Click here to join out Facebook group The trip to Sciacca got off to a rocky start as the van that was to take us failed to start. After about a 45 minute wait a new vehicle arrived and off we went for the roughly one hour drive. During the trip from Palermo, we were treated to excellent views of the coast, mountains and hills and valleys. As it was a Sunday, it’s hard to know the daily weekday activity. While we were there it was pretty quiet with most of the shops closed. But we did find a lovely place for gelato and of course a spritzer and pastry. It was a real steep walk down the steps to the sea, and much much harder coming up for sure. All that being said, it turned out to be a relaxing day, which by this time in the trip was welcomed. We got back in time to visit the Duomo in Palermo before dinner. Needless to say, one more beautiful church in Italy.

Click here to join out Facebook group The ferry ride from Calabria to Sicily was much quicker than we had anticipated, less than 1/2 hour. So we arrived before our driver, so naturally we had a pastry. It was about a two hour drive from Messina to Cefalu and we arrived just in time for lunch with my good friend Francesco Curione from 007 Italian Records and his friend Andrea Fonti. I interviewed Francesco in January of 2021 and we have been friends ever since. Check out our interview here. We had the best day with Andrea and Francesco, who gave us a walking tour of Cefalu including the beach, the Duomo, downtown and then a special treat, the Spritz! The spritz became the cocktail of choice for the rest of the trip. What is pretty neat, is that everywhere you go they also provide you with some sort of snack to go with your drink. We hated to leave, but alas, our driver showed up to bring us to Palermo. Palermo is like a small big city, with a great street scene at night. It was pretty amazing to watch our driver navigate his way through the streets to finally get us to the hotel. We were right in the heart of all the action and many streets are filled with restaurants that come to life after 7:30. Our first  nights dinner had us on a very busy and loud street. Not something we are accustomed to but it turned out to be fun and we felt like we were a part of this vibrant city.

Join me as I chat with author Carlo Treviso about his Sicilian heritage and the inspiration behind his riveting book, Siciliana. We explore his dad’s immigration story from Porticello, Sicily to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the 70s, and how his family may have been orphans. Delve into the fascinating history of Sicily and the true event of the Sicilian Vespers that inspired Carlo’s story. Listen in as we discuss Carlo’s DNA test results and the Spanish occupation of Sicily. Learn how his film background helped him translate his vivid imagination into a cinematic style for Siciliana, and how he meticulously created the book based on historical records. We also explore the beautiful locations in Sicily that played a significant role in shaping his story, from Palermo to Taormina to Mt. Aetna. Don’t miss out on this captivating conversation about Sicilian history, ancestry, and the creative process behind Siciliana. Find out how you can get your hands on a copy of this amazing book by visiting Carlo’s website, social media channels, and online retailers. Immerse yourself in the rich world of Sicily and embark on this unforgettable journey with us. Carlo Treviso grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in film directing. Traversing the worlds of Hollywood and advertising, Treviso has written and produced commercial broadcast campaigns for well-known brands all over the world. The son of a Sicilian immigrant, Treviso enjoys bringing his passion and appreciation for Sicily to his readers. He is a proud advocate and supporter of conservation organizations UNESCO, LIFE ConRaSi, and World Wildlife Fund—all of which work to protect the beauty and grandeur of Sicily’s engrossing past, resilient culture, and vibrant biodiversity. Treviso resides in Chicago, Illinois. Main Website: https://www.thesiciliana.com/Amazon: https://amzn.to/3p3BN1fB&N: https://tinyurl.com/yjb92493Apple: https://tinyurl.com/yck5euv2Audible: https://tinyurl.com/3uwhcmdj Podcast Click here to join our group on Facebook Video

Click here to join out Facebook group The drive from Scilla to Montebello is about an hour and on the way we stopped to view the mountain “ghost town” Pentedattilo, which is derived from the Greek language and means five fingers. You can read the interesting story of two barons here. Our day in Montebello and Fossato turned out to be one of the more special days. Mostly due to my cousin Cinzia Piromallo ( she and I on the second floor balcony of Palazzo Piromallo in Montebello. Originally I just planned to have a little side trip to Montebello just to see one of the ancestral homes. Instead, Cinzia, with the help of the leaders of several local associations made this one very special and memorable day. We were greeted by Mayor Maria Foti and welcomed by the association executives, Baron Cordopatri and other very special people that we will never forget. We were then brought to the first of my ancestors homes in Montebello, which is still occupied. In the piazza outside the residence we were met and entertained by Gino Neri, Angelo Roda and Pasquale Federico. Check the videos below to see how how they got everyone singing and dancing. Much to my surprise the current owner presented me with the key to open the door and allowed us upstairs to see the residence. Before leaving, the local florist presented my wife with a beautiful bouquet of roses colored blue and gold for the stemma of the Piromallo barons. Our next stop was Fossato, a place up until a short while ago I did not know was part of the Piromallo history. It was only a short ride, and everyone followed from Montebello. We arrived to renditions of the US and Italian National anthems and were led up a hill to the second Palazzo Piromallo. There we found a spread of home made eggplant parmigiana ( courtesy of cousin Cinzia ), cheese, ham, olives, bread and olive oil, cookies and of course wine. After a bit, we were treated to a fashion show highlighted by my daughter Nicole, who was announced as the Contessa escorted by the Baron. Even Mayor Foti took part. After that there was more singing, dancing and games. One game was the predecessor to bowling, where pins are set up in a diamond shape and you throw a type of bocce ball to knock them down. The secret, bounce, don’t roll the ball. Another game, which is Internationally known, is to spin a top, then pick it up and place it on the palm of another and time how long it spins. We were told that one of the group has had it continue to spin for almost four minutes. No easy task. What was truly special is that the wonderful people of Montebello and Fossato spent the entire day with us and treated as if we were their family. One resident even gave us a huge bottle of olive that she pressed herself. Towards the end of the day the current owner of the palazzo asked us if we would like to enter. He does not live in the building but in another home on the property. We were told that the lower level was once used for silkworm cultivation and the silk industry. It was nice to be able to go inside and one can only imagine the palazzo in its glory days.

Click here to join our Facebook group The Apuli or Iapyges inhabited the southeastern part of Italy or most of today’s Puglia. It is thought that they originated in Crete or Illyria and some say they are related to the Messapii, who lived in parts of Puglia and Calabria. Their language however is closely related to the Messapic.  It is distinct from Latin. They were influenced by the Greek colonies and they had pit graves and stone tumuli. Large cities developed in what is now Ordona, Canosa di Puglia, Ruvo di Puglia, Brindisi, Oria, Lecce, Rudiae and Manduria. They defended their independence against the Greeks until eventually conquered by Rome. Britannica Their religious beliefs were indigenous with some Greek Elements. For example Aphrodite and Athena were worshipped. There is also evidence that live horses were sacrificed to the god Manzanas. The aristocracy were known for their ornamental dress and by the 7th century BC they wore ornate costumes and jewelry. They wore their hair long and wore short tunics, young women wore long tunics belted at the waist. They buried their dead close to their settlements with men and some women buried with weapons, arms and armor. wikipedia