THE RIBERA HOLOCAUST MUSEUM, LUCCA SICULA
It was clear and windy today, just right for a trip to Ribera market, and maybe to find out what has happened to our old friends Giusi and Claudio, or at least to talk to their families. Also, we had read a lot about a Holocaust survivor that had erected a memorial in a public space in Ribera, so we thought we might find that today.
The market was crazy as ever, but we walked through it and enjoyed the usual sights and sounds. I like to look at the oriental rugs in this particular market because there is a good variety and they seem to be of decent quality. I miss a nice thick rug in the living room, and someday will get one. Anyway, we left the market and made our way to Claudios parents house and as usual, found only the dog at home. But we left a note and went on to Giusi and Claudios apartment. There I spoke to neighbors who said they would leave a message for them. So for everyone who met those two, stay tuned! We went on to the museum, and found the owners son, who hurried off to get his dad to open it up for us. It had been officially dedicated the week before in a ceremony, but was probably only open now by appointment.
Calogero Sparacino was an Italian airman third class captured in Albania during the war. Instead of being taken to a German prisoner of war camp for military, he was sent to Nordhausen, in a location either near or part of Buchenwald (Camp Dora), where there was a secret tunnel where missiles to bombard England were built. He kept a diary of his life there and wrote a book based on his experiences that has been valuable in understanding what happened at Buchenwald. When he came back, he determined to put his memories to work, so built a model of the camp and began a life of collecting remnants and speaking about what happened to him and the people he got to know. Now he is a slight, frail, white haired man of 85, easily moved to tears. He asked us our interest in this matter, and listened carefully, and told us incidents and details that made him cry often. He inscribed the copy of his book that we bought and was eager to show us all of his bitter memories on the walls of his museum. But it was hard for us to see him so moved (I kept tearing up too) and we politely declined seeing the movie that had been made of his efforts.
We said our good-byes and I felt like I had escaped after that! We decided to take a ride toward Burgio, known for its giant wall murals in the beautiful valley we had seen before outside of Ribera, and so set off looking for lunch. We ended up in a small town called Lucca Sicula, also known for murals, and found a diner car for lunch! But alas, no hamburgers, just a wonderful spaghetti with ragu, the local name for a meat and pea tomato sauce. Delicious! We came home on a different route, stopping to take pictures of fields and old ruins, and admiring the orange and lemon crop ripe in the fields and the almond trees in bloom alongside the ride.
The market was crazy as ever, but we walked through it and enjoyed the usual sights and sounds. I like to look at the oriental rugs in this particular market because there is a good variety and they seem to be of decent quality. I miss a nice thick rug in the living room, and someday will get one. Anyway, we left the market and made our way to Claudios parents house and as usual, found only the dog at home. But we left a note and went on to Giusi and Claudios apartment. There I spoke to neighbors who said they would leave a message for them. So for everyone who met those two, stay tuned! We went on to the museum, and found the owners son, who hurried off to get his dad to open it up for us. It had been officially dedicated the week before in a ceremony, but was probably only open now by appointment.
Calogero Sparacino was an Italian airman third class captured in Albania during the war. Instead of being taken to a German prisoner of war camp for military, he was sent to Nordhausen, in a location either near or part of Buchenwald (Camp Dora), where there was a secret tunnel where missiles to bombard England were built. He kept a diary of his life there and wrote a book based on his experiences that has been valuable in understanding what happened at Buchenwald. When he came back, he determined to put his memories to work, so built a model of the camp and began a life of collecting remnants and speaking about what happened to him and the people he got to know. Now he is a slight, frail, white haired man of 85, easily moved to tears. He asked us our interest in this matter, and listened carefully, and told us incidents and details that made him cry often. He inscribed the copy of his book that we bought and was eager to show us all of his bitter memories on the walls of his museum. But it was hard for us to see him so moved (I kept tearing up too) and we politely declined seeing the movie that had been made of his efforts.
We said our good-byes and I felt like I had escaped after that! We decided to take a ride toward Burgio, known for its giant wall murals in the beautiful valley we had seen before outside of Ribera, and so set off looking for lunch. We ended up in a small town called Lucca Sicula, also known for murals, and found a diner car for lunch! But alas, no hamburgers, just a wonderful spaghetti with ragu, the local name for a meat and pea tomato sauce. Delicious! We came home on a different route, stopping to take pictures of fields and old ruins, and admiring the orange and lemon crop ripe in the fields and the almond trees in bloom alongside the ride.
posted by Sicilian Mama at 4:03 PM
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