In the summertime, Piazza Armerina is bustling with crowds even in the evenings in the name of Battiato.

Last Updated: August 8, 2023

Piazza Armerina d’estate, strade affollate anche la sera in nome di Battiato

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From August 3rd to August 30th, the summer season of 2023 in Piazza Armerina will be dedicated to Franco Battiato, featuring a rich program of events and initiatives including the traditional Norman Palio, concerts, art installations, cinema, theater, and debates. All of these activities will pay tribute to the great poet, intellectual, and musician from Sicily. Thus, Battiato’s spiritual and civil message will come to life in the streets of Piazza Armerina, with a strong emphasis on love for one’s own land, mutual respect, and a sense of responsibility towards the environment and the community.

“One day, I will take care of you”: the words from one of Franco Battiato’s most famous songs materialized into artistic lights along Via Garibaldi, a pedestrian oasis in the heart of Piazza Armerina’s historic center. These lights were turned on last Sunday during a magical and emotional moment, accompanied by the live performance of “La cura” sung by the local singer-songwriter Angelo Romano. Romano represented the symbolic voice of all the young people in the city who, for the first time, direct the entire summer program towards Battiato’s universal message. This program, aimed at residents and the many tourists that flock to Piazza Armerina, includes various initiatives.

The underlying idea, launched by Councilor Ettore Messina and embraced by the municipal administration led by Mayor Nino Cammarata, has been enthusiastically supported by citizens, associations, and businesses. Its aim is to raise awareness about the importance of cleanliness, care, and protection of the surrounding environment. This initiative not only serves as a response to the crisis of identity, degradation, and social abandonment that many Italian urban centers are facing but also, as emphasized by the Piazza Armerina administrators, to “rediscover the individual perception of the beauty of places and strengthen the sense of collective participation in the well-being of the community and its territorial context.”

Thus, Piazza Armerina’s installation joins the imaginary luminous thread of verses and poetry along with those in the cities of Bologna (“L’anno che verrà” by Lucio Dalla), Crotone (“Il cielo è sempre più blu” by Rino Gaetano), the Neapolitan neighborhood Rione Sanità (“Napule è” by Pino Daniele), and even in New York, where Tiziano Corbelli’s illuminations in Little Italy echo the lyrics of “Volare” by Domenico Modugno.

The luminous thoughts of “unconditional love” composed by Battiato in 1996 radiate from Piazza Armerina, stimulating inner reflections in everyone, starting from artists and all the protagonists of the summer program in the City of Mosaics and the Norman Palio.

For example, the extraordinary group Gipsy King will perform their own version of a song by the Sicilian singer-songwriter, “Cuccurucucù Paloma,” which tells the story of the pain of losing a loved one. Filippo Destrieri, composer, faithful friend, and historical keyboardist of Battiato since 1977, will present an innovative show that combines the Maestro’s voice and wonderful archival footage with live piano music. Tributes to Battiato will also be made during the concerts of Irene Grandi and the Between Jazz Festival. The latter event, from August 22nd to 25th, will dedicate artistic moments to the themes of “La cura,” for example, through the participation of the Musica insieme a Librino social youth orchestra. Their concert with Davide Shorty duo will represent the power of respect and inclusion to improve society.

Furthermore, on August 17th and 18th, there will be screenings of short films, music videos, and documentaries – including the recent “La voce del Padrone” by Marco Spagnoli – focusing on themes such as legality, immigration, participation, and respect. There will also be live music performances to showcase the beauty and passion of Sicily through the expressions of great artists, from the late Rosa Balistreri to Paolo Russo, Alessandro Preziosi, Filippo Leonardi, Alfio Antico, and many others.

The event “One day, I will take care of you” will conclude on August 30th with a grand concert by the Sicilian Lyrical Choir, retracing Battiato’s poetic and social message through his most famous songs, performed by the extraordinary singer Rita Botto.

This is the final piece of the puzzle for a municipal administration that has chosen to focus on beauty and culture to trigger an irreversible process of urban regeneration.

The administrators have emphasized how, with this initiative, Piazza Armerina combines the sense of civic engagement with the traditional, strong religious orientation of the Marian festivities. Devotees entrust themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Victories, asking her, as an act of sublime love, to take care of their souls.