L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026 L'Italo-Americano I n t h e J u l y 9 , 2 0 2 4 issue, I wrote about t h e c a n d i d a c y o f G i b e l l i n a f o r t h e first edition of Italian Capital of Contemporary Art, scheduled for 2026. And the town in the province of Tra- p a n i d i d n o t m i s s i t s m o m e n t . I t w a s s e l e c t e d . Responding to the Ministry of Culture's call to "encour- age and support the planning and implementation capacity of Italian cities in the promo- t i o n a n d e n h a n c e m e n t o f contemporary art," Gibellina has now honored its commit- ment to offer the territory and "the national and inter- national artistic community an opportunity to connect with the continuous creativi- ty of art, an expression of confidence." Thus, Thursday the 15th and Friday the 16th marked the opening days and official inauguration of a year rich in events, as the newly appoint- ed – and first ever – Italian Capital of Contemporary Art takes center stage with a program that brings together music, critical thought, visu- al arts, and other cultural expressions. Together, these i n i t i a t i v e s a i m t o r e s t o r e b r e a t h a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l v i s i o n t o a t e r r i t o r y t h a t s t a n d s a t t h e h e a r t o f Mediterranean identity. The inauguration of Por- tami il futuro (Bring Me the Future), promoted by the Directorate-General for Con- temporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture and sup- p o r t e d b y t h e S i c i l i a n Region, the Municipality of Gibellina, the Ludovico Cor- rao Museum of Contempo- rary Art, and the Orestiadi Foundation, could not pro- ceed without the presence of A n d r e a C u s u m a n o . Painter, sculptor, performer, director, and former coun- cilor for culture of the City of Palermo, Cusumano serves as the project's artistic direc- tor. Gibellina is presented as a crossroads of peoples and cultures, a place where pub- lic space becomes a site of welcome, sharing, and col- lective construction, never separation. Among those present were the Minister of Culture, A l e s s a n d r o G i u l i , a n d Angelo Cappello, Director- General for Contemporary Creativity, welcomed into the town by two lines of school- children. "Today is a day of celebration," Minister Giuli said. "We celebrate Gibellina and recognize the historical and cultural greatness of a difficult land, one that has k n o w n s u f f e r i n g b u t h a s o v e r c o m e i t t h a n k s t o a strong sense of community and, of course, the historic presence of great artists who have always seen Gibellina as an example of social and u r b a n r e g e n e r a t i o n . " H e continued: "With this pro- ject, Gibellina confirms what it already was: a point of ref- erence for new generations of creativity." The ceremony included the performance of the Ital- ian national anthem by the Orchestra Filarmonica del Sud (Fides), conducted by Maestro Antonio Giovanni Bono, who will also become the city's resident orchestra, based at the auditorium of the MAC, Museo d'Arte Con- temporanea dedicated to Ludovico Corrao. A m o m e n t o f r e m e m - brance was inevitable, too, to honor the victims of the 1 9 6 8 e a r t h q u a k e , w h i c h struck on the night between Saturday the 15th and Sun- day the 16th. Thanks to a deep love of culture and the r e m a r k a b l e i n t u i t i o n o f Ludovico Corrao – mayor at the time, who transformed the town into a monument of memory meant to pre- serve the tragedy forever – Gibellina was able to rise again. T h e y e a r 2 0 2 6 w i l l b e marked by a wide range of cultural events: theatrical performances, exhibitions of painting and photography, m u s i c f e a t u r i n g m a j o r orchestras alongside con- temporary popular tradi- tions. In short, a dialogue among cultural languages, observed through the lens of memory, capable of inspir- i n g n e w g e n e r a t i o n s o f artists. Y e t a n o t h e r f o r m o f expression we might well d e f i n e a s a r t i s r e l i g i o u s devotion. Liturgical repre- sentations in honor of saints are, after all, artistic mani- f e s t a t i o n s o f f e e l i n g a n d i n s p i r a t i o n , r e l i g i o u s i n nature, but deeply embed- ded in collective culture. L e a v i n g w e s t e r n S i c i l y behind and crossing to the e a s t e r n s i d e o f t h e i s l a n d , w e a r r i v e i n t h e province of Syracuse, and more precisely in Palazzolo Acreide. While Gibellina prepares to offer an entire year of cultural initiatives in all their forms, Palazzolo Acreide is preparing to cele- b r a t e t h e c u l t o f S a i n t Paul. Declared patron saint of the town in 1668, replac- ing the Madonna of Odigi- tria, Saint Paul had in fact been venerated for centuries a l r e a d y . D o c u m e n t s p r e - served in the archive of the Church of San Paolo attest to celebrations as early as 1599. As with many religious traditions, these celebra- tions are deeply rooted in local lore, reinforcing their connection to the territory. A n a n c i e n t l e g e n d , s t i l l p a s s e d d o w n a m o n g t h e people of Palazzolo, holds that children born between January 24 and 25 and given the names Paolo (for boys) or Petra (for girls) possess extraordinary powers, that of the ciaraulo. According to some ethno-anthropological scholars, the word, meaning "trumpet," may derive from the Greek kerayleles, or pos- sibly from the French fac- teuse, meaning sorceress. The myth traces back to accounts found in the Acts o f t h e L i f e o f t h e S a i n t , which attribute supernatural powers to Saint Paul. During h i s s t a y o n t h e i s l a n d o f Malta, at the heart of the M e d i t e r r a n e a n , P a u l w a s a t t a c k e d a n d b i t t e n b y a viper while placing wood on a fire: "it fastened itself onto his finger" yet he suffered no harm. He was also credited with healing powers, per- forming miraculous cures t h r o u g h t h e l a y i n g o n o f hands. These narratives fed the belief—documented as early as the fifteenth centu- ry—that those born between January 24 and 25 possess s u p e r n a t u r a l a b i l i t i e s e n a b l i n g t h e m t o c h a r m snakes, heal from their bites and those of other reptiles and insects, and even bear beneath their tongue a small spider-shaped muscle (in reality, a tiny cluster of pink veins). The healing ritual for a bite involves touching the affected area while reciting p r a y e r s t o t h e s a i n t , o r applying the saliva of the ciaraulo to the wound. In t h e p a s t , c i a r a u l i w o u l d process behind the statue of Saint Paul carrying boxes filled with harmless black snakes. Celebrations are not limited to January 24 and 25, the days of the saint's conversion. Until the first half of the nineteenth century, it was customary for devotees to enter the church, bow, and crawl along the floor from t h e e n t r a n c e t o t h e h i g h altar, dragging their tongues across the stone. Fortunate- ly, of these practices, more pagan than Christian, only one remains: the prepara- tion of codduri, homemade breads embossed with the image of a snake. These are piled onto the carruzzuni (a cart) and auctioned to raise funds for the festivities. And, as tradition dictates, every religious celebration ultimately concludes with t h e c e l e b r a t i o n o f H o l y Mass. TERESA DI FRESCO A street in Palazzolo Acreide (Photo: Laudibi/Dreamstime) S i c i l y f r o m W e s t t o E a s t , between art and devotion LIFE PEOPLE PLACES EVENTS

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