Gita fuori porta: San Mauro Castelverde, the island within an island
In the 70s and 80s, just the name of San Mauro Castelverde would frighten any teacher in Palermo who was not on permanent staff. The fear was real: they could be forced to accept a job in San Mauro, the farthest town from the capital. The connection road to the coast was impracticable, to the point that for many years the inhabitants abstained from voting in protest.
Niccolò Turrisi Colonna, mayor of Palermo in the 19th century and brother of the poet Giuseppina, opposed the road that could have connected San Mauro with Castelbuono because he owned some land in the valley of Pollina. This road does not exist yet and could have improved the logistical situation of San Mauro 150 years ago, possibly preventing the isolation that may have led to the maurini brigands phenomenon.
San Mauro has about 1500 inhabitants and many of them have pieces of land and animals, with some engaging in transhumance. The town has beautiful corners created with recycled materials like fruit crates and painted tires. The most enchanting corner is a panoramic square where sculptors like Piero Zacco have created sculptures of fish and sailboats inspired by the sea in the distance.
The town also hosts the annual festival of San Mauro, where devotees carry the saint’s statue around the town. The cult of San Mauro is deeply rooted in the town, with many children named after him. The article also discusses the unique tradition of cooking and eating prickly pear peels in San Mauro, a secret delicacy that locals have preserved through generations.
Gita fuori porta: San Mauro Castelverde, l’isola nell’isola
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