The Infiorata in Noto, Sicily is a festival of flowers


celebrated at the end of the Easter season. Photo by Stefano Mortellaro


culture historically suppressed female leadership and autonomy. Sexuality, as it is viewed by the Catholic church, is considered sacred and intended for reproductive purposes amongst married couples, leading to the commonness of marriages early in life. In line with Catholic strictures, transgressions of the church’s code of morals and commandments are considered sins, which require reconciliation with an ordained male in order to be absolved. Much of one’s life is spent in service of not only God but of the church as an institution. Religious holidays punctuate the year, just as religious iconography defines spaces.


Following the incorporation of Sicily into the Kingdom of Italy, its economy was driven by agriculture, though few owned the land that they worked on. Men farmed in the fields, and their children were often expected to work rather than attend formal education. Women tended to the home and frequently were in charge of a family’s finances. As such, family units were critical for survival, and property rights were of the utmost importance to protect one’s land. While these dynamics have shifted with new opportunities for women to work outside the home and establish financial independence, loyalty to one’s family and respect for religion remain pillars of Sicilian society.


IN SEARCH OF NEW SHORES Cracks began to form in these structures in the late 19th century as an agricultural crisis left Sicilians struggling to survive on the island. Between 1890 and 1920, 4.5 million Italians emigrated to the United States, many of whom were men who left their families behind, intending to make money and return home to an improved life. In Sicily, where women had been offered less independence and were unaccustomed to being a part of the public sphere alone, it was more common for entire families to migrate to the United States. For those women who were left behind by husbands migrating for labor, the fear of infidelity and abandonment loomed large. According to Linda Reeder’s research on Sicilian migration trends, "Sicilians believed that prolonged exposure to 'America' undermined traditional values and morals and weakened a man's capacity to act honorably." In The Rose Tattoo, Serafina delle Rose reflects these common concerns through her distrust of American men and her skepticism toward the sexual freedom that America presented.•


THE ROSE TATTOO UPSTAGE GUIDE


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