Sicilian Culture: News
& Views

Project to Save Venice
Underway

The Globe and Mail (Thursday, May 15, 2003) Venice, Italy — Italian
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi inaugurated an ambitious $4-billion (U.S.)
project to ease the flooding that regularly deluges this celebrated canal
city.

The "Moses" project — named after the Biblical figure who parted the
Red Sea — is expected to take about eight years.

Hinged barriers will be built on the seabed just off Venice and will be raised
when high tides threaten the city.

"Venice is magnificent, the pride of all Italy," Mr. Berlusconi said on Wednesday
as officials prepared to lay the first stone of the project.

"Attention to saving this patrimony, this marvel, is at the top of the
government's concerns."

High water regularly floods into famed St. Mark's Square and other parts
of Venice, and Venetians and tourists are then forced to walk on raised walkways
to keep their feet try.

Making things worse, the city itself is sinking, the level of the Adriatic
is rising and high tides are becoming more frequent. The project was devised
after years of study.

Some environmental groups criticize it, saying the barriers will turn the
lagoon into a stagnant pond.

Activists in small boats motored into the lagoon on Wednesday to protest
against the project but were blocked by police from getting close to the
ceremony.

The Globe & Mail

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030515.wvenice15/BNStory/International

Sicilian Culture: Tarantella
Dance

The Tarantella Dance music is probably the
most recognized song of all the Italian folklore music.  It literally
means "tarantula" because the dance is done buy everyone in a great big circle
going clockwise, until the music in the set changes, becomes faster, then
they quickly change the direction to counterclockwise, this continues several
times and is fun to see who keeps up.  You can see this dance at authentic
Italian weddings, is often the theme song of many restaurants and pizzerias,
can even be heard in The Godfather movie and the CBS sitcom "That's
Life".

Generally played with a strong mandolin (Italian
guitar) presence, each region has its own version.  For example the
most popular version you will undoubtedly hear most frequently is the Napoletana
verson (that from the region of Naples).  The Sicilian tarantella (Conco
d' Ora) is quite different, but has a similar melody.  Take a listen for yourself...

Napoletana Tarantella (MP3)
Calabrese Tarantella (MP3)
Sicilian
Tarantella (MP3)

Please
note: This music
is here ONLY so you can listen to the difference of each version, they are
not for reproduction, nor distribution, only a one-time listening for personal
use.  Thank you for respecting the artists' rights.

Sicilian Culture: Superstitions

The Sicilians are very superstitious people,
almost more than being devout Roman Catholics:
When
entering someone's home, always leave through the same door you can in from,
otherwise its bad luck
Never put a new pair of shoes on the kitchen
table
Put brand new shiny coins on the window sill before
midnight on New Year's Eve for good luck, place them heads up!
Bury a mini plastic statuette of St. Joseph upside
down on the front lawn if you want your house to sell
Never give pearls as a present, they are to be
inherited only
The 'horns' is kind of similar to "I'm rubber,
you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you", so if you
wish someone harm who wears this pagan jewelry symbol, it will return to
you to haunt you
When in dire need of prayers for the sick, dead
or dying, go to church and light a candle

https://sicilianculture.wordpress.com/

Italian Cinema at the Walter Reade Theater

www.filmlinc.com/wrt/programs/6-2003/italy.htm

Sicilian Culture: Related
Links

Anti Defamation
Organizations & Social Clubs Sons of Italy,
UNICO, NIAF, AIDA and other such clubs
and organizations
Bocce  A great ancient Italian
sport
Chat  Online chatrooms and websites where you can chat in Italian or English
about all things Italian & Sicilian
Communications Contact in the old world, wireless and internet connections and
much more!
Culinary, Food & Recipes  Cooking shows, chefs, restaurants, and recipe and
gourmet resources

Bread
Cheese
Stores

Cultural Clubs  Regional societies
and organizations of Italy
Genealogy  Find a relative, trace
your roots and family history!
Goods Products specifically from Sicily,
specifically good!
Historical
Accounts  The history of Sicily through the
ages
Homepages  Personal Websites created by
Sicilians
The Italian Jews  Links to information on the Italian-Jewish
People
Little Italy  Little Italy neighborhoods in other parts of the
USA
Music  The music from the region of Sicily &
Italy
News  Newspapers, Radio, News Sources for Weather, News &
Sports
Organized
Crime  Accounts of Mafia, Cosa Nostra, Mob,
and other sects of documented crime sects in the
culture
Sicily  Informative websites on the region of Sicily itself
Tourism  Travel tips, logs and helpful hints
on Travel to Italy & Sicily
Weather  Weather conditions of different regions
in Sicily & Italy
Website of the Week
Archives Noteworthy and worth visiting cultural
websites