The First Decade

Illustration courtesy of John M. Viola

Ten years on and we are still as committed and inspired as we were from day one. To be sure a lot has changed—contributors have come and gone, ideas and opinions evolved, and our time and resources have waxed and waned—but through it all we remain steadfast to our mission and the Two Sicilies cause.

Since its inception, the site was only meant to augment our activities, it wasn’t suppose to be an end in itself. We wanted to learn more about our history and people, get involved in the cultural and religious life of our community, and share the experiences, discoveries and our excitement with others.

We try to do it in a positive way, though looking back we may not have always been successful. But unlike the vulgar trolls and blinkered neckbeards hiding behind their computer screens or smartphones, our circle of netroots attempt to forge a resilient counterculture at the grassroots level through our many religious, charitable, educational, social, and cultural efforts.

(Un)Social Media

Fed up with social media, we dropped our various accounts (Twitter, Instagram, et al.) and never looked back. Trying to increase site traffic had become taxing and felt like a full time job, for which we have not the time or the will. Even if we did, it has been shown that the yield was not worth the effort. Since leaving the intrusive platforms our web analytics revealed virtually no change in our numbers. 

Another contributing factor for our leaving was the hypocritical rules, skewed guidelines and algorithms working against traditional and conservative users. We choose (as much as possible, considering how much sway they hold over the means of communication) not to be complicit with those who are working against our community’s best interests. [This also holds true for individuals, groups, businesses and institutions.] 

Thanks to the sorry state of journalism and partisan politics, the web has become ever more disquieting. Politicians and media (both mass and social) are untrustworthy and unhinged. We find our news feeds glutted with vapid drivel, pernicious agitprop, and boldfaced lies.

In hindsight, it is a wonder our withdrawal from these unsavory platforms had not come sooner.

Online Oases

“Never let the perfect be the enemy of the good” ~ Charles Coulombe, Off the Menu: Episode 89

A vast desolation of incivility, perversion and inanity to be sure, there are still plenty of oases out there in cyberspace to briefly escape the madness. Among our favorites are Jeff Mathew’s Naples: Life, Death and Miracles; Karen Haid’s Calabria: The Other Italy; and Raymond Guarini’s Italian American Enclaves. We also recommend the very informative and entertaining Italian American Power Hour podcast with John Viola and his cacophonic “partners in crime,” Pat, Dolores, Anthony and the enchanting Rossella. 

Other great sites, though not specifically geared towards Italian Americans, are Tumblr House’s Off the Menu podcast with Vincent Frankini and the perspicacious Charles A. Coulombe; and the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny, which is dedicated to promoting the Traditional Mass in accordance with the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. Losing the Mad Monarchist in 2018 was a grievous blow, but thankfully his important and prolific work is still available online to peruse and reference.

To be sure there are more, but these are some of our most frequented.

Filthy Lucre

Some have suggested that we monetize the site. While we appreciate the feedback and are flattered that they think well enough of us to believe that we—with such limited popular appeal—could generate anything more than a mere pittance, the idea of monetizing Il Regno is anathema to us. 

First of all, we are strictly voluntary. Those of us who contribute do it out of a sense of duty, not for money or profit. Though it helps, the fact that we love what we are doing is incidental.  

We also value our independence and don’t want to be beholden to the almighty dollar or impinging sponsors. Advertising will inevitably lead to ugly and obtrusive ads, clickbait and other disagreeable content. It’s best not to go down that path.

Pray Pal

This goes as well for those few generous souls who wish to fund us. Forget the money, offer it to more needy and important causes. Italian American Saint Societies, for example, can always use the support.

If you really want to help us carry on and you can’t contribute constructive content or participate in our public ventures, we are happily accepting donations in the form of prayers. If you like what we do and want us to continue doing it, please say a prayer for us. Your generosity and thoughtfulness are greatly appreciated. God bless you all.

                           ~ Giovanni di Napoli, Brooklyn, March 21, 2019, The Feast of Bl. Maria Candida of the Eucharist