L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano I f there is a place in Palermo that, along with the Teatro Mas- simo, embodies the Sicilian capital in all its charm and splendor, it is Mondello. This small sea- side village northwest of the city boasts a beach stretching nearly a mile, which comes alive each summer with rows of beach clubs. Until a few years ago, wooden huts – known locally as capanne – lined the promenade right down to the water's edge, serving as changing cabins for bathers. The history of Mondello, which until the late 19th cen- tury was inhabited only by local fishermen, tells of a malaria-infested swamp that plagued the area for much of t h e 1 8 0 0 s . T h e l a n d w a s finally reclaimed in the final decade of the century. Soon a f t e r , M i l a n e s e e n g i n e e r L u i g i S c a g l i a , w h o h a d come to Sicily in 1906 to fol- low the Targa Florio car race, admired Mondello from atop Monte Pellegrino and fell instantly in love with it. He submitted to the Palermo city council a series of proposals envisioning tram lines to con- nect the village to the city, elegant villas to create a resi- dential neighborhood, and a permanent seaside resort to replace the makeshift wood- en huts erected each summer. Attached to his proposal was a note that revealed his deep affection for the little fishing village. Here is an e x c e r p t : " . . . W h o e v e r h a s seen this corner of paradise even once cannot help but wonder, amazed, how it is not the daily meeting place of all who seek, in the vision of Beauty, rest and comfort. No p a i n t e r e v e r h a d o n h i s palette so many shades of green as those offered to the e n c h a n t e d e y e b y t h e i m m e n s e g r o v e o f c i t r u s , olive, and carob trees that surround, descending to the sea, the beautiful turquoise gulf reflecting an even bluer s k y , f r a m e d b e t w e e n t h e majestic Monte Gallo and our P e l l e g r i n o , s a c r e d t o t h e poet." Today, both Monte Gallo and Monte Pellegrino are protected nature reserves. But Scaglia's vision was never realized. On December 28, 1910, the city administration granted the concession for developing the coastal area to the Belgian company Les Tramways de Palerme (today Mondello Immobilia- r e I t a l o B e l g a S . A . ) . T h e company installed an electric grid, built tram lines, and laid the groundwork for a grand bathing pavilion. In short, it "stole" the project from the Milanese engineer, who, devastated by the set- back, took his own life in 1914, though the true circum- stances of his tragic death remain shrouded in mystery. A m o n g t h e p r o j e c t s undertaken by the Belgian company, none became more iconic of "postcard Palermo" than the seaside bathing pavilion. The design was originally believed to have been created for a building in Ostend, Belgium, and attrib- uted to a certain Rudolf Stu- alker, a supposed Belgian or Austrian architect or engi- n e e r . O n l y i n 2 0 2 0 , a f t e r extensive research, was his r e a l i d e n t i t y u n c o v e r e d : Rodolfo Stoelker, an Italo- German structural engineer. Stoelker designed or helped design the pavilion's founda- tions, pioneering the use of reinforced concrete , a new material at the time. The building rests on reinforced concrete pilings and stands as one of the first major con- structions in Palermo to use this innovative technique. The work was carried out by the Ferrobeton company, responsible for the concrete structures, together with the firm of Salvatore Rutelli, a member of the same family as sculptor Mario Rutelli. Mario was behind some of Palermo's most recognizable monuments: the Quadriga of Apollo atop the Politeama Theater, the lion at the base of the Giuseppe Garibaldi monument in Villa Garibaldi, t h e l i o n w i t h t h e M u s e Euterpe at the Teatro Massi- mo, and the bust of Edmon- do De Amicis in the English Garden, among others. T h e i n t e r i o r s w e r e d e s i g n e d b y a r c h i t e c t Ernesto Basile and crafted by Vittorio Ducrot's workshop. Inaugurated on July 15, 1913, the Art Nouveau pavil- ion – still one of the most beautiful in Europe – quickly became a fashionable meet- ing place for Palermo's upper c l a s s d u r i n g t h e B e l l e É p o q u e . T h e F l o r i o s , t h e Lanzas, the Notarbartolos, and other aristocratic fami- lies made it their summer gathering spot. D u r i n g W o r l d W a r I I , however, the pavilion shared the fate of Castello Utveggio: it was successively occupied by the Italian army, the Ger- mans, and finally the Ameri- can allies, resulting in the loss of its original furnish- ings and décor. Structurally groundbreak- ing for its time, the building is made entirely of reinforced concrete and consists of two floors resting on a platform supported by 173 sturdy stilts rising from the sea, only a few yards from the shore. A walkway on pilings, also set in the water, connects it to the mainland. The monu- mental entrance features a s e m i c i r c u l a r c o l o n n a d e adorned with elegant mason- r y a n d s t u c c o d e t a i l s , c r o w n e d b y f o u r s m i l i n g stucco dolphins. Each floor, covering about 6,500 square feet, opens to sweeping sea v i e w s t h a t c o n t i n u e t o enchant visitors and diners at Alle Terrazze, the restau- r a n t n o w h o u s e d i n s i d e . From 1969 to 2010, the cele- brated restaurant Charleston occupied the space before relocating, though its name remains synonymous with Mondello's historic pavilion. The second floor, made possible by the building's impressive height, is now used for conferences, recep- tions, and cultural events. The most recent, which con- cluded on October 25, was the first edition of L'Approdo Narrativo, held under the p a t r o n a g e o f t h e S i c i l i a n Regional Assembly (ARS) a n d t h e M u n i c i p a l i t y o f Palermo. Journalist and pub- lisher Carlo Guidotti curated the "Short Story" section. The first prize went to Denise Catalano for her captivating story Ci siamo letti prima di a m a r c i ( " W e R e a d E a c h O t h e r B e f o r e W e F e l l i n Love"), accompanied by this commendation: "For bringing new light to t h e v a l u e o f r e a d i n g a n d w r i t i n g , i n t e r p r e t i n g t h e book as a synthesis between love and tension, between memory and hope; for weav- ing a compelling narrative a n d o f f e r i n g , a m o n g t h e p a g e s o f o u r d a y s , a n e w pearl in the library of our lives." During the same ceremo- ny, the International Mon- dello Aurea Maris Award w a s p r e s e n t e d t o D e n i s e Pipitone. Both honors cele- brate the idea of a "cultural harbor" as "a space for con- nection, reflection, and the sharing of culture in all its f o r m s . " G u i d o t t i ' s w o r d s a p t l y c a p t u r e M o n d e l l o ' s enduring role as a cultural catalyst, expressed not only through the architecture of its historic pavilion but also through the broader artistic and cultural heritage that recalls the Belle Époque. The Art Nouveau villas of Mon- d e l l o r e m a i n a m o n g t h e finest achievements of early 20th-century architecture, ranking among the most ele- gant of their time in Palermo, Sicily, and beyond. F r o m s w a m p y o r i g i n s t o s e a s i d e elegance: the story of Mondello TERESA DI FRESCO Beautiful Mondello (Photo: Sean Pavone/Dreamstime) The sea of Mondello and its famous seaside pavilion (Photo: Ellesi/Dreamstime) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES EVENTS

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