The Bay of Mazzarò is an enchanted corner of the Sicilian coastsuspended between land, sky and sea, dotted with red and green of the bougainvilleans and the blue that turns to the blue of sparkling horizons. It is a place of ancient suggestion, in which the souls cross and the destinies intertwine, fixing in memories that often do not cross the threshold of the heart, jealously guarded in the instantaneous of the travels that from all over the world lead magnetically to Taormina.
This time, however, the story is to be told, deserving the spotlight and overwhelming the confidentiality that usually lives in the elegant walls of the Trewhella-Manley dwelling, which has been overlooking that bay for more than a century and today is the Hotel Villa S. Andrea, since 2010 in the High Gamma Belmond hottellery chain of the LVMH group.
It is the story of a particular evening. Extraordinary, indeed “ordinary”. An evening in which the “exclusive” adjective – which often combines with events or places, believing to make them a compliment – has assumed a significant meaning contrary. An evening certainly “different”, in which the magnificence of a dream place, out of time, almost unreal, has mixed with reality, with real life. With anxiety and smiles on the faces of Enrico, 22 years old, of Augusta, Lorenzo and Gaetano, both twenty years of respectively of Syracuse and Modica, and Angelo, 18, also from Syracuse. All guys with autistic spectrum disorder, all followed at the Tma 3.0 Center in Syracuse, specialized in the multisystem therapy of autism and other neurosviluppo pathologies with the method conceived by psychologists Giovanni Caputo and Giovanni Ippolito, aimed at enhancing individual skills by improving social insertion.
For the benefit of the center itself, a charity dinner was organized at Villa Sant’Andrea, a beneficial dinner of which they were the same, the four components of a truly special “cooking brigade”, committed to juggling the timing and ingredients to be precise with precision, ongoing preparations and tables full of unknown people, in an unusual environment, with unexpected and unpredictable evolutions. With the need also to manage difficult moments, in which even the simple pouring the water into the wrong glass can be intolerable and generate a crisis. But immediately exceeded with the comfort of a hug, of the therapists who followed them with empathy and professionalism, but also of the hotel staff, who coordinated them with infinite kindness, with patience, indeed with real affection, along the entire demanding event, enhancing their skills and inserting them productively in the sequence of tasks to each assigned, which – especially in structures of that level – have a well -defined scan. criteria. A splendid well -orchestrated symphony, up to the grand finale: the applause of the room and then a sigh of relief, while the tension melted in a well -deserved rest, with the four proudly sunk in the green velvet armchairs of the lounge bar named after Gwendoline Trewhella, in what was her room overlooking the bay, to toast (with water, of an immense success) staff.
Also and above all this was the purpose of the evening: for them four testing themselves, overcoming the limits, demonstrating ability, conquering security. By giving a precious spark of hope, for many other people in the same situation and for their families, also “with autism”. But also to leave a deep mark in those who surrounded them, creating a global dimension of concrete welcome and openness to diversity, in all its extraordinary, “very human”, surprising facets.
A truly extreme mix of ingredients, apparently incompatible with social difficulties, with stereotypies and rigidity, and above all with the regulances of regularity and predictability of a person with autism: but the experiment by the sea of Mazzarò can be said to be fully, indeed tasty, successful.
A starry menu and a special “brigade”
Welcomed by the General Manager of the structure Giovanni Nastasi, the guests – mainly international and happy to be able to contribute to the charity purpose – have dinner with a very refined menu, conceived and created four hands by the Executive Chef Agostino D’Angelo, who hosted his colleague Roberto Toro, a starred chef of the other Taorminese location of the group, the Grand Hotel Timeo, between Mazara’s shrimp, Tarassaco, Ombrina with almonds and tiramisu at the Bronte pistachio. Enrico, Lorenzo, Gaetano and Angelo – who, with his special “Toque” on the head, “studied” already as an aspiring chef – they managed to find a stimulating dimension, following the stages in the kitchen by pouring water, establishing bubbles and serving at the tables after receiving the personnel indications. “For us, a great opportunity – said General Manger Nastasi – and what better context of the hotel in order to welcome such an event, which allows us to encourage hospitality? Inclusiveness allows us to enrich ourselves in events, thanks to their passion and desire to get involved”.
A perfect evening, which saw the fun but precise combination between the group and the staff of the structure. Among the guests dr. Giovanni Caputo, psychologist and creator of the Tma method (with his colleague Giovanni Ippolito), dr. Francesco Paoletti, head of the Tma Sicilian centers, dr. Luigi sentence, psychologist and psychotherapist, Tma supervisor, and the technical operators Tma Stefano Sefano and Francesco Di Caro, always next to Angelo, Lorenzo, Enrico and Gaetano. To drive them operationally, the Sant’Andrea staff with Giuseppe Androne (Wine Manager), Luigi Vassallo (Restaurant Manager) and Fulvio Pettinato (Sala Manager). Domenico Pizzo (Director Food & Beverage) and Claudia Alberti (F&B Coordinator) also contributed to the organization, with the communication manager Laura Pellegrino Prattella.
The profitable collaboration in the center of Syracuse
The Tma 3.0 structure of Syracuse, the third in Italy after Milan and Naples, is part of the Tma National Network, founded by psychologists Giovanni Caputo and Giovanni Ippolito, creators of the homonymous method for multisystem treatment in DSA water and other neurosviluppo disorders. He has already made important ties with the territory, strengthened in recent days, on the occasion of the international day for the awareness of autism. Many initiatives with which they aim to support the activity: the proceeds of the evening at S. Andrea, for example, will benefit the families of young people who attend the center of Syracuse, to support their participation. In the structure, the Stmicroelectronics of Catania has created a wall for climbing, while Belmond, with the hotels Timeo and S. Andrea, donated an equipped gym. In the center, as explained by dr. Paoletti, it is also possible to experiment with night residence, always with a view to strengthening autonomy: a project financed by the Municipality of Syracuse, while the Italian Association of people Down supported the “Autonomy in harmony” path.
Cooking Class and the idea of ”challenge”
To bring the Tma Team to Taormina was the fruitful meeting with the chef Roberto Toro – a Michelin star with the Otto Geleng restaurant of Timeo – which last November held a Cooking Class at the center of Syracuse, putting himself in the stove with girls and boys in general happiness. A path of sharing and solidarity that aims to one of the most important and complex objectives in the life project of people with disabilities: to be able to give a effective social contribution, and aim for the greater autonomy allowed by the pathology. In the structure, the manager Paoletti always notes, in fact he learns to manage his existence, from 3 years and up. From the control of bodily functions, for the little ones, to the relationship with money and, for example, the management of the kitchen, from spending on preparations. Up to spend prolonged periods of time, daytime and night, in the structure itself, far from family comfort zone.
As part of the activities, as Paoletti still highlights, the cooking workshop has had an important development path, arousing interest and enjoying success. Hence the idea of involving professionals, such as the chef Toro, who accepted the invitation. From the exhilarating experience of the culinary meeting in Syracuse, the challenge of raising the bar, of aiming for a more demanding goal, and the invitation to a more restricted first dinner organized at Timeo, whose success led to the very recent initiative: the conduct of a starry dinner with six courses, with different tables and guests, at the Villa S. Andrea. “The path – adds the Sicilian manager Tma – is always aimed at independent life, with everyone and any level of gravity. This experience is a fundamental piece for self -esteem: they feel capable of doing, and you can open opportunities. But there is another important aspect: what they do here gives something that others will bring inside”.
What is the TMA Caputo-Ippolito method
“The TMA – explains the creator Giovanni Caputo – was born in 2000 with a series of activities with kids and young adults with DSA. It was born from a scientific point of view in 2008 and develops throughout Italy, today we give the water therapy service to 5000 children in more than 80 structures. Over time, a method has developed to ensure that the skills in water were generalized, in 14 centers throughout Italy. Experienced a victory for them and for their families, who have always believed in them and in their skills. The individual aspects. On the part of the public system it would take a great change of course: to see these as people with another functioning, but with many potential “. All to be enhanced.