From the Royal Cellar to the Valguarnera Fountain, passing through Borgo Parrini: how to get there and what to see in Partinico, a municipality of Palermo.
In the heart of the province ofPalermo, at a height of 175 meters above sea level, stands a small Sicilian town whose ancient name derives from the Latin "pars iniqua":Partinico.
Narrow streets, numerous churches and a small masterpiece called "Borgo Parrini” characterize this active center which is located just 30 kilometers from the capital of theSicilyand preserves, among its meanders, splendid examples of art, culture and secular traditions.
I had the pleasure of visiting Partinico with its Borgo Parrini during a stageSicily in 500, created in collaboration with theFiat 500 Club Italia – Coordination of Palermo, and in this article I want to leave you all the detailed information on how to get there and what to see.
WHAT TO SEE IN PARTINICO
The center of Partinico extends around Corso dei Mille which literally divides the municipality into two areas. It is along this artery, and in its surroundings, that the main attractions are concentrated. I leave you a list of things to see in Partinico… at least in my opinion.
Church of Maria Santissima Annunziata
The Mother Church of Partinico is located in the center of Corso dei Mille, in the picturesque Piazza Duomo. Built after the mid-1500s, the Church of Maria Santissima Annunziata consists of three naves in the shape of a Latin cross and fluted pillars with Corinthian capitals. Inside there are several works dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, including one that portrays "Santa Rosalia in ecstasy", the patroness ofPalermo.
Music box
Among the things to see in Partinico stands out the Palchetto della Musica, along Corso dei Mille. Built in 1875 by resolution of the City Council, the work bears the signature of the architectVincent DiStefanoand has the function of hosting the musical band that enlivens the Sunday evenings and the various annual events.
The style of the Palchetto della Musica is neoclassical and closely resembles those of the Foro Italico and Piazza Castelnuovo in Palermo.
Royal Bourbon Cellar
Located along the road that leads to the hamlet of Sancipirello, theRoyal Bourbon Cellarit is among the most famous attractions of Partinico. Built around 1800 at the behest of the Marquis Francesco del Castillo, the Cellar was born as a "cellar of wine, liqueurs and oils", i.e. as a center for the collection and sale of the products of the Royal Company.
This building, unique of its kind, is characterized by a main entrance closed by a gate and a vast square in which a tower stands. The Cellar itself has a rectangular plan, with an area of almost 1000 square meters, three naves supported by pillars and arches, and a roof covered with tiles.
Cricket collection
Among the meanders of Partinico there are real cultural, historical and artistic jewels of which the "Grillo Collection" is a wonderful example.
Located at number 59 of via Principe Umberto, the Museum houses more than a thousand objects that tell thepeasant civilization of Western Sicily. Carts, utensils, machines and implements, placed in rooms that follow a thematic order, which recall the customs and beliefs, even superstitious and religious, of the peasant culture existing until half a century ago.
The Grillo Collection has been set up, starting from the 70s, byPhilip Grillo, an artist also dedicated to the creation of particular and meticulous collages.
To visit the Grillo Collection, you need to call and book by sending a message to the official Instagram or Facebook pages.
Ram Palace
The oldest farmhouse in Partinico is located at the foot of the Cesarò hill, a five-minute drive from the centre, and takes its name from the noble family of Catalonia who decided to build it, the Rams.
The Ram Palace consists of aStrong houseand a Chapel surrounded by high walls interrupted only by two monumental entrances. The house, which rises on two floors, is entirely built in masonry with broken limestone and covered by barrel vaults, pavilion vaults and lunette vaults.
Until the early twentieth century, during the Spanish epidemic, Palazzo Ram was used as a hospital.
The Opera dei Pupi by Vincenzo Garifo
Among the most loved and respected Sicilian traditions stands out that of the opera dei Pupi, thepuppet theatrein which the protagonists are Charlemagne, his paladins and his exploits.
Among the last puppeteers of Partinico, true guardians of a centuries-old tradition, there isVincenzo Garifo. His Opera dei Pupi is characterized by unique puppets (the word pupi comes from the Latin "pupus" and means child), whose fabrics have been made by hand and whose expressions are so true as to leave you speechless.
If you want to immerse yourself in Sicilian culture and discover a pure and genuine facet of it, a visit to Vincenzo Garifo's Opera dei Pupi is not to be missed.
Valguarnera Fountain
Not everyone is aware of this wonderful work that rises a few kilometers from the center, yet the Valguarnera Fountain is at the top of the list of things to see in Partinico.
It's about afountain-drinking troughdating back to the seventeenth century characterized by a central front, a tympanum with a stone coat of arms and engravings of symbolic figures (lion, palm and man's head), and a large basin delimited by a parapet. In the past, the water from the Valguarnera Fountain flowed out of the ten lateral daisies (five on each side) made of tuff, with a hole in the centre.
BORGO PARRINI
The small Borgo Parrini is located 10 minutes by road from the center of Partinico and, for some years now, it seems to have become its tourist attraction par excellence.
With the typical colors of Spanish majolica and the harmonious shapes that evoke the style of Gaudì and theBarcelonaof Parc Guell, Borgo Parrini is a real gem.
The fortune of this hamlet, whose history has its roots in the 16th century, is due to a series of modern renovations and enhancements that have allowed it to take on the face, in some features truly identical, of the Spanish city of Barcelona.
The history of Borgo Parrini
The name of Borgo Parrini derives from the fathers ofJesuit Novitiate of Palermo, the "parrini" in fact, who in 1500 bought some agricultural land in the surroundings of Partinico and had various buildings erected including the church of SS. Mary of the Rosary.
When the Jesuit Order was suppressed, the lands passed to the French prince Henri d'Orleans who had a farm built and, at the same time, exploited the property to produce thepumpkin muscatel,renowned wine exported to France and Germany.
With the end of World War II, the population began to abandon the small village to move to the city and, for decades, the houses of Borgo Parrini remained uninhabited, until a few years ago when the entrepreneurJoseph Gagliohe did not decide to invest in tourism and give a new face to its narrow streets.
WHERE TO SHOPPING IN PARTINICO
If you love Sicilian style, bags and jewels that evoke the colors of carts, fig leaves and orange blossoms in bloom, you certainly cannot miss a stop at theSpecial Jewelryof Partinico.
Located in the very central Corso dei Mille, Gioielleria Speciale is the exclusive dealer in the area for numerous Italian and international maisons and, among its shelves, showcases real works of art including watches with the symbols of Sicily, rings with dark brown, bags with the image of the Trinacria and scarves in the island colors of red and yellow. A visit is highly recommended!
HOW TO GET TO PARTINICO AND BORGO PARRINI
The fastest and most practical way to get to Partinico and Borgo Parrini is by plane (if your departure city is not in Sicily) and then by car (I always recommend renting a car for all your travels on the island ). The closest airport to Partinico is that ofPalermo(Falcone e Borsellino Airport), not far fromTerrasini:
- From central Palermo (about 30 minutes): take Corso Calatafimi and continue along Strada Statale 186, towards Monreale. At the intersection with SP 20, follow the signs for Partinico.
- From Palermo airport(25 minutes): take the A29 Palermo – Trapani motorway (direction Trapani) and take the “Partinico” exit. Then follow the directions.
- From Trapani(about 60 minutes): take the A29 Palermo – Trapani motorway (direction Palermo) and take the “Partinico” exit. Then follow the directions.
Borgo Parrini si trova a circa 4 chilometri a sud dal centro di Partinico, il percorso è segnalato da diverse indicazioni.
In collaboration with Gioielleria Speciale and Collezione Grillo
