Made in Sicily
The publication of this website was long overdue. It was time to bring Sicilian-made treasures to the world's attention. Not
just clothes, but anything and everything created for consumers by Sicilians
(or non-Sicilians) in the magical place called Sicily. If you scratch beneath
the surface, there's at least a little artistry entailed in producing anything
- whether it's the making of wedding dresses, pottery, furniture or pasta.
We've set out to find it. And you're invited to join the journey.
Why us, and why now? The simple answer is that, oddly enough, nobody
else had ever set out to do it and do it competently. Sicily's various chambers
of commerce (or camera di commercio in Italian) in Palermo, Catania and around the island,
are public agencies staffed by bureaucrats. They're good at organizing trade
fairs and "junkets" but not so good at closing the deal - in the
process leaving many fine Sicilian firms to fend for themselves. We're sorry to say that
the operation of these organizations is inefficient to the point of uselessness. One of many chronic
problems with Sicily's "official" promotional associations is that they must promote
all their members equally regardless of quality; we can be more selective. It is especially
tragic when a small, family-operated firm closes for lack of customers,
and today that often results from a poor internet presence.
In the old quarters of Sicily's
larger cities, and especially Palermo (mercifully spared the natural disasters
that claimed the medieval districts of Catania and Messina), a number of
historic streets are named for trades. There is the street of the shoe makers,
the sock makers, the locksmiths, the tanners, the dyers, the stove makers,
the cabinet makers, the broom makers, the weavers, the hat makers, and so
forth. With very few exceptions (Palermo's Via Calderai is named
for coppersmiths and metal artisans still have shops there), the trades
associated with these streets have disappeared - an inevitable consequence
of a changing economy. Except for the majolica ceramic art of Caltagirone
and Santo Stefano di Camastra (and the making of food products like wine
and olive oil), no specific craft industry is identified with any locality
in Sicily; casting a glance around Italy for comparison, the silk mills
of Como and the goldsmiths of Vicenza come to mind.
There is a social and ethical side to our efforts. While we do not necessarily
oppose globalization in principle, we do support local economies and the
local people who sustain them.
Who are we? That's addressed on another page.
Essentially, this website is a public service sponsored and underwritten
by the publishers of Best of Sicily, the online destination
guide which in just over a decade has become the most popular international
publication in Sicily as well as an informal but very real network of various
writers, historians and travel professionals. Companies, designers and artists
are listed here free of charge.
Over the years, we've received numerous queries about where to find this
or that in Sicily. We hope that this site will answer a few of those questions.
This website has no "agenda" except to promote genuine Sicilian
products or (in exceptional instances) things which may be produced outside
Sicily but relate in some way to Sicilian history or culture. Advertising,
for products and services, is accepted in the form of sponsored links appropriate
to this site's content.
Products are indicated on pages identified either by a general topic
(such as men's fashion) or by the name of a specific
firm. The producers and merchants mentioned on this site engage in various
forms of marketing, either directly or via the internet. However, our staff
does not legally represent any company listed here.
Due to the "traditional" approach taken by some of the firms
in marketing and sales, the best way to deal with most of them is to actually
come to Sicily. It's something we encourage, for no publication can do justice
to the place, which is almost a world unto itself.
Thanks for visiting.
