Dear Readers:
November, the traditional month for giving thanks when “La Famiglia” comes together to celebrate their blessings, is a good time to share this heart - warming homecoming story with you. The author is my godson, Anthony Cannistraci, who longtime readers may recall was born, baptized, educated at Immaculate Conception Ele mentary, Sacred Heart High and USF, and resided in San Francisco, California until he fell in love and, married in 1976 East Boston girl Loretta Costanzo and moved to Boston, Massachusetts.
The following excerpts from their “viaggio” detail a Sicilian homecoming for the matriarch of their “famiglia”, Anthony’s mother-in-law (Loretta’s wi - dowed mother) Caterina Costanzo who is 81 years young. It had been 42 years since Caterina had visited her homeland. In 1967, with her husband Giuseppe Costanzo, their three children, Loretta, Cathy and Rosemarie, they visited both the Costanzo and Pino (Caterina) sides of the famiglia. Caterina wanted to visit again with surviving relatives and friends and honor the mem- ory of her late husband, Giuseppe, who died last year.
Giuseppe was born, raised and helped cultivate the land where he grew up in Sparta, just outside of Messina. After months of building confidence in Caterina to make the long trip to “la bella Sicilia,” all the arrangements were finalized. It was challenging for Caterina, because she had successfully overcome major heart surgery, just six months prior to the trip. Her oldest daughter Loretta and husband Anthony Cannistraci, along with granddaughter Loretta Angela Cannistraci, accompanied Caterina.
The joyous journey to Sicilia began on August 16, 2009 from Boston, connecting through Frankfort, Germany and onto beautiful Venezia via Lufhansa Airways (using the very accommodating Customer Care service), because it was felt a two-night stay in Venice would allow Caterina time to recover from the long translatlantic flight. Additionally, since Caterina had never seen Venezia, this would be an opportunity to take Caterina on a gondola ride and shop for some of her favorite items, handmade lace.
Following a two-night stay at the elegant Hotel Danieli, located on the Grand Canal adjacent to Piazza San Marco and the Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri), we took a short flight from Venezia’s Marco Polo airport to Catania Fontanarossa Vincenzo Bellini airport. We were met by Anthony’s zio Peppino and zia Nicolina Gan gemi, cugini Angelo Gangemi and Pepe Arrigo who live 84 miles north in the village of Cavaliere (above Villafranca in the province of Messina) which was our “homebase” for the next 15 days.
This Sicilian homecoming grew grander when Caterina’s youngest daughter Rosemarie Ferri, along with her husband Mark and three children, Grace, Catherine and Olivia also joined us. They had come from Ancona/Fano, Italy where they had visited with Mark Ferri’s side of the famiglia and were the guests of honor at a welcoming dinner with over 75 relatives and friends in attendance.
On August 24, we were joined by Anthony’s son Pete Cannistraci and wife Melissa. What a grand homecoming this had become for our dear Cate rina! Caterina Costanzo had the opportunity to visit and show her children and grandchildren the house in which she had lived as a child. The house is now occupied by one of her dear childhood friends, Pippa Garibaldi. She also had the opportunity to visit the property her mother had worked when she was a child. It is now cultivated by her cousins.
Caterina took us to the land in Sparta where Giuseppe worked to help support the family. It was in the house, where Giuseppe was born and raised, that we had and unforgettable evening with 18 members of the extended Costanzo family, din- ing and breaking bread together. It was a memorable “Sicilian homecoming” where young and old were able to share in Caterina’s reunion with her Pino and Costanzo families and her childhood friends.
They had the opportunity to recount the good old days when they did the simple things in life that involved such chores as cooking, sewing and even handwashing their clothes in the Angela, Loretta and Tony Cannistraci with Caterina Costanzo celebrating their arrival in Cavalieri with a magnificent torta made by cousin Flavia Arrigo.
It was quite amazing for all of her famiglia, children and gandchildren to understand what it was like in the “old country” back then. The Sicilian weather was very hot: over 100 degrees every day. The setting was both simple and rich, with a culture where its most ancient history of art, architecture and agriculture has been written by people who masterfully utilized the four elements (air, water, earth and fire) and became famous in the whole world. For example, nearby Santo Stefano di Camastrais known as the main manufacturing center of aristic pottery.
The pottery that is made from Sicilian clay is shaped, oven cooked and mag- nificently painted to produce items that can be be used for almost any purpose. The village lifestyle, still today, strongly exemplifies the institution of “La Famiglia” where whole families still have their meals together. The meal is an especially significant daily event that brings the famiglia together to enjoy food, drink and conversation.
We enjoyed eating one meal a day beginning in the early morning always with figs and fichi d’India (prickly pears) along with brioche (sweet bread) and cornetti (cream filled crois- sants) and caffè granita con panna (finely ground iced cof- fee with hand whipped crème) and ending late at night, that included arancini (rice balls), pasta, grilled meats, cold cuts (mortadella, prosciutto), various cheeses, seafood, breads (i.e., focaccia), and intricately decorated cassata and/or tiramisù.
Throughout this day- long culinary experience, numerous members of the extended family come and go. We were most thankful to Zia Nicolina, Zio Peppino Gangemi and cugini Flavia and Santino Arrigo (of the Punta Carne Macelleria Polleria, Salumeria e Gastro nomia) who prepared many wonderful meals. Antho ny Cannistraci admits that he happily gained 16 pounds in 19 days. Sunday Mass is still attended by all members of the famiglia and the Mass is a true celebration that includes all the village’s residents.
It is considered both a spiritual communal gathering and offers the oppor- tunity to exchange best Sunday wishes to all. The spirit of the famiglia is evident everywhere. Catherina recounted to us how the famiglia would come together to get things done when olives were picked and prepared, when the land and home were maintained with all the members of the family intimately involved.
For example, we marveled at 13-year old Fabio Tricomi who lived across the street helping his parents along with an older brother to preserve over a hundred jars of tomato sauce for the winter. The most memorable event of the trip involved the renewal of marriage vows by Caterina’s daughters, Loretta Cannistraci and Rosemarie Ferri, with their husbands and grandson Peter Cannistraci with his wife Melissa on August 27, 2009.
The ceremony occurred in Parrocchia dei Santi Sebastiano e Antonio di Padova in Cavaliere-Sarcelli in the same church where decades before Caterina and Giuseppe Costanzo and Angelina and Pietro Cannistraciwere married.
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Finally, our wonderful trip came to an end as we traveled back to Boston from Catania through Rome where we stayed two nights at the beauti- ful Hotel Flora giving Caterina an opportunity to visit the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Cathe dral where we all offered our thanks for a most memorable homecoming.
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May you, dear Readers, always have much to be thankful for, health, happiness, enduring family ties and friend ships...
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