Tag Archives: Arba Sicula

In dedicating his academic career to preserving and celebrating Sicilian language, literature and history, Dr. Gaetano Cipolla has engendered countless pages devoted to the beloved island of his birth. While Rome’s emblem boasts an ancient symbol of a wolf suckling its twin founders, Sicily’s emblem packs equal primordial power. Known as the Trinacria, it depicts the winged head of Medusa, girdled by shafts of wheat and three bent legs, on a bold background of gold and maroon. She’s the gatekeeper of an island as mysterious as her own visage. Just as many Italian Americans can’t understand the language of their …

The Sicilian American Cultural Association will host a presentation by Prof. Gaetano Cipolla on Oct. 25 at Monastero’s Banquets in Chicago. (773-588–2515) America’s foremost authority on Sicilian language and culture, Cipolla will present his 2015 book “The Poetry of Giovanni Meli,” celebrating the 200th anniversary of the death of Sicily’s greatest poet. He will speak about Meli’s life and recite his greatest poems in both English and Sicilian. Dr. Cipolla is Professor Emeritus of Italian at St. John’s University where he taught for 31 years. He held the position of Chairman of the Department for six years. He taught courses …