The GMT™ Halaesa Nebrodi present at the BTE in Palermo

"History and Archaeology between Amastra and Halaesa - Study Day in memory of Sebastiano Tusa": this was the title of the interesting meeting held on October 18 in Mistretta at the Salone del Circolo Unione, moderated by the Telemistretta journalist, Dr. Giuseppe Cuva.

The long-standing association, together with the broadcaster Telemistretta and under the capable direction of Dr. Salvatore Antoci, seized the opportunity to bring together the municipalities of Mistretta and Tusa, on whose territories stand two archaeological sites of great importance and depth: Amastra and Halaesa.

The presentation was entrusted to Dr. Salvatore Antoci, who, in tracing the excursus that led to the event, wanted to emphasize how the entire district needs economic and social development actions, stressing the importance of the two archaeological sites as elements of tourism development. These concepts were also expressed by the President of the Circolo Unione, surveyor Mario Di Franco, who highlighted how these events, along with others such as the Maria Messina Prize and the Giuseppe Cocchiara Prize, are useful tools for transmitting memory and knowledge, as well as providing a significant reflection to trace a path for the future through the past.

The speech by Monsignor Michele Giordano, President of the Telemistretta Association, was heartfelt and pertinent; he invited everyone present, and also those connected live, to firmly support the regional broadcaster as it is an expression and voice of the Territory. Monsignor Giordano also reiterated how necessary it is to strengthen the union between municipalities and territories, working fruitfully outside of local rivalries (campanilismi).

The address by the Mayor of Mistretta, Dr. Sebastiano Sanzarello, focused on the importance of the archaeological field for the two cities of Mistretta and Tusa which, together with ancient Calacte (today's Caronia), represented an important commercial and cultural gateway between the hinterland and the Tyrrhenian coast in the past. It is plausible that the city's origins are Phoenician, as this people, despite coming from the sea, used to establish settlements in the nearby hinterland to protect their commercial interests. The importance of the intimate relationship between the hinterland, the coast, and maritime routes – continued Sanzarello – was perfectly grasped by Sebastiano Tusa, who dedicated much of his work to studying submerged artifacts, convinced that they were also witnesses to the history of the inland communities. Sanzarello, bringing the focus back to the archaeological site of Amastra, highlighted how his administration has paid great attention to the past and present excavations carried out in the area of the Arab-Norman Castle, even though he is aware that, given the three-millennium stratification of the inhabited center, most of the treasures are and will remain hidden underground, unlike Halaesa which arose in a site completely different from the current Tusa. Sanzarello also reiterated that, through intense collaboration with the Superintendency for Cultural and Environmental Heritage of Messina, further archaeological research will be initiated at the Castle site.

The action of the municipality of Tusa – continued Lawyer Angelo Tudisca, Mayor of the city – has been focused for several decades on deepening the history of Halaesa Arconidea, a Siculo-Greek city founded in 403 BC. In recent years, the site has been the subject of new excavations that have brought to light a thermal complex of considerable importance and, despite the skepticism of some, even the ancient theater. Tudisca also emphasized the importance of the relationship resulting from the agreements stipulated with various national and international universities and the fundamental role played by the late Prof. Tusa, who always accompanied and supported the administrative activity in this direction. "We invest heavily in young people," Tudisca continued, "and for several years, with a view to raising their awareness of archaeology, we have organized summer camps hosting dozens of young people, bringing them closer to the ancient world through the site of Halaesa."

The speech by Prof. Giovanni Travagliato, an art historian, focused on the enormous amount of work produced by Sebastiano Tusa over the years, making him a true pillar of modern archaeology. Sebastiano Tusa – continued Travagliato – was able to frame the Mediterranean Sea not only as a place of conflict but also of encounter, and therefore he leaves us a legacy of enormous value that we must be able to preserve and transmit to the new generations. "We are often led to remember heroes who died in war," said Travagliato, "but we must also give the right value to those who died in peace, starting with the illustrious Mistrettese people, from Tommaso Aversa to Maria Messina, Giuseppe Cocchiara and many other Amastratini who served and studied the territory in order to transmit ancient history, culture, and traditions to the new generations."

Prof. Aurelio Burgio, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Palermo and the architect of the latest findings at the Halaesa site, then highlighted the importance of the entire western Nebrodi area, recalling the importance over the centuries of other major settlements such as Calacte-Caronia, Apollonia-San Fratello, and Aluntium-San Marco d'Alunzio. "Intense and lively synergies already existed between different communities in ancient times," stressed Burgio, "and today archaeological finds can become an effective element to combat the depopulation of villages and restore vitality to communities by picking up the thread of history." Burgio continued, "We must remember that the Faro Convention aims to activate citizens to participate in archaeological discoveries," an invitation promptly accepted by Professor Maria Grazia Antinoro, present in the audience, Principal of the I.S.S. Alessandro Manzoni, ready to engage her students in the world of archaeology. "These meeting moments," concluded Burgio, "represent perspectives through which we can trace the future together."

The conclusion of the intense afternoon was entrusted to Dr. Valeria Li Vigni Tusa, Prof. Tusa's wife, archaeologist, current Superintendent of the Sea, and President of the Sebastiano Tusa Foundation. The brilliant initiative identified the late Prof. Sebastiano Tusa as an exceptional common thread, as her husband represented and continues to represent an authoritative figure in the international archaeological world. "We owe him," his wife reminded us, "the discovery of the Dancing Satyr of Mazara, the Imperial Heads of Pantelleria, the Kouros found in Lentini, and the Rostra of the Battle of the Aegates Islands."

"Sebastiano," Li Vigni Tusa told us, "was the promoter of the establishment of 27 submerged museums, authentic underwater cultural itineraries accessible with the system of remote sensing and augmented virtual reality, thus honoring the vision he had always fought for regarding underwater archaeological finds, understood as a heritage belonging to everyone and which we must all be the custodians of. Starting precisely with the fishermen," Li Vigni continued in her speech, "since they are very often the discoverers of these memories hidden at the bottom of the sea, people of exceptional importance with whom my husband managed to forge intense collaborative relationships. In the same way, he loved interacting with citizens, administrators, associations, and institutions, as they are all part of a great project of cultural regeneration of the history and memory of the peoples who lived, inhabited, and charted the Mediterranean."

"My husband," Li Vigni Tusa continued, "loved Mistretta deeply, to which he was bound by a sincere and intimate relationship transmitted to him by his father Vincenzo, born in Mistretta, who was also an archaeologist of great stature. Certain events such as the feast of San Sebastiano and the Madonna della Luce were unmissable moments for my husband: although not born in Mistretta, he always felt and cultivated a strong bond with the city that gave birth to his father and that he frequented as a child. Upon his death, we felt the need to give continuity to the enormous work carried out by Sebastiano over the years through the establishment of the Sebastiano Tusa Foundation because we want to commemorate the over 700 writings elaborated by my husband and continue in the indelible path he indicated over decades of incessant and exciting work. The Foundation's activity is very intense and develops through relationships with institutions and communities thanks to the organization of seminars, workshops, and reviews." Li Vigni Tusa concluded, "Sicily is a watercolor composed of strong colors and soft colors, and we are all its custodians."

Sebastiano Tusa tragically and prematurely died in a plane crash in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019, on a flight that would have taken him to Malindi to participate in a UNESCO conference in his capacity as Regional Councillor for Cultural Heritage of the Region of Sicily. The institution of the Superintendency of the Sea by the Region of Sicily in 2004 is attributed to him.

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