Sicily; Gastro Tour Part 3: Corleone & San Vito Lo Cappo

After leaving Vittorio's we took a brief trip up to the town of Corleone - the so called birthplace of the mafia. It is also the birthplace of several fictional characters in The

Godfather, most notably Vito (Andolini) Corleone. Since World War II, the Corleone has become notorious for having given birth to many mafia members (including Michael Navarra, Luciano Leggio, Bernardo Provenzano, Salvatore Riina and his brothers in law Calogero and Leoluca Bagarella), which were protagonists of a violent and bloody mafia power war. Linked to the Corleone clan was also the mayor of Palermo, Vito Ciancimino, born in Corleone.

Main sights

The Chiesa Madre ("Mother Church"), dedicated to the 4th Century French Bishop St. Martin of Tours, was started in the late 14th century. Its appearance today has been influenced by numerous changes and renovations. Its interior has a nave and aisles divided into various chapels containing precious artwork, including a wooden statue representing San Filippo d'Agira from the 17th century, a statue representing San Biagio (Saint Blaise) (16th century), and a fine marble panel depicting the Baptism of Christ from this same period.

The Chiesa dell'Addolorata is a church of the 18th century, dedicated to the Basilian abbot and patron saint San Leoluca, the Chiesa di Santa Rosalia, and the small Sant'Andrea (the latter two from the 17th century), all with important frescoes and paintings, are notable landmarks. The Santuario della Madonna del Rosario di Tagliavia, a religious building from the 19th century, is now a destination for pilgrims on Ascension Day.

The Mafia Museum or The C.I.D.M.A. was inaugurated on December 12, 2000, in the presence of the highest authorities of the state. Culture, Progress and Legality are the objectives that the CIDMA intends to pursue.

In the C.I.D.M.A. you can have a walk through the "Room of the folders" which houses the Maxi-Trial documents, which marked a milestone in the fight against the Cosa Nostra. The documents, given to Corleone by the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Palermo, are testimony to the work of magistrates like Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who paid with their lives for their commitment to the fight against the Mafia. Among the folders there are the confessions of the famous “pentito” Tommaso Buscetta to Judge Falcone.

In The "Room of the messages" you can see the significant photos of Letizia Battaglia, well-known photographer in Sicily, who had the courage to go on site to capture tragic Mafia murders: the photographer was able to capture significant details that make her shots real documents of the mode of action of the Mafia in the 70s - 80s.

The "Room of pain" houses a permanent exhibition of Shobha, Letizia Battaglia’s daughter, who followed in her mother's footsteps, taking photos of the dismay, of the feeling of helplessness, and of the despair felt by those who have lost someone because of the Mafia. In the room there are also photos of Letizia Battaglia documenting crimes of the Mafia, captured in their dramatic rawness. The approach allows us to understand the cause-effect relationships that exist between the crimes and the consequences they produce in the lives of affected families and of the entire community.

The Room "Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa"is dedicated to General Dalla Chiesa, the room contains photos of some of the main bosses of the Mafia, placed side by side with those of some great men of justice, who fought tenaciously organized crime.

SAN VITO LO CAPO

After leaving Corleone, we drove west around the cost to San Vito Lo Capo, which is located between the Monte Cofano Natural Reserve and the Zingaro Natural Reserve.

The town's eastern border is provided by a small range of mountains, the northernmost of which is peaked by a large cross visible from the public beach below. The mountain is popular with local climbers, and a logbook is provided at the cross for climbers to record their adventures. The mountain is also home to numerous caves, most of which are inaccessible without professional climbing gear.

San Vito Lo Capo is a small town with low white houses, narrow streets scented with jasmine and bougainvillea, which has grown around its long golden beach which is opular with local vacationers as well as those from overseas.

The town's primary industries are tourism and agriculture, particularly olive groves owned by small farmers. Different types of hotel accommodation, excellent facilities at the beach, a wide choice of restaurants, taverns, street food, and ice cream shops, will satisfy the tastes of the most discerning palates. San Vito lo Capo is home to many small eateries targeting the beachgoing market; of those the most well-known is the historical Cafe Europa, famous for its specialty, the Panini con Panelle.

The food here has a distinct North African influence. Since 1998, the town hosts the "Cous Cous FestIval". Chefs from eight countries: Côte d'Ivoire, France, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Senegal and Tunisia, make couscous cooked in strict accordance with its gastronomic tradition. In the month of May there is the International Kite Festival and In July they have a Summer Music Festival which is free and open to the public. These events means tourism soars and the place is packed with visitors. Outside of these festivals it's a lovely quaint sicilian seaside resort, perfect for families, couples and travelers of all ages to enjoy.

We stayed at the Mirra Spiaggia Hotel where we had a nice double room, with a small balcony that overlooked the beach. We also spent an absolutley wonderful afternoon relaxing in the Spa. After a Turkish Steam Bath and Sauna, I sepnt an hour getting a hot stone massage before relaxing in the jacuzzi wth some herbal tea. To finish my session I was covered in wonderful Sicilian lemon moisturising cream which made me feel heavenly.

We ate out at a restaurant called Syrah for both nights of our stay. We sampled some really great Sicilian and North African cuisine on both evenings.