Sicily that you do not expect can be found in the most unexpected places: in the most hidden hinterlands, on coastal stretches less frequented by tourism, in villages with ancient scents.
It is the case of Mazzarino, a small town belonging to the province of Caltanissetta, rich in history and legend, named "City of Art" by Unesco. This small town is located in the heart of the island and has a historic center with evident medieval origins, built all around a castle with suggestive Arab origins.
The famous Baroque, which characterizes many of the Sicilian towns, also enriches the innermost part of Mazzarino, with several churches and some palaces with truly precious architecture. Among the churches stand out the Church of Santa Maria del Monte Carmelo (in the main square of the town), and the Church of Sant'Ignazio, with its historian Jesuit college.
Other noteworthy religious buildings are certainly there Church of the Capuchin Fathers, Church of Santa Maria della Neve and the Church of the Madonna del Mazzaro, that is the patron saint of the city, whose celebrations take place in the month of September.
A separate discussion deserves the Church of the Santissimo Crocifisso dell'Olmo which was almost totally destroyed by the earthquake of 1693 (to be later rebuilt by the Marquis Filippo Bivona).
We talk about it because even today, in Mazarin, the SS. Crucified which is found inside, mounted on an iron bar (very heavy) which, during its celebrations, is carried on the shoulders through the streets of the whole country by barefoot and almost completely naked men (in practice, they wear only a small white habit). The ritual takes place every year on the second Sunday of May.
Ma Mazzarino it is also the scene of another extremely suggestive event. It is a historical parade in seventeenth-century costumes which is organized annually in the month of June. His name is "The seventeenth century at the court of Carafa” and consists of the faithful representation of the marriage, which actually took place at that time, between Isabella d'Avalos and Prince Carlo Maria Carafa.
A real show that involves the whole town and which is combined with various gastronomic-cultural initiatives dedicated to typical products of the surrounding area.
Finally, other sites not to be missed, if you visit Mazzarino, I am definitely the Palazzo Alberti (prestigious XNUMXth century building) and the Former Convent of the Carmelite Fathers
dating back to 1470 and now become the Palazzo Comunale.
Mazzarino and “U Cannuni”, its ancient castle
But, of course, the place that most characterizes this small Sicilian town is the Castle, an ancient building of Roman-Byzantine origin which is considered to all intents and purposes its most representative symbol.
Majestic and unmistakable, even if almost completely in ruins, the Castle of Mazzarino is called by the locals “U Cannuni” (the Cannon), probably because its tower, with its perfectly cylindrical shape, looks a lot like a cannon. Initially it had, like all castles of the time, defensive purposes; its location, elevated compared to the surrounding areas, and its solid structure suggest it.
Later, when the feudal wars ended, its role changed; in fact, it became the rich residence of the local noble families. Now, unfortunately, only one of the towers and some external walls remain standing of the ancient building, but its charm remains unchanged and, for this reason, it is still today the destination of a large number of tourists, both Italian and foreign.
In fact, although there are no rooms to visit, visitors can, thanks to the reconstruction of an internal staircase in the only tower left standing, climb to the top of the ancient building and enjoy a unique panorama; that of the whole country of Mazzarino seen from above, together with the rolling hills of Caltanissetta that surround it.
Finally, the appearance of the tower is so suggestive that the authors of "The octopus” they chose it as a set for the realization of a significant episode of the unforgettable television series set in Sicily.
Mazzarino and his record-breaking nougat
Ma Mazzarino it is known not only for its history and its Baroque; in fact, this small town in the Sicilian hinterland is renowned all over the world because in 2019 it managed to bring back to the island a world title that had been taken from it a few years earlier (in 2016, to be exact), by professionals from Mazara del Vallo.
We are talking about a real planetary record: That of the "Longest nougat in the world“. The exceptional confectionery realization was validated by the judges from the European section of the Guinnes World Record of London which, after an accurate and scientific measurement, ratified the total measurement: 1004 metres.
The feat was accomplished by just over a hundred artisans in the sector (chefs, bakers, nougat-makers, cooks and pastry chefs), assisted by around 60 teachers and students from two professional schools specializing in catering and hotel management.
Technical support was guaranteed by Bongiovanni srl, a local industry highly specialized in the processing of almonds, the typical fruit of this area of Sicily which boasts as much as 80% of the entire national production.
For the realization of the very long strip of nougat, which winds along a sort of "serpentine" of wooden planks, along the entire central Corso Vittorio Emanuele, they have been used 4000 kilos of shelled almonds and 1800 kilos of sugar.
At the final finish line, located near the Basilica of the Madonna del Mazzaro, there was a multitude of people from all over the island (and beyond). When the judges concluded the official measurement, the record-breaking nougat was festively distributed among those present who were thus able to appreciate its taste and quality.
© Michele Leonardi, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
