Sicily Island

08/01/2026

It's slipper time😅 Cannoli is always a good idea!!!

08/01/2026

The New Orleans tragedy of 1891 is one of the most horrific and least remembered episodes in the history of Italian immigration to the United States. Eleven Italian immigrants, most of them Sicilians, were killed by an enraged mob despite never having been legally convicted of any serious crime.

In the final decades of the 19th century, tens of thousands of Italian immigrants—many from Sicily and southern Italy—arrived in New Orleans to work in ports, plantations, railroads, or to start small businesses. This community grew rapidly but was often the target of prejudice, xenophobia, and hostility from many American citizens, who viewed Italians as culturally and racially “different” and frequently suspected them of criminal activity, especially alleged ties to the Mafia or the Black Hand.

🔫 The Murder of David Hennessy
On October 15, 1890, David Hennessy, the chief of police of New Orleans, was assassinated while returning home. As he lay dying, some reports—likely unreliable—claimed that he said: “The d***s got me,” a racial slur directed at Italians.
This phrase, widely reported by the press, immediately fueled anti-Italian sentiment and led to a wave of repression against Italians in New Orleans.

Police arrested hundreds of Italians, and 19 men were formally charged in connection with Hennessy’s murder.

The trial lasted several months and was marked by weak evidence and contradictory testimony.

The judge and jury concluded that there was insufficient proof: six men were acquitted, three trials ended in mistrials, and no one was definitively convicted.
(Encyclopedia Britannica)

On March 14, 1891, the day after the verdict, a large crowd of New Orleans citizens—estimated by various sources to number between 3,000 and 20,000 people—stormed the Orleans Parish Prison. Acting without any legal authority, the mob:
forced prisoners out of their cells,

hunted down and killed 11 men,

some were shot,

others were hanged from a lamppost or a nearby tree.

Among the victims were men who had been acquitted, those whose trials had ended inconclusively, and others who had not yet been tried. None had been legally found guilty of Hennessy’s murder.
(Encyclopedia Britannica)

Major American newspapers of the time often justified the lynching, portraying Sicilians as criminals or mafiosi.
(Encyclopedia Britannica)

Official justice never prosecuted any of the participants in the massacre. A grand jury declared itself unable to identify the killers, and no one was ever indicted.
The massacre triggered a diplomatic crisis between the United States and the Kingdom of Italy. Italy temporarily withdrew its ambassador, and relations between the two countries came close to breaking down.
(Encyclopedia Britannica)

Eventually, the administration of President Benjamin Harrison paid approximately $25,000 in compensation to the victims’ families and proclaimed a national celebration that would later evolve into Columbus Day, in part to restore Italian-American pride.

The New Orleans massacre is considered one of the largest mass lynchings in U.S. history, symbolizing how racial prejudice, xenophobia, and distrust of immigrants often prevailed over formal justice.

In recent years, during the 21st century, the City of New Orleans has publicly expressed regret and issued official apologies for this historical episode, acknowledging the injustice suffered by Italian immigrants.

07/01/2026

Today, around 18 million people in the United States officially identify as Italian Americans. 🇮🇹
This community carries with it a rich heritage — from traditions, language, and cuisine, to the stories of families who crossed oceans in search of a better life.

From the streets of New York to the neighborhoods of Chicago and beyond, Italian Americans have helped shape the culture, history, and everyday life of the United States.

Their legacy is a living connection between Italy and America, a reminder of the courage, resilience, and spirit of generations who never forgot their roots. 🌍💙

07/01/2026

07/01/2026

Mount Etna is more than just a volcano — it is a living narrative, the beating heart of Sicily, and one of the most remarkable natural wonders on Earth. Rising to 3,403 meters above sea level, according to the latest official measurement by the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) on September 12, 2024, Etna stands as the highest and most active volcano in Europe.

Its height is never permanent. Each eruption reshapes its summit, layering lava and ash that continually redefine its profile. Mount Etna is alive, shaped by time, fire, and the forces of the earth.

📜 A history forged in fire
Etna’s activity stretches back over 500,000 years. Ancient civilizations lived in awe of its power: the Greeks believed it to be the forge of Hephaestus, god of fire, while the Romans feared its eruptions yet respected its strength. Over centuries, Etna has erased villages and landscapes — but it has also given something extraordinary in return.

🌱 From destruction to fertility
What appears to be devastation becomes renewal. The volcanic soils of Mount Etna are among the most fertile in the world, sustaining celebrated vineyards, citrus orchards, olive groves, and pistachio fields. Here, fire becomes nourishment, and lava transforms into life.

🔥 Europe’s most active volcano
Mount Etna is almost constantly active, producing frequent eruptions, lava flows, strombolian explosions, and powerful lava fountains that illuminate the Sicilian sky. Monitored 24/7 by the INGV, it serves as a natural open-air laboratory for scientists and volcanologists worldwide.

🏔️ A landscape in constant transformation
From lunar lava deserts and summit craters to birch forests and ancient flows, exploring Mount Etna feels like moving through different worlds within just a few kilometers. This extraordinary diversity earned Etna its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.

💙 The soul of Sicily
Mount Etna is more than a volcano. It is a symbol and a constant presence in Sicilian life — sometimes quiet, sometimes roaring. It embodies fear and beauty, destruction and creation, power and generosity all at once.

Watching Etna breathe smoke at sunrise or erupt against the night sky is an experience that stays with you forever.
Because Mount Etna is not simply visited — it is felt, respected, and remembered.

🌋 Mount Etna is alive.

07/01/2026

15 Things You Didn’t Know About Palermo
• It has the largest historic city center in Europe;
• It preserves the oldest paper document in Europe: the bilingual Greek–Arabic letter of Adelasia (or Adelaide) of the Aleramici, wife of Roger I, Count of Sicily and Calabria;
• It is home to the “Palermo Stone,” a bilingual text crucial to the translation of the Egyptian language, considered the second most important after the Rosetta Stone;
• It hosts one of the largest Etruscan art collections in the world: the Bonci–Casuccini collection from Chiusi, housed at the Salinas Museum;
• Its Teatro Massimo is the largest opera house in Italy and the third largest in Europe, after the Paris Opera and the Vienna State Opera;
• It features some of the largest city gates in Europe, such as Porta Nuova and Porta Felice;
• The Italian language was born in Palermo at the Sicilian School, at the court of Emperor Frederick II;
• The Botanical Garden of Palermo is the largest in Europe;
• The palm grove of Villa Bonanno has been recognized as the largest in Europe;
• The Ficus Magnolioides in Piazza Marina is among the largest trees in Europe;
• The Favorita Park is the largest urban park in Italy, comparable in size to New York’s Central Park;
• Palermo was the first city in the world to have two opera houses;
• The Palazzina Cinese is the only building of its architectural style in Europe;
• The Qanat, an extensive hydraulic engineering system built beneath the city starting in the Arab period, is unique in Europe;
• The wooden ceiling of the Palatine Chapel is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Islamic art in the world and perfectly represents the multicultural spirit of the era.

07/01/2026

Three dishes you absolutely need to try from traditional Sicilian cuisine.

07/01/2026

Buongiorno🥰

07/01/2026

The bond between Sicily and Canada was formed between the late 19th century and the early 20th century, particularly between 1880 and 1920, when thousands of Sicilians left the island due to poverty, agricultural crises, and lack of employment. This was the era of the Great Italian Emigration.

The first Sicilian communities began settling in Canada as early as the 1890s, mainly in the provinces of Ontario and Québec. Cities such as Toronto and Montréal became key points of reference: by 1901, Montréal already had one of the largest Italian communities in the country, with a strong Sicilian presence.

After World War I (1914–1918), emigration slowed down, but it resumed strongly in the post–World War II period, between 1946 and 1965, when Canada signed immigration agreements with Italy to support national reconstruction. During those years, thousands of Sicilians arrived as workers in construction, railways, and industry.

During the 1950s and 1960s, many Canadian Little Italies were officially established, with cultural associations, Sicilian clubs, and traditional celebrations dedicated to saints such as Saint Rosalia and Saint Agatha, which are still celebrated today.

Between the 1970s and 1990s, migration patterns changed: fewer permanent departures and more return journeys. Children and grandchildren of emigrants began traveling back to Sicily to rediscover their roots, hometowns, and family histories.

Today, in the 21st century, it is estimated that over 1.5 million Canadians have Italian ancestry, with a significant portion tracing their roots back to Sicily. A living connection that continues through travel, culture, memory, and shared identity.

Two distant lands, united by more than 140 years of shared history.

Because some origins know no borders.

06/01/2026

On June 13, 1987, at La Favorita in Palermo, Frank Sinatra famously said, “I’m Sicilian, my father was born here…” and paused before adding, “…in Catania,” echoing what he had said a year earlier in Milan. Few suspected any deception, yet Sinatra had known for at least ten years that his roots were actually in Lercara Friddi, a fact he confided in Mino Reitano in Sicilian dialect. According to Reitano’s brother, revealed in 2015, Sinatra deliberately obscured his origins to avoid being associated with Lucky Luciano and protect his public image.

The search for Sinatra’s paternal ancestry sparked a frenzy. A few days before the Palermo concert, the “Italian Friends of Frank Club” offered five million lire for proof of his father’s birth records. Priests and locals from Lercara Friddi and Palagonia presented baptismal certificates, genealogies, and family photos, but the mystery persisted. While some argued for Palagonia, evidence gathered by Irish biographers Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan in the early 2000s confirmed through Ellis Island records that Sinatra’s paternal grandparents—Francesco Sinatra and Rosa Saglimbeni—came from Lercara Friddi before moving to Palermo and then emigrating to the United States.

Today, Lercara Friddi honors Sinatra’s roots with commemorative events and a plaque marking the house of his grandparents, celebrating the town’s connection to “The Voice” and the many emigrants who left Sicily seeking a better life.

06/01/2026

In Italy, food is far more than something to eat — it is identity, memory, family, and a deep respect for tradition. Every ingredient has its purpose, every combination follows an unwritten balance passed down through generations. And this is exactly why there is one rule almost every Italian agrees on: never ask for Parmesan on seafood.

It’s not about being strict or snobbish. It’s about balance. The delicate flavor of fish is meant to remain pure and light, not overwhelmed by stronger ingredients. Cheese, especially aged Parmesan, would mask those subtle notes from the sea that Italian cuisine carefully preserves.

All across Italy, from north to south, this principle is learned naturally — at the table, in family kitchens, and in seaside restaurants. Many culinary experiments may be forgiven, but asking for cheese on a seafood pasta will almost always raise a few eyebrows, often followed by a knowing smile.

Because in Italy, tradition isn’t written in rulebooks. It lives in everyday gestures, in simple dishes, and in the respect for flavors that tell the story of the land and the sea.

Have you ever been surprised by an Italian food rule? Share your experience in the comments. 👇

06/01/2026

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