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Gangi
Archaeological excavations not only show that this area is the site of the ancient Sicula town of Engyon but there were also Roman and medieval settlements in the area of Gangivecchio (Old Gangi). The old city was destroyed by Federico II in 1299 and the new area began to be developed around the castle built by the local Lord, Francesco Ventimiglia in the fourteenth century.
At the entrance to the historical part of the town there is a round tower, said to be of Saracen origin, from which the road climbs up Mount Marone and enters the town, becoming Corso Umberto I. It passes the XVI century Palazzo Bongiorno-Li Destri, now the municipal offices, and goes on into Piazza del Popolo. Here is the mother church which dates from XVIII century, although its square bell-tower was built by Ventimiglia.
The exterior is decorated with interesting stucco-work of this period. The church houses "Il Giudizio Universale", the most famous work of the artist Giuseppe Salerno, who was nick-named "lo Zoppo di Gangi" (the Cripple of Gangi). There are also various beautiful statues including a cherubin by the local XVIII century sculptor, Filippo Quattrocchi.
Preserved in the Church of Saint Salvatore are a wonderful crucifix by Brother Umile of Petralia and a canvas attributed to the Cripple of Gangi. |
Climbing up to the ancient castle it is possible to see what remains of Francesco Ventimiglia's manor house, now private property. In the days before "Ferragosto" (the Italian public summer holiday on 15th August, which is in fact the religious festival of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, something that most Italians seem to have forgotten) there is the Festival of the "Spiga" (ear of corn) with its evocative costume procession, twisting and turning, and ancient vehicles without wheels.
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Polizzi:
the town has developed around the castle built on the instructions of Ruggero I (The Norman King Roger I) in 1076, probably on the site of the medieval town. Federico II granted the town many privileges and added the title "Generosa" (abundant, generous) to its name, perhaps because it was a rich, populous centre. In the former Piano della Bayota, now renamed after the illustrious local writer, Antonio Borgese, are the XVI century Church of Saint Salvatore, the XV century former Domenican Monastery and the Church of the Trinità dei Cavalieri Teutonici (Trinity or Teutonic Knights). On Via Garibaldi there is the Palazzo dei Rampolla, the home of the aristocratic family of the area and, further along, the Town Hall which occupies the former Jesuit boarding school. Then there is the piazza of the mother church which was built at the end of XVII century on the site of an earlier church. Inside there are the "Madonna del Rosario" by Giuseppe Salerno, a piece of the Sarcophagus of Saint Gandolfo, who died here in XIII century, and a bas-relief of the Last Supper, both works of Domenico Gagini. The famous winter tourist centre of Piano Battaglia can be easily reached from here, one of the main centres of the Madonie park. |
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