PILGRIMSRITT ÖVER LA CANELLA 2014
By horse with other 700 Sicilian riders into a “sacred and pagan” Sicilian ancient tradition. (Med reservation för ändringar) 30 august – 5 September -2014
The trip permits to participate in one of the oldest and busiest pilgriminage on horseback of the world and to visit the Madonie and Nebrodi Parks. The number of riders involved is each year more and more. Last time they were 740 participants coming from all over Sicily with their best mounts, tacks and riding dresses on horses of every breed and even some mules and donkeys. The trip needs 2 Days to go from Madonie Park to Capizzi village, 1, 5 day to participate at the Pilgriminage, 2 days to go back. On the way to Capizzi it is used the same route of TranSiciliana to Etna trip. To go back we use different trails crossing different areas and visiting on horseback the village of GERACI. More news about Pilgriminage in General Info below.
Pilgriminage Riding Experience. The trip is pretty easy with no difficult passages, just some long trots and canters. It is for intermediate and advanced riders but also for “advanced beginners”.
Program Day by Day.
Program can vary depending weather conditions, trail situations, Park / Reserves decisions.
Day 1. Saturday. From Airport to MASSERIA ROCCA di GONATO (***) ( www.masseriaroccadigonato.it )
After arrival of planes, riders are moved to MASSERIA ROCCA di GONATO Country House in around 1, 5 hours by minibus. If possible by the transfer arrivals will be done a short tour in Palermo historical centre and a light lunch with Sicilian traditional fast food ( cost NOT included in the package).
Dinner and night at MASSERIA ROCCA di GONATO. Horses are hosted in the paddocks in front of the country house.
Swimming pool available in summer. SPA and Massages Service available all year round.
Day 2. Sunday. From MASSERIA ROCCA di GONATO to VILLA RAINO’. ( www.villaraino.it )
From MASSERIA ROCCA di GONATO will be cross the valley between Monte Madonna dell’Alto and the villages of Petralia Soprana making picnic lunch with a meeting with the minibus along the way. In afternoon will be follow a long shepherd trail along the last hills of Madonie to reach a water pool to water horses. To reach this water need then to follow asphalt for 1 km, then a trail on hills with fields till reaching Villa Rainò country house, close to the village of Gangi. Horses are hosted in the pasture in front of the country house
Dinner and night at Villa Rainò. Swimming pool available.
Hours on saddle 6
Asphalt 1 km
Day 3. Monday: From VILLA RAINO’ to CAPIZZI Guest home (no web site available).
Will be followed the dry bed of a river (water only in winter) to reach the road (1 km of asphalt ) that head up to the trail that crosses a Wind Turbine park. The large and long trail along the edge of the mountain will be done mostly at canter/gallop. Then will be followed the long dirty road that cross the Natural Reserve of Sambuchetti – Campanito, an oasis of woods that give shade almost all along the way. Picnic lunch is served before to exit from the reserve. At Sella del Contrasto pass, reached to give water to horses, will be followed for 1,5 km a asphalt road then an ancient trail that cross a real little known Sicilian very typical country side that gives an idea about how it was Sicilian country landscape in the past: very remote, lonely, without people. Then is reached the village of Capizzi with 1, 5 km of asphalt. The night is spent in a simple, rustic but clean Guest house. Not all rooms has personal bathroom. Riders will be transferred from where horses will stay to guest House (inside historical centre) with minibus (around 9 minutes ride). Horses will be hosted in a farm just out the village.
Dinner in restaurant at Capizzi.
Around 21, 00 (9 p.m.) gathering with all village’s people at the Saint Antony church.
Around 23, 00 (11 p.m.) in bed in Country home.
Hours on the saddle 6.
Asphalt: 2 km
Day 4. Tuesday. From CAPIZZI Guest Home to CAPIZZI Guest Home.
Big early morning Breakfast in a private dining room of a very good bar.
Around 6 in the morning up in the saddle to reach the church and then start to go up to the Cannella high plain in 3 hours of riding. At end of Mess starts barbecue lunch. After siesta, around 16, 00, back to Capizzi to parade in the streets of village.
The lunch is so heavy, big and long that normally nobody can eat anything at dinner. Pizza is available in case of unexpected hungry.
Hours of riding: 6
Asphalt: 1 km.
Day 5.Wendsday. From CAPIZZI Guest Home to VILLA RAINO’.
Will be used the same trails of day 3 reverse.
Night and dinner at Villa Rainò.
Hour on horses: 6
Asphalt: 4 km.
Day 6. Thursday. From VILLA RAINO’ to MASSERIA ROCCA di GONATO
Will be used a different trail to reach MASSERIA ROCCA di GONATO visiting on horseback the medieval village of Geraci and following a very panoramic route on the other side of the Madonie Park.
Night and dinner at MASSERIA ROCCA di GONATO.
Hour on horses: 6
Asphalt: 2 km Day 7. Friday. From MASSERIA ROCCA di GONATO Country house to Airport.
After breakfast, depending first airplane departure, transfer to Palermo airport.
End of services
The formula is full board, all included. Arrival on Saturdays, leaving on Saturday.
7 days, 6 nights, 5 days on horseback
Min 2 max 12 ryttare.
Cancellation Policy. + 30 days before arrival: full refund 30 to 21 days before: 30% fees 20 to 8 days before: 50% fees 7 to 2 days before: 75% fees 1 day before: 90% fees no-show: 100% fees
Airports for Arrival / Depart.
The best airport to arrive / depart is PALERMO. Also can be used TRAPANI or CATANIA airports, easily and well connected with PALERMO RAILWAY/BUS STATION. For riders want to use these airports we will give detailed instructions on request.
Transfer policy:
Transfer to /from Palermo airport is included in the price of the trip only for arrival of planes no later than 14, 00 (2.p.m.). If flight arrival is later then 14, 00 and need to do a second transfer, it will cost 80 € flat (cost will be divided by the number of customers arriving after 14, 00: if is only one customer he will pay the fee). We decided like that because in some cases we were forced to do till 3 different transfers in one day with planes arriving early in morning, afternoon, evening. The costs for us were really unsustainable. From airport there is anyway possibility to reach Palermo railway/bus station with metro train (every 30 minutes, cost 5 €). From Railway station/Bus station it is easy to reach Castelbuono railway station (train every hour, 4, and 5 €). The cost of transfer from Castelbuono to Masseria Gonato will be 20 € only one way.
To go back to Palermo airport will be done one transfer in the morning. If some client want a special transfer in afternoon the cost will be 80 € flat rate to be divided between the number of clients travelling.
About Food.
We like to affirm that our trip is also a culinary experience on horseback. All dinners menus and restaurants were studied and choose to give to riders a real top Sicilian food experience. All recipes are made with “Zero kilometres” products coming just from the area. So are used only very fresh local vegetables, meats, cheese, wines, and breads. Even mineral water mostly comes from the Madonie Mountains and Etna volcano. All dinners have 4 courses: entry, pasta dish, main course, dessert and /or fruit. Local red wine and mineral water (or spring water) is included.
Breakfast: continental breakfast, juice, croissant and cakes (where available). Those who prefer a savoury breakfast with boiled eggs, ham and cheese have just to advise in advance. Picnic Lunch. All picnic lunches are cold with local fresh bread, local cut meats, cheeses, typical Sicilian products like olives, dried tomatoes, mushrooms and greens with olive oil, fresh tomatoes and salad, fruit. Menu change almost every day. In two picnics lunch (day 4 and Day 6) the minibus cannot reach riders so will be eaten good sandwiches along the way.
Our minibus transport a big gazebo to protect riders during picnics in need have shade or if it is raining. During the pilgriminage our riders are hosted at the “giant barbecue” after the Mess by a local family f our friends. They will taste in indefinite quantities the “best” meat of Sicily and many other local traditional foods.
Beverages.
Drinks included at picnic lunches: water, local red wine and Diet or Zero Coke.
Drinks included at dinner: mineral or spring water, local red wine.
Other drinks: If customers will like to find at picnic lunch /dinner cold beer or other special beverages this will be provided paying their costs. The Customers will ask what they like and at end of trip they will pay the bill.
If they would like to drink beer or other beverages in the country house before or after dinner they can order them on the number of room or their name and pay directly to the hosts before leaving.
Special food needs.
Those with particular food requirements (vegetarian, allergies, various) must advise at booking to have individually personalised food.
Daily Time table (depending different days):
Breakfast: from 8 to 8, 45
Ready at the horses: 9, 00/9, 15
Departure: 9, 30/9, 45
Picnic lunches: between 12, 30 and 13, 30 depending different places
Dinners: 20, 30.
Horses & riders well being.
This is a trip for horses specialized to mountains trails. Riders must be fit to stay on the saddle 6 hours with some long trots and canters. It is less hard then TranSiciliana trip but need anyway to be fit. Madonie and Nebrodi are full of water springs and there is plenty of good water around for horses and riders. Horses have a special diet before, during and after the trip to lose as less weight possible.
Our horses herd. We have 14 horses of our property. If one or more of them cannot start we use horses from another outfitter with who we have a mutual help agreement, so we use always horses trained and fit to do long horseback trips. Our horses live always as a herd, even at home they live always together in mountain pastures or in wide paddocks. They normally never see a classic box. They have only covered refuges for sun, wind and rain all year round. We move them in different pastures from coast to mountain depending season. In the heard they established their hierarchies and have their “bosses” so when they have to eat there are always skirmishes to have food first and /or to try to have more food, sometimes with bites, attempts of kicks or even real kicks. Some of our more tempered or timid horses have on their skin results of these old and new skirmishes. This is the reason because we prepare in the corrals a lot more hey places then the number of horses so the skirmishes are very short and only at the beginning of each food distribution. For cereals we use individual eating bags. Where is possible we tie the horses and give them food individually but this is not always possible for the nature of the night corrals we have available or we made with electric fences.
In our heard of horses we have different kind of horses adaptable at different kind of riders (big, smaller, faster, more quite). During assignment of horses if there are preferences by the riders will be good to know before departure. Naturally if all riders ask, for example, to have all “fast and big horses “we cannot accommodate all of them. For us is Ok if riders like to switch horses during the trip. If riders are tired and want to walk for some time to stretch legs need only just to ask for. Riders with problems in knees or backs or in not very good physical conditions are not for this trip. We have no position in the line. Riders are free, where possible, to ride in pairs or in groups. “Toilette stops” and “picture stops” are allowed anytime just asking for a stop. The only black and white rule is: never to go forward the front guide unless after asking permission.
Grooming / Saddling:
Grooming and saddling is made by the guides.
Before departure of the trip will be shown how to prepare the horse to be quickly unsaddled by the guides.
Guides
With groups till 5 will be along the trail one guide only. Plus 5 riders will be 2 guides.
One more guide will drive minibus all along the trip. He is also a rider, help to grooming saddling and a spare guide.
Photography.
The guide Franco Barbagallo ( www.francobarbagallo.com ) was for 30 years a top globetrotting photographer. When he is guiding a trip as interpretive guide or third guide and/or interpreter, he will be more than happy to take photos with camera of riders for souvenirs during the trip, to give advices and tips to make better souvenir pictures.
Interpretation along the trip.
Along the way and at dinners will be given to riders lots of news about history, flora, fauna, geology, traditions, food and local products. All questions will be welcomed. Each rider at departure of trip will receive a very detailed day by day program with lots of news and the Map of the trip.
Languages.
The guide Franco speaks very good English, good basic French, and a simple basic Spanish.
Paolo speaks a very Basic English.
Giuseppe speaks a fluent German.
The official language of the trip is English.
Change of injured horses
If one horse has a problem that will not permit it to continue the trip he will be changed during the night. Unless really extreme cases (never happened before) horses cannot be changed during the day. In three years of activity we had to change horses only 2 times for some health / injure problems and were done always at night.
First aid for riders.
One guide has in the saddle bag a complete first AID kit for all small injuries that can happen during a trek in wilderness (bruises, cuts, bumps after a fall) with: spray for ice, Voltaren, Anti pains, straps, oxygenated water, a spray to cover cuts with an antiseptic layer that isolate the skin from air, haemostatic and antibiotic creams, elastic bandages. In the minibus there are more medicines for other eventual disturbs.
First Aid for horses.
The same first aid kit can be used for horses during the trail for small scratches and cuts that can happen easily during a trip. Plus there is the classic antiseptic antibiotic blue spray. In the minibus we have horse’s antiseptics, antinflammatory, as creams or shots.
Saddles and Tacks.
We use handmade (under our instruction) trekking saddles very good for horses and very good for riders either English or western style.
We use 2 blankets. One light in cotton to absorb swear and one thick in transpiring neoprene on it to protect properly the back of the horse from any sores.
Bridles are with a special anti tongue pitching snaffle bit. We do not use bits. Spurs are not allowed.
Saddles has front strap and grouper so the saddle will not move when horses goes on steep up and downs and do not need to tie too much the girth to avoid sores on side of horses.
Each saddle has its own capable waterproof saddle bag.
Helmets.
They are mandatory. We suggest carrying personal helmets. We can rent them at 25 € per person per trip. Who want to rent a helmet has to advice before departure and gives size in centimetres. If someone do not want to wear a helmet will fill an own hand written form to declare that do that under his own responsibility.
Insurances.
Our horses are insured for third damages till 3.000.000 €. Each rider MUST have his own personal insurance for damages along the ride and to be transferred home in case of incidents like Europe assistance or similar.
Personal Equipment:
We will be crossing mountain areas at heights of up to 2000 meters. It is mandatory for all participants to have the following personal equipment:
- Serious, Good and Complete rain gear consisting of a long waterproof coat, waterproof over pants, rubber over shoes, water proof gloves. Waterproof helmet. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. IN THE MOUNTAINS IT CAN RAIN with sun at low levels.
- Dress in layers. Temperature during the day that can be anything from very hot to cold depending on the conditions, wind and the season. Clothing requirements vary from a thin shirt all the way up to a wind jacket with pile and warm socks. It is also suggested to have thermal underwear in fall /winter season.
- Gloves (very important)
- We suggest NOT wearing any kind of long riding boots. We DO suggest short riding shoes, short or long chaps. No running shoes or sneakers.
- Sun glasses.
- Anti UV solar cream at least factor 20 (30 or 50 for north European people)
- We suggest to bring own water bottle. We will give to anyone else a plastic water bottle.
- Personal baggage will be moved by car. There are no weights limits at the bags and their number.
GENERAL INFO ON PARK AND AREA.
About devotion of people to Saint Antony from Padova and news on the Pilgriminage.
In the XIII century, Saint Antony from Padova travelled extensively in Sicily. Crossing Nebrodi Mountains on a mule, he slept the night of 1 September in the so called “High plain of La Cannella”, up in the mountains. From that time all shepherd, charcoal makers, loggers of the village of Capizzi and their families, the 2 September of every year were gathering in that mountain high plain to participate at an open field Mess, to prey, to have lunch in the woods and then going back to the village. They were reaching that place on mules, horses and foot. Who asked to Saint Antony a miracle was going there barefoot. In the last 30 years plus the shepherds and workers more riders were joining the pilgriminage that nowadays became a real pilgriminage on horseback with more than 700 riders all starts in the evening of 1 September. In the church dedicated to Saint Antony, at around 9 p.m. the statue of the Saint is moved from the altar to the “Vara”, used to transport him in procession. All people of Capizzi village gather in the square to assist at translation of the Saint, accompanied by the music of the local band. In the same time are distributed free to the people the “wine and the bread of Saint Antony “and other local food. The tradition wants that eating that gives protection by the Saint. Around 11 p.m. around 4 a.m., still in the dark, begin the pilgriminage. The first to start are the persons that are going to the high plain on foot they need around 4, 5 / 5 hours to reach it. Some of them are without shoes, wearing only socks, or even are barefoot, according with the importance of the miracle asked and received from the Saint. Then, around 5 a.m. in the morning, are coming the first riders. All of them reach the church, left open all night, to do a little prey before to depart to the mountain. In groups or individually, all the riders come to the church before departure. The “Cannella “plain is reached by horse in 3 hours of riding. In front the long line of riders there is one of them with the flag of Capizzi, one trumpeter and one drummer. In the spot up in the mountains it is held a Mess close to a little altar builds in honor of the Saint in the spot where he slept. Many other people of any age (also very young or very old) come with 4x4 cars up to the mountains to participate to the Mess. At end all families choose their spot in woods to start their enormous “pagan” barbecues lunch roasting any kind of meat in huge quantities: cow, pig, goats, sheep and ram. The heavy lunch is very long and is drunken really big amounts of wine that often interfere with the riding capacities of some riders on the way back. In afternoon it is held the lottery to decide which family will host in his home the flag of the Saint till next pilgriminage, a big honor. Then all riders saddle again their horses to go back to Capizzi village to parade along the streets between two wings of spectators before the end of the pilgriminage.
MADONIE and NEBRODI GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
Geology.
Madonie Mountains are called the” Dolomites of Sicily “for their unique carbonate limestone rock formations. Till the XVIII century the MADONIE were part of the NEBRODI. They had a different name when the French scientist Deodat de Dolomieu. He discovered the special limestone of the mountains in the Alps that got his name, and the analogies between the limestone of “West Nebrodi” with the Dolomites. Madonie were the first mountains to come up from the very ancient ocean existing before the formation of Sicily. They are very rich of fossils of ancient sea creatures. Madonie are divided in three main mountain complexes: Mount Carbonara, Mount Cervi, and Mount Pizzo di Pilo. The highest mountain is Carbonara with his 1879 meters. This mount is characterized by very many depressions ( doline ) formed by the action of snow with limestone which is slowly dissolved in spring when snow became water. Looking at the Carbonara from a helicopter it looks as was bombed by war planes for the hundreds of these natural depressions existing. On the bottom of “ doline ” there is a very particular micro-clime that permits the life of many species of endemic plants. All water collected by doline goes inside the mountain through some fixtures in the rocks called “swallowers” ( Inghiottitoi ) and it is saved by a complicate system of underwater lakes and channels that give water in hundreds of springs at lower altitudes all year round. That’s why in the Madonie villages there is always plenty of source water all year round.
On Nebrodi Mountains the high presence of water on the surface in lakes, ponds and creeks and rivers depend by the different soil which is a lot younger arenaria sedimentary rock. Water of melting snow is trapped in spring in many lakes and ponds of any dimension: with a diameter of few meters, called “Margi ”, or big like the lakes Biviere, Cartolari, Tre Arie, Zilio, and Maulazzo. This soft soil allowed the growth of trees and so Nebrodi are almost all over covered by the largest woods of Sicily.
Botany.
Few people know that before the Romans conquered it Sicily was covered for 92 % by primary forests. Deforestation started with the Romans during the three Punic wars with Cartagine. They established two navy ship yard on the coast down the still existing villages of Caronia (Nebrodi area) and Pollina (Madonie area). They used the centennial oaks to build the ship bodies and the very tall Abies Nebrodensis (Fir of Nebrodi) for the mast trees of the war boats. They cut these firs almost till extinction. Only 22 of them survived in a narrow and secluded valley into the Madonie. Nowadays the Abies nebrodensis is reintroduced in the Nebrodi and Madonie by the Sicilian forestry service (Azienda Foreste Demaniali).
Nebrodi and Madonie are covered variously by woods made by five different species of oaks, higher (above 1.500 meters) start the almost continuous blanket of beeches. Madonie has the higher and richest botanic bio-diversity of Italy with the presence of more than 5.500 of the 6.500 present in the entire nation. There are many endemic species and, inside the doline, some very little endemic plants with a cycle of life very short. More than 200 the species of orchids. Along the trails used is easy to see many interesting or endemic plants like Genista cupani, Astragalus, Cystus, Crocus, Primula, and so long.
On Nebrodi, around Biviere Lake area is easy to see the Taxus baccata a coniferous that has plants 25 meters high. All over there are single or groups of centennial trees of oaks and beeches. On Mount Soro there is the oldest and biggest Beech tree of Italy (800 years old).
Wildlife .
There are not big differences between the wildlife living in the different parks of Sicily. On Madonie were reintroduced deer, absent in other parks. There are wild bores, wild cats, martens, foxes, wild rabbits. The best is in the sky with nesting couples of King Eagles, a colony of Vultures ( Gypsus gypsus ), Peregrine falcons, many species of smaller hawks. Before the institution of the parks was almost extinct the Sicilian partridge ( Alectoris graecae whitakeri ) that now is back in good numbers and easily seen. In the lakes of Nebrodi are easily seen many species of frogs, ducks and the Sicilian water turtle.
People and Traditions.
Sicilian mountains were used by the man from the Paleolithic times. In Madonie there are some grottoes that show signs of their use as temporary home by the men from those times. They were reaching the mountains in spring to hunt big game and collect wild plants (bears, lynx, deer, and elks) and wood. From the Neolithic started the activity of breeding sheep for milking and meat. Before the huge emigrations to Americas and Australia after the world wars, were bred on Madonie more than 100.000 sheep! Nowadays are around 10.000, goats included.
On Nebrodi the main activity is the breeding in the mountain pastures of cows, sanfratellano horses, and black pig of Nebrodi (specific specie of small pig). The number of sheep is small. Till 20 years ago the life style of the mountain Sicilian shepherds did not changed too much from the Neolithic times. The same was the hut used by then ( called Pagghiaru ) made by a circle or a square of stones 1 meter high, then a roof made with trunks of oaks and branches. The same was the organizations of the shepherd work place (called Marcatu ) constituted by some huts, then the stone corrals for the sheep, the corral for the lambs, the working area to make milk. Before the arrival of 4x4 cars the shepherds were living in summer up in the mountains for long periods, going home only a couple of days every some weeks. In Nebrodi mountains were build in the mountain farms also stony round pens with a pole in the middle to tame horses. Today the breeding of cows, sheep, and goats to make meat and cheese and horse breeding it is still very important in the economy of Madonie and Nebrodi. Tourism became more and more important in the last 15 years. The principal traditional cheeses made are: “Pecorino” (with sheep milk), “Caciocavallo” (with cow and goat or sheep), “Ricotta” (from cow or sheep or goat) some goat cheeses. The method it is the same from Neolithic times, using the dried and cured interior of intestine of a lamb as “cheese maker” and traditional tools of special woods. Mountain people is very gentle, hospitable and hard workers used to live traditionally, especially in the less touristic villages as Isnello, Polizzi, Petralia Soprana and Gangi, in Madonie; Capizzi, Floresta, Sanfratello e Cesarò in Nebrodi;
History.
After Sicani and Siculi people, Phoenician started to reach by ships the coast of Sicily to trade. Then Greeks arrived establishing their first colony on the lava cape of nowadays Giardini Naxos in the VII Century B.C. Following the course of Alcantara river they went inside Sicily discovering their mountains covered by primary forests and very rich in wildlife and minerals. The Rock of Cefalù was always inhabited by people, as Taormina Cape, MIlazzo cape and Nebrodi and Madonie mountains (at that time all called Nebrodi (from Nebros that in Greek mean deer) where used mostly in summer for hunting, logging and gathering. Greeks started a light colonization of interiors, were Romans to start to build real towns on and around the mountains to cut wood, make fields of hey and cereals (Sicily was the “granary of Rome” and homes of Rome, all in wood, were build with trees from Sicily and Calabria), exploit mines almost industrially (very famous the sulfur mines of Sicily were thousands of slaves died).
After the fall of Roman Empire the Sicilian Mountains remained under the Bizantinian till the conquest of Sicily by the Arabians (started in 827 A.C.). On the mountains were founded by them very many villages with Arabian names. In 1061 started the conquest of Sicily by the Normans. Some very important battles happened in Cerami, Troina and Piano Battaglia between Nebrodi and Madonie. It s with the Normans that in Nebrodi mountains arrived (with the wife of Roger II°) a colony of people from Lombardy (north of Italy) with their horses. These horses are the ancestors of the nowadays sanfratellano horse, one of the 3 breeds of Sicilian horses (read below).
Very remarkable is the history of the Ventimiglia family in the Madonie Mountains that in XIV century made a sort of Kingdom inside the Empire of Frederic II Emperor of the Sacred Roman Empire. They were allowed to make their own coins and they founded the very first Horse Academy of history: the Academy of the Star. All Madonie villages has castles (o remains) of the Ventimiglia. One big change was done up in the mountains by the Bourbons’ (Spanish) in the late XVIII century. They were the first to build real roads to connect the biggest cities. They were called “ Regie trazzere ” (King roads), large 12 meters to allow the movements of big herds of cattle in the mountains. In the following years these mountains roads were restricted by land owners, many were covered by asphalt, many simply disappeared but some of them still exist and we use them in our trips especially on Nebrodi Mountains. The typical Sicilian wagons all painted with bright colors and with stories of ancient knights, came only in the late XVIII and in the XIX centuries. Before all major movements of good and people was done by boat or on mule and horsebacks. Before the Spanish roads, the nobles were travelling on the trails in very small wagons without wheels (room for 1 or 2 travelers only) that were put on poles between 2 mules or horses in one line and guided by a man on foot.
The ancient Sicilian horse culture and the 3 Sicilian horses.
Not too many people know that during the ancient Greeks Olympic Games, the majority of equestrian games were won by the Horses of Syracuse. Greeks were the first to import in Sicily high quality horses. They were all Orientals coming from Mesopotamia, Lebanon and Syria regions. In Sicily these horses found a very good environment very similar to their original but with a better soil (lots of limestone with calcium) and grass. So they fortified their bones becoming stronger and bigger.
The oldest horse race known was done every year in Sicily in Agira (in the centre of Sicily) along the road that was going from the Greek village up to the Agorà on top one high hill. This race it is held every year from that times till nowadays. The Romans imported and breed in Sicily the Eques italicus , the breed developed by them for their cavalry and they mixed with local oriental horses forming a quicker and most endurance horse. When Arabians invaded and conquered Sicily for three centuries, they imported more than 10.000 Berber and Arabian horses followed by the Norman’s battle horses arrived with the heavy cavalry of the Normans army. After their conquest, new horses came with a group of Celtic speaking language emigrated from the North Italy that had permission to settle in the nowadays Nebrodi mountains founding the village of Sanfratello. They took with them their black, strong horses that became the today “Sanfratellano” Sicilian horses, always living free up in the mountains.
The Ventimiglia family, in the XIV century, established in their Manor in Castelbuono the Academy of the Star, the very first horse academy in history, long time before the schools of Naples and Versailles. They were making carousels with hundreds of riders, theatre on horseback and a top level military cavalry corp.
A very important moment of the Sicilian horse culture was when Ferdinand II°, King of Two Sicilies Kingdom, moved the Capital of the Kingdom from Napoli to Palermo after a revolution that forced him to leave the city. He loved in life only two things: women and horses. So in Sicily he opened another huge horse breeding farm after the one opened in Naples: Ficuzza, not far from Palermo. In this facility the local Sicilian horse mares (all with Oriental and Arabian blood) were breed with Andalusia stallions to develope a new light cavalry horse: smaller, faster, endurable and overall really beautiful also to parade. When the English build the English thorough bred they came to Palermo to buy 100 mares of this “Sicilian indigenous horse” that was developed there.
Unfortunately, when Ferdinand II° died, his brother Ferdinand III° was not interested at all in horses and so closed Naples and Ficuzza breeding farms and sold all horses! An enormous genetic patrimony was going to be disrupted. Luckily few Sicilians noble families bought some of these stallions and mares maintaining some of that blood lines but the most of the Sicilian indigenous were sold to anybody and they were mixed with any kind of other horses. One of these families that bought that Sicilian indigenous and still is breeding that ancient blood lines is the Salomone family from Tusa. Nowadays they have the best samples of what was and still is the original Sicilian indigenous. 12 years ago was formed the Association of the Sicilian indigenous to re-establish the guidelines to have again alive the breed. Our horses are mostly Sicilian indigenous (some more, some less pure). The third Sicilian horse is the Sicilian Pure Oriental (Puro Sangue Orientale: PSO). In 1876 was established the stud book of these horses imported by the Italian Cavalry in Catania after a trip of a Colonel to buy top stallions and mares from the area of Syria/Lebanon. These horses were used to improve the blood of the horses of the Cavalry and to be breed in purity. After so many generations breed in purity on Sicilian soil, this horse became a specific Sicilian breed. There are now only around 190 horses left. They are under the UNESCO protection. Comparing the forms of oriental horses imported by the Greeks and drawn on vases and coins of the time now in museums, we can see that head and proportions are exactly the same of the PSO. Genetic studies found that the DNA of PSO it is coming from one only aplotype so without the “crazy” mix of different Arabians bloods that there are in many Arabian horses of today made by the man to enhance “necks and noses” as the actual fashion want. Some of our horses has PSO father.