L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES for the celebration of Mass. The same ritual is repeated on Ferragosto (August 15). However, life is not only about religious devotion; it is also about less sacred but equally joyful pleasures. Sci- acca is one of the capitals of Carnival celebrations in Sicily. In 1889, Giuseppe Pitrè—writer, scholar, eth- nologist, senator, and physi- cian—first mentioned Sciac- c a ' s C a r n i v a l i n h i s B i b l i o t e c a d e l l e tradizioni popolari sicil - i a n e ( L i b r a r y o f S i c i l i a n P o p u l a r T r a d i t i o n s ) . T h e origins of this festival, how- ever, date back much fur- t h e r , p e r h a p s t o R o m a n times when the Saturnalia w e r e c e l e b r a t e d . T h e s e ancient festivals featured a solemn sacrifice at the Tem- ple of Saturn, followed by a public feast, which conclud- ed with toasts—a tradition that endures to this day. Another theory places the origins of Carnival in 1616, when King Ossuna decreed that everyone must dress in costume on the final day of the festival. Initially, the excessive consumption of sausage symbolized the fes- tivities. Later, the tradition evolved into parades featur- ing makeshift floats, with c o s t u m e d p a r t i c i p a n t s paraded through the streets seated on chairs. In the 1920s, costumed f i g u r e s p e r f o r m e d l o c a l dialect skits on decorated platforms pulled by oxen or h o r s e s , a c c o m p a n i e d b y s m a l l i m p r o v i s e d b a n d s . Confetti and streamers were thrown into the crowd. Over time, the tradition grew to include satirical and allegor- ical floats, which remain a highlight of the Carnival. Today, these floats are more elaborate, with some being colossal and others minia- ture. Sciacca's traditional Car- n i v a l m a s k i s P e p p e Nappa, who is symbolically burned at the end of the fes- tival along with his float. The remains of the papier- m â c h é w o r k s , a l o n g w i t h floats of various sizes and metal structures, are pre- served in the Carnival Muse- w h e r e i n c e n s e i s b u r n e d . The streets of the town cen- ter come alive as the heavy marble statue of the Madon- na del Soccorso is carried on a 17th-century vara (proces- sional cart) adorned with gold, silver, and coral jewel- r y d o n a t e d b y d e v o t e e s . Fishermen, who fulfill vows by carrying the statue bare- foot, shoulder the immense weight of the vara. At inter- vals, they break into a run with the statue through the crowded streets, eventually returning it to the basilica u m , w h e r e t h e y c a n b e admired until the next year's celebrations. During the Sceusa, a tra- ditional rural festival held d u r i n g t h e F e a s t o f t h e Ascension, the streets come alive with parades featuring vintage cars and ornately decorated traditional Sicil- ian carts. One of the most memorable moments of the festival is the blessing of ani- m a l s , w h i c h a r e a d o r n e d with garlands for the occa- sion. Sciacca is also renowned as the city of coral, famous for its exquisite salmon-pink varieties, ranging from pale to deep hues. The corallum rubrum (red coral) once lay in abundance on the muddy seabed near the coast of Sci- acca, at depths of 40 to 200 meters. A truly unique event takes place in Sciacca during the summer along the beautiful staircase of Via Triolo. Here, an extraordinary exhibition showcases giant, impeccably handcrafted shoes. Elegant and original, these colorful leather creations captivate anyone who sees them. The s m a l l e s t s h o e s m e a s u r e a b o u t 6 0 c e n t i m e t e r s i n length and could almost fit three adult feet. They seem straight out of a fairy tale, though comparing them to Cinderella's tiny glass slip- p e r f e e l s t o o s i m p l i s t i c . Instead, they more closely r e s e m b l e s o m e t h i n g from Gulliver's Travels. Yet, these creations have nothing to do with literature—they a r e t h e a r t i s t i c l e g a c y o f G i u s e p p e S u t e r a . Each summer, his nephew, Fabio Venezia, curates this instal- lation along Sciacca's so- called sciddicaloru staircase. The collection, crafted by this talented artisan who dreamed of such creations since childhood, consists of 5 3 p i e c e s , t h e l a r g e s t o f which measures 2.6 meters. Like avant-garde sculptures, these shoes line the stair- case, evoking dreams of dis- tant lands—a vision, per- h a p s , o f P u s s i n Boots embarking on a jour- ney to a world of peace and fantasy. Legend has it that during the February 2 procession that year, while the sky was c l e a r , a b o l t o f l i g h t n i n g struck, and a cloud of smoke rose from the base of the Madonna's statue. In that instant, all those afflicted by the plague were healed. I n d e v o t i o n t o t h e Madonna del Soccorso, t h e f a i t h f u l f a s t t h e d a y before the celebration and p a r t i c i p a t e i n a b a r e f o o t procession. The following day, the procession travels to the site of the miracle, T he origin of Sci- acca 's name is u n c e r t a i n , a s historians have p r o p o s e d v a r i - ous theories. However, it is commonly attributed to the Latin ex aqua (from water), referencing the town's rich hydrothermal resources. T h e s e i n c l u d e s u l f u r i c , saline-bromo-iodic, bicar- bonate-alkaline, medium- mineral waters, and many other varieties. These waters are used for baths, inhalation treatments, gynaecological irrigation, and other thera- pies. Among these, the bicar- bonate-alkaline water, once known as Acqua Santa (Holy Water), disappeared follow- ing the Belice Valley earth- quake but might be rediscov- ered. The medium-mineral w a t e r o f t h e s o - called Fontana Calda (Hot F o u n t a i n ) i s w i d e l y c o n - sumed by locals as a drink. Sciacca is also famous for the natural vapor caves of San Calogero. According to legend, these caves were cre- ated by Daedalus, the mythi- c a l f i g u r e f r o m G r e e k mythology, who channeled fiery underground vapors i n t o t h e g r o t t o e s . T h e s e caves were originally inhab- ited by Neolithic people until the Copper Age, but around 2000 BCE, possibly due to a seismic event, the release of fumes made them uninhabit- a b l e . T h e y w e r e l a t e r restored by Saint Calogero at the beginning of the Christ- ian era. The thermal facilities in Sciacca are an essential part of its heritage. One such site, t h e N u o v e T e r m e ( N e w Thermal Baths), stands dra- matically on a cliff overlook- ing the sea, offering both therapeutic benefits and a striking location. Sciacca is also renowned for its festivals, both reli- gious and secular. The most significant Christian celebra- tion honors the Madonna del Soccorso (Our Lady of Help), whose Marian statue is housed in the Duomo. The festivities take place on Feb- ruary 2 and August 15. On both dates, the Rite of the Fumata (Smoking Ceremo- ny) is performed: a cloud of incense fills the air, com- memorating the miraculous liberation from the plague that devastated the town in 1626. TERESA DI FRESCO The many faces of Sciacca: tradition, art, and celebration A colorful street in Sciacca, Sicily (Photo: Maudanros/Dreamstime)

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