Sicily, land of beauty

I.C. "L. Pirandello" - Comiso presents

Sicilyland of beauty

A journey through history, folklore, and traditions

A small choir for a great continent

SICILY

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean sea

It is sourronded by the Mediterranean Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea and Ionian Sea

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Sicily is divided into nine provinces: Palermo, the capital of the island, Trapani, Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Enna, Ragusa,Siracusa,Catania and Messina.

The three Capes

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Sicily has a roughly triangular shape, earning it the name Trinacria. The flag is characterized by the presence of the triskeles ( three legs figure) in its middle, the head of Medusa and three wheat ears, representing the extreme fertility of the land of Sicily,

The most important cities in Sicily

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Mount Etnasymbol of Sicily

Mount Etna, in Sicilian Mongibello, is the highest active volcano in Europe. The name comes from the Greek Aitne, from aithō, “I burn.” It is 3,329 metres high and dominates the eastern cost. It is an UNESCO cultural heritage site.

LET'S MAKE A VOLCANO!

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CRAFTSMANSHIP AND FOLKLORE

The Sicilian cart is generally two-wheeled, horse-drawn carriage. It is decorated with Sicilian folk iconography in the form of paintings, sculptures and fabrics that represent moments from the island’s history, forms epic stories of popular religion or depicts scenes from everyday life and nature.The decorations cover the entirety of the cart and use vivid colors of reds, yellows, oranges. The Sicilian cart is an ode to Sicilian history and the way of life on the island.

The Sicilian Cart

The future of Sicilian cart

Although it is much rarer now, the knowledge of cart making artisans has not disappeared. Passed down from father to son, these rich and complex skills are continued by craft families like the Cinabro family in Ragusa, who help to keep the tradition alive.

CERAMIC ART

Ceramic art is deeply rooted in Sicily.Ceramics are made and sold all over Sicily. But it’s in Caltagirone, where more than a hundred ceramic studios make their home.

The pine cone is a ceramic piece of furniture symbol of the deepest Sicilian tradition, it is among the most gifted objects as it is one of the major art representations that bring with them a message of luck and prosperity.

Teste di Moro

Testa di Moro is one of the most popular and loved souvenirs but behind it, there's a legend of love and revenge!

Read the legend!

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Sicilian Tarantella

It is a popular folk dance usually accompanied by tambourines

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Tambourines

Sicilian traditional clothing is colorful and beautiful

The typical Sicilian clothing for women consists of the skirt,generally embellished with a belt around the waist. Most of the times women wore also a petticoat and of course a blouse called ‘jippuni’

Ragusa

Saint John the Baptist (San Giovanni Battista) Cathedral in Ragusa Superiore.

Cathedral of Saint George in Ragusa Ibla

RAGUSA is one of the UNESCO-listed Baroque towns of south-eastern Sicily.Nowadays Ragusa has two parts: Ragusa Superiore, the modern upper town which was rebuilt after the earhquake of 1693 and Ragusa Ibla, the oldest nucleus on its hilltop , where the aristocrats built new palazzi on the ruins of the old town

Ragusa is also one of the principal filming locations for the Sicilian detective drama Il Commissario Montalbano (Inspector Montalbano)

Castello di Donnafugata

One of the best sights in the Ragusa area is the Castello di Donnafugata, a pseudo-Venetian-Gothic country villa in the countryside. this grand country villa is a fascinating insight into the lives of the Sicilian aristocracy.

Pictoresque cities in the province of RagusaModica

Modica chocolate is rich, dark and crumbly, produced in a traditional method, The most famous chocolate-maker is the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto.The traditional flavours are vanilla and cinnamon, but you'll find all kinds of flavours nowadays, including chili pepper and sea salt.One speciality you might want to try (but vegetarians beware) is the 'mpanatigghie,a kind of minced-beef-and-chocolate sweet.

Wiew of Duomo di San GiorgioModica is a large and busy, authentically Sicilian town. It boasts some very fine Baroque architecture, picturesque views

Our town, Comiso!

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The town is a vital cell of the territory, as natural centre of a thriving and populated area.

Some of the most important churches in Comiso

St. Biagio's church

Annunziata Church

Santa Maria delle Stelle

Fonte Diana Square

The Goddess Diana

The Holy week in Sicily

There is no place, in Sicily, where the Passion of Christ would not come alive through a real representation, where real people or statuary groups change streets and squares into a stage full of drama, where playing betrayal, murder and the pain of a mother. Rites, processions, religious services that combine faith, traditions and even folklore, characterize the week preceding Easter.

A moltitude of ancient rituals take place in various towns and villages around the island. Solemn processions and reenactments of the passion of Christ, culminate in the joyful celebrations of Easter Sunday with fireworks, doves, flowers and cheerful music accompaning the statue of the risen Christ meeting with that of the Madonna

Madonna Vasa Vasa ( the Virgin kisses her son)in Modica video

U' Gioia (Our Joy)in Scicli video

A' Paci (the Peace), Easter in Comiso

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The little angels

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On Easter Day, two children dressed as angels, sit one on the simulacrum of the Madonna and the other on that of the risen Christ. When the two simulacra meet the two angels sing the song of Peace (' a paci)

Tradional dishes

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Mitilugghie

Scacce

Arancine

Traditional desserts

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Almond biscuits

Cannoli

Granite

Famous Sicilian writers

Sicily was the home of some of the most famous Italian writers and men of letters in the world.

Salvatore Quasimodo

Leonardo Sciascia

Luigi Pirandello

Giovanni Verga

Andrea Camilleri

Andrea Camilleri is considered one of the greatest Italian writers of both 20th and 21st centuries.In 1994 Camilleri published the first in a long series of novels: La forma dell'Acqua (The Shape of Water) featured the character of Inspector Montalbano, a fractious Sicilian detective in the police force of Vigàta, an imaginary Sicilian town. The series is written in Italian but with a substantial sprinkling of Sicilian phrases and grammar. The name Montalbano is an homage to the Spanish writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán; the similarities between Montalban's Pepe Carvalho and Camilleri's fictional detective are remarkable. Both writers make great play of their protagonists' gastronomic preferences.

Can you repeat with the Sicilian accent?

Gesualdo Bufalino

Can you learn one of his poem?

Gesualdo Bufalino (Comiso, Italy, November 15, 1920 - June 14, 1996), was an Italian writer. Born in Comiso he studied literature and was, for most of his life a high-school professor in his hometown. The time spent in an hospital for tuberculosis immediately after World War II provided the material for the novel Diceria dell'untore (The Plague Sower), that was awarded with the Campiello Prize, . In 1990 he won the Nino Martoglio International Book Award. In his native town the Biblioteca di Bufalino ("Bufalino's Library") is now named after him.

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