CLIENT: cliente privato
WHY: Sicily is a land of a thousand apparent inconsistencies, between smells that intertwine and blend into harmonious fragrances, to colours that dance in constant disagreement, creating nuances that never cease to amaze. In this unusual harmony of contradictions lies the most authentic soul of the island, and it was from this that our client's ambitious request for his 70th birthday was born: to create a party that would reflect the most authentic traditions and contradictions of Sicily, making the challenge before us very interesting...
WHEN: 29 maggio 2023 / WHERE: Monaci delle Terre Nere, Zafferana Etnea (CT)
WHAT: Of all the complex contradictions of the island, the overlapping of sacred and profane elements is perhaps the most obvious, and at the same time seemingly irreconcilable, and finds its climax in Sicily's many festivities.
The objective was therefore clear: to recreate, for just 35 guests, the true atmosphere of the island's picturesque festivities.
However, the project required a delicate recipe, whose multiple elements had to be carefully dosed: in a land where religion and folklore merge to become one, it is easy to overdo it in one or the other direction, creating an indelicate mess.
HOW: "Monaci delle Terre Nere" is an incredibly beautiful wine resort perched on Etna and boasting an extraordinary view as far as the sea.
The green meadows and lava stone walls were already a perfect backdrop for recreating our party, designing an ancient village enriched with colourful decorations such as luminarias (luminous wooden art pieces dotted with light bulbs), long strings of light bulbs, wooden stalls, unfinished or painted according to the ancient art of Sicilian painters, as well as carts, bare, unfinished wooden tables, and simple, elegant decorations...
On reception, guests were immediately immersed in the Sicilian atmosphere thanks to Sicilian coppola hats, given to the men by our expert storyteller. The women, on the other hand, had already found earrings to wear in their rooms and, at the table, scarves to add an elegant and traditional touch to the evening.
Meanwhile, the stalls were the perfect setting for a variety of local delicacies, often prepared live, and the event was punctuated by a succession of dances and folkloric performances, as well as a 19thcentury storyteller and the exciting appearance of Sicilian puppets on stage.
It all culminated in an overwhelming final surprise: the arrival of a veritable procession, a festive crowd accompanying the passage of the vara, the triumphal chariot of the island's processions crowned by a votive statue, which then marked the transition to the ensuing dance party...
