The village of Ciminna is known, as well as for its beauty, also for being the location in which the film by Luchino Visconti entitled The Leopard was shot, a masterpiece that better than all the others told the world of Southern Italy at the time of the barony.
In the film, the events are set in theimaginary village of Donnafugata, in reality it is located in Ciminna which has therefore always been a tourist destination for film enthusiasts who want to discover more closely The Leopard and Ciminna: here's everything you need to know to organize your visit.
The Leopard in Ciminna
When Luchino Visconti decided to make the film The Leopard, taking up the story told in the novel of the same name by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, he found himself dealing with a setting described by the author in detail but impossible to find in reality. Precisely for this reason, to choose an external location that could in some way be faithful to the writing, Visconti and his collaborators toured for a long time and then chose Ciminna which was the closest borough.
However, the noble palace that is there in the story was missing residence of the Salinas, according to the novel immediately adjacent to the mother church. For this reason the set designer Garbuglia set to work and in less than a month and a half managed to create the facade of the noble residence, also redoing the external paving of the main square of the village.
The locations of the film The Leopard
If two noble palaces in Palermo were chosen for the interior scenes of Il Gattopardo, almost all of them exterior scenes they were instead turn to Ciminna, thanks to this beautiful location perfectly set in Sicily before the unification of Italy.
In reality, the whole village was involved in the making of the film even if there are some places which, more than others, lent themselves to filming. One of them is definitely the Mother Church which was the backdrop to one of the most famous scenes of the film, namely that of the Te Deum. The square in front of the church was also used for many scenes in the film, especially all those outside the Salina residence.
What to see in Ciminna
Obviously those who want to discover all the beauties of the village can only start their tour from Mother Church which is entitled to Santa Maria Maddalena. It is a building that was erected for the first time in the XIII century and which then underwent a complete makeover: it is in Baroque and inside there are valuable pieces of art.
Another unmissable church is the Church of San Francesco of 1503, with an annexed convent of a slightly later period. Inside the church, as well as in that of San Domenico, there are works by the artist Antonello Gagini. In the Church of St. John the Baptist, however, the Holy Crucifix is kept, a work of the sixteenth century which is also linked to numerous miracles. Finally, a visit to the Museum Pole, with its rich archaeological collection, now housed in what was once the XNUMXth century Hospital of the Holy Spirit.
Things to do in Ciminna
There are numerous religious and folkloristic events that attract numerous tourists to Ciminna every year. Among these it is certainly worth mentioning the feast of San Sebastian, already celebrated in antiquity but resumed only a few years ago, with a solemn procession and the Ntinna game tournament. patron saint of the village è San Vito, which is held on the first Sunday of September and sees the relics of the Saint carried in procession, but perhaps much more heartfelt and solemn is the celebration dedicated to the Most Holy Crucifix, whose origins date back to the seventeenth century. Finally there is U Triunfu ra Marunuzza which is the holiday linked to December 8 and to Madonna.
How to get to Ciminna
Those wishing to visit the places of the Leopard in Ciminna more closely can reach the village by car, starting from Palermo and along the SS121 while from Catania it is recommended to follow the A19 first and only after the SS121.
Those who depart from Messina must instead follow the A20 first and then the E90, from Agrigento the most suitable road is the Ss189, from Trapani the E90. Ciminna can also be reached from Caltanissetta along the SS640, finally from Syracuse and Enna the A19 and then the E932.
The village of Ciminna does not have its own railway station, so those who wish to reach it on the train they will have to refer to the nearby stations of Montemaggiore Belsito, Trabia or San Nicola Tonnara and from these continue with the lines of local buses made available by the AST company.
© Image by Rino Porrovecchio from Palermo, Italy, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
