Translation by Giulia Franzone, SCN UNPLI 2018
San Piero Patti stands at the foot of the Nebrodi Mountains, in front of the Eolian Islands and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Rich in history, traditions, and natural beauties, San Piero Patti is surrounded by green clusters of hazelnut trees and vineyards. The Timeto River, precious source of water for the agricultural activity, runs in the valley below and ends its course in the Gulf of Patti.
Before the current denomination, the Greeks gave to San Piero the name of “Petra”, which means “majestic rock”; later, with the affirmation of the Christian culture, the name changed in Sanctus Petrus. The imposing, red granite rock – which inspired the name Petra – represented a strong attraction for the inhabitants of ancient Tyndaris, a town founded in the IV century BC, who went to San Piero Patti in search of marble, wood, and coal.
In 827 AD the Arabs arrived in Sicily and in the Timeto Valley. They settled in the lower part of town, in a place now called Arabite – from rabat, suburb. Here they lived of agriculture and blended well with the local population. Their presence was very important for the locals: they taught them innovative agricultural techniques.
In the XI century, Count Roger rid Sicily of the Saracens. Immediately after, the Count expanded the town of San Piero and founded the nearby town of Raccuja. This way San Piero Patti became, firstly, property of the King, and then, after some time, feudal dominion. Twenty-one baronies followed right after: from the heirs of the Judge De Manna to the Barons Orioles, Caccamo-Orioles, and, lastly, Corvino-Orioles, in 1812.
Many volunteers from San Piero Patti were involved in Garibaldi’s campaigns, and the scientist Giovanni Gorgone was one of them, founder of the surgical clinic and of the cabinet of pathology of the University of Palermo. After the banishment of the Borbons and the annexation to Italy, the economic crisis in the South increased, and San Piero Patti, like other Southern towns, lost many of its inhabitants due to emigration to the Americas.
The state of underdevelopment wasn’t mitigated by the fascist dictatorship; death and sorrow caused by the war were added to a poor economy. When Italy won back its freedom and democracy, rebirth began also for San Piero Patti.
The following buildings and monuments are part of the historical and artistic heritage of San Piero Patti:
- the Chiesa Madre. Its origins seem to date back to the second half of the XIV century. In the first years of the XVIII
century the structure showed many damages and seemed on the verge of collapsing: in 1721 it was completely demolished and rebuilt much bigger and more beautiful than before. Damaged in the Messina’s earthquake of 1783, it was repaired and opened again. At the end of the last century, an invisible and slow landslide threatened to destroy the church forever. However, the canon Giovanni Paleologo, with the help of San Piero Patti’s citizens, managed to rebuild it and to put it back in use. One of the most beautiful artworks preserved in the church is a sarcophagus supported by two lions and with on top a statue of the Redeemer between two angels. The sarcophagus, made in part of Carrara marble, contains Caterina Scaglione’s remains, who commissioned the artwork. A marble statue of Maria Santissima dell’Itria is kept in the church, sculpted the Gagini’s School; another beautiful marble statue depicts St. Catherine of Siena. The cut stone portal situated at the entrance of the Madonna della Catena’s Chapel, Patron Saint of San Piero Patti, is also quite interesting. Other artworks are the altar of the Madonna of the Rosary, and the one dedicated to St. Pancrazio, inlaid with polychrome marbles. The antique organ is also outstanding.
- Chiesa di Santa Maria: its foundation is attributed to a time period between the XIII and the XIV centuries. The church is characterized by a magnificent wooden ceiling assembled with wooden panels. The panels have on the inside a stylized flower. In the middle of the ceiling is a beautiful statue of the Madonna Assunta surrounded by angels
. The monolithic columns, topped by beautifully sculpted Corinthian capitals, the arches, and the stone windows are also quite beautiful. The inside of the dome is decorated with magnificent artworks in stucco, and at the center is an image of the Holy Ghost. The altar of the Crucifix is in local marble. Next to the church is the bell tower, rising up above 30 m (98 feet), with Baroque windows. In the temple there’s also a majestic and exquisite organ built by Annibale Lo Blanco from Galati Mamertino.
- Chiesa del Carmine and the Carmelitani Calzati’s Convent, founded in 1566. The library of the monastery was famous for the many volumes and valuable manuscripts kept inside. In the monastery, restored in the past decade, it’s possible to admire the graceful, monolithic columns, finely polished and sculpted, and the arches. The adjacent church is decorated with many frescoes: at the
center of the one and only nave is a magnificent Baroque fresco, work of Antonino Spanò from San Piero Patti, student at the school of the convent. The fresco, enclosed in a rich stucco frame, is dated to 1722. The structure of the wooden altar is sublime, finely built and enriched by golden elements and multiple sculptures: the Holy Father creating the world, angels, and two Carmelite Saints.
- the Church of Madonna delle Grazie, built on a calcareous rock in the XVII century. Its structure is simple, characterized by two pilasters with Corinthian capitals adorning the one and only altar. The dome of the bell tower is built in the shape of a pyramid and assembled with multiple half-disks made of painted pottery.
- Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata, built in 1611. It displays a precious wooden ceiling, and, on the altar, a beautiful diptych portraying the Angel and the Virgin Mary in Gagini’s Mannerism. The diptych is particularly precious for how it portrays the Angel’s attitude, the modest expression on the Virgin Mary’s face, and the beauty of her dress.
- San Vito’s Fountain, located in the town center,
is an authentic Baroque masterpiece. It’s made up of three overlapping, semicircular basins, and is powered by seven small fountains. Up high we observe two chimaeras and the Caccamo-Orioles’ coat of arms, consisting of two lions facing each other. The fountain was built thanks to the benevolence of the Baron Giuseppe Caccamo-Orioles. San Vito’s Fountain is truly a masterpiece usually found only in the biggest Italian cities: an authentic jewel in the heart of our town.
- Tocco Fountain, dating to
1875; it’s made of white Carrara marble and is located at the foot of St. Mary’s Church. A low relief portrays a young boy’s head. The water is collected in a small basin with a calyx-shaped pedestal. On the upper right side is a beautiful arabesque. Various and interesting are the theories about the origin of its name, that once officially identified the entire square where the fountain is located, and now still used in the local dialect.
- the Monument in honour of Giovanni Gorgone, located in the namesake square; a half-bust built in white Carrara marble and positioned on a quadrangular prism. It was inaugurated in 1871, three years after the death of our fellow citizen, patriot and pathologist.
- the Monument to the Fallen
. An obelisk reports the names of all our fellow citizens who died heroically in the two World Wars. A bronze eagle is positioned next to it; as is well known, it was once the main insignia of the Roman Legion, and, later, the symbol of the Roman Empire. In front of the monument is an old mortar from the First World War.
Arabite
The neighborhood known as Arabite deserves its own paragraph. Founded by the Arabs, who inhabited it since their arrival in San Piero Patti – in 827 AD – until the XI century, it’s now one of the most important Arab sites in Sicily. A real kasba made of alleys, stone steps, and houses built one against the other, following the suggestive and original city plan distinctive of the Arab architects. Taking a stroll in this neighborhood means to find yourself immersed in an extraordinarily suggestive context. Seeing Arabite is worth a visit to San Piero Patti.
Activities and typical products
The economy is mainly based on agricultural activities: the area is rich with hazel-woods, olive groves, and vineyards. Hazelnuts are harvested in the months of August and September. It’s a very old practice: in the past, many emigrants went abroad to make fortune and to find a job that would allow them, on their return, to buy some land where to plant hazelnut trees. Proceeds from the sale of the hazelnuts were an important source of profit that allowed them to improve their living conditions.
Olive oil, full of substances good for the liver, for cholesterol and digestion, follows a process that starts, in November, with the harvest of the olives using the “ramazzu”, a long, large hazelwood rod used to shake the olive trees branches, and nets, positioned under the trees to catch the ripe olives falling on the ground. The olives are then brought to “o trappitu” (the olive oil mill) where they are pressed and turned into oil.
Viticulture is also largely practiced, even though it demands a lot of care and attentions. The wine produced is fragrant and genuine, perfect to accompany white or red meats, or fish. In the months of September and October the grapes are harvested: brought to the press, they are mashed and turned into must. The must is then poured in barrels and left to ferment until St. Martin’s Day (11th of November).
The homegrown vegetables on our tables are numerous: eggplants and peppers, essential ingredients for the caponata, a typical Sicilian dish; tomatoes that, ripened under the August’s sun, are traditionally used to prepare the famous homemade sauce, or, dried under the sun, are then preserved in oil inside glass jars; legumes, shelled and frozen, are excellent for tasty soups to eat in the winter season; the famous “cucuzza longa”, a long pumpkin that can measure up to 1 m, prepared fried or boiled; the “cavuricelli”, tasty vegetables with great anticancer properties that grow spontaneously in our land, and white cabbage. Among the fruits that our land provides for us are oranges, tangerines, and lemons, rich with vitamin C; energizing prickly pears, rich with mineral salts and vitamins, with diuretic and depurative properties. In addition to the fruits, the flowers of the prickly pears are used to prepare an infusion, useful to clean the kidneys; what in Sicilian language are called “toppe”, namely the fleshy parts of the plant, are chopped, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried.
The typical sampietrini culinary products are numerous: pastries prepared with almonds and hazelnuts (i.e. torrone, “piparelli”, “’nzulli”, literally “clumps of dirt” because their shape and colour are similar to the dirt turned over by the hoe before the sowing); “sfingi”, pastries traditionally prepared during Christmas time (they are similar to bigné and flavoured with cinnamon or with marinated sardines); buns with hazelnuts on top; “nuvolette”, cookies that take their name from their lightness, which accompany Easter holidays together with the “cullure”, ring-shaped cakes made with bread dough, and with a coloured egg inside, symbolizing Christ’s Resurrection; the “ossa i mortu” (bones of the dead), typical pastries prepared to commemorate the dead on the second day of November. These cookies are called this way because they recall, in their shape, colour and texture, human bones.
The place of honour among first courses is taken by the “maccarruna” (a type of pasta) with pork gravy; among the second courses the “fritturi”: they’re prepared with pork meat boiled for a long time and seasoned with ground black pepper (particularly used is “a scurcilla”, the pork rind); dry sausage, plain or seasoned, is also commonly eaten.
Producing homemade bread is an old practice still rather common in our families. Not so long ago, once a week, every family used to make enough bread to last a week. Kneaded in the wooden “mailla” and baked in a wood-burning ovens, some of it was eaten warm, just out of the oven, seasoned with oil, salt, pepper and oregano, the so-called “pani cunzatu” (literally “seasoned bread” in the dialect of San Piero Patti).
The “curatero” is the man who cares for the livestock and that produces different kinds of cheese, mainly ricotta and provole.
All kinds of craftsmanship are practiced in our town: from wood to iron, from stone to wickerwork, from embroidery to painting on fabrics and earthenware, our artisans’ creativity is boundless and all their creations can be bought made-to-order. In the past, many young people went to “o mastru”, the master, an expert artisan who would teach them the craft of turning, with a bit of creativity, raw materials into useful products. An activity practiced in the past and now on the verge of extinction is the building of the so-called “furrizzi”, stools made with a plant known as ferla that, picked in June, left to dry for two or three months, is then pierced and stitched together with olive or chestnut branches.
Events
Religious events like Christmas are of particular significance in our town; people prepare themselves spiritually by taking part in the Novena, a religious service consisting in reciting prayers for the nine days preceeding Christmas. During this period the students of our schools prepare, a few days before Christmas Eve, the “Living Nativity Scene”. It’s common, walking through the streets of our town, to hear Christmas carols coming from the church and to lose yourself in the joyful and peaceful atmosphere full of lights and decorations adorning the shops’ windows. On Christmas Eve, the Christmas Reindeer comes to San Piero Patti, travels along the main streets of the town and stops in Piazza Duomo to hand out sweets and candies to children.
During Easter holidays, on Good Friday’s evening, a suggestive procession moves through town: women dressed in black carry on their shoulders the statue of the Addolorata, the Virgin Mary grieving her son. The Crucifix is entrusted to the smiths as a sign of regret for having fabricated the nails of the Cross; the statue of the dead Jesus is entrusted to students; to farmers the one of the Penitent Jesus in the Garden. The congregation of the Hooded accompanies the procession. Another evocative performance is the “Living Via Crucis”, carried out in the old streets of our town.
On the first Sunday after Easter the Madonna della Catena is celebrated; she is the Patron Saint of San Piero Patti and her name is connected to a miracle she performed centuries ago: according to the tale, she broke the heavy chains holding four men who had been condemned to death.
The celebration in honour of the co-Patron of San Piero Patti, St. Biagio, protector of the throat, is on the first Sunday of October. In this occasion a Mass and a procession are held in the Saint’s honour, along with exhibitions, fairs, and fireworks.
On the first Sunday of August in Sambuco, a district of San Piero Patti, the Madonna del Carmelo is celebrated. During this event, in addition to the Mass officiated in the little church of the district, are organized: the “Sagra del pane caldo” (“Warm bread Festival”), accompanied by the tasting of pastries typical of the place, an exhibit dedicated to old handcrafted objects belonging to the farming tradition of San Piero Patti, and the game of the “Pentolaccia”, similar to the Mexican piñata. In the square there’s dancing and music for all to enjoy.
On the last Sunday of September Maria Santissima del Rosario is celebrated in the Boschitto district. The event includes, in addition to the Holy Mass and the exhibition of the local marching band, traditional games.
The Festival of the Emigrant, the historical commemoration of the King Frederick III’s coming to San Piero Patti, musical events, classic and modern dancing shows are among the summer events organized through the years.
Among the winter events we should mention those tied to the Christmas period and dedicated to the art of creating Nativity scenes (arte presepiale), with various displays all around town, and the Carnival of San Piero Patti. The Carnival is the result of a long and old tradition. On Sunday, the Carnival parade moves along the main streets of our town. From Fat Thursday to Mardi Grass it’s possible to go dancing dressed in costumes in several places in town; it all ends on Saturday night with the so-called “Carnevalone”. The Carnival in San Piero Patti represents an attraction for those who live in the nearby towns and it’s also very cherished by many emigrants who come back in town for a few days just to take part in it. The atmosphere in town is unique and encourages people to leave behind the stress from work and everyday life to have fun, dance, and joke around. The “Carnevalino in Piazza” is reserved to children, a party in the main town square with music, games, and dances of all kind.
Pro Loco "Teresa Martino" San Piero Patti 