Episode 1
Dancing in My Italy
Mickela returns to where it all started, the small, sleepy, Southern Italian beach town of Minturno, where her parents immigrated from over 40 years ago. She reconnects with her roots during the town’s biggest celebration, the annual Sagra delle Regne (Wheat Harvest Festival). From rehearsing with the local troupe, I Giullari, to sightseeing along the coast, to then performing with the renowned group in the festival’s closing ceremonies, Mickela has an incredible journey of self-discovery.
featured in this episode
La Sagra Delle Regne (Minturno, Italy)
La Sagra Delle Regne (The Wheat Harvest Festival) is an annual celebration that takes place in the main square of Minturno, Italy every 2nd week of July. The festival celebrates the wheat harvest and the donation of the bounty by the Franciscan monks.
Minturno, Italy
Minturno, Italy is Mickela’s family’s hometown, situated on the west coast of Italy between Rome and Naples.
Church of San Francesco (Minturno, Italy)
The Church of San Francesco was built in the 14th century and is the focal point of La Sagra Delle Regne (The Wheat Harvest Festival) in Minturno, Italy. Traditionally this Franciscan order led the gathering of donations and baked the bread to be redistributed to the poor.
Il Castello Baronale (Minturno, Italy)
Il Castello Baronale or the “Baron Castle” was originally built in the 15th century. Historically notable guests have stayed in the castle, including St. Thomas Aquinas, and every year at La Sagra Delle Regne, the festival closes with the “burning of the castle” where Il Castello is set ablaze with fireworks.
La Montagna Spaccata (Gaeta, Italy)
La Montagna Spaccata (the “split mountain”) is a main tourist destination, home to the holy chapel that is wedged between the split rock. It is believed that after the crucifixion of Christ, the earthquakes immediately following caused this mountain to split.
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