Padre Pio in Piazza Petrolo

As we know, Padre Pio is one of Italy's most beloved saints. My nonna is constantly praying to Padre Pio and there's an unspoken sense of calm knowing I have his blessing. In the year 2000, a group of Castellammarese formed the committee called "La Speranza" and they collected donations from the locals in order to purchase a statue of Padre Pio that now sits in Piazza Petrolo. The statue was commissioned to "Pantaleone Arte Sacre" of Palermo and hand chiseled using the technique of "lost wax". The satue sits upon a marble base donated by mayor Giuseppe Ancona, and on the base reads:

"Two things in the world will never be abandoned, the eye of God that will see you wherever you go and your mother's heart that will always follow you" - Padre Pio

If you are a devotee of Padre Pio, then you need this Padre Pio Armcandy from www.orianalamarca.com!

Festa Di San Giuseppe/St Joseph's Day

Auguri to all the Giuseppe's, in particular my dad, Giuseppina's Joseph's and Josephina's!

Most people think of St Patrick's day for its beer drinking binges and parade but I like to think of it as being 2 days closer to St Joseph's Day! St. Joseph’s Day, also known as the Fest Di San Giuseppe, is the feast day for Saint Joseph – which falls on March 19th each year. Since my dad's name is Giuseppe, we would celebrate with a traditional dinner consisting of "Pasta Con le Sarde" , grilled fish for main course (since it falls during lent, there is no meat on the menu) Fava beans, artichokes and the traditional "Sfinci for dessert.

But did you know...

St. Joseph is the Patron Saint of Workers. His reverence in Sicily comes from a time of drought on the Island back in the Middle Ages. The peasants prayed to God through St. Joseph, asking for rain. They promised that if the drought ended, they would fete both the Almighty Father and St. Joseph in an annual feast.

The traditional foods served during St. Joseph’s Day are symbolic of both the legends associated with the saint and the very real struggles of the Sicilian peasantry. The fava bean plays a prominent role in the feast. Fava beans are said to be good luck because they were the only things that survived a drought during the Middle Ages in Italy.Once considered food for animals, the hardy bean was not affected by the droughts and famines of Sicily, making it an invaluable food source to the peasants.

Although I don't enjoy "Pasta Con Sarde", I can confidently say that my dad's "Pasta Con Sarde" is on point. He uses fresh sardines - never from a can - (which take him forever to clean and usually involves my mom yelling at him for stinking up the kitchen) and then finishes off the plate with toasted breadcrumbs. Wild fennel and chickpeas were also some of the few plants available to these poor people and thus became important parts of the Sicilian diet. These are just some of the simple and rustic ingredients that go into the unique Pasta di San Giuseppe.Breadcrumbs are worked into the recipes of the dishes because St. Joseph was a carpenter and the breadcrumbs represent sawdust

And last but not least, to finish off a delicious meal is the traditional St Joseph's Pastry or "Sfinci" which is essentially a fried zeppole piped with rich custard or cannoli cream sprinkled generously with powdered sugar.

Baci,

Oriana

The Traditional Sicilian Cart

One of the most recognizable symbols of Sicilian folklore, the Sicilian cart (or carretto siciliano in Italian and carrettu sicilianu in Sicilian). It is an ornate, colorful horse- or donkey-drawn cart that originated in the early 19th century in Sicily to transport goods.

The Sicilian cart, just like every working tool, is closely related to the historical and economic history of the island.

The history of the Sicilian cart goes back to the early nineteenth century. The bourbon government in 1830 opened big roads for communication for military reasons. Those were enlarged natural tracks with very steep hills and road elbows, with holes and subjected to landslides. That is why the Sicilian cart was created: with very high wheels it was able to overcome the obstacles on those roads. Horses were mostly used in the city and flat plains, while donkeys or mules were more often used in rough terrain for hauling heavy loads. Carts were used for hauling miscellaneous light loads, such as produce, wood, wine, and people, called “Carretto del Lavoro” (cart for work) and also carts for festive occasions such as weddings and parades called “Carretto de Gara’. The Carretto is like the ‘taxi’ or ‘truck’ of today.

Different craftsmen are involved in the construction of a carretto, each with his own task. The first stage is the work of the ‘carradore’, the person who builds the cart, carves the decorations and prepares the wheels. Then there is the blacksmith, who forges the metal parts. Finally, the painter adds color and liveliness to the cart, through intricate geometric designs and scenes depicting chivalrous, mythological, historical or novel-esque gestures.

The colorful decorations cover various subjects , from the sacred images of the Virgin Mary or the Saints , to episodes of romances, from folk epic, scenes of everyday life to historical events. These wonderful examples of popular culture of the Island can be admired especially during folk festivals. The feast of S. Alfio, in Trecastagni (Catania) is one of the best known.

These scenes also served the purpose of conveying historical information to those who were illiterate. The colors of Sicily's flag, yellow and red, feature prominently on the carts. The animals pulling the carts are often elaborately adorned as well.

With the advent of motorization in the Sicilian countryside in the mid-20th century, the use of the carretto became obsolete; today, it is considered an art object, carefully crafted and often used to decorate interior spaces and as artistic jewelry .

- Italy Magazine