Teresa Di Fresco

Who knows what the weather was like at 8:45 p.m. on that Friday, March 12, 1909, in Palermo? A few people stood at the tram terminus in Piazza Marina when the sudden crack of four gunshots shattered the evening calm. …

Danilo Dolci wasn’t Sicilian, but he spent most of his life in Sicily and earned the nickname “the Italian Gandhi.” He lived in Trappeto, where he is also buried. Trappeto, a small town in the province of Palermo, is about …

Etna, Idda (She), Mungibeddu (Mongibello), ‘a Muntagna — these are some of the names used for Europe’s largest, widest, and tallest volcano, located in the plain of Catania. It is often referred to in the feminine form, as if it …

If Termini Imerese, in the metropolitan area of Palermo, and Sciacca, in the province of Agrigento, compete for the title of the oldest Carnival in Sicily” while Aci Reale, in the metropolitan area of Catania, claims to host “he most …

When Agrigento was declared the Italian Capital of Culture for 2025 on May 25, 2023, the significance of the title and the preparations it required may not have been immediately clear. The journey since has been long and fraught with …

Christmas is the season when we feel kinder and more open to believing in miracles—a difficult sentiment in today’s world, marked by so much conflict. Yet one recent event stands as a true miracle: the rescue of an eleven-year-old girl …

Pietro Mascagni was just 27 years old when he composed Cavalleria Rusticana, a one-act opera that met with immediate success at its premiere on May 17, 1890, at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. Inspired by Giovanni Verga’s novella of the …

In the eastern part of Sicily, south of Catania and north of Ragusa, lies Syracuse — the capital of its namesake province and a city steeped in centuries of history and culture. It’s also the birthplace of Archimedes, the famed …

March 8, 2019: a date to remember for the people of Taormina, a city in the province of Messina, renowned worldwide for its proximity to the enchanting Isola Bella and, above all, for its magnificent Ancient Theatre. Perched by the …

One night in 1171, King William II, known as “the Good,” was resting from the burdens of war and governance, as was customary for Norman kings, in an ancient Arab village called Balharā. In a dream, the Virgin Mary appeared …