I have mentioned before that my husband’s family comes from a tiny mountain village in Sicily. When he was 13 (1972), he and his family returned to Capizzi for a visit. Part of that was a return to the family farm. The caves in this hill were fitted with doors and this is where they stored all the vegetables they harvested in the fall. Obviously, this photo was not taken by me but by my husband.
My last post was of a castle in Capizzi. In this photo, the grinning young man who is working on restoring this beautiful work of art is the youngest of the family who owns the castle. Unlike many – not all but many – of the young people you find in the big Italian cities who are enamoured of American pop culture, fashion, films, etc. the group of young people that we met who were restoring the mother church’s artwork were not just content, but happy to live in their village and to be active participants in their own history.
Capizzi is the remote mountain village that my husband’s family comes from. This castle was built about 400 years ago and wasn’t finished because the family ran out of money. I was amazed to find out that one of the young men in the village that I had seen earlier working on restoring the paintings in the mother church was part of the family that still owns the castle. What an amazing thing to be able to have such long roots in a place and to be able to actually see and put your hands on something that your ancestors built!
Cobblestones, ancient walls line the road with just a touch of the modern.
The heart of Sicily lies in those that chose to stay and work the land.
Diane Gallagher Photos 