Posted by clairef on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

Today our class went on a historical walking tour of Cefalu. Having spent the last week and a half exploring the city on our own, it was enlightening to learn about the history of the city. I was excited for the tour, as while we have explored most of Cefalu, I have been struggling to contextualize the type of city that Cefalu is, and how it came to be that way. Victoria, our tour guide, made two points on the tour that intrigued me, and are the focus of this experience blog.

At the first stop on the tour, Victoria addressed how the ancient city had two land gates and two sea gates for entering and exiting the city, but when Sicily became a part of Italy, they broke down the gates in order to promote inclusivity and openness between the two entities. This immediately struck me as odd, as we learned that the people of Cefalu consider themselves as Sicilians first, and Italians second. The self-distinction between the Sicilians and Northern Italians contradicts the notion of breaking down gates and promoting unity between the two areas. When I asked the tour guide about whether the people of Cefalu broke down the gates themselves, or were ordered to do so by Northern Italians, she said that while it was very politically complicated, likely officials in Cefalu made the decision to break down the gates. This begs the question: has separation between Sicily and Northern Italy always existed, or has it developed overtime? As the two territories have been one for so long, what factors create the desire for differentiation?

Drawing comparisons to the United States, while there are still differences between the North and South, we all unite over a common feeling of American pride. This pride and spirit has the ability to bring our nation together, regardless of coming from different states, different cultures, or our turbulent history. From listening to Victoria, it does not seem that there is a common sense of nationalism between Sicilians and Northern Italy. The one standing gate that we did get the chance to observe during the tour was long and narrow, and dark inside the tunnel portion of the gate. I can understand why having these structures be the only entrance and exit to the city might have created the impression of secrecy.

Another topic that Victoria addressed during the tour is that Cefalu’s economy is mainly based on tourism, and the impact this has on its local inhabitants. As Cefalu is increasingly viewed as a vacation spot, many aspects of the city are becoming commercialized (to an extent) and the prices are rising. Unfortunately, the local people who previously lived in Cefalu are facing negative consequences of this, as they cannot afford to pay the price premiums targeted at tourists. Victoria told us that prices in Cefalu are significantly higher than surrounding towns, and that many children will move out of the city when they grow up, as they cannot afford to buy houses with Cefalu. This causes workers to commute in daily, which is a common for experience for individuals in the United States as well, who work in large cities but live in surrounding suburbs. Similarly, in many of the touristy ski villages and beach towns in the United States, workers often live further away, or in areas and conditions that are nowhere near as nice as the tourist attractions themselves. I would to see what a modern-day Sicilian town that isn’t reliant on tourism looks like – does it appear as nice and quaint? This whole topic was very interesting to hear, as I often previously wondered if the people walking around Cefalu lived locally, or if a majority were tourists. I also wondered if the extreme concentration of souvenir shops and gelato stands were common for Italian beach towns, or an indication of a tourist town. In the United States, I feel as though tourist towns have become increasingly obvious – overpopulated and slightly tacky. While there are people here in Cefalu, and some tacky gifts, I did not sense the touristy-feeling that I would at a place like Virginia Beach. Knowing the many of the visitors here in Cefalu are tourists has changed my perspective, and provided me with a new way to observe the town and understand my experiences here.

Throughout the walking tour we learned about the creation of the city, the history of the cathedral, and saw beautiful views. However, the two conversations about Italian nationalism, and the divide between Northern Italy and Sicily; and the impacts of the tourist economy were the aspects of the experience that were most interesting to me, and provided me with new insights that will enhance the remainder of my trip.