L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano I n 1 9 6 3 , r e n o w n e d G e n o e s e s i n g e r - s o n g w r i t e r G i n o P a o l i , a u t h o r o f some of Italy's most iconic hits, was staying in C a p o d ' O r l a n d o , in the province of Messina. He was a guest at the home of the Milio barons, located in the Bay of San Gregorio. "In an empty house near an empty beach," as he later recalled, it was there that he found the inspiration for one of his greatest songs: Sapore di sale. Anyone who has set foot on the beach at San Grego- rio knows the spell it casts: the golden sand, the shim- m e r i n g s e a , a n d t h e v i e w that reaches all the way to t h e h o r i z o n , w h e r e t h e "seven sisters," the Aeolian Islands, rise from the water. Capo d'Orlando sits with- i n t h e N e b r o d i m o u n t a i n range and began as a fishing village before evolving into a thriving tourist destination. Once a district of the nearby t o w n o f N a s o , i t g a i n e d independence on August 1, 1925 – a centenary celebrat- ed this year – following pop- ular protests that spanned the late 19th and early 20th c e n t u r i e s . R e s i d e n t s h a d long demanded autonomy from Naso, a town of similar economic and demographic standing. Although reluc- tant to give up its access to t h e s e a , N a s o e v e n t u a l l y ceded part of its territory. That same year, Capo d'Or- l a n d o ' s n e w m u n i c i p a l building was inaugurated, marking its official indepen- dence. The area's ancient name, A g a t i r n o , b e l o n g e d t o a Greek city said to have been f o u n d e d b y S p a r t a n s . A c c o r d i n g t o l e g e n d , t h e name comes from Agatir- sus, son of Aeolus, king of the winds and of the Aeolian Islands, though not to be confused with the Greek god of the same name. The name Agatirsus, meaning "he who carries the splendid thyr- sus," links the town to the cult of Dionysus, who was traditionally depicted hold- ing the ceremonial staff. The modern name, Capo d'Orlando, is traditionally a t t r i b u t e d t o a l e g e n d a r y stop made by the paladin Orlando during a crusade to the Holy Land. This tale was recounted by Goffredo da Viterbo, a 12th-century chronicler at the court of Conrad III and later Freder- ick Barbarossa. He writes t h a t t h e t o w n ' s o r i g i n a l pagan name, Agatirno, was replaced in honor of Charle- magne, who is said to have p a u s e d i n e a s t e r n S i c i l y while returning from a pil- grimage to Jerusalem. Later, during the power s t r u g g l e f o r t h e S i c i l i a n t h r o n e b e t w e e n t h e Aragonese under James II a n d t h e A n g e v i n s u n d e r Frederick III, Capo d'Orlan- d o b e c a m e t h e s i t e o f a naval battle. The date was July 4, 1299. Not only fishing, but also s u g a r c a n e c u l t i v a t i o n , a sugar mill, and silk-spin- n i n g w o r k s h o p s w e r e among the activities carried out by the barons of nearby Naso as early as the 15th century. To protect the area f r o m p i r a t e a t t a c k s , t h e y b u i l t a f o r t i f i e d t o w e r . A r o u n d t h e s a m e t i m e , a tonnara, a traditional tuna fishery, was established in San Gregorio. By 1895, the railway was already running through the area, along with state roads 113 and 116. This g r o w i n g i n f r a s t r u c t u r e would eventually contribute t o t h e s o c i a l u n r e s t t h a t , between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, led to Capo d'Orlando's indepen- dence from Naso. But in Capo d'Orlando, beyond the beach so dear to Gino Paoli, there is another place of note, not by the sea, b u t n e s t l e d i n t h e h i l l s : V i l l a P i c c o l o d i Calanovella, the estate of Baron Giuseppe Piccolo di C a l a n o v e l l a a n d T e r e s a M a s t r o g i o v a n n i T a s c a F i l a n g e r i d i C u t ò . T h e i r noble lineage dates back to the Crusades, and the fami- l y w a s c o n n e c t e d t o a Viceroy of Sicily as well as t o t h e P r i n c e s o f L a m p e - dusa. O r i g i n a l l y a s u m m e r retreat, the villa became the p e r m a n e n t r e s i d e n c e o f Baroness Teresa and her three children, Casimiro, Lucio, and Agata Giovanna, in 1932. Following a per- s o n a l u p h e a v a l , t h e y l e f t their Palermo residence and withdrew to the seclusion of Capo d'Orlando. Betrayed and abandoned by her hus- band, Giuseppe, who had run off to Sanremo with a y o u n g d a n c e r , T e r e s a , d e e p l y w o u n d e d i n p r i d e and spirit, chose to retire to t h e f a m i l y v i l l a . S h e w a s supported by her children, who were disillusioned by their father's actions and decided to remain by her side. Together, they sought refuge "from the noise of the world," far from gossip and scandal. The three siblings made a remarkable pact, one they kept until the end of their lives: none of them would e v e r m a r r y . Y e t d e s p i t e their voluntary retreat, they r e m a i n e d c l o s e t o t h e i r cousin, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, author of The Leopard, whose mother was Teresa's sister. He often stayed at the villa. Though they shunned publicity and did not mingle socially with the local community, they were not reclusive. On the contrary, they maintained strong connections with the world of art and culture. When Lucio, poet, eso- teric scholar, and musicolo- gist, passed away in 1969, C a s i m i r o a n d h i s s i s t e r Agata Giovanna established the Piccolo di Calanovel- la Family Foundation in 1970 to preserve their cul- tural, artistic, literary, and natural heritage and to pro- mote cultural activity. The foundation focused particu- larly on literature, the arts, and agricultural studies, a field in which Agata was a noted expert. On March 27, 1972, a Presidential Decree o f f i c i a l l y r e c o g n i z e d t h e foundation as a legal entity entrusted with managing Villa Piccolo, the surround- ing park, the house muse- um, its furnishings, and the artistic and literary collec- tions found within. To this day, the rooms remain as they were when the family lived there, with their origi- nal layout and contents pre- s e r v e d i n t a c t . O n e o f t h e rooms is dedicated to their cousin, Giuseppe Tomasi, a n d h a s a l s o b e e n l e f t u n c h a n g e d . T h e d i n i n g room remains set as if wait- ing for the family to return: mother Teresa, her three c h i l d r e n , a n d n e p h e w Giuseppe. V i s i t o r s t o d a y c a n s e e , o n e b y o n e , t h e p e r s o n a l spaces of Lucio, the poet; Casimiro, the painter and photographer; and Agata, t h e b o t a n i s t . I n A g a t a ' s room, pink candelabras, her embroidery, and a rare copy of her only publication on P u y a b e r t e r o n i a n a – a plant species represented in the villa's park – can still be admired. It is the only spec- imen of its kind in Europe. The house museum also h o l d s v a l u a b l e c e r a m i c s , p a i n t i n g s , a l i b r a r y w i t h thousands of volumes, and a historical archive filled with period prints and doc- u m e n t s . O n t h e g r o u n d floor, visitors can admire a unique collection of "magi- cal" watercolors painted by Casimiro. Their mother, Baroness T e r e s a M a s t r o g i o v a n n i T a s c a F i l a n g e r i d i C u t ò , lived in the villa with her children until her death in 1954. V i l l a P i c c o l o : t h e h o m e o f p o e t s , artists, and guests who defined an era TERESA DI FRESCO A view of Capo d'Orlando (Photo:Sergiy Vovk/Shutterstock) and, bottom right, Villa Piccolo (Photo: Maudanros/Dreamstime) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES EVENTS

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