In mid-September, we flew to Palermo to begin our two-week visit to Sicily and other parts of southern Italy. We were last in Sicily in March 1996 during my three-week stint as a visiting faculty member at the University of Calabria in Rende Italy. One Sunday we drove south to Reggio Calabria and took the ferry to Messina and beyond. We stopped in my grandfather’s (mother’s side) hometown, Gangi. From there, it was on to Catania, Mt. Etna, and then back to Messina to grab the last ferry for the night. I was scheduled to give a lecture on Monday morning so we had to get back.
Palermo is the capital of Sicily and before the unification of Italy in 1861 was the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily. Palermo’s history goes back to prehistoric times. Since then, the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, and Spanish have occupied the region, some for extended periods of time. Their impact on art, language, architecture, and other elements of culture can be found on the streets every day. Archeological sites are numerous, uncovering additional elements of settlements long gone.
Our walking tour of the city did not disappoint. The streets were jammed with people on the way to or from the daily market. While most of the items for sale were made in Sicily, there were a few streetside shops selling African clothing and jewelry. We passed by a few more well-known landmarks, including the theatre where Michael Corleone’s (Al Pacino) daughter Mary (Sofia Coppola) is mistakenly shot near the end of Godfather III.
Nightlife in Palermo is hopping. The evenings start late but are full of great food, interesting people, shops that stay open late, and good music. We are coming back to Palermo soon. It’s a must-see place.
Gangi is a city of about 6,500 located 50 miles southeast of Palermo. My grandfather’s immediate family left Gangi for Boston and then New York City in 1904. Their departure was not marked by the straightforward story, “they left for better opportunities”. There has been a long-standing story in my family that my great-grandfather Gaetano and his future father-in-law, Giorgio, my great great grandfather were at odds because of Gaetano’s romance with my great-grandmother, Giavanna. It seems that Giavanna was from nobility and Gaetano was not. The two men came to blows, sort of.
We had dinner with my cousin Bernardetta in Gangi and she confirmed the story. Gaetano refused to back off. Giorgio was a man of wealth and influence and was incensed that Gaetano would not just go away. So, Giorgio did what many connected Sicilian hotheads might do, he hired a mafia hit man to kill my future great-grandfather. The hitman shot my great-grandfather, but Gaetano did not die. He fled to Palermo, changed his name, and lived on the down low until my great-grandmother caught up with him. Fearing for his life, my great-grandfather bought one-way tickets for his family to America.
Meeting up and having dinner with my cousin Bernardetta was terrific. Janet claims that we look alike, but I am not so sure. She is full of life. She lives in the family castle near the top of the mountain upon which Gangi is built. Yes, it’s true. I have royalty in my lineage.
The Traveling Dean (Emeritus) 