The book “The Modica massacre (29 May 1921), an unsolved case from a hundred years ago” by the Modica historian Giovanni Criscione, published by the Sicilia Punto L publishing house of Ragusa, ranked third in the “Michele Selvaggio” national literary prize organized by Sannio Telesino Historical Institute and the Selvaggio family.
The award ceremony, now in its second edition, was held on Saturday in the Palazzo del Genio in Cerreto Sannita (Benevento), in the presence of a large audience.
The Sicilian scholar was awarded by Professor Giuseppina Renda, member of the jury, who read the following motivation: «The work is rewarded for having been able to offer, on the basis of rigorous archival sources, a careful historical analysis of the dramatic political and social tension in the pre-fascist period. It reconstructs the trial events of the Passo Gatta massacre (Modica), of which it recounts the events: the victims, the attempts at misdirection, the mysteries and the silences. The text stands out for the quality of its writing, typical of investigative journalism, and for its desire to recall a forgotten massacre, with the aim of doing justice to those who can be considered “martyrs of democracy and justice”. Vincenzo Benevento, CEO and Founder of the Erbagil company of Benevento, sponsor of the competition, presented the author with a check for 400 euros.
