Mario Biffarella and Remembrances five years after his passing
A magnificent and enchanting exhibition-event delves into Mario's life, his artworks, his writings, and his dearest relationships
Riccardo Zingone 16/08/2025 0
I believe Mario had an absolute blast last night. He, who always maintained that the dead never truly die but observe us from the afterlife, from another dimension, I saw him sitting on the steps of his house, on a small street near the Church of Santa Caterina in Mistretta. He was watching, watching us, and watching himself.
His clever, deep, and gentle gaze, curious like the goblins he loved to paint, rested on the faces of those who, five years after his passing, had decided to accept the invitation from family and friends to attend a cool August evening dedicated not to his commemoration, but to his memory.
He had a blast, as I said. I noticed it when he was in stitches, listening to the words of his close friend, Tatà. Growing up with a person, sharing their battles, passions, bold and unconventional choices, their successes and failures, is the fertile ground where a sincere, deep, and timeless friendship germinates, grows, and matures. This is why Tatà, in talking about Mario, couldn't help but talk about himself. And vice versa. Mario, sitting on those steps, laughed and Tatà smiled, between one anecdote and another, as he spoke to us about Mario the boy, Mario the artist, Mario the philosopher, Mario the politician, Mario the "communist," Mario the writer, Mario the man.
At a certain point, however, Mario's amused expression changed, becoming more introspective. The scene was changing, and Mario was changing too. His son Alvaro took up his guitar, adjusted the microphone, and, along with Valentina, began to sing the first notes of "La canzone di Marinella," by that De André whom Mario, so long ago, had introduced to his own son.
Mario had sung De André over and over at home, during get-togethers, maybe even with his group, Gli Elfi, but now, hearing it sung by Alvaro, it moved him and, at the same time, pleased him. "Alvaro is really good," he thought to himself, as the magic of the music spread along the narrow street crowded with people. Then I saw him go down the stairs and play the last verse along with them:
"This is your song, Marinella Who flew to the sky on a star And like all the most beautiful things You lived only for a day, like the roses And like all the most beautiful things You lived only for a day, like the roses."
While Alvaro and Valentina continued their musical performance, Mario, Liria, and Ferruccio led us up the stairs into what is now a small museum. It holds paintings, sketches, writings, and various documents produced by Mario during his long artistic life, carefully preserved by his family in that treasure trove of material and immaterial culture that Tatà would like to turn into a Foundation. It is the studio-workshop where Mario unleashed his exceptional artistic sensibility, his ironic, sarcastic, irreverent, bold, and fascinating, yet also gentle, brush. The colors, the painted figures with their almost photographic appearance, the symbols and symbolisms, the gnomes, toads, open books, and faces have always struck me.
The Rimembranze exhibition will also be open today, August 16th, from 7:00 PM onwards. If you look closely, Mario will still be there watching, watching us, watching himself.
For more information:
You may also like...
Halaesa Nebrodi 08/08/2024
Saint Sebastian’s Feast in Mistretta – 18 August
Feast of Saint Sebastian in Mistretta: Religious Celebrations and Traditions
The city of Mistretta is preparing to honor Saint Sebastian the Martyr, Patron Saint of the Nebrodi community, with a rich program of events involving both faithful and visitors.
Start of Celebrations – August 11th
The festivities begin on August 11th with the solemn ringing of bells, marking the official opening of the celebrations in honor of Saint Sebastian. The evening will continue with a performance by the I.C. Tommaso Aversa Orchestra in "Note di Notte" (Night Notes), an unmissable musical event.
Triduum and Traditional Activities – August 15th-17th
From August 15th to 17th, the Triduum of Saint Sebastian will be characterized by numerous religious and cultural events. On August 16th, the XVIII edition of the Saint Sebastian Foot Race Trophy, a traditional sporting event, will take place. On August 17th, music and entertainment will enliven the city with the Euterpe Band, the Majorettes of Capizzi, the children of Hakuna Matata, and a performance by Alessandro Gandolfo.
Culminating Day – August 18th
August 18th is the most anticipated day: the Holy Mass will precede the Solemn Procession of the Simulacrum of Saint Sebastian and his relics, which will pass through the streets of Mistretta. To conclude, a fireworks display will illuminate the sky, followed by a show by Pippo Palmieri, directly from Radio 105's Zoo.
Concert by Danilo Sacco – August 19th
On August 19th, Danilo Sacco will hold a concert that promises to engage and captivate the audience. The evening will conclude with the drawing of raffle prizes, adding a further touch of excitement to the festivities.
Closing of Celebrations – August 25th
The festivities in honor of Saint Sebastian will officially conclude on the following Sunday, August 25th, with the traditional solemn ringing of bells that will bid farewell to participants and close this week of celebrations.
Halaesa Nebrodi 18/10/2025
Mistretta, Capital of Popular Memory: Folklore Becomes National Heritage
Mistretta Awarded the Prestigious National Title of “City of Folklore 2025”
Mistretta has been awarded the prestigious national title of **“City of Folklore 2025”**, a recognition granted by the **Italian Federation of Popular Traditions (FITP)**. The honor highlights the universal value of the town’s **demo-ethno-anthropological heritage**, passed down with passion through centuries of popular and religious traditions.
This honor, unanimously approved by the FITP, originated from a proposal by the **Municipal Council** and directly reflects the efforts of both the **local administration** and cultural associations in preserving, promoting, and passing on Mistretta’s ethnographic heritage to future generations **Motivation and Significance of the Recognition**
In its official statement, the FITP emphasized how **Mistretta**, already renowned as the birthplace of anthropologist **Giuseppe Cocchiara**, stands out for its ability to preserve and pass on rituals that find their fullest expression in events such as **Holy Week**, the **Feast of Saint Sebastian**, the **Dance of the Giants**, and many other devotional re-enactments. These rituals blend the sacred and the profane in a **civil language of identity and belonging**.
A key role in the transmission of these values is played by the **Centro Studi Amastra**, a leading institution in researching and promoting local traditions. The award also pays tribute to the community spirit and passion with which the people of Mistretta protect their memory, cohesion, and identity—bringing Italy’s folkloric heritage to life.
---
### **The Ceremony and Folklore Evening**
The award was celebrated during an **official ceremony held at the “Falcone e Borsellino” Cine-Theatre**, which was filled to capacity. The event included an **extraordinary session of the Municipal Council**, during which the title was formally ratified.
Following the official proceedings, the theatre transformed into a vibrant stage of **music, color, and tradition**. Participants included students from **Mistretta and Tusa**, the Palermo-based folk singing group **Le Matriosche**, the Catania storyteller **Luigi Pino**, and the **Centro Studi Amastra**, which has long played a leading role in local cultural promotion.
*(Source: Quadrochiaro.it)*
Riccardo Zingone 26/10/2024
The GMT Halaesa-Nebrodi: Ten Months On – Let's Take Stock-Sicily
The Instagram and Facebook pages of GMT Halaesa-Nebrodi are growing steadily, a sign of continued interest in this pioneering territorial tourism development project. Its aim is to transform our area, our municipalities, and our people into a tourism destination.
Encouraging Data and Organic Growth
In parallel, very encouraging data is coming from the halaesanebrodi.it website, both in terms of access numbers and national and international distribution. I'd like to emphasize that these figures haven't been influenced by specific promotional campaigns, which are still planned. Instead, they are purely the result of spontaneous access, fueled by word-of-mouth and the quality and quantity of the published content.
Thanks to the meticulous work of promoting operators, events of tourist interest proposed by the municipalities, and highlighting our "ambassadors" – people who share our territory's story in Italy and worldwide – our website, with 35,000 accesses recorded in just a few months, has become the main showcase for Halaesa-Nebrodi's vitality.
Key Dates
I'd like to highlight some key dates:
- January 26, 2024: Project presentation in Mistretta during the conference "The Culture of Hospitality in Inland Areas."
- April 29, 2024: Presentation of the website and initial operators in Castel di Tusa.
- May 21, 2024: Project presentation to local Proloco associations in Motta d'Affermo.
- September 21, 2024: Presentation of the Action Plan to the Mayors of the territory in Castel di Lucio, along with the first numerical and statistical data from the halaesanebrodi.it website.
The Path Forward: Vision, Sharing, and Perseverance
Over these ten months, we've launched and developed an innovative, exciting, forward-thinking, yet complex and challenging journey. After all, presenting oneself as a tourism destination is no simple matter: it requires vision and sharing, professionalism and perseverance, trust and patience, humility and courage. And love for one's territory and community.
Andrea Succi often says that the Culture of Hospitality doesn't equate to tourism, but it is its prerequisite. Therefore, it becomes crucial for each of us—whether an economic operator or a mayor—to change our approach to the world of tourism.
It's clear that our territory, our people, our tangible and intangible assets, and our culture deserve a chance for tourist, and thus economic, regeneration. This needs to come through a proposal that is relevant to our times, looks towards national and international markets, and is professionally structured and governed. These are topics that have been discussed for years, and now we can make them happen, but we must do it together.
The challenge is to replace the adversative conjunction "but" with the simpler and more reassuring copulative conjunction "and." This is neither easy nor guaranteed. The same goes for the adverb "together."
How You Can Contribute
- To those who patiently read to the end: I ask you to contribute to the project's growth, even through simply subscribing to the social media channels where GMT Halaesa-Nebrodi is present and sharing its content.
- To existing operators: I want to convey a message full of confidence and enthusiasm to continue; we are on the right path.
- To other operators reading this who want to learn more about the project: Please contact us, because the doors of GMT are and will continue to be always open.
- To administrators: Please continue to watch us, follow us, and support us with the same enthusiasm I've seen in your eyes and attitudes over these past ten months.
🔗 Right synergies always lead to beautiful things.