Sicilian love stories: all you need is…
Sicily is a magical land where love is always in the air! Many people come here every year to get married, for example. A romantic mood enchants tourists and not only. February is the month of love, Valentine’s Day is coming…so, let’s discover together some Sicilian love stories!
Are you ready to fall in love? In Sicily you cannot resist the emotions due to the beauty of the island, this is the perfect frame for your romantic pictures. Sicilian love stories don’t begin always with ‘Once upon a time…’: sometimes they come from a novel, sometimes they are modern fairy tales, sometimes they are simply legendary!
Once upon a time in Sicily…
Tancredi and Angelica
Here is one of the most famous Sicilian love stories, the one of Tancredi and Angelica. They are the main characters of the movie ‘The Leopard’ directed in 1963 by Luchino Visconti and based on the novel written in 1958 by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa.
Everybody remembers the scene of the ball, Tancredi is a prince, the nephew of the Prince of Salina, Don Fabrizio Corbera. Angelica is the daughter of Calogero Sedara, belongs to the raising middle-class and thanks to her beauty, she easily seduces Tancredi who quickly makes plans to ask for proposing.
Don Fabrizio Corbera considers this match a good idea since his nephew is ambitious and, in the future, could need that money that Angelica’s father would happily provide. With the mutual blessing of the Prince of Salina and Don Calogero, Tancredi and Angelica get engaged and finally get married.
Arethusa and Alpheus
The second romance is pure legend! Arethusa was a nymph living in Greece, maybe you have already heard this name because it’s the same of the Fountain of Arethusa in Ortygia, Syracuse. Well, let’s keep on telling this story…
After a long run, Arethusa came across a stream and decided to bath in it to take a break. She took off her clothes, went in and something weird happened: someone else was there! Alpheus, the God of the river, immediately fell in love with this beautiful nymph who – seriously scared – ran away once she discovered his presence and understood his intentions. She was a maid of Artemis, so she asked for her protection: The Goddess hid her in a cloud and blew her towards Sicily.
When she arrived in Ortygia, Arethusa slowly turned into water and became a freshwater spring. But nothing seemed to stop Alpheus who was crazy for this girl, so he asked his father Oceanus to help him. Since Oceanus understood that his son was really in love, create a passage through the Ionian Sea and gave him the opportunity to reach Arethusa in Sicily. The nymph was finally sure about his love (it was not so easy to convince her!) and Artemis gifted them the eternity. The waters of Arethusa and Alpheus now ‘live’ and flow together, forever.
Do you know that…
…the Roman writer Ovid called Arethusa by the name ‘Alpheias’, because her stream was believed to have a subterranean communication with the river Alpheius, in Peloponnesus? A legend says that if you toss a wooden cup into the river Alpheius, it will reappear in the Fountain of Arethusa in Syracuse. It’s the power of love!
From Greek Gods to Social Gods! Modern times created new idols, they are normal people but extremely loved by their followers who are always interested in their private life and daily routine. So, we cannot talk about one of the most popular contemporary romances. Even in this case, Sicily has been the perfect destination.
So, let’s read more about…
Chiara Ferragni and Fedez
Over 20 million followers…what a wedding! It was one of the most viewed events all over the world in 2018: September 1st, Chiara Ferragni (influencer) and Fedez (rapper) got married in Noto. A social fairy tale since every single step of the organization was told on Instagram. Smartphones, social media and fashionable outfits, all of this happened in the city of Baroque…romance, art and history in a day. The night before the wedding, they organized an amazing party at Palazzo Nicolaci then it was the beginning of one of the most ‘shared’ Sicilian love stories.
Just a couple of curiosities…
– The Ferragnez said ‘I do’ in Sicily because Chiara’s mum has a Sicilian heritage.
– Chiara Ferragni wore a 100% tailormade bridal gown by Dior, Fedez had a suit by Versace.
– Guests arrived in Sicily thanks to a special flight by Alitalia.
– This was the Italian Royal Wedding!
