L'Italo-Americano

LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5 2023 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano T h e t a l e o f t h i s h a m l e t , e s t a b - l i s h e d a r o u n d 1 7 0 0 b y t h e f a t h e r s o f t h e Jesuit Novitiate of Palermo, could begin with "Once upon a time...". Having acquired agricul- tural lands near the territory of Partinico, a municipality in the province of the Sicilian capital, they built warehous- es, farmhouses, a lookout tower, and – of course – a small church dedicated to Maria Santissima del Rosario. Around the second half of the 18th century, Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Order of the Jesuits, and it wasn't until 1814 that Pope Pius VII rein- stated the Order. Meanwhile, the ownership of the lands transitioned to Henri d'Or- l e a n s , D u k e o f A u m a l e , a French nobleman who trans- formed the area into a pro- duction site for Moscatello dello Zucco wine. Approxi- mately three hundred work- ers were employed in his ven- ture, and all of them resided in the hamlet. However, post- W o r l d W a r I I m a r k e d t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e v i l l a g e ' s decline as residents migrated to urban areas or abroad. A r e v i v a l o n l y c a m e a b o u t towards the end of the 1990s. This ongoing resurgence is credited to a visionary yet thoughtful entrepreneur from Partinico, Giuseppe Gaglio. By engaging the few locals, he is spearheading an architec- tural and cultural revolution i n w h a t i s n o w k n o w n a s Borgo Parrini (meaning "priests" in Sicilian dialect, r e f e r e n c i n g t h e i n i t i a l founders, the Jesuits). But, to elucidate its fairy- tale essence, one must revert to the phrase "Once upon a time." The few houses com- prising the settlement are adorned in shades of blue, yellow, and white, most of t h e m e m b e l l i s h e d w i t h mosaics, majolica, murals, a n d p h r a s e s i n s p i r e d b y poets, artists, and writers like G a n d h i , N e l s o n M a n d e l a , Frida Kahlo, Antoni Gaudí, Paulo Coelho, and Giuseppe G a g l i o h i m s e l f . T h e s t y l e markedly resembles that of Palazzo Batllò, on Paseo de Gràcia in Barcelona, Catalo- nia. The beautiful building, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005, is known for its capti- v a t i n g a r c h i t e c t u r e a n d façade decorations - which evoke a fairy-tale landscape with their colors and tiles named after a significant production site, the island of Majorca, the largest of the Balearic archipelago - as well as its ornaments and origi- nality. Ceramic artifacts repre- senting the nine Sicilian provinces are permanently displayed along the sparse streets and few houses. As one wanders, they encounter ceramic vases, miniature reproductions, and ceramic bell towers of some churches from the nine regional capi- tals. The sole quaint square showcases a Sicilian cart, a symbol of ancient rural civi- l i z a t i o n , a d o r n e d w i t h images depicting moments o f r u r a l l i f e i n a b u r s t o f vibrant, cheerful colors; an old countryside transport means that remains a para- m o u n t r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f folklore and Sicilian identity. A specimen is exhibited at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, with hopes of it being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage patrimony. The colors white, blue, yellow, orange, and green dominate the scene and are distributed on two "undulat- ing" columns: one represent- ing the sea and hospitality through the colors white and blue, as Sicily continuously provides refuge to migrants coming from the sea; the o t h e r , p a i n t e d w i t h t h e remaining colors symboliz- ing citrus fruits, a hallmark of Sicilian lands. Also present are examples of Pupi Siciliani, a primitive yet elaborate form of theatri- cal representation, still kept alive by artists, descendants of ancient "puppeteer" fami- lies, who continue to stage the deeds of Charlemagne and his paladins, a tradition r e c o g n i z e d s i n c e 2 0 0 8 among UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. A n o t h e r c h a r a c t e r i s t i c emphasizing the fairy-tale theme is the Museo Onirico, or Dream Museum, a realm of dream and fantasy, hous- ing works inspired by Cha- gall and Monet but created by Sicilian artists, as well as Sicilian Pupi, set designs, and paintings. In short, a place to dream, as life flows through dreams, an indis- pensable sense of human existence. A n d s i n c e e v e r y t h i n g m u s t n e c e s s a r i l y p a s s through culture, a visit to the Literary Café is imperative. A venue for meetings, events, and conferences organized b y t h e a s s o c i a t i o n a p t l y named The Bell Towers at Borgo Parrini, it's a corner- stone for promoting and val- orizing the culture of the hamlet, where one can also enjoy a good coffee, a drink, or a pastry. Wandering through the narrow streets is like a jour- n e y i n t o a S i c i l y f r o m a bygone era, and into Gaudì's B a r c e l o n a , t h a n k s t o t h e authentic antique furnish- ings, the figures depicted on the walls of the houses, the vibrant colors on the majoli- ca inside them, on the undu- lating walls of the façades, in the mosaics that, day by day, i n c r e a s i n g l y e n r i c h a n d determine the identity of this small stretch of land in the province of Palermo, a fairy tale land that invites us to never stop imagining. M a n y d r a w a p a r a l l e l between Henri d'Orleans, Duke of Aumale, who boost- ed the agricultural sector in t h e P a r t i n i c o t e r r i t o r y through wine and citrus pro- duction, and entrepreneur Giuseppe Gaglio. Unlike the Duke, Gaglio focuses on cul- tivating and sharing culture, a r t , a n d i m a g i n a t i o n . H e approaches these endeavors with a whimsical passion, resonating with those who appreciate the enchantment of dreams and fairy tales, thereby enhancing the joy of both the residents and the steadily increasing stream of visitors. I t w o u l d n ' t b e a t r u e Borgo "Parrini" without the cult of Madonna del Rosario, celebrated every year on the first Sunday of September. A s d a w n b r e a k s , t h e r e s o u n d i n g r i n g o f t h e church bell stirs the resi- dents, and the streets come alive with stalls showcasing calia (roasted chickpeas) and s e m e n z a ( d r i e d p u m p k i n s e e d s ) , p e t r a f e n n u l a ( a delightfully hard sweet of A r a b o r i g i n m a d e w i t h honey, almonds, citrus peels, and cinnamon), along with a variety of handcrafted items. It's also a common sight to f i n d b a s k e t s l a d e n w i t h warm cunzato bread, lightly bathed in olive oil, or stuffed with fresh ricotta or cheese. Every visitor is seen in their finest clothes, with women draping embroidered shawls over silk garments, all mind- f u l t o k e e p t h e i r a t t i r e unspoiled by the generous servings of wine that grace every table, even when it c o m e s t o h o n o r i n g t h e Madonna del Rosario. Lastly, we cannot ignore a phrase by Giuseppe Gaglio, the animator of this eccentric and fantastic village at the gates of Palermo, etched on the wall of a local house: It reads: "I assemble modest f r a g m e n t s w h i c h w h e n brought together, come alive, emanating beauty and hope." TERESA DI FRESCO A Sicilian hamlet with a hint of Spain Top and bottom right: painted houses in Borgo Parrini, which is also known as the Barcellona of Partinico (Photo: Ellesi/Dreamstime; .mikefai/Shutterstock). Bottom left: a painting of Frida Kahlo in Borgo Parrini (Photo: Ellesi/Dreamstime)

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