Bagheria

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Bagheria
coat of arms
Bagheria (Italy)
Bagheria
Country Italy
region Sicily
Metropolitan city Palermo  (PA)
Local name Baarìa
Coordinates 38 ° 5 '  N , 13 ° 31'  E Coordinates: 38 ° 4 '49 "  N , 13 ° 30' 33"  E
height 76  m slm
surface 29 km²
Residents 54,620 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density 1,883 inhabitants / km²
Post Code 90011
prefix 091
ISTAT number 082006
Popular name Bagheresi
Patron saint San Giuseppe
Website Bagheria

Bagheria ( Bagheria , Sicilian Baarìa ) is a city of Metropolitan city of Palermo in the Region of Sicily in Italy with 54,620 inhabitants (December 31, 2019).

Location and dates

Bagheria is 16 km east of Palermo .

The neighborhoods of Bagheria are Aspra and Mongerbino. Aspra is known for its rich lemon plantations. There are pristine, small beaches in Mongerbino. This is where the rich of Palermo and the surrounding area live.

Bagheria is on the A19 motorway and on the SS 113 Trapani – Messina. The place is on the railway line Palermo-Agrigento / Porto Empedocle .

The neighboring municipalities are Ficarazzi , Misilmeri and Santa Flavia .

history

In 1658 Giuseppe Branciforte, scion of the great Sicilian aristocratic family Branciforte , built a medieval castle in Bagheria and named it Villa Butera. The construction of Villa Butera (now called Palazzo Butera) is officially considered the birth of today's city of Bagheria. Salvatore Branciforte, grandson of the founder Giuseppe Branciforti. initiated the first town planning in 1769. This is how a village was created around the Chiesa Madrice, which is still central today. The two main axes and shopping streets of Bagheria today, Corso Butera and Corso Umberto I, also go back to this first town plan.

A unique component of the urban development in Bagheria, however, is the construction of many villas by other Sicilian noble families who moved from Palermo to the surrounding area. The map of Sicily by Samuel von Schmettau from 1720/1721 already shows 38 of these villas. Most of the time, however, their design no longer followed the medieval aesthetics like Villa Butera, but the most modern of the baroque aesthetics. The villas stood out not only because of their size and huge gardens, but also because of their facades. Alleys formed axes aligned with one another. Today the villas of Bagheria are therefore seen as a Baroque work of art.

The decline of the Sicilian nobility in the 19th century, described in the novel Der Gattopardo , was accompanied by the rise of the Sicilian bourgeoisie and the Cosa Nostra . In the 1950s and 1960s in particular, one of their fields of business was building speculation with money from the development fund provided by Rome for the poor south. In this way, ugly residential silos of poor quality were created in the former gardens of the villas. The Italian writer Dacia Maraini described this situation from her own experience in her book Bagheria - A Childhood in Sicily .

Bagheria was one of the most notorious centers of violence, especially during the Second Mafia War , where murders were particularly high. Together with the municipalities of Altavilla Milicia and Casteldaccia , it formed the so-called “Triangolo della Morte - triangle of death” between 1981 and 1982 . Most of the killings were committed by Filippo Marchese and his Corso dei Mille family , who on the side of the Corleonesi led a bloody campaign against the remaining Palermitan mafia families. Bernardo Provenzano operated a type of execution site in a disused iron or nail factory for the Corleonesi faction in the vicinity of Bagheria, which was known in certain circles as the " Campo di Sterminio di Bagheria" ( Bagheria concentration camp ) and probably had at least 100 people were murdered. Similar to those in the “Camera della Morte (Chamber of Death)” in Piazza Sant'Erasmo, in downtown Palermo, the victims were often dissolved in acid so that the acts could no longer be proven. Another highlight was the so-called “Strage di Natale - Christmas Massacre” on December 25, 1981 , when there was a wild chase and open shooting between two warring clans in Bagheria. After that, the power of the Corleonesi had solidified deep in the city and to a certain extent controlled public life.

Even after the end of the Second Mafia War, the Mediterranean city hit the headlines again for Mafia crime. Giuseppe "Pino" Scaduto , head of the Scaduto family and an important figure in the Cupola during the Corleonesi reign , was arrested in 2008 during the " Operazione Perseo " police operation and suspected his daughter Maria Caterina, who was in a relationship with a Carabinieri , of treason. His son Paolo Scaduto was supposed to restore the family honor and kill his own sister, but this was not carried out by him. "Pino" Scaduto was arrested and convicted again shortly after his release for further offenses.

At the end of the 20th century, the decline of the Cosa Nostra began to have a positive effect in Bagheria as well. Individual monuments in public ownership are being renovated and used for cultural and tourist purposes. The conversion of Corso Umberto I into a pedestrian zone brought calm to the city. The Bagheria-baarìa, l'altra città project, presented in January 2010, is a summary of almost 40 sub-projects that are ultimately intended to make Bagheria an attractive city for sustainable tourism.

Villas of Bagheria

Almost all of the baroque villas of Bagheria are based on a system of path axes that became the backbone of the city that emerged later in this expansion. The oldest and central axis leads to the Palazzo Butera and became the main street of the village as Corso Butera. The axis of the Villa Palagonia branches off from this at an acute angle and gently rising. The axes of the villas S. Cataldo, S. Isodoro and Ramacca branched off from the main axis, even if this situation is disturbed today by the railroad. Most of the villas still exist. However, some of the extensive gardens and parks in which the villas were located fell victim to building speculation by the Mafia in the 1970s and 1980s. The following list describes the Baroque villas still located on the territory of the city of Bagheria today.

Other villas of this type are located on the territory of the neighboring municipality of Santa Flavia.

  • The Palazzo Aragona-Cutò is one of the great villas and was built between 1712 and 1716 for Baldassare Naselli, Prince of Aragona. It is now owned by the city and houses the municipal library and toy museum, but is currently closed. All that remains of the garden is a surrounding lawn area (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 5 ′ 20.7 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 28.3 ″  E ).
  • The Palazzo Butera was the first of the Bagheria villas. It was built in 1658 by Giuseppe Branciforte, Principe di Butera, in the style of a fort. Villa Butera is now owned by the city (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 4 ′ 35.3 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 26.9 ″  E ).
  • The Villa Casaurro is a rare example of the residences of the lower nobility. Today it is privately owned and is used by the Associazione Culturale Giuseppe Bagnera for cultural purposes (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 4 ′ 56.2 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 46.8 ″  E ).
Villa Cattolica
  • The Villa Cattolica was built around 1700 and today houses the Galleria di Arte Moderna with works by the painter Renato Guttuso . He was also laid to rest here. His grave is in the back of the villa in the middle of a garden with a view of the sea, just as the artist himself had wished. Villa Cattolica is the only villa with its main facade not oriented towards Bagheria, but towards Palermo (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 5 ′ 23.7 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 5.3 ″  E ).
  • The Palazzo Larderia is characterized by its unusual architecture. Seen from above, it looks like a star-shaped flower. Today it is owned by the school sisters of Maria Vergine Assunta (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 4 ′ 46.2 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 28.4 ″  E ).
Villa Palagonia
  • From 1715 the Villa Palagonia was built for Francesco Ferdinando Gravina e Crujillas, Prince of Palagonia, and his descendants on the highest point of an axis that runs through the building as a gateway. The complex also includes a triumphal arch (Porta dei Giganti), which is now included in Via Palagonia. Characteristic are the elliptical floor plan, an elaborate staircase and 62 stone sculptures that surround the main building. These grotesque statues, which, like the interior, followed an iconographic program, made the villa internationally known, but were not understood and criticized by most travelers. They gave the villa the nickname "Villa dei Mostri" (Villa of the Monsters). Goethe described it as a "Palagonian frenzy". Villa Palagonia has been owned by the Castronovo family since 1885. The ballrooms and the garden can be visited (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 4 ′ 46.8 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 41.8 ″  E ).
  • The Villa Rammacca was built in the middle of the 18th century. It is located outside the city center at the foot of Monte Catalfano, today's recreational area of ​​Bagheria. Therefore, her large garden has been spared from building speculation. Villa Rammacca is privately owned and used for receptions (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 5 ′ 44 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 35.6 ″  E ).
  • The Villa Roccaforte was originally a tower in the rural area in front of the village. In the 18th century the buildings at the base of the tower were converted into a villa. It is privately owned (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 4 ′ 51 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 50.6 ″  E ).
  • The Villa San Cataldo was built in the 18th century under Prince Galletti di S. Cataldo, but was rebuilt in the 19th century in a neo-Gothic style. Since it is located on the outskirts, the large baroque garden next to it, which is not related to the villa, has been spared the construction speculation. In 1998 it was bought by the Province of Palermo. It is run by the Jesuit order and is available to the public for cultural events (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 5 ′ 17 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 48.9 ″  E ).
  • The Villa Sant Isidoro was originally a rural house and was converted into a baroque villa in the 17th century. As it is located in the middle of extensive citrus plantations between Bagheria and the suburb of Aspra, its garden has been spared the construction speculation. However, like the surrounding area, it is in a desolate state. The plantations were supplied by a large pumping station and an extremely elaborate irrigation system that can still be seen but is no longer used. The villa is privately owned (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 5 ′ 52.1 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 4.5 ″  E ).
  • The Villa Serradifalco was originally a fort-like farm with towers. It was converted into a villa in the 18th century in the neoclassical style. Since it is located on the eastern edge of the city center, its garden was spared building speculation. Today the villa is privately owned (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 4 ′ 5.1 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 49 ″  E ).
  • The Villa Spedalotto was built late 18th century by an unknown architect with echoes of neoclassicism. Like Villa Serradifalco, it is located on the eastern edge of Bagheria and was therefore spared building speculation (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 4 ′ 25.4 ″  N , 13 ° 31 ′ 4.1 ″  E ).
Villa Comitini-Trabia
  • The Villa Trabia is one of the largest villas in Bagheria. Its construction began in 1759 by the Gravina di Comitini and was not completed until the end of the 18th century. Approx. 100 years later, the originally baroque building was converted into a neoclassical one. Despite its location near the center, its garden has been preserved. The property later came to the Lanza di Trabia . The villa is privately owned (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 4 ′ 36.3 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 40.6 ″  E ).
  • The Villa Valguarnera , built from 1714 to 1721 for Maria Anna Princess of Gravina, married Princess of Valguanera, is the most elaborate of all the villas in Bagheria. It offers an ascending access avenue, a forecourt surrounded by columned halls and a concave curved facade. Its large garden sloping towards the east into terraces has been preserved despite its central location. The famous writer Dacia Maraini spent her youth in the Villa Valguarnera. She describes this phase of her life in the book Bagheria. The Villa Valguarnera is privately owned. The owners plan to temporarily make them available to the public for cultural events (aerial photography and other geospatial services: 38 ° 4 ′ 35.3 ″  N , 13 ° 30 ′ 55.9 ″  E ).
  • The Palazzo Villarosa was Bagheria's first villa to be built in the neoclassical style from the start. Its Corinthian columns are particularly characteristic. The Palazzo Villarosa is privately owned and used for receptions (aerial photo and other geospatial services: 38 ° 4 ′ 30.4 ″  N , 13 ° 29 ′ 59.7 ″  E ).

Museums and parks

The toy museum Museo del giocattolo is located in the Palazzo Aragona-Cutò and shows a collection of old Sicilian toys. There is also a permanent exhibition by the painter Renato Guttuso in the Villa Cattolica. Modern Sicilian art is shown in the Bagheria Museum. The Parco di Monte Catalfano is the local recreation area of ​​Bagheria.

Sons and daughters

  • The mathematician Giuseppe Bagnera was born in Bagheria in 1865. A school and a cultural association in Bagheria are named after him. He died in Rome in 1927.
  • The poet Ignazio Buttitta was born in Bagheria in 1899. His focus was on the political issues of Sicily. He died in Bagheria in 1997.
  • The painter Nino Garajo was born in Bagheria in 1918. His works can be assigned to Sicilian and Italian realism. He died in Rome in 1977.
  • The painter Renato Guttuso was born in Bagheria in 1911. His works can be assigned to realism and related primarily to Sicilian themes. He died in Rome in 1987.
  • The writer Dacia Maraini was born in Florence in 1936 and moved to live with her grandparents in 1946, who lived in the Villa Valguarnera in Bagheria. She went to Rome in 1954. She describes her years in Bagheria in the book Bagheria, A Childhood in Sicily .
  • The photographer Ferdinando Scianna was born in Bagheria in 1943. It was discovered by the well-known Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia , who happened to visit a photo exhibition by the young photographer in 1963. One of his other sponsors was Henri Cartier-Bresson , one of the founders of Magnum Photos .
  • The director Giuseppe Tornatore was born in Bagheria in 1956. He received an Oscar for his film Cinema Paradiso . In 2009 the film Baarìa , a tribute to his hometown, opened the Venice Film Festival .

Movie

literature

  • Dacia Maraini: Bagheria - A childhood in Sicily . 3. Edition. Piper, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-492-22415-6 .
  • Thomas Dittelbach: History of Sicily - From antiquity to today . 1st edition. CH Beck, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-406-58790-0 .
  • L. Dufour: La Sicilia disegnata. La carta di Samuel von Schmettau (1720–1721) . Ed. Società Storia Patria, Palermo 1995, ISBN 88-7401-066-4 .
  • Henner Hess: Mafia - origin, power and myth . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1993, ISBN 3-451-04244-4 .
  • Angheli Zalapì: Palaces in Sicily . Könemann, Cologne 2000, ISBN 3-8290-2117-8 .

Web links

Commons : Bagheria  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Statistiche demografiche ISTAT. Monthly population statistics of the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica , as of December 31 of 2019.
  2. ^ Palazzo Butera, il più antico palazzo di Bagheria ( Memento of December 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive ). Website Guidasicilia. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  3. ↑ Thomas Dittelbach: History of Sicily - From antiquity to today . 1st edition. CH Beck, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-406-58790-0 .
  4. ↑ Enrico Deaglio: Patria 1978-2010. Il Saggiatore, 2010 p. 111
  5. ^ Pietro Grasso: Storie di sangue, amici e fantasmi: Ricordi di mafia. Feltrinelli Editore. 2017.
  6. ↑ Carefree cries replace screams at Cosa Nostra 'Death Factory' The Telegraph. In: The Daily Telegraph . August 22, 2004, accessed April 1, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Bagheria. La strage del 25 December 1981, è diventato un libro. Ecco uno stralcio. La Voce di Bagheria. April 13, 2013 (it.)
  8. ↑ Sicilian Mafia: The Boss from Bagheria. The story of the Scaduto family is about a vengeful father, a daughter with an eventful love life and a son who refused to kill his sister. Southgerman newspaper. November 1, 2017. Accessed April 1, 2020 .
  9. ↑ Mafia boss accused of ordering hit on his daughter over policeman lover. Pino Scaduto, head of the Bagheria syndicate in Sicily, arrested after he allegedly asked his son to carry out killing. The Guardian. October 31, 2017. Accessed April 1, 2020 .
  10. ↑ Bagheria - baarìa l'altra città  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ). Detailed description of the future plan for Bagheria. [PDF] @1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.comune.bagheria.pa.it
  11. ↑ Bagheria - baarìa l'altra città  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ). Visualization of the future plan for Bagheria. [PDF] @1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.comune.bagheria.pa.it