Zucco or the Mafia’s Wine

  

    A distant uncle, Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, inherited a fine estate about 50 kilometres from Palermo from his mother, The Queen of the french,Maria Amalia of the two Sicilers. The property was called Zucco, and included vineyard which produced a highly-reputed sweet wine.  In my youth, I sampled several bottles of it, all etched with the Duke’s monogram.

         

    A long time ago, as we were passing through Sicily with some cousins, we decided to visit our ancestor’s property. When we arrived in the small village of Zucco, we went to see the mayor in order to ask him exactly  where the old Orléans estate was to be found. He looked rather alarmed, and said that it was impossible to visit, and that it would be better for us if we didn’t even try. He did, however, answer our question, and  indicated how we could get there. 

    We arrived before a gate that was locked with several padlocks. The  property seemed  abandoned and deserted. As we walked around the  perimeter, we discovered a small gate, which was open, and we stepped  inside. At the same moment, a car sped out through the main gate. On board were a number of rather frightening and unfriendly-looking moustachioed fellows. They asked us what we were doing there. Our driver  was somewhat uneasy and he explained that we were descendants of the  Duke of Aumale, the former owner, and that we would like to take a look  around the estate. The men said nothing, but a rather brusque gesture  indicated that we could pass. 

    The moustachioed men drove off, and we drove through the vineyard  until we reached a large villa, which did not appear to be inhabited.  There were no signs of any family connection apart from a large painted  wooden sign with the Orléans family crest on it. Everything was gloomy  and silent and locked up, and yet… was it our imagination? … we felt we  were being watched and spied upon. We didn’t linger…

   That evening,  we dined with some very friendly Sicilian aristocrats. We were talking  about our visit to our hosts. Everyone knew about the existence of the  Duke of Aumale’s villa. We asked who the property belonged to now.

“To a mafia chaplain. But he lives there only rarely as he spends his time in prison with his penitents.”