Historical Museum of the Landing in Sicily 1943
Events
Fondazione Oelle Mediterraneo Antico on the themes of History and Memory
25/26 October 2024
The OELLE Mediterraneo Antico Foundation was present at the international conference in Villefranche-sur-Mer (France)
"Les Américains en Méditerranée Occidentale (1942-1945): débarquements, libération et « pax americana" with the historian Ezio Costanzo, who spoke about the great American photographer Phil Stern and the importance of the photographic collection kept at the "Phil Stern Pavilion" in Catania, Historical Museum of the Landing in Sicily 1943, created in 2017 by the Oelle Foundation. Costanzo also spoke about the landing in Sicily in 1943 as a "landing laboratory" for the Americans and the relationships between the mafia and the Allies during the Second World War.
10 July 2023
Sicily 1943-2023 Contemporary Memories
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the landing of the Allied troops in Sicily, Fondazione OELLE has created “Sicily 1943/2023”, a project in which the Academy of Fine Arts of Catania, the Department of Humanities of the University of Catania, the newspaper La Sicilia, the National Association of Civilian Victims of War, and the Chamber of Commerce of South-East Sicily have joined.
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On July 10, 2023, in the main hall of the Chamber of Commerce in Catania, the Conference “Sicily 1943/2023 contemporary memories” took place, in which the themes of the liberation of Italy from Nazi-fascism were addressed, also observed in a contemporary key. The day was divided into three panels of 50 minutes each, all moderated by Prof. Ezio Costanzo: the first saw the participation of professors Francesco Failla, Peppino Ortoleva and Lina Scalisi; the second photographers Federico Baronello and Massimo Siragusa; the third German historian Holger Afflerbach, historian Michela Ponzani and Professor Lucio Villari in connection.
During the conference, the book “SICILY 1943/2023” was presented, which includes photographs by Federico Baronello and Massimo Siragusa, texts by the speakers and various contributions. A section of the book was dedicated to a selection of photographs by the great photographer and friend of the Foundation, Phil Stern, on the landing sites.
The book /
Sicily 1943/2023
Texts by Holger Afflerbach, Federico Baronello, Andrea Bruno, Ezio Costanzo, Francesco Failla, Ornella Laneri, Carmelo Nicosia, Peppino Ortoleva, Antonello Piraneo, Lina Scalisi, Massimo Siragusa, Lucio Villari.
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Contemporary photos by
Federico Baronello e Massimo Siragusa
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Photos "Signs of war" by
Gabriele Argentino, Federica Carrozza, Giulia Cassaro, Alice Cingolani, Filippo Sciacca
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With a selection of historical photos by
Phil Stern
25 September 2018
SnapDragon
The exploits of Darby's Rangers and photographer
Phil Stern in World War II.
On the occasion of the anniversary of the establishment of the Phil Stern Pavilion inside the Historical Museum of the Landing in Sicily 1943, the OELLE Mediterraneo Antico Foundation, in collaboration with the Metropolitan City of Catania, presents two events of great historical and cultural importance:
1) Presentation, in national preview, of the book “Snapdragon The World War II exploits of Darby’s Ranger and Combat Photographer Phil Stern” by the American journalist Liesl Bradner.
2) Inauguration of the photographic exhibition
“Lo sguardo oltre la guerra. 1942/1943
Unpublished photographs of Phil Stern”.
The book
“SnapDragon. The World War II exploits of Darby’s Ranger and Combat Photographer Phil Stern”, collects the written and photographic testimony of the participation in the Second World War of the American photographer Phil Stern, enlisted in the Darby’s Rangers. The book contains notes from Stern’s diary and more than three hundred photographs taken by him in North Africa, Sicily and Europe during the war.
During the event, a memorandum of understanding was signed for the establishment of "Area ‘43 Sicily Landing District", a network for the enhancement and promotion of the sites of the 1943 landing in Sicily, which aims to create tourism linked to the complexity of the territories, history and moments of civil life that saw the island as a protagonist in one of the most dramatic moments of the Second World War. The first signatories are the president of the Oelle Mediterraneo Antico Foundation, Ornella Laneri, the mayor of Catania, Salvo Pogliese, and the mayor of Troina, Sebastiano Venezia.
10 July 2018
International conference
Operation Husky 10 July 1943
Between history and places of memory
An international conference of high cultural value, for the presence of illustrious guests in the field of contemporary history. The theme: “Operation Husky 10 July 1943, between history and places of memory”. Speakers: Alfio Caruso, historian and essayist; Lucio Villari, historian; Andrea Ungari, historian; Andrea Augello, historian and writer; Giuseppe Castronovo, national president of the National Association of Civilian Victims of War, Ornella Laneri, president of the Oelle Foundation, Mario Farrugia, president of the Wirt Artna Malta Foundation. The historian and essayist Ezio Costanzo gave the introductory report and moderated the speeches. Speakers included, among others, Salvo Pogliese, mayor of Catania and the Metropolitan City; Sandro Pappalardo, regional councilor for Tourism, Francesco Basile, rector of the University of Catania and Claudio Minghetti, commander of the army in Sicily.
Venerdì 1 December 2017
Book details:
Ezio Costanzo
The instant and the story
Reportage and photographic documentation
From the origins to Magnum
Le Nove Muse Editrice, 2017
pp. 208, illustrated
Price: € 22.00
ISBN 978-88-87820-68-3
Project realized with the contribution of the Oelle Foundation Ancient Mediterranean.
Ezio Costanzo's book "L'istante e la storia. Reportage e documento fotografico. Dalle origine alla Magnum" (Le Nove Muse Editrice, 2017) contains more than a hundred years of history of reportage and photographic documentation. In it, the author, a journalist and historian, starting from the origins of reportage and considering each shot as a document and witness of time, reviews the many protagonists who have immortalized local conflicts, world wars, revolutions, social life and changes throughout the world. The volume, produced with the contribution of the Oelle Mediterraneo Antico Foundation, was presented on Friday 1 December, at 10:30, in the Phil Stern room - Museum of the landing in Sicily 1943, inside the Le Ciminiere complex in Catania. Together with the author, the speakers Carmelo Nicosia, photographer and director of the Oelle Mediterraneo Antico Foundation, Enzo Tromba, professor of Theory and method of mass media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Catania, and Fabrizio Villa, photojournalist. “This book - explains the author - is aimed at anyone who wants to delve deeper into the historical events of photographic reportage and photography as a document, from its origins to the birth of the French agency Magnum (1947). A long history between the 19th and 20th centuries, ranging from technical aspects to the personal stories of the protagonists, from the various sectors of photographic storytelling to archive sources, from local civil conflicts to world wars”.
Other events
Tribute to Phil Stern at Taormina FilmFest in Los Angeles
The first edition of TaorminaFilmFest@LosAngeles was inaugurated on Wednesday, January 20, 2016, with the screening of Ezio Costanzo’s documentary Phil Stern. Sicily 1943, the war and the soul and the photographic exhibition in homage to Phil Stern “Welcome back to Sicily” by Carmelo Nicosia. Los Angeles thus paid homage to Phil Stern, one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. His son Peter and granddaughter Ashley were present at the screening of the film. City Councilor Joe Buscaino awarded the Catania project of the Fondazione Oelle Mediterraneo Antico, dedicated to Stern and the first edition of TaorminaFilmFest@LosAngeles, an official recognition from the city of Los Angeles.
