From Palermo to Locride, through the Strait of Messina: “Calabria and Sicily- A bridge of legality” comes from the collaboration between I Viaggi del GOEL and Addiopizzo Travel, a Sicilian responsible tourism tour operator that, since 2013, has supported those who rebel against mafia. Because in these two lands, a different and ethical development is possible: in this path we want to share real experiences of real people.
Day by day - 6 nights and 7 days
Day 1
Palermo No Mafia
Arrival at Palermo airport. Visit of the headquarters of Comitato Addiopizzo in an apartment confiscated from the local Mafia boss. Meeting with representatives of the association and presentation of the tour. Walking tour in the historical center, to discover the symbolic places of the civic movement against mafia: among the stops, the open-air market Il Capo, Piazza della Memoria (Memorial dedicated to prosecutors and judges killed by the Mafia), the Cathedral, Quattro Canti, Piazza Pretoria. Self-service dinner at the famous Mafia-free restaurant Antica Focacceria San Francesco, which since 1834 cooks the typical street food of Palermo. The owners, who reported the extortionists in 2005, are an example of anti-racket rebellion. Transfer to the hotel and overnight.
Day 2
In the places of Falcone and Impastato
Breakfast. Meeting with an eyewitness of the massacre in Capaci, where the prosecutor Giovanni Falcone was murdered with a bomb in 1992. Transfer to Partinico at the farm Mariscò, where we try the delicious Sicilian cuisine and we learn about organic farming and local crops. In the afternoon visit in Cinisi, to the Casa Memoria Felicia e Peppino Impastato where we discover the story of Peppino, a young activist who bravely opposed to the Mafia and was killed in 1978. Dinner at Pizzeria Impastato, owned by Peppino’s relatives, or at Pizzeria La Stazione, where I cento passi (One hundred steps) was filmed. After dinner, back to Palermo and overnight at the hotel.
Day 3
From Via d'Amelio to the sea
Breakfast and check-out. Last day in Sicily: first stop in via D’Amelio where we learn about the magistrate Paolo Borsellino murdered here on 19th July 1992. We greet Palermo, admiring it in all its splendor, thanks to a panoramic tour along the Monte Pellegrino ascent, with stops at the sanctuary of Santa Rosalia, the patron saint of the city, and at the Belvedere. Finally, the sea: picked lunch in the picturesque seaside village of Mondello at Cotti in Fragranza, the cooperative that carries out a project of job inclusion of minors from the Malaspina prison in Palermo, thanks to the preparation of baked goods. After lunch, transfer to Calabria through the Strait of Messina. Free dinner during the journey. Arrival in the evening at the Ostello Locride, eco-residence built in a property confiscated to the Mafia and managed by GOEL - Cooperative Group. Check-in and overnight.
Day 4
GOEL BIO: we grow legality
Breakfast. Meeting with representatives of GOEL – Cooperative Group and presentation of the change mission that GOEL promotes in Locri and in the rest of Italy. Visit in Roccella Jonica to the social cooperative Arca della Salvezza which runs an organic farm and a family home for children. There, we learn about GOEL Bio, the social cooperative that gathers the farmers who oppose to ‘Ndrangheta, ensuring ethical business conduct and offering typical products of high quality. Lunch in the same cooperative. In the afternoon, guided tour in Stilo, the hometown of the philosopher Tommaso Campanella. With its many heritages and monasteries, such as The Cattolica, a Byzantine-style church from the 9thcentury, Stilo is an example of the meeting between East and West. Dinner at AMAL organic restaurant run from GOEL Bio, symbol of cultural meeting and warm reception, typical of Calabrian tradition. Return to the hostel and overnight.
Day 5
CANGIARI: crafting the future
Breakfast. Meeting in Gioiosa Jonica at the headquarters of Made in GOEL, in a property confiscated from the ‘ndrangheta, and presentation of CANGIARI (To change in Calabrian dialect), the ethical fashion brand of GOEL that combines environmental respect, through the use of certified organic yarns and colours, to the ancient tradition of handloom dating back to the Greek-Byzantine period. Late morning transfer to Gerace and lunch in a typical restaurant. In the early afternoon guided tour through the medieval town, one of the ten most beautiful town in Italy, which houses a remarkable artistic heritage, preserved for the most part in the Norman Castle and in the Cathedral. Visti to the handloom and pottery workshop. Stop in Piazza del Tocco with tasting of the famous granita (made from fresh fruit and crushed ice). Dinner and overnight at the hostel
Day 6
Goodbye
Breakfast and check-out. Meeting at the hostel with the social cooperative Pathos which runs a family home for young people and some SPRAR projects to welcome and assist migrant applicants for political asylum. Debate with operators, linguistic/cultural mediators and migrants who tell their experience and the path of integration. Final greetings with GOEL – Cooperative Group and transfer to Lamezia airport for departure.
