The Foundation Famiglia Piccolo di Calanovella is at Capo d’Orlando. Its a pretty seaside village that faces the Tyrrnhenian sea which is situated north of the sicilian cost, halfway between Palermo and Messina. The site of the foundation is a villa that is located over a green promontory in Capo d’Orlando, above the sea. The amazing position allows to enjoy a splendid view, from which one can observe the Aeolian islands. They appear with warm colors that include a variety of greenish- grey tonalities, vivid blue, and violet reflexes. The colors appear to change in accordance with the climate changes, the position of the sun and the passage from season to season.  Sometimes it is possible to observe an optic effect called “Fata Morgana”. This optic effect, presents certain atmospheric conditions, when the dark shape of the islands seem to loom over you, while the sea turns into an emerald… leggi tutto

  This work consists of two parallel interviews: the former to Vito Cascio Ferro, the “padrino” of Cosa Nostra, thought to be responsible for the assassination of the italian-american Joe Petrosino, killed at Palermo on the 12th of March 1909; and the latter to Joe Petrosino. The author imagines to have interviewed Vito Cascio Ferro straight after the decision of the court to set free all the suspects was made public in 1911. The one done to Joe Petrosino is imagined to have taken place the day before he was killed, 12 March 1909. This work gives a voice to both the killer and the victim, making them face straight forward and harsh questions and answers. In all this the conjunction thread between these two figures is the mystery of a homicide that will never be definitely solved. All the descriptions of places, people and questions asked are based on… leggi tutto

A-” He wanted to discover the official ties between the american Mano Nera americana and the Sicilian mafia.  Joe Petrosino brought on this mission in Sicily with full autonomy and secrecy, he also refused help from offered by the Sicilian police force and investigators. The reason behind this refusal is the fear that their could be some secret agreement between the Italian mafia and the state forces. That was a risk that if proven to be true, could jeopardize the whole mission. Even though he kept away from any possible risk he was victim of a fatal attack. It is known  who killed him but not who ordered the job. That today still has no responsible. At present we still don’t know who divulged the information that he was in Sicily. ” Q- “One could think: how is it possible that a smart and expert like Joe Petrosino fell into… leggi tutto

The Sicilian writer Anna maria Corradini is trying to explain these facts by answering some of the questions that “La Voce” asked: Q- “Doctor Corradini, in the past years you had the chance to write many works. How did you develop and interest for Joe Petrosinos story?” A-“The interest in this story was born thanks to a causality,while I worked at the historical archives of Palermo when I was the responsible. The administration asked me to check the old files we possessed and in the big pile I examined I found the whole dossier regarding the investigation about the assassination of Joe Petrosino. This is when my work began, and from which two editions were born. The second one completes the first one.  It’s a book that is based on legal, court judgements and articles of the time.” Q- “What do you think that the Italian- American investigator wanted to… leggi tutto

The story of Joe Petrosino is very known and touches many that knew him or that are linked to him in New York. He was an Italian- american police agent that lived in the first half of the 1900. He is recognized for his work against the Mafia organization that ruled over Little Italy known as “Mano Nera”. It all started because the Italian immigrants were threatened and killed if they didn’t pay what they were asked, even if it was illegal. So they used to live in this harsh economical condition. This made them the perfect target for criminal organizations like the Mafia, that were born to solve this social problem. That’s when Theodore Roosevelt became assessor of the police force of New York – later on he was elected president of the United States- and put Joe Petrosino in charge of the team of police men who had… leggi tutto

Le legend says that the name Minoa was conceived to honour the death of the king of Crete, Minosse. He had come to Sicily to take revenge towards the athenese architect Dedalo, who had made Minosses wife Pasifae lay with a taurus. From this unnatural union the minotaur was born. The Heraclea Minoa site, situated on the left of the Platani river (ancient Halikos) is called Capobianco because its placed on a small piece of white rocky land.This piece of land is on the south-west part of the ancient city. In history, Minoa is mentioned by Erodoto as a selinuntina colony. He talks about this city in reference to che spartan expedition of Dorieo in Sicily. After the failure of this expedition Eurileonte occupies the city.(end of the VI century B.C.). Shortly after this same time Minoa had to fallen under the power of Akragas for all the V century… leggi tutto

Who was Salesio Balsamo? Not everybody knows that he was the first mayor of the city of Palermo after the proclamation of the unity of Italy. Before him Giulio Beso duke of the Verdura was nominated in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi.  At the time the nominee was still the one of “praetor. Salesio Balsano della Diana was the first mayor elected after the Unity of Italy, he covered the role twice in a row, in 1861 and 1866. He was born in Parlermo in 1818 from a noble family that originarily was from Vicari. The family moved to Palermo after they obtained the noble title in the second half of the 700′.  He took part in the revolutionary movements in 1848. He was part of the committee held by the prince Pietro Lanza di Scordia, that had an important role in education, commerce and administration. He also was a senator… leggi tutto

The lives of every member of this family have been both adventurous and drammatic. Giuseppe Piccolo married the pretty Teresa Tasca Filangeri of Cutò, who gave him three children: Agata Giovanna, Casimiro, and Lucio. They all conducted a brilliant life in Palermo. Giuseppe, gambler and lady charmer, spent all his money on vices and hobbies. After conducting a very expensive life and collecting a large amount of debts, abbandons the family and escapes to Sanremo with a dancer. Teresa, who was left alone with the debts, mortgages, and financial disaster, decidd to leave Palermo and live in the country house in the countryside of Capo d’Orlando. She also forced her children to live with her in isolation. Their world revolved and ended in the villa on the valley, surrounded by a splendid park. This voluntary exile was not sterile, in fact Villa Piccolo became a place of culture and will… leggi tutto

The 19th April 1830, the official newspaper of Palermo writes about an operation that was soon going to be done to a woman in state of pregnancy but with many complications. The soon to be mother was from a village of Palermo called Boccadifalco. Ninfa Pecorella, so was her name, was pregnant for the ninth time and presented a long delay of birth in reference  to the due date. The article states precisely : ” A month had passed after the due date and she still presented no symptoms of imminent labour : in the meantime the sad woman kept on suffering with great pain, her symptoms suggested a soon death; and she also presented a tumor in the umbilical region.” She needed an operation, and so the doctor and specialist Luigi Salemi was called. He was a renowned surgeon. Once realized the gravity of the situation he operated a… leggi tutto

  “What political system do you refer to with the word Oligarchy?” (literally: government for the few) – The constitution founded on census,  in which the rich govern, while the poor cant participate in the power[…]Ambitious men that want to affirm themselves and receive honor, and then become business men[…] they hand the public roles to the rich, and despise the poor. […] “This state of being belongs to both of the categories: rich and poor ” These are the words of Socrates in the VIII book of the work of Platone, La Repubblica. The period is the one between the V and IV century before Christ. He also affirms :In the oligarchies the governors, since they are negligent and allow a dissolute life,  have sometimes forced to a life of poverty men that weren’t ignoble. These governors live lazily in the city always protected by weapons. Some are full… leggi tutto