Rosemary and Bob Connelly
Buscemi
Buscemi, SicilyBuscemi is a little town, spread across a craggy hill about equal distance from Siracusa and Ragusa in southeast Sicily. It is home to the Museo dei Luoghi del Lavoro Contadino (Museum of the Places of the Farmers and Country Life/Work). Or rather, Buscemi is the museum. Instead of housing all the artifacts in a… (more)
La Villa Romana del Casale
Piazza Armerina, SicilyThe Roman villa just outside of town here was built in the 4th century as a luxury hunting lodge for a Roman aristocrat, or possibly the Emperor himself. A complex of around 40 rooms, its main attractions are the incredible mosaics on the floors of almost every room and hall, including the toilets! Although the… (more)
Marina di Ragusa
Marina di Ragusa, SicilyMarina di Ragusa is a seaside village on the southeast coast of Sicily where residents of Ragusa and the surrounding area maintain summer homes. This little town of 4,000 people swells to 60,000 in July and August in a transformation that takes it from sleepy fishing village to hopping summer resort. Its centro has all… (more)
The Assisi Peace March
Perugia & Assisi, UmbriaThe March for Peace starts in the center of Perugia, capital city of Umbria, and proceeds to Assisi, the City of Peace, about 18 miles away. People of all ages and nationalities, lay and religious representatives and organizations from all over Italy and around the world walk side by side to the highest point in… (more)
Il Presepe Vivente
Monterosso Almo, SicilyOn December 26, Monterosso Almo presents Il Presepe Vivente, a live nativity scene. The area around the main piazza is strung with lights, ancient stone buildings tumble down the hillside and booths sell delicacies like ravioli, ricotta calda, salsicce on the grill with onions and cannoli of course, as children run playfully around the square.… (more)
Presepe (Nativity Scene) in Napoli
Naples, CampaniaThe tradition of sculpting nativity scenes for churches goes back to the early Christians. In the 13th century St. Francis is said to have created one in a natural cave complete with live animals. In 18th century Naples, creating presepi developed into a fine art, with figures carved in wood or formed in terracotta by… (more)
Festa dell’Immacolata
Marina di Vietri, CampaniaThe Catholic Church teaches that man is cleansed from “original sin” at birth. But in 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed that Mary was born without sin and therefore was pure enough to be the mother of Jesus. December 8th celebrates this phenomenon. In Marina di Vietri, around 2am, bells ring out, announcing the start of… (more)
Santa Lucia
Siracusa, SicilyTradition has it that Santa Lucia was martyred for refusing to give up her faith and is said to have plucked out her own eyes and thrown them at her persecutors. Since she is the patron saint of Sicracusa, on her feast day, December 13th her statue is taken in procession from the Duomo on… (more)
THE Chess Match
Marostica, VenetoIn this tiny medieval city near Verona, on the second weekend of September every even numbered year, a human chess tournament is held re-enacting the story of two young noblemen, Rinaldo D’Angarano and Vieri da Vallonara who in 1454 vowed to fight to the death for the hand of the beautiful Lionora. You can almost… (more)
Tocatí
Verona, VenetoTocatì (“It’s your turn!” in local dialect), the annual Festival Internazionale dei Giochi in Strada (International Festival of Street Games), takes place during the last weekend in September (Sept, 25th-27th, in 2009). Game sites are set up throughout the centro where the streets remain traffic free throughout the festival. Thousands of people fill this historic… (more)
L’Infiorata
SpelloOnce a year in May or June, in conjunction with the religious feast of Corpus Domini, the festival of L’Infiorata (from the verb infiorare, to decorate/bedeck with flowers) is celebrated in Spello, a charming, medieval hill town in central Umbria with origins that pre-date the Romans. Preparations include growing and gathering enormous quantities of flowers… (more)
Festa San Giorgio
Ragusa IblaRagusa and Ragusa Ibla are two halves of the same city, with Ragusa Superiore the “modern” part and Ragusa Ibla, the ancient. After a devastating earthquake in 1693, Ragusa rebuilt with broad avenues and a modern street layout. Ibla decided to rebuild exactly the way it had been, retaining the original layout designed by the… (more)
Festa dei Ceri
GubbioAt dawn, drumming softly through quiet streets, Ceraioli arrive to awaken their captains and the Festa dei Ceri begins. Later, with drums pounding, bells ringing, music blaring and people cheering, huge flags are unfurled and the Ceri – three monumental wooden “candlesticks” shaped liked prisms with intricate inlaid patterns, topped with their saint’s statue –… (more)
Calendimaggio
AssisiIn a city best known as the birthplace of St. Francis, where religious pilgrims flock, this spectacular event traces its roots to Roman times to celebrate the return of spring, when everyone’s fancy turns to love and romance. In the Middle Ages, the Parte de Sopra (upper town) and the Parte de Sotto (lower town)… (more)
Rocca Paolina
PerugiaCan you imagine a foreign ruler tearing down a fourth of your city and building in its place a big ugly fortress – not to keep out invaders, but to protect himself from you? That’s exactly what Pope Paul III did in the 1500s after a battle with the powerful Baglioni family who questioned his… (more)
Good Friday
EnnaOn Good Friday the men and boys of each confraternita (charitable religious brotherhood) depart from their particular church wearing different colored robes and white hoods over their heads with holes cut for their eyes. These are the pentiti – penitents, souls wandering, seeking forgiveness. Little girls dressed as nuns walk solemnly, hands pressed together in… (more)
Festa di San Giuseppe
Marina di RagusaAfter Mass, on today’s Festa di San Giuseppe, a marching band leads the faithful through the town stopping at homes chosen to present “La Cena” where a prayer has been answered and gratitude deeply felt. With the help of family and friends, a table is set for the Holy Family (locals dress the part). If… (more)
Piano, piano
PerugiaIn Italian this expression means “slowly, slowly, one step at a time.” Having a piano delivered to a third floor apartment is challenging no matter where you live, but in a medieval city like Perugia, it can be nearly impossible. Until you watch four men carry a shiny black baby grand piano down the stone… (more)
Carnevale at Acireale
AcirealeBilled as “il piú bel Carnevale di Sicilia”, (the most exciting and fun in all of Sicily), this is purely and unabashedly a family affair. Everyone participates… from the little ones in their adorable costumes to high school kids, as well as parent-aged kids and grandparent-aged kids. An overall sensation of fun and excitement permeates… (more)
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