Santa Margherita di Belice in the province of Agrigento is a small town of about 6 inhabitants which nonetheless knows how to win over travelers and culture enthusiasts thanks to its extraordinary history and the many tourist offers it has.
The origins and history of Santa Margherita di Belice
Santa Margherita di Belice is a community located in the province of Agrigento in an area that develops at an altitude of about 400 meters above sea level. The historical references relating to the first settlements refer to the prehistoric epic with the presence of the Sicani originally and then, later, of the Greeks and Romans.
However, a real community was never formed, so much so that it will be necessary to wait until the year 1572. In particular, according to what emerged from historical documents, the foundation of Santa Margherita di Belice is due to the Baron Antonio Corbera on the day of June 2 thanks to a concession by the King of Spain Philip II. The de facto concession allowed the Baron to have houses built to populate this territory which until then had not been exploited as much as it could be.
In his concession, the king also allowed the Baron to foresee the construction of walls and towers in order to protect the population itself. As for the origins of the name, in 1610 with another concession the Baron was authorized to give the name of Santa Margarita.
The arrival of the Filangieri princes
After the end of the house of Barons Corbera in Santa Margherita di Belice came the Filangieri princes who were ancestors of the writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and which had the great merit of relaunching the economy and allowing rapid economic and numerical growth. Among other things, among the Filangieri princes who lived in this territory there were even three Viceroys of Sicily, namely Nicolò I, Alexander I and Alexander II.
This has allowed the community to have a certain political relevance. It is no coincidence that during 1812 in the main Palazzo di Santa Margherita there was a great party because King Ferdinand I together with Queen Maria Carolina of Austria and Prince Leopold of Bourbon were hosted for a long time.
All these events and the various court vicissitudes gave inspiration to the famous writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa for the development of his most famous novel entitled The Leopard which was set in one of his former country residences in Santa Margherita. Moreover, the novel was used by the Italian director Luchino Visconti to make one of the best known and loved films in the world which, moreover, achieved an important recognition such as the Golden palm tree al Cannes Festival and was included in the list of the most important Italian and world films.
What to see in Santa Margherita di Belice
On the territory of the small town there are several attractions to consider for a journey to discover the beauties of the province of Agrigento. In particular, it is to be appreciated the Filangieri Palace in Cutò mainly known by the name of Gattopardo Palace.
Unfortunately this structure was completely destroyed during a terrible earthquake and today it is partially rebuilt and is the seat of the Town Hall and the Leopard museum in which there are reproductions of the original manuscript of the novel by Gioacchino Lanza Tomasi. In the former Mother Church, after the restoration work, the Museum of Memory in which there are many photographs and documents that allow us to retrace what happened in this area of Sicily during the terrible earthquake of January 15, 1968.
Near the Filangieri palace there is also the Villa of the Leopard with all its green space and mature trees. It is also possible to appreciate many cultural events that are periodically organized such as the Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa literary prize which is of international importance and which has seen the participation of extraordinary writers such as Claudio Magris, Anita Desai, Mario Vargas Llosa over the years.
Among the historical and religious celebrations to remember, there is the Feast of the Most Holy Crucifix , September Fair which takes place on 3, 4 and 5 September and which involves everything concerning the livestock heritage of this territory. This is the most important event in the area of Santa Margherita di Belice.
How to get to Santa Margherita di Belice
To get to Santa Margherita di Belice coming from Agrigento, it is necessary to cover a distance of 86 km for the duration of the journey of 80 minutes, crossing above all the state road SS115. From Caltanissetta the kilometers are instead 138 for about 2 hours of travel through the state road SS640 and subsequently the SS115.
© Image by HaguardDuNord, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
