THE NIGHT OF ST. LAWRENCE

By Sicily Holidays in : Sicily Blog // Dec 4 2010

THE BEAUTY AND MYSTERY OF ARGIMOSCO

Many centuries ago, mysterious stone sanctuaries were erected in circumscribed areas, intended to reveal or to celebrate the stellar cycles that marck the passage of the seasons. Some of these spots are quite renowned while others are virtually unknown, yet all have a potent energy, a palpable positive force, which seems to penetrate the air, not unlike the sensations one might feel at the pyramids, Stonehenge or Castel del Monte i Puglia ( from the Greek argimoschion, ” plateau of many layers”) megalithic site in Italy though still relatively unknown, extends over a vast plateau at 1,200 metres above sea level, not far from Taormina in the Nebrodi Mountains, with their centuries-old oak woods, remains of the forest that once cloaked all of Sicily. In ancient times, this was one of the few areas dedicated to the celebration of primordial rituals and observation of the stars and the cycle of the seasons. The plateau is located near Montalbano Elicona ( Messina), only a few hundred metres from the Malabotta Forest, today a protected natural reserve. The vista from this point is breathtaking : endless green fields sloping down to the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Eolie Islands, Cape Calava’ , Cefalu’, and off in distance, Cape Milazzo leading towards the Straight of Messina, and of course, the majestic cone of Mt. Etna ( known to sicilians as ” a muntagna” 9, which serves as backdrop for menhirs and the faces of stones standing mysteriously on a plateau verdant with ferns even in the midst of summer.

THE ENDURING FASCINATION OF MONTALBANO

“The Rock of Montalbano, lying deep among the hills, is quite steep both to ascend and to descend; it is unrivaled in the abundance of its herds, honey and every other gift of God”.

So wrote the Arab geographer Al Idrisi in his renowned Tabula Rogeriana in 1059 . today the Castle of Montalbano Elicona stands in the heart of one of Italy’s most beautiful villages, drenched in history, art and tradition. The name probably comes from the Latin mons albus, referring to the snow-covered mountains, or from the Arabic al bana, “eccellent place”.

Rising above the picturesque village is the Castle, with its Norman-Swabian fortress above and Swabian- Aragonese fortified palatium below, and surrounded by medieval alleyways whose unpredictable twists and turns and ups and downs give the town a special charm. At the same time, Montalbano Elicona is an agricultural centre, producing grapes, grains, chestnuts,walnuts, and hazelnuts, not to mention cheeses. : ricotta, pecorino and a fabulous provola. Other typical local dishes include hand-pulled macaroni with pork sauce , roast mutton and goat, and delicious almond and hazelnut desserts.

THE NIGHT OF ST. LAWRENCE

Every year, all eyes are turned towards the sky on the night of August 10 in the hopes of glimpsing a shooting star and making a wish ( and tradition assures us that such wishes will definitely come true! ) For more than a thousand years, this night has been dedicated to the martyrdom of saint Lawrence. The shooting stars are said to be the tears Lawrence shed during his agony. Wandering eternally through the heavens, they fall to earth only on the day of his death, making this a night of hope and dreams .

Nonetheless, behind the romantic, evocative phenomenon of the shooting stars ( scientifically speaking, meteors totally natural phenomenon produced when the solid matter of a meteorite enters the earth’s atmosphere. Traveling at a speed of 40 kilometers per second, friction causes these meteorites to heat up as they enter the upper atmosphere until they eventually disintegrate into a fine dust. A different phenomenon, created when comets ( cold bodies tens of kilometers in circumference ) pass near the sun, is the steams of shooting stars that leave long trails of light, called ” showers”

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