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ENGLISH ABSTRACT

Thanks to the passion of a primary school teacher Gaetano Raunisi (respectfully called “Professor”) and his copartners, the idea of founding Voce Libera (“Free Voice”), a weekly publication, and thereafter Setim (an acronym for “Industrial Printing and Publishing Company of Mòdica”, a town in the southeastern part of Sicily not away from the Malta channel), goes back to the sixties, when the world was facing the protests of 1968, in an area against a background tormented by both political and economic apathy, where industrialization didn’t began to develop.

He, who was a student when Fascism suppressed all non-aligned voices, posited the possibility to have this unusual combination in Southern Italy – a journalist and publisher with printing and bookbinding presses of his own – in order to share his values of freedom and justice, a way to avoid any sort of influence or control by anyone, in response to perceived injustice not only by civical administration, in which he would have played a role for a brief period, but even by “his” political party - he throw himself entusiastically in the Christian Democracy (DC) from its inception - which was notching up almost 50%, enough to hold the balance of power in the town of Modica as well. He had a hunch that such a political system based on cronyism was going on the rocks: in a few decades the powerful DC dissolved against the background of scandals in Italy at the end of the century!

Voce Libera, a "free" voice in the true sense of the word, has been conceived this way: to meet and encourage men and institutions of whatever opinion. In some fragments, once again armed with patience, the “Professor” replied to all who were labeling him a “demochristian” journalist, that devout faith and political passion, which of course appealed to him, do give life to the sense of responsibility and duty towards justice and common good. Proof of the excellent reputation of Voce Libera is the fact that in the ninenties an attempt was made by unscrupulous political figures to use a similar publishing title for their purposes, but without being authorized. Voce Libera has many stories to tell all of its own as it was non only political active: during the 1970s special attention was paid to Modica Footbal Club, which were struggling to win promotion to third tier of Italian football league system, having to challenge a fierce local rivalry from Ragusa team, the main town of the province, a few miles away from each other (the ascendance of Ragusa as chief town under Fascism spelled the end of the Modica’s historical preminence).

This multifaceted context has seen energies amass and strenghten aruound his idea and Setim has been the meeting place for writers, poets, scholars, teachers, politicial commentators, sociologists, classicists offering a range of about 40 books. Its authors include even a “Servant of God” (the first step toward possible canonization as a saint in the Catholic Church), the quadriplegic poet Nino BAGLIERI, a bricklayer victim of an accident at work, who in the book "Dalla sofferenza alla gioia" ('From suffering to joy') portrays his deep faith in God, as if by magic, hidden energies emerge and shine an uncommon light, a collection of poems that is a hymn to life, with a high ethical and moral value, in opposition to many attitudes today prone to the rejection of pain and suffering. It is impossible to not refer to the writings of Giovanni MODICA SCALA, who in the book "Le Comunità ebraiche nella Contea di Modica" ('The Jewish Communities in the County of Modica') delves deeper into persecutions suffered by oppressed Judeo-Sicilian people in the Middle Ages here; in the book "La Madonna di Sion" ('Our Lady of Zion') he documents his discovery of a rock church (in Scicli, near Modica) which could not be found. When talking about the best Sicilian novelists (such as Pirandello, Verga), it is difficult not to read "Tempo di scirocco" ('Sirocco time') by Raffaele POIDOMANI, that most critics meet with stupefaction: he depicts a parade of characters in Sicily with all their complications; we would like to underline the great value of friendship which bound this Author to the "Professor", who - acting as his publisher - was tirelessly committed to introduce him to a wider audience of readers also outside the strictly local territory; his works finally were getting that much-needed burst of extra vigour leading him to natural (and long wished-for) fame he deserved. It is said that Raffaele Poidomani is being "discovered" postumously but it might be better to say "rediscovered", as Setim made the conscious decision to spur and support this literaly genius back when he had been unknown (and alive!).

The experiences of Setim and Voce Libera have been two of the unfortunately too many local periodicals and small publishing houses tormented by both financial difficulties and bureaucratic obstacles.

Now our intent is not to make a profit: the site aims to give you a vision of the books and issues at 360 degrees, as far as possible, and does not appear only as a precious service for the researchers, but in some measure is a gift to Modica and to a noble spirit who has provided this town with culture and hope.

This website is divided in three parts. The first is devoted to Voce Libera: our goal is to present each issue in a structured and complete manner and in free downloadable format. The second part lists, in alphabetical order (definite Italian articles are not included), all books that Setim has proposed in the cours of the years with an overview of the subjects, including “La Grande Alluvione” (“The Great Flood”)* also written by Giovanni Modica Scala and published by Edizioni Voce Libera when Setim yet did not exist; all books are downloadable for free. In the third part we move into chosen texts for those who would prefer to read directly an article or (extracts from) a book rather download them.

The curator of this site is grateful to Authors or their successors in title for giving him permission to upload books here, even partially, for informative use. In case of copyright infringement, the content will be removed.

*Modica lay at the confluence of three streams to form of Y, often in dry. After a long period of steady rain, in September 1902 an abnormal occurrence of rain-swollen rivers flooded the lower part of the town, making the worst flood in its history and killing people. A massive project was organized to protect the area from future flooding: canals were covered over to create new main streets. Thus over the past century Modica lost wholly the characteristic appearance of a river town (though it remains exclusively positioned and one of the most beautiful and unique towns in Italy).