BUON FERRAGOSTO 2019

Clockwise, left to right:
Bertie-Pierrine enjoying some special doggy gelato; interior of Duomo di San Pietro, Modica; appetisers in local bar; Sicilian puppets depicted in flowers at the Infiorata in Noto, 2019.

TOURISM - IN A WORD

Modica, Santa Maria di Betlem

I've often said that a lot of the problems Modica has with promoting tourism could be overcome if the tourist board and council would realise the importance of one word - aperto [open]. Nothing is more frustrating to a tourist who only has a day to spend in a certain location than to arrive at the most interesting or beautiful building in the place only to see a notice saying, "Chiuso - torni domani" ["Closed - come back tomorrow"].

To be fair, it doesn't only happen in Modica, in Sicily or even in the South but I do have to say that every time I have passed Modica's Church of Santa Maria di Betlem in recent years - this is the church with the famous crib featuring Sicilian characters - I have noticed that it has been closed and felt sorry for any hapless tourists visiting the city that day.

Now, though, an agreement has been signed between officials of the churches of Santa Maria, San Giorgio and San Pietro, a consortium of tourist companies and the cooperative Progresso Ibleo, which will be charged with the security of the churches during opening hours. Under the agreement, the churches will remain open all day during the tourist season.

Far be it from me to be cynical but I do hope that those concerned realise that the tourist season includes August and that "all day", to folk not from these parts, encompasses the hours between 1 and 5pm!

You may be interested in this 2010 article of mine for Italy Magazine, "The Bells of Santa Maria".

"SAN PIETRO RI PETRA"

Modica is preparing to celebrate the feast day of one of her two patron saints, St Peter, on Saturday and, as part of these celebrations, a very special restoration has been unveiled.  It is a statue of the saint which has stood in a niche on the Corso Umberto  [Modica Bassa's main street] since the 1940s and is known locally as "San Pietro ri petra". I must admit, I had never noticed it before [which again proves the truth of the saying that you should not forget to look up when in Sicily].

The restoration was the inspiration of the Modica Rotary Club and one reason for their enthusiasm for the project was the determination of the war generation to have spiritual representations among the houses where ordinary people went about their daily business and lived their lives.  The restoration has been lovingly and faithfully carried out by Gaetana Ascenzo and the statue is now protected from atmospheric pollution by special glass. [Sorry about the reflection.]

Long may San Pietro, protector of fishermen, fishmongers, cobblers, locksmiths, reapers, watchmakers and doormen, continue to bless Modica. 

THERE'S SOMETHING MISSING.....

Modica: Duomo di San Pietro

Today is San Pietro or St Peter's Day and, as one of Modica's two Baroque cathedrals is dedicated to the keeper of God's keys, the feast is celebrated in earnest here:  the bells of the Duomo di San Pietro have been ringing loudly and clearly at 30-minute intervals all day, people have been leaving offerings of food for the poor, there have been firecrackers and later the statue of the saint will be carried in procession around the town.

But this year, something is missing: in Italy a festival usually brings bancarelle, or open-air stalls and, whereas in Modica for San Pietro these usually stretch for over a mile, this year there are none.  Why?  Because the town council wanted to move them from their usual pitch in Modica Bassa's Viale Medaglie d'Oro, at the lower end of the Corso or main street, to the far end where the bus station is.  This would have meant a re-routing of both local and inter-city buses and the prospective stallholders complained, with some justification, that the site was too far from the shopping centre.  The council had wanted to move the stalls to avoid traffic congestion and because of hygiene concerns but the bus station end of the Corso would, in my view, have been a ridiculous alternative, as it would have been difficult for people to reach on foot. I have walked from the Viale Medaglie d'Oro, where the buses would have stopped had the proposal gone ahead, to the bus station many times but I would not have attempted it in 40°C!  As so often in Modica, no thought had been given to pedestrians.

The parish priest of San Pietro is, however, happy about the absence of bancarelle as this is more in keeping with a religious festival.

Modica: the bancarelle di San Pietro 
of times gone by

St Peter is the protector of fishermen, fishmongers, cobblers, locksmiths, reapers, watchmakers and doormen. He must be very busy with all that and the gate to watch too, so I hope he enjoys his evening trip around Modica.

OUT AND ABOUT AT CHRISTMAS

I hope you all like the new header because it took me from 5pm till midnight to get it on as it just wouldn't centre! In the end I had to crop it in order to increase the width but you can see the whole effect above. It is, of course, a light projection of Raphael's Madonna della Seggiola and, along with the stars, it is a lovely sight, lighting up the Duomo di San Pietro for Christmas.

Outside the Bar Edicolè there are these pretty arrangements:





And round at Mr T's deli, his daughter has set up this clever tree:



I hope you're all beginning to feel festive!

BUON SAN PIETRO

Today is the festa of San Pietro and in Modica it is a sort of holiday. I say "sort of" because most shops will probably be open.

Here is our lovely Chiesa Madre di San Pietro. Its beauty gives joy to many, including me, so I hope it has a happy day.