Beccadelli (Panormita), Antonio: (b. Palermo, 1394; d. Jan. 6, 1471). Courtier, scholar, diplomat. Born into a noble family of Bolognese origins, he was the son of Arrigo Beccadelli, chancellor to King Martin I of Sicily. After receiving a good education in Palermo, he was sent (c1420) to the University of Bologna to study law. After receiving his doctorate, he taught literature at the University of Pavia and became tutor in history to Duke Filippo Maria Viscinti of Milan, though the exact years of these positions are uncertain. It is known that he resettled at Naples in 1436 where he entered the court of King Alfonso V. He remained in that king’s service for several years, accompanying him on several journeys and Alfonso rewarded him with a noble title and a fine house, the Villa Sisia. Among his many duties, Beccadelli served as Alfonso’s ambassador to Genoa, Venice, and the imperial court of Frederick III. Beccadelli later served Alfonso’s son and successor, Ferdinand I, as secretary and counselor.
Beccadelli wrote a number of works, the most important being De Dictis et Factis Alphonsi Regis, Epistolarum libri, and Carmina.
Befana (La Befana; S. Befana): an ugly but good-natured old hag who leaves presents in the stockings of children on the eve of the Epiphany (the Twelfth Night) in parts of Italy and Sicily. In Christian legend, the tree kings passed an old lady on their way to adore the Christ Child. They invited her to accompany them but she was too busy cleaning her house and did not come with them. Later, she attempted to follow, but became lost among the way and never saw the Holy Child. Every year she comes looking for him. She visits the children while they sleep and fills their stockings, giving the good ones candy and the bad ones only stones or charcoal. It is also a common practice for an image of Befana made of rags to be hung outside the home on January 5.Although the name is probably a corruption of Epiphany (Epiphania), it is likely that parts of the legend pre-date Christian times.
beggars: The destitute of the cities of Sicily and southern Italy often survived only through begging. Few of those who better off realized that even among this poorest class, there existed a certain hierarchy. The “privileged” beggars were usually those found sitting in the shelters of doorways of churches and other buildings. The lower orders were forced into less comfortable, more exposed sites.
Beidis: See Bidis.
Beido: See Bidis.
Belcastro (CZ): A commune in the province of Catanzaro. Population: 1,367 (2006e).
Belisarius: (b. Illyria; d. AD 565). Byzantine general. Born a commoner of Slavic origins (his name means “White Star”), he entered into a military career, working his way into the highest levels. In 534, he led a Byzantine army to North Africa where he destroyed the Vandal kingdom there, restoring the region to imperial control. In the following year hr turned his attention to the recovery of Sicily and Italy. In 535, Sicily was retaken and he proceeded to invade the Italian mainland. His successes ultimately worked against him as Emperor Justinian became worried that he could become a rival to his own power. Recalled to Constantinople before attaining ultimate victory, his place was taken by his rival Narses. In 559, he successfully campaigned against the invading Bulgars. In 563, he was implicated in a conspiracy again Justinian. Whether guilty or not, he was sentenced to house-arrest for a year. A popular belief that he was reduced to poverty, blinded, and spent the remainder of his life as a homeless beggar is simply an example of anti-Justinian propaganda rather than true. In reality, he spent the remainder of his life in quiet retirement with his wealth, honor and body intact.
bell, ringing of a: In Palermo, during Lent it has been the tradition to ring bells by striking them with a hammer. This was in remembrance of the revolt of the Sicilian Vespers. The French Angevin occupiers of Palermo feared that local church bells might be used by rebels as a call to arms. Therefore they ordered that all of the bell-ropes in the city’s churches were to be cut off. When the revolt finally did break out, the rebels climbed into the bell-towers and struck the bells with hammers to sound the alarm. Bell-ringing during Lent was otherwise forbidden.