Sicily Unpacked

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[edit] General Information

Arts Documentary hosted by Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli, published by BBC in 2012 - English narration

[edit] Cover

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Sicily Unpacked TV art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon and Michelin starred chef Giorgio Locatelli take us on a delightful journey around their beloved Sicily. Sharing a passion for all things Sicilian they make the perfect travel partners. Exploring the island through each other's eyes and hearts, they reveal how the layers of history have created a unique belnd of art and architecture. As well as the pleasures of an intense and vibrant culture, they experience the sadness the island has come through and the strength of the Sicilian people as they rose up and challenged the Mafia. Together they document how the various conquering forces and the rich variety of different heritages have helped to shape both the food and the culture of this beautiful Mediterranean island.

[edit] Part 1

In the first episode, Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli take viewers on a journey into the heart of Sicily and introduce one another to the things they love about the island. Their first stop takes them to Giorgio's friend Vittorio and his restaurant near the seaside village of Porto Paolo. There is no menu, you are served whatever is best that day. It is Giorgio's favourite restaurant in the world. For him, the larger than life Vittorio represents the best of Sicily. Sicily may be less famous for art than its northern neighbours, but Andrew wants to change that. He takes Giorgio to see one of his favourite works of art in the capital Palermo, a typically Sicilian chapel hidden away down one of the city's many narrow streets. Created by the Palermitan sculptor Giacomo Serpotta, for Andrew it is a stunning example of the Sicilian approach to art and architecture. Plus the pair explores how, amongst the buzz and great beauty of the island, the shadowy presence of the mafia lurks around almost every corner.

[edit] Part 2

In the second part of this fascinating journey through Sicily, Andrew and Giorgio explore the legacy of Spain's 500-year occupation of the island and the influence this has had on art and culture. It is Easter and Giorgio and Andrew get the chance to experience two of the island's most spectacular celebrations. On Good Friday in the city of Enna, hooded figures parade statues of the Madonna and Jesus. Then on Easter Sunday they go to Modica to see the Madonna Vasa Vasa procession, where a statue of the Madonna meets and kisses her son Jesus in front of a devoted crowd. Andrew and Giorgio end Easter festivities with a traditional lunch courtesy of the Vannuccio family, who live in the countryside outside Modica. The sweet tooth of our presenters is indulged when they sample ice cream made exclusively with ingredients from Sicily. Further delights are served by the Bonajuto family, who for six generations have made exquisite chocolate inspired by techniques acquired from the Aztecs via their Spanish colonizers. During the Spanish occupation, Caravaggio fled to Sicily from Rome. He is Andrew's favourite painter and together with Giorgio, he visits one of the great artist's masterpieces in Messina - a moving Nativity scene.

[edit] Part 3

In the final episode of the series, Andrew and Giorgio take the pulse of contemporary Sicily, experience the change that is sweeping through the island, and find out how the future of it is linked to its ancient past. Over the last 100 years, Sicilians have seen their beautiful island sink under the weight of corruption, recession and the mafia. But today, Sicily is experiencing a renaissance and celebrating a rediscovery of their unique ancient heritage. Andrew and Giorgio visit Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe, and explore the rich vegetation of its foothills and the dramatic moonlike craters of its upper slopes. Etna truly is a great beauty with a seductive dark side, just like Sicily. During this journey our presenters will meet the ordinary people really trying to make a difference in Sicily. Ciccio the fisherman who retrieved a statue dating back 2300 years from the sea. Called the Dancing Satyr, rather than sell it to a private art dealer, he generously gave it back to his town so that his fellow Sicilians can enjoy the riches of their past. Likewise, a little museum in the small town of Aidone successfully reclaimed the spectacular Morgantina statue of Demeter - as old as the frieze sculptures on the Parthenon - from the Getty Museum in California. And it's not only art that is experiencing a resurrection on the island but agriculture too: the wine, that only 20 years ago was considered only good enough for blending vats on the continent, is now one of the most fashionable in Europe and is being exported all over the world.