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TERRITORY

HISTORICAL OUTLINE

THE RANSOM

FOLKLORE AND TRADITIONS

TERRITORY

Climbing the river valley Fitalia, at 450 metres high on the sea-level, there is Tortorici, one of the biggest centres of the Nebrodi District. At present 8000 people live there. The town rises along the confluence of three streams: Bunneri, Capirò, Calagni, which at first outlined the city boundary. The territory presents a composite aspect but it is very irregular: it is generally bumpy, ploughed by some valleys, full of watercourses, and it spreads along a strip which goes from 320 metres to 1600 on the sea-level. There are some agricultural productions: the olive and the hazel in the low zones; the hazel, the chestnut and the oak in the medium-high zones. The incomparable beauty of the landscape, the unpolluted nature, the variegated vegetation, the numerous lakes (Badessa, Trearie, Cartolari), together with the humble “Petagna Saniculae Folia” (a rare plant), which has forced the constitution of a natural reserve in the Calagni Deep Valley, make Tortorici a town of a strong attraction, where you can enjoy the natural beauties and at the same time you can admire the works and monuments arrived from the past.

HISTORICAL OUTLINES

Tortorici is an old centre which already existed in the Norman period and, afterwards, it becamefeudal dominion of the Pollicino family. Under the Swede (between the fifteenth and sixteenth  centuries) it had a considerable development. Agricultural activities flourished together with industrial activities of which, the art of the fusion of the bells, of the processing of copper, iron and tin are the most famous. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Tortorici enjoyed the best splendour. In fact, it flourished the artistic handcraft whose works have challenged the centuries. As far as the industrial field is concerned we can mention the building of mills and small hammers for the manufacture of the copper. The bell-ringer masters built bells of all sizes which we can find nearly all over the churches in Sicily. These very refined gold silver, bronze, copper, wrought iron works were constantly made for the inner use or for exporting them. For the economy of the town it was also important the growing of the mulberry, whose leaves were used to feed the silkworm from which they extracted an excellent silk. Moreover, we can mention the growing and the manufacture of the linen, also for its particular widespread weaving. In fact, there were many families who had a loom to wave it.

THE RANDSOM

The presence of a strong bourgeoisie, which extracted its resources from the handcraft and agricultural activities, but also from professional activities, led the citizens to the firm belief that they should free themselves from the feudal slavery. Besides, with the administrative reformation in 1583, which divided Sicily in 44 “Comarche”, Tortorici became one of these and had the jurisdiction on 14 communes. In 1597 it wanted to become town property and in 1628 it reached this aim after a thirty-year quarrel. Tortorici gets free of the feudal yoke with the right to sit in the Sicilian Parliament and to confer to itself the title of “Fidelis et Victoriosa Civitas”. A glorious page of the history of this town which was the first, and perhaps the only one in Sicily, in succeding with a great mobilization, with its own civil and economic resources, to obtain the administrative autonomy. Unfortunately, a terrible inundation, on 6^th June 1682 put the town down on its knees, and about the two thirds of the town were destroyed by the fury of the waters. There were more than 600 dead and many of the economic activities didn’t start again, either because of the death of the owners or the lack of capitals. At the beginning of the XVIII century the “Tortoriciani” people had abandoned some productions, such as that of the silk and promoted intense trade activities making use mostly of the hazel product which was precious in that period and which at present is the only economic reality together with the zootechny and the craftwork.

FOLKLORE AND TRADITIONS

As regards the Tortorician traditions, whose elements document the mixture of cultures which are different between themselves, they come out particularly during the development of the country festivals and the patron Saint feast Saint Sebastiano. From the first to the 28^th January, and on the nearest Sunday to the 9^th May, people can attend the celebrations in honour to the Patron Saint during which pagan and christian rites interwine in a tradition which is more than five centuries old. The information we have about Saint Sebastiano Feast dates back to 1500. On the first January, the big bell, which weighs over two tons, fused by the founder masters in 1552, is always set in motion, with the same rite, by at least eight strong young men who draw the ropes which produce the movement. The silvery rings spread over the valley and reach the distant areas in the mountains here, they tell, people who had lost their way, because of the fog or snow, found it when they heard the sound of the magnificent bell. On the nearest Saturday to the thirteenth of January, it is performed the rite of the “bula” or “bura” which is a huge torchlight procession, provided with small bundles of “ampelodesmo” (disi). The torchlight reminds those that preceded and followed the meetings of the first Christians in the catacombs. On the nearest Sunday to the 14^th January, there is the celebration of the bay (laurel) which reminds the first martyrdom of the Saint when he was fstened to a laurel tree. In the early morning, the devotees carrying leafy laurel trees on their back move from the 72 villages. The laurel trees are adorned with ribbons, laurel berries, ruscus berries, oranges and mandarins. About three hundred or sometimes four hundred  of these devotees converge at the Square Town Council Centre (Piazza Municipio) from where, preceded by the sound of the pipers dressed in ancient costumes, they will reach the Patron Saint Church. On the 18^th January there is “A FUITINA DA VARA”. In the afternoon the abduction of the vara takes place. This rite symbolizes the theft of the relics by the wicked citizens from an unspecified town (or country) who were envious about the impressiveness of the celebration of the Saint. It follows the solemn Mass, the blessing and the distribution of the “Panitti” (small bread rolls).On the 19^th January “U VESPRU”. It is the procession of the relics of the saint. On the 20^th “U SENATU”. Before the religious ceremony, a cerimonial procession leaves from the Town  Hall preceded by two mace bearers in a seventeenth century costume and followed by the people formed by the “Senate” (Mayor, Town Council and Council). In front of the church you can see the symbolic delivery of the keys of the town. In the morning of the celebration (the 20^th of January) men and women, dressed in white clothes and barefooted, whatever the weather forecast are, meet at the Mother Church to carry the “Vara” which no one else must carry. The “nudi” (nudes), as tehy are called, are the people who have made vow to be Saint Sebastiano’s Soldiers and to wear the uniform on the 20^th of January. They represent Saint Sebastiano’s nudity during his matyrdoms. During the religiuos ceremony two heifers are offered to the Saint which are adorned with gaily coloured ribbons for the occasion. iT follows the procession of the Saint who is taken to the Calagni stream (torrent) where he crosses it many times making short stops on the river banks. The tradition links the action to the Saint. In fact, it seems that two pilgrims coming from Rome, wearing a hat and and carrying a small piece of the Saint’s nail, taken away from the catacombs, when they arrived to Calani Stream they couldn’t go on anymore because they were kept by a mysterious force. Thei religious authorities intervened and interpreted the fact with the present people as a will of the Saint to remain in Tortorici. So, the old Patron Saint, Siant Cataldo, was dispossessed and Saint Sebastiano was proclaimed the new Patron Saint of the town. It follows the collection of alms until late in the evening when the Saint is taken into Saint Nicola Church where he will stay for eight days.

“L’OTTAVA”. The next Sunday after the 20^th of January, after Saint Sebastiano’s Solemn Mass in Saint Nicola Church, there is the repetition of the procession of the Saint with the “nudes” along the streets of the town.

“U PIRDUNU”. The next Monday.

THE FEAST IN MAY. The nearest Sunday to the 9^th of May, the ceremony is repeated in honour of the Saint with the procession along the streets of the town.

Another recurrence which is very suggestive and touching is the procession of the “varette” on Good Friday. Other important summer meetings are the village festivals and the feast at “Acquasanta” (holy water).