Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sicily Today
These are tough times for Sicily. The same economic woes that have crippled Italy's
Mediterranean neighbours in recent years are now hitting southern Italy with full
force. While there are some hopeful signs - community groups continue to chip away
at the Mafia's influence in Sicilian society, and the 2012 election of anti-Mafia politi-
cians Rosario Crocetta and Leoluca Orlando has been widely well-received - the next
couple of years will likely be challenging, as Sicilians struggle to regain their economic
bearings.
La Crisi
As of mid-2013, it's hard to go anywhere in Si-
cily without hearing about
la crisi
(the crisis),
shorthand for the severe financial downturn
currently affecting Italy. While recent econom-
ic conditions have not been great anywhere in
Italy, the impact of the crisis has been espe-
cially devastating to Sicily and its southern
Italian neighbours. Sicilian unemployment for
the first quarter of 2013 was over 20%, com-
pared to 12% nationally. Meanwhile, youth
employment had surged to 52%, leaving Sicily
second only to Calabria among Italian regions
and creating hand-wringing responses in even
the most sanguine of observers. This is a
frightening day-to-day reality for Sicilians,
particularly those aged between 16 and 25.
Fuelling these bad numbers in part was Fi-
at's December 2011 closure of its factory in
Termini Imerese, just east of Palermo, after 41
years in business - a move that deprived over
2000 local residents of steady manufacturing
jobs. Other noteworthy casualties of the economic downturn include Palermo's venerable
Flaccovio bookstore, Guadagna shopping centre and Grande Mig-liore department store.
Best on Film
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
(Cinema Paradiso,
1988) Semi-autobiographical tale of small-town
life from Sicilian director Giuseppe Tornatore.
Il Postino
(The Postman, 1994) On the gor-
geous island of Salina, Pablo Neruda philosoph-
ises with a humble Sicilian postman.
Stromboli, Terra di Dio
(Stromboli, Land of
God, 1950) Bergman and Rossellini's explosive
tale of romance, with Stromboli's volcanic fire-
works as a backdrop.
Best in Print
The Leopard
(Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa,
1958) Sicily's greatest novel, examining the
Risorgimento's impact on Sicilian culture
through the eyes of an ageing aristocrat.
Seeking Sicily
(John Keahey, 2011) Engaging
Sicilian travelogue, touching on many aspects of
the island's culture and history, by a veteran
American journalist.
Midnight in Sicily
(Peter Robb, 1996) Disturb-
ing but fascinating portrait of postwar Sicily,
from an Australian expatriate living in Naples.
