New Kindle Edition — History of Sicily in Ancient Times: Prehistoric peoples, Sicanians, Sicels, Elymians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans

A new title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• History of Sicily in Ancient Times: Prehistoric peoples, Sicanians, Sicels, Elymians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans by Mario Trombino and Francesca Brucoli

Publisher: Diogene Multimedia
Pub. Date: July 13, 2026
Kindle: $17.99
Language: English
File size: 1.4 MB

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A Tempting Birthday Gift

Finding a birthday gift for a friend whose massive book collection, particularly when it comes to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, puts mine to shame is no easy task. Yet while perusing his shelves recently, I noticed something genuinely surprising: he did not already own a copy of Giacinto de’ Sivo’s Storia delle Due Sicilie dal 1847 al 1861.

I managed to find a beautiful 1964 Arturo Berisio edition published in Naples: two volumes bound in the publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering and ornamentation, transparent dust jackets, sixteen plates, and the original color-illustrated slipcase, all in fine condition. De’ Sivo’s monumental history is unapologetically pro-Bourbon and remains one of the most important contemporary accounts of the fall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

I have to admit, after seeing the set in person, I was seriously tempted to keep it for myself. Such are the sacrifices we make for friendship. And, for obvious reasons, I waited until after giving it to him before publishing this. I wasn’t about to ruin the surprise.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 18th, Feast of Sant’Elena of the Cross

Among the Shelves: Treasures in a Friend’s Library

Il Blasone in Sicilia (The Blazon in Sicily),
presented in its protective clamshell box

Recently, I had the pleasure of exploring a friend’s private library. I know several people whose collections far surpass my own, and I always enjoy seeing the paths their interests have taken them and the remarkable volumes they have managed to acquire over the years. Every collection reflects the interests and passions of its owner, making the experience of browsing another person’s library a pleasure in itself.

Among the highlights was I Borbone delle Due Sicilie (The Bourbons of the Two Sicilies), the magnificent Scripta Maneant edition limited to just 399 copies. Accompanied by five commemorative medallions bearing the portraits of the Bourbon Kings of the Two Sicilies, it is as much a work of art as it is a historical publication.

Equally impressive was Il Blasone in Sicilia (The Blazon in Sicily) by Vincenzo Palizzolo Gravina, Baron of Ramione. Originally published in Palermo between 1871 and 1875, this monumental work remains one of the foundational references for the study of Sicilian nobility and heraldry. Its detailed histories of noble families, descriptions of coats of arms, and beautiful chromolithographic plates make it an enduring treasure for anyone interested in the history and genealogy of Southern Italy.

On a more personal note, I was delighted to find a copy of Ciri-Biri-Bin by Mel Silverman, a book I loved as a child. Published in 1957, it captures the warmth and vitality of Italian-American neighborhood life through Silverman’s bold, woodcut-inspired illustrations. Centered on a young boy named Mario and culminating in the excitement of a neighborhood feast reminiscent of San Gennaro, it remains a charming celebration of family, community, and the joyful spirit of Italian America.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 13th, Feast of Sant’Ippolito Martire

(L) Gilt-stamped coat of arms of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies on the leather-bound cover of Il Blasone in Sicilia (The Blazon in Sicily). (R) Autographed photo of the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The personal dedication from HRH Prince Carlo has been digitally removed to protect the owner's privacy

(L) Ornate clamshell box for I Borbone delle Due Sicilie (The Bourbons of the Two Sicilies). A Kennedy Half Dollar is shown for scale. (R) I Borbone delle Due Sicilie (The Bourbons of the Two Sicilies) housed within its protective box

Five commemorative medallions bearing the portraits
of the Bourbon Kings of the Two Sicilies

Double-Page Spread featuring an antique map of the Kingdom of Naples

Double-Page Spread featuring a detail of the
ceiling in the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples

(L) Cover of Carlos III: Majestad y Ornato. (R) Recto
featuring a portrait of HM King Carlos III

(L) Slipcover for Ruggero II d'Altavilla. (R) Gilt-stamped cover

(L) Recto featuring the mosaic of Roger II of Sicily being crowned by Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio, Palermo. (R) Cover of Cerimonial dei Borbone di Napoli (1734-1801)

Double-page spread from Cerimonial dei Borbone di Napoli (1734-1801) featuring the portraits of King Carlo of Naples and Sicily and his consort, Maria Amalia of Saxony 

(L-R) Covers of Francesco II di Borbone: Immagini,
documenti, testimonianze and I Briganti di Sua Maestà

Cover of Cinque Borbone

(L-R) Covers of Cuore a Sud and Diario di Francesco II di Borbone (1862-1894)

(L-R) Rectos from Diario di Francesco II di Borbone (1862-1894)
featuring portraits of HM King Francesco II di Borbone
and HM Queen Maria Sofia of Bavaria

(L-R) Covers of Carlo III and Un Cardinale Condottiero 

(L-R) Covers of Ferdinando IV: Re di Napoli and Un
regno in America per Francesco II di Borbone?

(L-R) Covers of A Tavola Con I Borboni and Ciri-Biri-Bin

The Great Bourbon Book Shortage

Mystery solved. Now I know why it’s nearly impossible to find replacement copies of my beat-up old editions of Harold Acton’s The Bourbons of Naples and The Last Bourbons of Naples. My friend has apparently decided to hoard every copy in existence. At this point, I’m convinced he’s single-handedly responsible for the shortage.

New Book — Religion and Ideas in Southern Italy: Church, State and its People during the Early Modern Age

A forthcoming title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Religion and Ideas in Southern Italy: Church, State and its People during the Early Modern Age by Isabel Harvey and Milena Sabato

Publisher: Routledge
Pub. Date: October 20, 2026
Hardcover: $200.00
Language: English
Pages: 348

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New Book — Giacomo Da Lentini's Sonnets Retranslated into Sicilian

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• Giacomo Da Lentini's Sonnets Retranslated into Sicilian by Giuliana Rocchi

Publisher: Legas
Pub. Date: June 15, 2025
Paperback: $16.00
Kindle: $9:09
Language: English
Pages: 140

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Rediscovering the Christian Statesmanship of King Ferdinand II Through the Funeral Oration of Monsignor Francesco Saverio Petagna

Gianandrea de Antonellis’ introduction to the 2019 edition of Elogio Funebre alla Pia Memoria di Ferdinando II (1859), subsequently republished on Alta Terra di Lavoro, offers far more than a preface to a nineteenth-century funeral oration. He argues that Monsignor Francesco Saverio Petagna’s address deserves renewed attention, not only as a historical document but also as an expression of the political and religious ideals that shaped the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

The introduction opens by situating the funeral oration within the turbulent political climate of Italian unification. De Antonellis explains that one of the principal reasons Petagna was later forced into exile was the solemnity with which he honored King Ferdinand II after the monarch’s death in 1859. This alone illustrates how politically charged even the memory of the Bourbon king had become during the years of Italian unification.

De Antonellis also traces the longstanding mutual esteem between Ferdinand II and Monsignor Petagna. He recounts the anecdote of the King, traveling incognito, attending one of the young priest’s sermons in Naples out of curiosity. Impressed by Petagna’s gifts, Ferdinand later appointed him Bishop of Castellammare and eventually bestowed upon him the Royal Order of Francis I. These episodes underscore the close personal relationship that existed between the monarch and the prelate long before the funeral oration was delivered.

At the heart of the article is Petagna’s portrait of Ferdinand II. Rather than repeating the familiar image found in post-Risorgimento historiography, the Bishop presents a ruler whose Catholic faith permeated both his private life and public duties. Petagna recalls Ferdinand’s devotion to the Rosary, his visits to the Blessed Sacrament, his public recitation of the Angelus, and his reverence toward the Blessed Virgin. Particularly striking is the Bishop’s recollection of the King’s visits to Castellammare, where the faithful witnessed his sincere acts of devotion before the Blessed Sacrament and the relics of San Catello.

The article also highlights Petagna’s rejection of the notion that religion and government belong to separate spheres. One of the most memorable passages declares:

“It is foolish wisdom that would have the interests of the State attended to before those of the Gospel; and it is madness to think that the exact observance of the latter’s precepts is incompatible with the principles of the former. It is to dishonor Religion, says St. Augustine, to believe that she ought not to be consulted in the government of empires.”

Likewise, Petagna argues that political stability ultimately rests upon moral virtue rather than administrative efficiency, observing that Rome itself fell not because it was “crushed by foreign arms, but because it had been consumed by domestic vices.” For Petagna, the decline of civilizations begins with moral decay long before military defeat.

De Antonellis rightly emphasizes that this vision represents a coherent philosophy rooted in both Greco-Roman political thought and Christian tradition. Petagna sees faith as the indispensable foundation of just rule.

The article also draws attention to Ferdinand II’s extensive public works, charitable initiatives, and reforms. Petagna praises the King’s patronage of science, education, commerce, industry, agriculture, and infrastructure, while also emphasizing his restoration of churches, support for religious orders, care for the poor, the establishment of charitable and vocational institutions, and his prompt assistance to those afflicted by hardship. Alongside these charitable works, Petagna notes that Ferdinand introduced “the first railways, steamships, gas lighting, and later the electric telegraph in Italy.” He also points to the mechanical works at Pietrarsa, the Naples dry dock, iron bridges, expanded ports, schools, and numerous public works as tangible expressions of the King’s commitment to the welfare of his kingdom.

De Antonellis concludes by explaining why this funeral oration remains relevant today. Beyond its rhetorical style, the work offers a perspective too often absent from modern accounts of the Bourbon monarchy. He argues that the oration preserves a vision long neglected by a historiography framed by the victors, reminding readers that important voices have often been overshadowed by later political narratives. He invokes a memorable reflection drawn from the Carlist tradition: No serán héroes anónimos ante Dios (“Before God, a hero is never anonymous”).

De Antonellis honors not only Ferdinand II but also Monsignor Petagna himself. He reminds readers that the Bishop chose exile rather than submission to those who had conquered his native kingdom, making his funeral oration not merely a tribute to a fallen monarch but also the testimony of a man who remained steadfast in his convictions.

More than a ceremonial tribute, Petagna’s funeral oration stands as a valuable primary source for understanding how one of Ferdinand II’s contemporaries conceived the relationship between faith, kingship, and public life. As De Antonellis demonstrates, it also conveys a neglected vision of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies rooted in Christian duty, moral government, charity, and institutional continuity.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, August 1st, Feast of St. Peter's Chains, with the Commemorations of St. Paul and the Holy Maccabees

New Book — The Neapolitan Enlightenment: Science, Medicine, and the Exchange of Knowledge

A forthcoming title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• The Neapolitan Enlightenment: Science, Medicine, and the Exchange of Knowledge by Donato Verardi

Publisher: Anthem Press
Pub. Date: November 3, 2026
Hardcover: $110.00
Language: English
Pages: 250

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New Kindle Edition — The Two Sicilies in the Americas

A new title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• The Two Sicilies in the Americas by Lucio Militano

Publisher: Editoriale il Giglio
Pub. Date: July 14, 2026
Kindle: $6.00
Language: English
File size: 5.2 MB

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New Book — Kingdom of the Two Sicilies: When the Sicilies Were Two

A new title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Kingdom of the Two Sicilies: When the Sicilies Were Two by Antonio Garrisi

Publisher: Independently published
Pub. Date: February 21, 2025
Hardcover: $28.00
Softcover: $18.00
Kindle: $3.00
Language: English
Pages: 118

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New Book — Naples: In the Shadow of the Volcanoes

A forthcoming title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Naples: In the Shadow of the Volcanoes by HRH Beatrice of Bourbon Two-Sicilies

Publisher: Flammarion
Pub. Date: October 13, 2026
Hardcover: $100.00
Language: English
Pages: 352

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New Book — The Situated Science of Nicola Caputi: Witnessing Wonders in the Eighteenth-Century Kingdom of Naples

A forthcoming title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• The Situated Science of Nicola Caputi: Witnessing Wonders in the Eighteenth-Century Kingdom of Naples by Manuel De Carli

Publisher: Anthem Press
Pub. Date: August 11, 2026
Paperback: $24.95
Language: English
Pages: 100

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New Book — Tracing the Transformation of Southern Italy in The Long Fourth Century BCE

A new title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Tracing the Transformation of Southern Italy in The Long Fourth Century BCE by Christian Heitz, Matthias Hoernes, Agnes Henning, and Edward Robinson

Publisher: Routledge
Pub. Date: October 27, 2026
Hardback: $200.00
Language: English
Pages: 570

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The Last Reader Leaves

Emil Mihail Cioran (1911-1995)

“Only unfinished—because unfinishable—works prompt us to speculate about the essence of art.” ~ E.M. Cioran, Drawn and Quartered

Nine days ago, I wrote about a small nihilist-themed book club that a group of young people invited me to join. At that time, the club had already been reduced from five members to two. Of the original participants, only I and one other reader remained. I remarked then that we would see how long he stayed.

The answer, it turns out, was less than two weeks.

Before we even finished our second selection, Drawn and Quartered by E.M. Cioran, he too dropped out, leaving me as the sole surviving member of what had once been a book club—a somewhat absurd ending for a group dedicated to discussing the absurd.

I cannot say that I am surprised. Disappointed, yes, but surprised, no.

One increasingly notices among the young a tendency toward enthusiasm without perseverance. New projects are eagerly proposed, clubs are formed, identities are adopted, and ambitious plans are announced. Yet the discipline required to sustain such endeavors often proves lacking. The excitement of beginning seems far more attractive than the obligation of continuing.

Still, I do not regret participating. Camus was worth revisiting, and Cioran remains as sharp and unsettling as ever. If nothing else, the experience confirmed a lesson that extends well beyond books: ideas matter only when one is willing to pursue them beyond the initial excitement. Intellectual life requires curiosity, but it also requires endurance.

The book club may be dead. The reading continues.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 27th, Feast Day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

New Book — Agatha of Sicily for Beginners: Understanding Her Life, Courage, and Role in Church History

A new title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Agatha of Sicily for Beginners: Understanding Her Life, Courage, and Role in Church History by Fr. Angelo Butler MSP

Publisher: Independently published
Pub. Date: May 19, 2026
Hardback: $11.95
Language: English
Pages: 134

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New Book — Saint Benedict, Montecassino, and the Crisis of Ninth-Century Southern Lombards in Early Medieval Cassinese Memory

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• Saint Benedict, Montecassino, and the Crisis of Ninth-Century Southern Lombards in Early Medieval Cassinese Memory by Luigi Andrea Berto

Publisher: Routledge
Pub. Date: May 30, 2026
Hardback: $142.50
Kindle $61.99
Language: English
Pages: 146

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Among the Nihilists

Not too long ago, a group of young people approached me about joining their nihilist-themed book club. Since it is rare to meet young people with any real intellectual interest—even when that interest takes a darker form—I agreed at once.

Years ago, we tried something similar, but it quickly fell apart. I wasn’t entirely sure how serious they were about this one, but I was willing to give it a try, even though the subject sat uneasily with my Catholic convictions. That tension, in fact, was part of what interested me.

There is some discipline in engaging with ideas one does not share. Grappling with them forces clarity—why one believes, and whether those beliefs can withstand pressure. You cannot be certain of standing on solid ground without testing it against opposition.

I was already familiar with some of the thinkers on their reading list, having read a good deal of E.M. Cioran and Giacomo Leopardi when I was their age. Still, I thought it might be worthwhile to revisit these ideas with them. I had also been meaning to explore Albert Camus further. I remembered liking The Stranger well enough back in school.

Our first book was The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus, introducing his philosophy of the absurd: the idea that humanity’s search for meaning in a silent and indifferent universe creates a tension to be met not with suicide, but with conscious rebellion and passionate living.

Disappointingly, out of the original five of us, three have already dropped out; now there is only me and one other left—not much of a book club anymore. Enthusiastic as he seems, we shall see how long he stays. Strangely enough, the young lady who suggested the whole affair was the first to quit.

If nothing else, the exercise still offers a chance to read seriously, think carefully, and share ideas with someone else who still believes that ideas matter. That alone makes it worthwhile.

Our second selection will be Drawn and Quartered by E.M. Cioran.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 18th, Feast of San Calogero

New Book — Greek-Romance Language Contact in Southern Italy: Documentation and Theory

A forthcoming title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Greek-Romance Language Contact in Southern Italy: Documentation and Theory by Adam Noel Ledgeway, Norma Schifano, and Giuseppina Silvestri

Publisher: Oxford University Press
Pub. Date: December 15, 2026
Hardback: $195.00
Language: English
Pages: 560

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The Question of Hispanidad: History, Culture, and Politics, by Miguel Ayuso

www.aroucapress.com

Congratulations to Maestro Alberto Sant’Elia on Il Tramonto Mi Riempie di Nostalgia

Congratulations to Maestro Alberto Sant’Elia on the publication of his seventh book, Il Tramonto mi riempie di nostalgia, continuing his collaboration with Edizioni Reginè. This month, he will present the volume at the XXXVIII Torino International Book Fair.

Sant’Elia began his literary career in 2012 with Dentro la mia vita, followed by Gli uni e gli altri in 2015 and Il cancello di ferro battuto in 2020, works that together form a kind of literary trilogy. Throughout these writings, he has earned recognition for a cultivated contemporary napoletanità joined to a broader universal sensibility.

In Dentro la mia vita, readers encounter Vittorio, a choreographer who directs a ballet company. The novel draws the reader into the little-known world of historic dance, often regarded as exclusive and distant from popular taste. Beneath this artistic setting unfolds Vittorio’s hidden existence, marked by solitude, mystery, and involuntary isolation.

Gli uni e gli altri centers on three solitary figures: Vittorio, Eddy, and Susanna. Vittorio is restless and searching; during a stay in Naples, he seeks answers to unresolved questions within himself. Eddy, a cultivated bookseller, devotes himself to his work with quiet discipline, while Susanna appears as an elusive and enigmatic presence. Their lives converge in the great Parthenopean city amid the almost magical atmosphere surrounding an ancient bookstore.

In Il cancello di ferro battuto, Vittorio recounts his life through continual movements between past and present, creating a kind of social and generational photomontage. His reflections span childhood memories, youthful experiences in the Italy of the 1960s and 1970s, the promises and transformations of postwar prosperity, and the artistic and human searches that accompany him into the present day.

Born in Naples in 1957, Sant’Elia has long distinguished himself as an eclectic dancer, choreographer, and teacher of classical and modern dance. Since 1980, he has performed with many of the great Italian opera and ballet institutions, including the Teatro di San Carlo, the Opera di Roma, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and the Teatro Regio di Torino, among others.

In 1982, he joined the RAI dance troupe for the celebrated Saturday evening program Fantastico 3 alongside Raffaella Carrà, with choreography by Sergio Japino. The following year, he appeared in Fantastico 4 with Heather Parisi and choreography by Franco Miseria.

Beginning in 1984, Sant’Elia devoted himself increasingly to choreography, founding the “Espressione Danza” school and later the “Compagnia di Balletto,” through which he staged many of his own productions. In 2002, he served as choreographer for the well-known RAI 3 Neapolitan television series Un posto al sole. He has also worked in cinema as both a screenwriter and director of short films presented at various festivals.

Beyond his novels, Sant’Elia is the author of Cappotto d’Inverno, a collection of poems and stories, as well as the children’s books Il Galeone Magnifico and Il Viaggio di Tippi. He has likewise promoted numerous cultural initiatives throughout Campania and supported the work of other authors, including Ester Papa and Angela Santoro in their book and documentary Maronna re le Grazie, an ethnographic study of faith and tradition surrounding the Madonna delle Grazie di Acquavella in the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park.

~ By Antonio Isernia