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author
Aldo Gelso
A person interested in the creation or history of the world should be interested in the history of its own and his ancestor’s place of origin. Knowledge makes a person more useful to himself and to...view moreA person interested in the creation or history of the world should be interested in the history of its own and his ancestor’s place of origin. Knowledge makes a person more useful to himself and to society. I am not a historian and am not writing a book of history, but a tale of chronological advents in Sicily. I am describing advents as I believe they occurred, and some are like pleasant comedies, and others are tragedies. Contrary to everyone believes, I do not consider that Sicily was really dominated by foreigners. When Sicily was not an independent state, it was and is now a region and part of a state or an empire with occasionally capital Syracuse and Palermo. The Sicilian people have rarely accepted the laws of any country, if not just and equitable. It is important to know that kings, emperors, and viceroys of Sicily were often Sicilians born, as were lawmakers, senators, police commissioners, and policemen. I believe that it is wrong to consider Sicilian history in epochs called the invasion of or the dominion of the Greek, the Roman, the Saracen, the Norman, Svev, Adjoin, Aragone, Castilliane, Austrian, Bourbon, and finally the liberation of the Sabaudi or Savoia. The worst event ever to happen to Sicily was when the Sardinian Giuseppe Garibaldi conquered Sicily with the sellout of a few Sicilian politicians—who had peddled Sicily to kings and emperors—and found a taker in the Savoia or Sabaudi. The Sabaudi neither liked nor knew the region and its people. The events show that Sicily was not better off under the Savoias than under the Bourbons. The Bourbons had to subdue Sicilian revolts because Sicily wanted to be independent, while the Savoias had Sicily on a platter and never did much for it. By the time the Sicilians realized that they had gone from the frying pan into the burning fire, it was too late. The events of the First World War and the rising of Mussolini suspended any Sicilian movements of independence until the end of World War II when the Sabaudis were expelled and Mussolini hanged. The Muslim religion demands that a believer must visit Mecca at least once in a lifetime; I strongly suggest that any Sicilian descendant must visit Sicily at least once in his lifetime, and so should any one who likes to travel.
Visiting Sicily is stepping on a piece of real estate set by nature in the most desirable part of the Mediterranean Sea. During the frequent days of clear sky, the entire island of Sicily, the white Mount Etna, the mosaics of the Villa Romana, in Piazza Armerina, are among the oldest and most beautiful ancient mosaics in the world. Sicilian arts can be admired in the cathedrals of Montreal, Cefalu, Palermo, and Catania, among many other cities. The various castles of the Ventimiglia in a number of Sicilian towns, and particularly the sumptuous Castle of Castelbuono and the Castle of Enna, the picturesque castle of Pietraperzia, to name a few, are among the most outstanding works of architecture in the world. In each town and locality of Sicily are reminders of history, masterpieces of arts, and beauty of nature. Some towns have as many as a dozen of churches built during various periods, by Sicilians known throughout the world as Italians.
In Petralia Soprana, my ancestors’ town, is the Church of Saint Peter and Paul, where, among other magnificent religious arts, is located the first exceptionally admirable wooden crucifix sculpted by the their native sculptor, Gian Francesco Pintorno, also known as Frate Umile. The church was found on the fourteenth century and contains archives with documents dated since its foundation. Thanks to the archpriest Don Calogero la Placa, I found there documents of my ancestors back to the year 1570. Churches like the Saint Peter and Paul of Petralia Soprana are awaiting to be discovered by the world’s tourists in most small and big towns of Sicily; and so are innumerable masterpieces of Sicilian archeology, architectures, arts, literature, folklore, and not to be forgotten, there awaiting are the hospitality and cuisine of the Sicilian people.view less