Dante’s Divina Commedia was translated into the Sicilian dialect and given a theatrical flair.
“The idea of a weekend in Stanthorpe came to us during our Chestnut Festival,” Vecchio said.
“Mayor Vic Pennisi is always helpful with our events and invited us to Stanthorpe, suggesting that he be our guide.”
This year marks the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death and Vecchio wanted to honour his works in a memorable way.
During an evening at the International Club, members of the theatrical group Danteatro surprised citizens of Stanthorpe, reciting passages from the Divine Comedy.
“There are numerous versions of the Divine Comedy in several dialects,” Tiziana Miceli, a member of Danteatro, said.
“We wanted to pay homage to Dante and Sicily with Filippo Guastella’s translation of the Divine Comedy from 1923.
“Guastella was a doctor from Misilmeri, near Palermo, with a genuine passion for literature.
“He translated Dante’s work into Sicilian, respecting the integrity of the text, which has resulted in an extremely powerful translation.”
Miceli, together with Eleonora Ginardi, the co-founder of Danteatro, recited Canto 26, best known as the Canto of Ulysses, in both Italian and English.
“It was a weekend dedicated to good wine and food, but it was also a celebration of our culture; a tribute to the great poet and the rediscovery of our Sicilian dialect which represents our invaluable heritage.”
