People of Halaesa-Nebrodi: Salvatore Cangelosi sicily

Here's the English translation of the interview with Francesco Modica:

Francesco Saverio Modica, Francesco to everyone, is a young archaeologist from Mistretta and the son of Vincenzo, a highly decorated marathon runner of international renown. However, Francesco chose to run his personal marathon between archaeological digs, at a very special pace that alternates between the frenzy of unearthing a discovery of exceptional importance and the meticulous slowness inherent in the delicate work he has chosen to do.

I met Francesco during one of the most exciting moments of his brief but already intense experience as an archaeologist. We found ourselves in Tusa, at the site of Halaesa Arconidea, during one of the few breaks from the excavation that Francesco has been following with particular passion, still electrified by an exceptional discovery that we will discuss later.

A Passion for Archaeology and Early Discoveries

Francesco, in recent months it's been really difficult to talk to you calmly: your work as an archaeologist keeps you very busy, and I'd like to understand better why you chose this profession and the results you've achieved so far.

"My passion for archaeology goes way back. When I was four years old, I visited this place with my mother, and from then on, I never forgot it. My high school years in Mistretta further fueled this passion. In fact, after my studies, I spent many of my afternoons visiting the countryside surrounding the town, rich with ancient paths leading to special places. I often stumbled upon pottery shards, exposed structures, and ruined churches, which only fueled my imagination. This slowly transformed into a passion and a desire to delve deeper. I earned my master's degree in Archaeology three years ago and am now completing my PhD at the University of Palermo. Throughout my university journey, I continued to explore the territory, this time in Sicily, identifying lands and areas that could potentially host archaeological sites. My master's thesis, which builds on work done about twenty years ago by Professor Burgio, allowed me to update the mapping of areas of archaeological interest in the Aleso valley, increasing them from 155 to 245."

A Deep Connection to Halaesa Arconidea

It's no coincidence that we are meeting at Halaesa Arconidea, an archaeological site not far from your Mistretta. This is a special place for you, and I'd like to know what connects you to this territory: you are clearly going against the trend of so many of your peers who leave Sicily to work elsewhere.

"Fortunately, my work allows me to live in my homeland, and I've been frequenting Halaesa for ten years now. Imagine, I live only 500 meters away as the crow flies, so my connection to this place is truly deep and special. Living in the territory, I am aware of the beauties it holds but also of the difficulties and contradictions it presents. However, I find it 'natural' to live and stay here. I deeply love these places because I experience them every day, in all their facets. Here, I am fulfilling my adolescent dream: to excavate at Halaesa and restore the historical truth to this very important site."

The Founding of Halaesa and its Roman Alliance

Let's talk about Halaesa: in 403 BC, Archonides of Hèrbitas founded a settlement that would later become the city of Halaesa Arconidea. Who was Archonides, and what were the historical reasons that led him to leave Hèrbitas and move, with his people, to this distant corner of Sicily?

"We don't know much about the Archonides: most likely, the founder of Halaesa was Archonides II, grandson of Archonides I, who transferred a large group of Sicels from Hèrbitas to the northern coast of the island. After the Peloponnesian War, with the defeat of Athens and the victory of Syracuse allied with Sparta, Sicily experienced a moment of great confusion: Carthage took advantage of the conflict by attacking the southern coasts from Agrigento to Camarina, Himera was destroyed, and therefore many displaced people were forced to move elsewhere in search of calmer areas to settle.

Hèrbitas, presumably located in the mountains between Nicosia and Gangi, welcomed a very high number of civilians fleeing the destroyed cities. However, it soon became overpopulated, creating discontent among the inhabitants and forcing its lord to transfer part of the population to the lands north of Sicily. Halaesa was thus founded, which, however, experienced a difficult period in the first century since the Carthaginians, meanwhile, had pushed as far as the mouth of the Pollina river."

Halaesa thus became a very important center of the Roman Empire, as evidenced by the discoveries made so far: what do the remains of the ancient city tell us?

"At the beginning of the First Punic War, in 264 BC, Halaesa decided to ally with Rome; in fact, it was among the first to do so. This allowed it to free itself from the 'decima' of tributes, thus leaving the grain quota in the city that would otherwise have been destined for Rome. Up to the first century AD, Halaesa experienced its best period because it was able to invest a lot of money in public works such as the agora and the sacred temples. In short, the choice to ally with Rome from the outset proved to be decidedly winning."

A Remarkable Discovery: The Baths of Halaesa

Let's get to the present day and the news of the moment: the fifth excavation campaign conducted by the University of Palermo has, among other things, brought to light a thermal area of exceptional importance that further strengthens the idea that Halaesa Arconidea, all things considered, is still yet to be fully discovered.

"We estimate that the total surface area of the city extends over 15.5 hectares, but the state-owned area is smaller, so further land would need to be expropriated. It must also be said that almost all archaeological sites have only unearthed a part of the ancient cities, and it's the same for Halaesa; it would take decades of incessant excavations to unearth the entire site. Regarding the recent discovery, which adds to previous ones concerning the agora, the sanctuary, and the theater, we knew of the existence of a thermal complex, but we certainly couldn't have imagined unearthing such an extensive and important work. There is still much to excavate, but certainly, we are facing one of the largest thermal buildings in Sicily."

A Lifelong Commitment

Francesco, a final customary question: for how long will the attractive force of your land be able to keep you in our territory?

"I think forever: I don't want to leave."

Neither do we, Francesco. Thank you.

The city of Nicosia hosted the second Sicilian stop of the Grand Tour of Territories and Italian Identity (and eleventh nationally), after the one held in Mistretta on January 26, 2024, through a workshop dedicated to the Culture of Hospitality in Inner Areas.
The event, organized by Andrea Succi (Territori e Italianità), Salvo Burrafato (Nicosia di Sicilia),  Samuel Granata and Valentina Bircher (Grandip Group), and Riccardo Zingone (GMT™ Halaesa Nebrodi), was sponsored by the Municipality of Nicosia, the Department of Tourism and the Department of Agriculture of the Region of Sicily, GAL ISC Madonie, ANCI and SIMTUR.

Partners of the Nicosia event included Royal Guest, Aura Mundi, Espereal Technologies, and Maggioli Cultura as media partner. 

Following the institutional greetings from Nicosia’s Mayor Luigi Bonelli, and in line with the spirit of the initiative, the event quickly moved into its core discussions with contributions from Salvo Burrafato, Andrea Succi, Riccardo Zingone, Pina La Giusa, and Samuel Granata. The organizing team deliberately used the term workshop to give the meeting a clearly pragmatic and operational angle  by presenting the first results of the GMT® Model applied in the nearby Halaesa Nebrodi area,addressing the needs expressed by administrators, operators, and citizens aware that, to build regenerative prospects for inner areas, dedicated models and skills capable of offering real solutions to devastating phenomena such as depopulation and loss of identity are essential.
Andrea Succi described the methodological framework applied to the regeneration of inner areas, starting from the need to adopt a Vision, at the heart of Territori e Italianità through the format of the "Five Steps".
Emerging themes included the participatory approach needed to generate structured internal communication among operators, citizens, and administrators, the conscious knowledge of one’s own identity elements (genius loci) and the transfer of  skills, for a renewed work culture, an essential condition to address depopulation.
Based on these principles, good practices must be generated, fueled by mayors aware of their role, motivated and properly trained operators, and engaged and participatory citizens in a forward-looking process where the Destination Temporary Manager and the Territorial Tourism Coordinator™ play a crucial role—the former to effectively organize the tourist destination, the latter to ensure the long-term sustainability of the work initiated.
Salvo Burrafato, who skillfully coordinated the event, also illustrated to the audience the first experiential tourism route proposed by Nicosia di Sicilia, with stays ranging from three to seven nights, offering a deeply immersive experience in the world of rural life, food and wine traditions, and culture. This tourist package was also included among the products in the Halaesa Nebrodi catalog titled The Grain Route , expanding and enriching it with further significant experiences. 

Through the words of Riccardo Zingone, the GMT™ Halaesa Nebrodi was presented to the community as a concrete example of territorial tourism work and organization.
The project, launched in 2024, began with a meticulous operator scouting activity and marked several key steps such as the launch of the website www.halaesanebrodi.it, followed by the creation of a first Tourism Product Catalog, thus setting the conditions to fully enter the national and international tourism market, effectively positioning this area as an authentic tourist destination.
The very notion of a “model” implies its replicability, and it is hoped that the GMT™ Halaesa Nebrodi model—first of its kind in Sicily—can be adopted by other inner areas and communities that need practical tools to counteract the social and economic decline they have been facing for decades.

Also very meaningful was the contribution by Mario Cicero, mayor of Castelbuono and President of GAL ISC Madonie, who shared with the audience his twenty-year experience as administrator of the Madonie village, and welcomed the opportunity presented by Territori e Italianità to develop tourism projects in synergy with GAL ISC Madonie. Equally valuable was the testimony of Samuel Granata, a young Nicosian who chose to remain in his homeland, bravely investing his energy in the tourism sector, along with that of Pina La Giusa, entrepreneur and President of the Petra D’Asgotto Ecomuseum, who focused her speech on the projects carried out by the Ecomuseum, including the archaeological excavation project on Mount Altesina, which led to new and interesting discoveries in March through a second agreement with the University of Paris and the involved local authorities.

The lively and educational debate was joined by Giacomo Consentino, owner of the 24 Baroni craft brewery, Maria Scavuzzo from the Albereto dairy, Francesco Dipasquale of Espereal Technologies, Antonino Noto, President of the Pro Loco of Motta d’Affermo, Fabio Bruno, President of the Movement for the Defense of Territories, Giuseppe Lo Furno of the Italian Farmers Federation, Anna Maria Gemellaro, deputy mayor of Nicosia, and Giacomo Giaimi, geologist and hiking guide.  In particular, Anna Maria Gemellaro, deputy mayor of Nicosia, proposed the inclusion of the GMT Model and the innovative figure of the Territorial Tourism Coordinator® in the call for experiential tourism projects that the Municipality intends to apply for.

The event concluded with a pleasant and mindful wine tasting accompanied by local products, curated by ONAV.

The prestigious recognition was awarded during the "Millefiori Siciliani" Competition, held in Sortino (SR) on September 26, 2025, and organized by A.R.A.S. – the Regional Association of Sicilian Beekeepers.
The judging panel evaluated 86 honey samples from across Sicily, the result of the passionate work of numerous beekeepers who submitted the finest products of their production to a rigorous selection process.

At the end of the tasting sessions, 35 honeys were selected, of which 14 received the distinction of “excellent” and 21 were awarded “very good.”

The results concerning our territory, represented by Il Melograno Farm of Elisa Cerrito, were particularly gratifying: the farm was awarded first and fourth place in the Sicilian Spring Wildflower Honey category.

This is a great source of pride—not only a personal one for Elisa Cerrito and Riccardo Presti, who for years have pursued a virtuous path rooted in respect for local traditions and the production of high-quality honey made possible by the great variety of plants they cultivate—but also because of the strong social value of the project they have long been committed to, through their collaboration with Don Mazzi’s Exodus Foundation and the many educational sessions dedicated to students, where they passionately share the "wonderful world of bees."

“Such a prestigious evaluation not only highlights our dedication as beekeepers, but once again confirms the richness and value of the land where our precious bee friends grow and feed: the territory of Motta d’Affermo and its surroundings,” says Elisa, dynamic Operator of GMT™ Halaesa Nebrodi, further emphasizing how biodiversity, respect for nature, and the authenticity of our land naturally manifest themselves in the production of honey and its derivatives.