving what he and the local resi- dents had gathered to the Villarosa Museum-Train A s s o c i a t i o n . D a v i d h a d worked tirelessly to restore nine freight cars, once used during World War II in 1943 to deport Jews from Rome to Trieste, to the Risiera di San Sabba. The museum's collection includes repro- ductions of the mines, tools for sulfur extraction, lamps, vintage photographs, a wall- mounted telephone, as well a s r e c o n s t r u c t i o n s o f a farmer's house and a cob- bler's workshop. As for the historic trains and their routes, these jour- neys will be slow-paced, giv- i n g p a s s e n g e r s t i m e t o admire unusual landscapes and enjoy local culinary spe- cialties. The season will be full of festivals, offering the perfect opportunity to taste the regional delicacies each destination has to offer. We can't help but imagine that these old trains evoke a bit of the charm of the leg- e n d a r y O r i e n t E x p r e s s — minus the murders—from A g a t h a C h r i s t i e ' s f a m o u s novel, which has enchanted generations. It reminds us that life, with all its highs and lows, is a long journey filled with routes to explore and surprises, sometimes beyond our wildest expecta- tions. the trains with little more than a cardboard suitcase, filled with poverty and disil- lusionment. Today, trains run on dif- ferent tracks, metaphorically speaking—those of busi- nesspeople, commuting students, and those who don't like flying. But memo- r y d o e s n ' t f a d e . I n o u r minds, there's the story of a c o u n t r y — I t a l y — a n d f o r many of us, our own person- al history as well. Why not revive those old routes with vintage carriages, offer- ing a journey through places and sensations of the past? Perhaps with new paths, and restored carriages like the unique "balcony" ones from the 1930s. For the sixth year, thanks to an agreement between the Regional Department of T o u r i s m , S p o r t s , a n d Entertainment and the F e r r o v i e d e l l o S t a t o Foundation, in collabora- T hey're almost a h u n d r e d y e a r s old, but still lead a n a c t i v e l i f e . Since 2018—six y e a r s n o w — t h e y ' v e b e e n traveling, stopping at small railway stations, accompa- nied by the nostalgic sound of the bell signaling their arrival and departure. These t r a i n s d o n ' t j u s t c a r r y tourists—whether local or f r o m a f a r — b u t a l s o t h e i r memories, their past, and their imagination. On the tracks, emotions travel too: a deeper connection with oth- ers that goes beyond listen- ing, felt within the old com- partments, with their long, velvet-covered seats, uncom- fortable yet fostering a cer- tain intimacy. Once upon a time, you could see the man- ners, composure, and eti- quette of the people seated across from you, and often, f r i e n d s h i p s — o r e v e n r o m a n c e s — w o u l d f o r m , helped along by the gentle swaying of the train cars. The whistle of the locomotive sig- naled the approach of a new station, where, for those get- ting off, a whole new world a w a i t e d . T h e c o n d u c t o r ' s call, "All aboard!" followed by a sharp blow of the whis- t l e , u r g e d p a s s e n g e r s t o hurry. It almost sounded like t h e c h o r u s o f a s o n g t h a t played alongside the often heartbreaking farewells of those leaving and those stay- ing behind. They speak of people cran- ing their necks, looking up to see who 's leaning out the window, reaching out for a goodbye, as if not wanting to let go, their hearts torn. And the final words exchanged between mother and child, between lovers, between sib- lings or friends were always: " W r i t e t o m e w h e n y o u arrive." Of course! Back then, there were no cell phones, no mobile devices—just letters and postcards. Romantic, unforgettable letters. But these trains also car- ried countless emigrants who entrusted their fate to t h e t r a c k s , t a k i n g t h e m towards the hope of a better world, of a fresh start. They dreamed of a brighter future, though they often boarded TERESA DI FRESCO Sicily by train, one memory at a time A colorful vintage train, like those traveling through Sicily this fall. Photo: Shutterstock ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS PEOPLE ACTIVITIES

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