Trapani Trapani History – Art – Traditions – Cuisine •History •Art •Traditions •Cuisine “Follow me” European Project 2006-2009 Coral Trapani and its traditions •Coral •Our Lady from Coral is undoubtedly one of the resources which gave merit to Trapani Trapani and made it famous. It consists in a stony stalk full of branches ,with an irregular shape •The Mattanza made by the secretion of some marine species similar to very small octopus. •The Misteri Fishermen of coral were part of the corporation of “ I Pescatori della Marina piccolo del palazzo” and lived in the present day “ Via •The Saltpans Corallari”. Fishing used to start in the month of May and finished in the month of September ,when the fishermen ,with their boats, re- •Sant’Alberto entered port with a brimful of coral .The tool used by fishermen was called “ordegno”, it represented a wooden cross and at its extremities were fixed some nets with a big stone in the center . The “ordegno” was lowered down into the sea and was Our Lady from Trapani dragged slowly along the bottom and when it found a small branch of coral it pulled it up entrapping it into the nets . Once the coral arrived at the port ,it was sold to merchants ,to jewel manufacturers ,to artists who after a long and laborious course of work ,transformed it into real works of art. We can admire sculptures ,necklaces and other works made in coral at the Pepoli museum during the coral’s exhibition. In Trapani there is still a high school which prepares This statue is about two metres high and it weighs seven hundred kilograms. students in the working of the coral in the Salesians’ It is made of oriental marble. Mary Virgin is wearing a long cloak and institute, in G.B. Fardella street. she is holding the Baby with Her left arm. Her head is bowed on the left, instead Her look is turned towards Her believers who come to Her. She was crowned twice. The first time in 1733, when “il Capitolo Vaticano” of the Basilica of San Pietro gave Her two gold crowns and the second one in 1935. These precious gifts represent Our Lady’s treasure. Our Lady from Trapani became the procuress of the city and Her citizens who turn to Her help to be rescued from the magnets. 1 • The feast of Our Lady from Trapani taking place on 16th The Mattanza August involves all the citizens. In the period of the “quindicina”, that starts from the 1st to 15th August, Her believers visit Her. They go from their houses to the Basilica on foot to ask for Her help. Her simulacrum is kept in the “Basilica dell’Annunziata” Tuna fishing is like an ancient rite which is still perpetuated at Cusumano and Bonagia, two villages near Trapani and on Favignana island. Tuna fishing, known as “mattanza” in the local dialect, usually takes place in May. When the sea is favourable, it allows the influx of the tunas that come from the Atlantic Ocean to deposit their eggs. The work group is conducted by a boss, called “rais”, whose role is to direct the group because he is responsible for the results of “mattanza” . The “tonnara” ( which is the building where tuna fishermen work) also includes a lot of boats called “chiatte” or ”varcazze”. This system consists of “camere” ( which means rooms) that are anchored to the seabed.During the “mattanza” the aim of this fishing system is to make tunas get into the rooms through a single net called “pedale” or “coda” which communicates to dry land and it also allows tunas to coast until the room entrance. The “tonnaroti”(local word which means tuna fishermen) drive tunas to the last room called “camera della morte(death room) where the “mattanza” starts. The “rais”, who directs the When the tunas arrive on the surface they are preys to “mattanza”, orders the tonnaroti” to hoist the nets . the “tonnaroti” who lift them onto the canal boats. When the rite finishes, the “tonnaroti” have a swim in the “red sea” which gradually returns to its natural colours. The Misteri In the past all the people involved in the procession wore hoods. However, in these years the Bishop of Trapani has The “Misteri” is a very popular religious procession of Trapani. This not allowed to wear them. procession takes place during the Holy Week and it represents the Passion and Death of J.Christ. The Misteri is a collection of twenty groups of sacred statues that are made of wood, cloth and glue. They were created by the most skilful Sicilian artists and for its beauty Trapani was called the “Florence”of Sicily. Each group is entrusted to a craftsman corporation,such as the fish men,the bakers, the butchers, whose men carry it on their shoulders for twenty-four hours. The first outgoing (“nisciuta”in Sicilian dialect) was in 1603 and in that year there were only 5 groups: “the Arrest”, “The Calvary, “Jesus in front of Hannan”, “ the Lifting of the Cross” and the last one was “the Flagellation”.Today this procession is a bit different from the one arranged in the past. In the past all the people involved in the procession wore hoods. However, in these years the Bishop of Trapani has not allowed to wear them. 2 How is the Procession developped? The Saltpans Trapani is called the “Salt town”. The salt production is On Holy Friday at 2 p.m., the 20 groups start their solemn procession from the beautiful Purgatory Church. linked to the favourable conditions of the environment: the The groups are carried in a characteristic way .(known low coast from Trapani to Marsala, the dry climate, the heat as “annacata” in Sicilian dialect). that is a movement of the sun and the lack of rain. which the carriers walk stamping out to the music of the An other important element is the wind which allows a fast bands.Every group, in fact, is followed by a musical band evaporation and gives the necessary energy to make the that plays typical Sicilian songs. Their itinerary starts windmills move. from the town centre, it goes on through via Fardella up In Nubia, a small village near to Trapani, we can find the to Piazza Martiri d’Ungheria: Then they start their return to the Purgatory Church and at last at 2 p.m. on Holy “Salt Museum” situated inside a windmill. Saturday they get into the church. From the sea to the market The salt system consists of a several interconnecting rectangular basins. The sea water water is put into several basins and then from there it is flown into smaller basins so as to let it evaporate thanks to the wind and the sun heat. To enable a better evaporation and concentration of sodium chloride, the basins reduce their width and depth. The last group of basins awaits the sea water for the production of salt : the so-called “calda” (hot ) basins. The water passes through the so-called “calda” and continues to flow into two rows, the former is connected with the “messaggere” while the latter is connected with the “caselle” (boxes), where the production of salt ends. The harvesting of sea salt happens by a unique and traditional system : by hand. The salters collect the salt into heaps using a special shovel. Afterwards, baskets of salt are carried on shoulder to the banks of the saltpans . The heaps of salt are covered by tiles and from there the salt is carried to be refined and packed to be sold. In front of Palazzo Senatorio in Corso Vittorio Emanuele people Sant’Alberto built a little stage on which a musical band played; in front of it there was a “machine”(in that period it was called in this way)in S. Alberto is the patron saint of Trapani and its Feast which we could find the statue of the saint. This “machine” was day has been celebrated on 7th Augustsince 1624: in fact during made of wood and covered with multi-coloured papier-mâché that period in Trapani there was the plague and, according to with silver and golden threads; two angels held the royal weapons the miracle, S.Alberto rescued the town. The people of Trapani in their hands and on the sides of the machine there were four used to decorate the town streets with lights and flags. Then a gilded statues. mass was celebrated into the Main Church and then all people joined the procession through the town streets . 3 TRAPANI Many years have gone by since Cerere, the goddess of the a town to be discovered harvest, while looking for her beautiful daughter Proserpina, kidnapped by Pluto, dropped her scythe in the sea and it gave the shape to our town. Ever since, along the centuries, Trapani Clicca sulla foto underwent a lot of changes and unfortunately a lot of artistic monumental riches no longer exist. It has always been the arts which have distinguished the territory of Trapani. As a matter of fact our town, throughout the centuries, is characterized by a large variety of monuments in different styles, as well as churches, palaces and historical testimonies. Trapanese Art and Churches Architecture The cathedral of S. Lorenzo Churches Palaces Fountains, Ports and Towers The Pepoli Museum The Cathedral of S.Lorenzo goes back to the XIV century, it has its The Biblioteca Fardelliana residence in Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The inside of the building is made of three naves and it keeps a crucifixion, a Jesus on the c ross carved in local stone, an Eternal Father and a Statue of S.Giorgio.