The Sican Network: partners
Giuliana, the geologist
introducing
the soul of the Sicans
As a tour leader and nature guide
promotes community-based tourism
The idea of returning to her small medieval village dominated by the beautiful Frederician castle, from which she had longed to escape for years, had been rattling around in her head for a while. A degree in Geology from the University of Palermo, experiences in Udine, Rome, London and then back to the Sicilian capital, kept Stefania Arcuri away from Giuliana for a long time.
“Five years,” she says, “university excluded, during which I realized that what I was looking for I already had; but, as often happens, we don’t appreciate what we have under our belt, except when we get away from it. Resonating with her, back in the day, when at her home in Giuliana, she hosted foreign students as part of programs related to international exchanges, was the enthusiasm she had noticed in relation to what she had always considered routine activities.
“Preparing tomato sauce,” says Stefania Arcuri, “picking olives, things that for us are very normal, for my guests were exceptional, they were fascinated.
And so it was that, in 2019, as a tour leader and nature guide, Stefania founded her sole proprietorship with the goal of introducing people to the beauty of her area.
“I started,” he says, “just on the eve of the pandemic that would shock the world, but despite everything, I was not deterred by the less than happy timing. As part of the tourism services I offer and also advertise on my Facebook profile “Live Sicani,” the focus is on community-based tourism that connects visitors with those who live here: agricultural producers and artisans, which is our most valuable capital. Taking them around Giuliana, I introduce tourists to the legendary Uncle Pietro, who still makes his beautiful sculptures at 93 years old; the wicker craftsman, Giuseppe Marchisotta; the ladies who embroider and crochet; the small vintage wine cellar restored by Pietro Maggiore, with its good genuine wine; and our bakery artist, Franco Arcuri, from whom we often end our tours with tastings that are a delight to the eye and palate.”
It is the “Seggi Fora Tour,” for non-Sicilians “Outdoor Chairs Tour,” a route that is inspired by the custom in small towns of sitting in front of one’s front door to chat, carry out one’s activities, or perhaps just enjoy the fresh air. “It is in this context,” says Arcuri, “that one gets in touch with the soul of the area, that the meeting between visitors and locals takes place, in a race to welcome, where personal initiative finds space. Need a few extra chairs? Here’s someone brings it from home; or, if you’re cooking in the meantime, a few samples arrive for the tourists. Small gestures, simple things, like the bouquet of oregano donated with love, that warm the heart and are much appreciated.”
Also very popular is the tour that is dedicated to the Altars of St. Joseph, an ancient tradition that characterizes several towns on the island and that, in this specific case, also featured Bisacquino and Contessa Entellina. What pleases those who come from afar and from the hustle and bustle of the city so much is entering people’s homes, appreciating the care and flair with which the tables dedicated to St. Joseph and the Holy Family are set; the familiarity, which knows no diffidence, with which all this takes place; in short, all the charm, as Fogazzaro put it, of a small ancient world.
Involvement of the village is important: “Compared to a few years ago,” says Stefania Arcuri, “among local artisans and entrepreneurs, there is a more confident attitude toward the future. Today, it is important to focus on collaboration among the partners of the Sicani and among the associations of Giuliana, for a community project that also involves the foreigners who live here. Among the projects presented to the municipality is a museum of semi-precious stones, of which the whole area is rich, and for which an excavation campaign has already been conducted.”
Stefania Arcuri’s sole proprietorship is part of the Sicani Rural Quality District. Short-term projects include the possibility for those who wish to stay overnight in the Monte Genuardo forest, sleeping in suspended tents, for a unique experience in contact with nature.
“In addition to the suspended tents,” Arcuri says, “among the new features that affect my business will be mountain bikes to explore our beautiful surroundings at a slow pace.”
Text by Angela Mannino
