Getting married can be truly hard in Sicily, especially when the marriage is hindered by the spouses’ families. Ancient hostility between relatives or the protectiveness of fathers towards their daughters, can make it almost impossible. Moreover, most of the times, the girl’s family is concerned about what people will think if she has a relationship with a young man.

That’s why it’s not uncommon for young couples to run away from their homes together: once the escape (‘a fuitina in Sicilian, “the short escape”, since most of the times the couples comes back shortly after) was meant to get married and then get back to home once the deed was done, today is more about declaring their love regardless of the wishes of their families.