Maria Carmela Sciacca, the ‘Genius loci’ of Sicily’s oldest bookshop

It is not known whether the benevolent spirit of Romeo Prampolini, with his white beard, still haunts the walls of this bookshop, but it is known that it is the oldest bookshop still in business in the whole of Sicily. It still bears the historic sign ‘Legatoria Prampolini’ from when it was opened in Catania in 1894, at number 333 Via Vittorio Emanuele II, from where it has never moved.

What is also well established – and must have lent it a certain air of originality at the time – is that the bookbindery was founded by a woman, Vittoria Tirelli in Prampolini, Romeo’s mother. Every story spanning more than a century has its ups and downs, and this one is no exception: in 2018, when it was facing permanent closure, the business was taken over by the Sciacca sisters, Maria Carmela and Angelica, who already owned the Vicolo Stretto bookshop in the town centre. Eight years later, they can claim success: Prampolini, which also houses a café, is thriving, has a loyal clientele and is recognised as part of Catania’s ‘intangible heritage’. Maria Carmela, however, to be truly satisfied, would like to fulfil one more wish.

A photograph of Romeo Prampolini. He died in 1974 and is remembered by many of a certain age. He was not only a bookseller but also a publisher and a promoter of cultural life in Catania. He lived above these premises and organised a literary tea party every Thursday, exclusively for men, attended by prominent intellectuals. Catania, as is well known, has always nurtured a cultural fervour that has made its mark on the national scene. Prampolini was also a notable bibliophile, but unfortunately his collections – comprising incunabula and sixteenth-century books – were scattered after the death of his widow, Igea, who had carried on his work. I have been given a detailed physical and character description of Romeo, but, strangely enough, I have not managed to find a single photograph of him – a portrait to hang up here. The search will continue. And who knows if, sooner or later…

The interiors have been redesigned by architect Marco Terranova, who configured the spaces and shelving according to our specifications to align them with contemporary tastes. The spirit, however, has remained the same: Romeo and Igea had no children but, like me, the desire to pass on a story. Together with my sister, I feel like a ‘Genius loci’, a guardian. I am aware that Amazon and chain bookshops represent the prevailing models of the future, but Prampolini is one of those places that a city like Catania, despite all the changes, cannot do without, because it is an integral part of its identity.

I believe that Catania is keen to preserve its own identity, for better or for worse. It is a city that I love far more now than when I was very young and driven by a desire to discover the world. So, after an Erasmus year in Bilbao, I stayed on to work in Spain for three years in the communications sector. Subsequently, I felt the urge to return and reconnect with my past, even though a bookseller must adapt their work and mindset to current needs.

First and foremost, we aim to foster a connection with books in an enjoyable setting, within an atmosphere of well-being that a single click to place an order on Amazon can never replicate. We have also launched eleven reading groups, each focusing on different themes, ranging from poetry to travel, from fiction to children’s literature viewed through the eyes of adults. The workshops are designed to foster the pleasure of shared reading and provide an opportunity to meet, discuss one’s own experiences and listen to others. When ten people read the same book, ten different experiences emerge, partly due to the diverse nature of the groups: friendships, romances and even a few engagements have blossomed in this setting.

I exercise a gentle editorial dictatorship and readers trust me, even though the aim has never been to claim an exclusive readership: if someone also frequents a Feltrinelli, it neither surprises nor displeases me. Rather, I would like to understand what has become of the men: while Prampolini’s Thursday tea parties used to be attended almost exclusively by them, the readership now shows a clear female majority, mirroring national statistics. Fortunately, however, from this small vantage point, I can glimpse a resurgence of male readers among the very young.

No, let us keep the sign up as a glorious memento. There are just a couple of bookbinders left in Catania, and sooner or later there probably will not be any at all. We, however, will continue to do what so many generations of Catania residents have come here for and come to know this name for. Long-standing customers recall purchasing their school textbooks here, and one woman—possibly Sicily’s first female mathematics graduate—has recounted how Romeo himself encouraged her to pursue that degree, recognising her aptitude. This, I believe, is the role of a bookseller.