Gina Marques’s travel diary

I meet Francesco Santore at Cantine Corbera on a warm September afternoon. I ask him: “What is a cantina sociale (a cooperative winegrowers association)? He answers that it means being able to count on 700 members, who are united by a single desire: “To make good […]

We pass by the ruins of Montevago until we reach the Azienda Agricola (Farming Enterprise) La Chiusa. The area where the earthquake struck in 1968 is completely devastated. It is as though Saturn passed through here, leaving no stone unturned. This visit contains a lesson about […]

A discovery in every wine glass, a story in every wine. In every sip… We share this experience. Here in the Terre Sicane, the vineyards represent the family treasure that is passed down from generation to generation. The vineyards are cultivated with extreme dedication, sweat and […]

Hurray for colors, the splendor of yellow, the intensity of blue. The ceramics of Sciacca are like toys in the hands of artists. The artisans say that the tradition was born 700 years ago and that it is passed on from father to son. The baroque […]

The earthquake began on a dark, cold night, between January 14th and January 15th, 1968. The fury of the earthquake demolished 14 towns in the Belice Valley, causing 370 deaths, thousands of wounded and leaving approximately 70-thousand people homeless. The ruins of the city of Montevago […]

Sciacca and its many faces resembles a rock that has been carved by many sculptors. It’s a fascinating city, where different eras and cultures coexist, situated in a strategic location in the Mediterranean. I can taste its flavors, smell its fragrances and hear its sounds. Here […]

Now I enter the Maggagiaro Woods, full of mysterious creatures. This great natural park is filled with life. Here the trees could tell confidential stories about the people and the animals they’ve seen in this corner of paradise. We are 5 km away from the center […]

Postcard: Zeus sends you greetings. At Lido Fiori near the Mouth of the Belice River, in Menfi, we go for a walk. The beach is like paradise, almost deserted. One can hear the songs of the birds, and the muted sound of the waves pushing up […]

  This place reminds me of a song by Caetano Veloso: “Sun light (light of the sun),  may the leaf bring and translate in new green in leaf, in grace, in life, in force, in light. Blue sky …” The song continues. My diary starts here, […]

The warm water of the Sacred Fountain gushes forth continuously. It almost feels as though I am diving into history, in the myths of Acqua Pia, where Venus transforms men into fauns and women into nymphs. The goddess of beauty located the source deep below the […]

Every day there is a surprise and what a surprise! We travel through the hills  between Sambuca and Contessa Entellina to arrive at the Cantina Domina Miccina. I must confess that before setting out on the road, I did some research on the Internet. The web […]

We arrived last night at the Hotel Don Giovanni but this morning I don’t feel as though I’m staying in a hotel. I open my window and I take in the endless green that surrounds this place. I leave the room for breakfast. The view is […]

Attention! The armed forces of the Terre Sicane are conquering the world. 25 women make up the front line battalion, well armed with pans and local ingredients. They prepare dishes that will annihilate any enemy. This is the Mandrarossa Kitchen Brigade. The army was created in […]

Today our program is undeniably sinful. I’m in Sambuca di Sicilia, one of the pearls of the Terre Sicane, to find out about local culinary traditions. Everyone tells me that I have to taste the Minni di Vergini. I go to the best know pastry shop […]