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Malay Mail
17-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Sicily's tourism boom brings cash — and challenges — to Palermo's forgotten corners
PALERMO, May 18 — In a rundown neighbourhood of Sicily's capital Palermo, a whitewashed old farmhouse that accommodates pilgrims now offers two rooms to tourists for bed and breakfast after a renovation. As foreign visitors flock to Sicily, last year Brother Mauro Billetta, head of the parish in the Danisinni neighbourhood, decided that revenue from B&B guests could help lift the area out of decades of neglect. Two months ago, he also opened a cafe at the farmhouse, overlooking the vegetable garden. 'That was our main goal from the start: to open up this part of the city, and also to tourists,' said Mauro, sitting in his brown robes in his office at the parish church. While residents in Rome, Florence and Venice have staged protests, complaining of overcrowded streets and housing shortages due to rising holiday rentals, it's a different story in poorer southern Italy. In Sicily and other parts, the tourism boom is helping make some neighbourhoods safer and bringing much needed cash to deprived areas, although residents see risks ahead if it is not controlled. Franciscan friar Mauro Billetta walks in front of the white B&B opened near the Saint Agnese parish that he manages in Danisinni district, Palermo, May 5, 2025. — Reuters pic Danisinni is walking distance from Palermo Cathedral and the Norman Palace, two of the Unesco World Heritage sites in the Sicilian capital, which welcomed over 800,000 visitors in 2023, up 16 per cent from 2022. 'Our houses became more valuable and some of the businesses that opened in recent years, like the restaurants, are good for the residents as well,' said Aurelio Cagnina, while walking his dog near his home by Palermo's ancient port of La Cala. However, some city residents are starting to complain that local authorities are failing to regulate the tourist boom. Short-term rentals are on the rise — more than 180,000 of Palermo's visitors in 2023 stayed in non-hotel accommodation, up 44 per cent from 2019, official data shows — and residents say the growing night life has brought an increase in drug dealing. 'The lack of intervention is setting the stage for irreversible transformations. The so-called 'showcase' historic centre is what is happening,' Palermo resident Massimo Castiglia said. He reflects fears voiced by residents in Florence and Venice that their city centres will become amusement parks as locals are priced out by visitors. A tourist takes a picture of the Palermo cathedral, in Palermo, Italy, May 14, 2025. — Reuters pic Preservation strategy A rebound in air travel after the pandemic and more low-cost direct flights have led to a surge in visitor numbers to Europe's tourism hot spots, causing friction in parts of Spain and elsewhere, not just Italy - where tourism accounts for more than 10 per cent of gross domestic product. Spending by foreign visitors in Italy rose 19 per cent in 2023 to a record €51.4 billion (RM246.4 billion), according to The World Travel & Tourism Council's latest data. Sicily drew 5.5 million tourists in 2023, up 14.5 per cent on 2022, according to local government data, and more than the island's resident population of 4.8 million. 'There is no risk of overtourism. The idea that the historical areas will become a desert, sold out to short-term rentals does not exist in Palermo at present,' said Alessandro Anello, councillor responsible for tourism in Palermo. Yet he acknowledged a strategy was needed to preserve the city's character. The municipality was considering building student quarters in the city centre, he said, and last month it passed rules to prevent the opening of more mini food markets for the next 18 months. 'Otherwise, there would be a risk that it becomes an open-air street food market,' Anello said. Tourists walk along Maqueda street, in Palermo, Italy, May 14, 2025. — Reuters pic Revamped image Tourism has helped Palermo to revamp its image after difficult decades that long overshadowed its beauty. Memorial plaques in honour of the victims of the Cosa Nostra Mafia wars of the 1980s and 1990s are scattered across the city, sometimes hidden among shiny shop windows or restaurants serving typical Sicilian food. A car bomb exploded in 1983 in a residential street near the elegant Viale della Liberta boulevard, killing anti-mafia magistrate Rocco Chinnici, two police officers escorting him and the doorman of the building where he lived. Claudia Lombardo, who rents apartments to tourists with her daughter a few metres from the site, believes much has changed since then. 'There is a different air, a more open mentality, and I believe the opportunity to interact with tourists has helped a lot,' she said. — Reuters
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
From Palm Sunday to Easter, what happens during Holy Week?
Palm Sunday on Sunday, April 13 marked the beginning of Holy Week. The week is the most sacred week in the Christian liturgical year, commemorating the final days and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's celebrated by more than 2 billion Christians around the world, according to the Salvation Army. "It is a time Christians remember Jesus Christ's death by crucifixion, his resurrection, and his victory over death and sin," according to Franciscan Friars. The week begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday, with all of the events observed during Holy Week recounting the events leading up to Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection. Here are the key days associated with Holy Week, which is celebrated differently by various denominations around the world. Palm Sunday celebrates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He was greeted by crowds waving palm branches and yelling "hosanna," which means please save us, according to "They thought Jesus was coming as a king to overthrow Roman imperialism and had not yet understood that God's plan was to establish an eternal kingdom to save all people," according to the Salvation Army. Palm Sunday ceremonies vary by denomination. These days often focus on such events as the cleansing of the temple and Jesus' parables, among them one about a fig tree and another targeting religious leaders. It is during this time Jesus warned "that if we do not forgive, neither will God forgive us," according to "Holy Wednesday, also known as Spy Wednesday in the Roman Catholic tradition, marks the plot by Judas, who was one of Jesus' 12 close followers, to betray Jesus to the religious authorities." Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, is sometimes known as the Last Supper. It commemorates the final meal Jesus ate with his closest disciples — to celebrate the Passover — and his arrest. During the meal, Jesus washed his disciples' feet and commanded them, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." After the Passover meal, Judas betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders, for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane to be handed over to the Roman authorities to be killed. Many churches hold a communion service to observe Maundy Thursday. During the service, participants are encouraged to take the eucharist, the bread and wine which symbolize Jesus' body and blood. Good Friday commemorates Jesus' trial, crucifixion and burial. Holy Saturday, also known as Black Saturday, Great Sabbath, Easter Eve, Joyous Saturday, "marks a day of anticipation, meditation and reflection, and for some, preparations for Easter Sunday celebrations. It also marks the end of Lent (fasting) that many undertake in the leadup to Easter," according to the Salvation Army. Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus' resurrection and victory over death. The New Testament describes it as the third day after Christ was crucified and when he resurrected himself from the dead. "On this day, Christians in many cultures happily greet each other with phrases such as 'Christ is risen.' Others respond with 'He is risen indeed.' It is a day of hope, thankfulness and joy — and a day that billions around the world celebrate." Easter will be celebrated Sunday, April 20, this year. The day is never the same from one year to the next. Easter comes on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, which was on March 20 this year. "Easter Sunday always occurs on the first Sunday after the paschal full moon, which is the first full moon that occurs on or after the March or spring equinox," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The 2025 spring equinox fell on March 20 this year, and April 13, based on the UTC time, is the first full moon since the equinox, making April 20 the date to celebrate Easter. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Holy Week varies by denomination. Palm Sunday, Easter, Maundy Thursday
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Firefighters Arrive at Scene of Deadly Church Roof Collapse
A 26-year-old woman was killed and at least five people were injured when part of the ceiling of a Brazilian church famed for its ornate interior collapsed on February 5. Footage from Sergio Batista shows the moment firefighters arrived at the scene of the collapse at the Church and Convent of Sao Francisco in Salvador. The Civil Police of the state of Bahia named the victim as Giulia Panchoni Righetto, from the southern city of Ribeirao Preto, in Sao Paulo state. Br Rogerio Lopes, provincial minister of the Franciscan Friars for the province of Santo Antonio, said the ceiling collapse was a 'moment of immense pain'. He said authorities would 'investigate the causes of the incident and take the appropriate measures to ensure the safety of the location.' Credit: Sergio Batista via Storyful Y veo ok, y veo ok y veo ok y veo ok y veo ok? Y veo a
