dove vivo "

	HISTORICAL BACKGROUND		LIKE ARRIVING TO SAMBUCA
	CHURCH AND CONVENTS
	TYPICAL SWEETS

The present designs in this page have been executed from the architect Alexander Becchina and constitute the editing graphical of the publication " To the discovery of the earth of Zabut ", published in1985 from the Association For-Native place " Adragna Carboj " of Sambuca di Sicilia. The text of the historical signals and Sambuca today, are drawn from the thesis of bachelor " Culture and festive calendar to Sambuca di Sicilia " of the Teacher Armato Marcella relatively to academic year 1998/' 99, University of Palermo, Letter Faculty and Philosophy.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

We have no much information about Sambuca before the Norman conquest. Through the testimonies of authoritative historians we can say that the village was an Arabic hamlet risen near a castle built in 827 by a Saracen emir on the top of a hill where today the village rises. The castle and the hamlet took the name from the emir Zabut. About the etymology of Zabut, the first sign is present in the document of William II (1185) with which he gave "Chabuta seu Zabut" to the Church of Monreale.In this document Chabuta means Splendid and "Al Zabut" would mean Splendid, appellative earned by the emir for his value.
According to Fazello the name of our village derives from the Arabic name of the emir. Other interpretations consider the historical origins of the name on the basis of the form of the village (its form is similar to Harp); others take into consideration the cultivations of the plants of "sambuco". Up to the XIII century an Islamic population lived in Zabut there are the traces of this Moslem origin in the Arabic district, the ancient hamlet next to the castle which is sorrounded by narrow lanes with low and modest cottages used in the past by soldiers and farmers. Moslem origin is also in the fort of Mazzallakkar, near the Lake Arancio. It's submerged whenever the level of the lake rises. The ruins of the castle does not exit any more.It was inhabited till 1819 when it became a town jail, it was in good state till 1830. From 1837 it was demolished heathenly and new private factories were built on it.The Jesuit missionaries rased the ruins, the result was the Calvary, a spacious balcony with a sumptuous stairway.
The documented history of Sambuca has started since 1089, when the hamlet of Zabut was conquered by the Normans, it belonged to the regal demanio and it was admitted to the County of Calatafimi. (The hamlet of "Chabuta seu Zabut") and gave it to the Monastery of Monreale together with Giuliana, Comicchio and Senurio.
Federico II of Svevia, king of Sicily, supported by the Pope, wanted to put an end to the Saracen matter, a real military campaign began against the Moslem and it lasted two years, but then Zabut capitulated in 1225.
The Normans, distributing feuds and castles, began a process of the "feudalità". The baronage of fortunate families after the death of Federico II grew stronger and stronger, they became the masters of the cities and countries of Sicily.
Also Sambuca was subject to secular baronies. In fact, after having belonged to the monastery of Monreale, (1320) Federico II "di Aragona" gave the Baronia of Sambuca to Pietro Lancia, already gentleman of Naro, Caltanissetta and Delia.
In the first half of 1400, after the war of succession to the Kingdom of Sicily, the Baronìa knew a notable demografic increase due to the destruction of the hamlets of Adragna, Comicchio, Senurio and Terrusio. In fact, the survivors sheltered in the castle of Zabut, which was then strong and well provided. In 1500 building activity was fervent. In the 1537 Pietro Caruso founded the hospital that took his name. The village knew comfort and poverty, prosperity and pestilences, and, in 1875 it was struck from the plague. People told that, in this sad circumstance, the Madonna, today worshiped in the Church of the Carmine, was transported from the Cellaro tower to Sambuca, and to its passage the plague stopped. The Sacred Image, who listened to the moans of the infected people took the appellative of the "Madonna dell'Udienza", while in order to commemorate the event, a solemn nighttime procession was founded on third Sunday of May. In 1847 she was proclaimed patron together with St. George, already patron of the village.
In 1570 Sambuca was promoted from Baronia to Marchesato with privilege of the king Phillip II (Madrid, November 15th 1570). Nicolò Bardi Mastrantonio and Centelles, for concession of the king Phillip II, acquired the dominion of the Baronìa of Sambuca and he became the first marquis. His son Vincent built two convents: that one of the Rejects and that one of the Cappuccinis.
In 1600 new buildings were built: palaces (Navarro,Planeta, Fiore and Oddo), churches, monasteries and convents. It was an active and fertile century for our village that enjoyed of a good agricultural production and of a profitable handicraft activity. In the countries wheat, oil, wine, fave, melons were cultivated. It was flourishing the manufacture of vases for oil and containers for water.
In the 1700 Sambuca knew an ulterior demografic expansion, it grew of importance and of prestige. In artistic field the figure of the monk, Gioacchino Viscosi, was very important. He was a cappuccino, known better like Frate Felice, famous for his paintings and especially for the beauty of his Madonne.
The XVII century was full of cultural initiatives. Since 1849 the Town Theater was built for initiative of a committee of bourgeois citizens, who wanted the social progress of Sambuca and its artistic-literary development.
For lack of funds in 1852 the Theater was neglected. In 1886 the descendants of the owners decided to sell it to the town hall. L’ Arpetta, a three monthly literary magazine, was founded and directed by the doctor, poet and writer Vincent Navarro.
Some literary works by Vincenzo Navarro are in a volume collecting idylls of hunting, lyric-romantic short stories, romances, tragedies, poems and proses. His son lived in Paris, he was friend of A. Dumas and G. Sand, he was a literary critic of "La Fronda" and of "Fanfulla". He was friends of Capuana, Verga, Matilde Serao and Pirandello, he was an intellectual enlisted with Garibaldi. His works are collections of short stories: "Ces meussieurs et cest dames", "La vita color di rosa", "Macchiette Parigine, "Donnine", "Storielle Siciliane" and the novel "La Nana". Emanuele Navarro was the most representative element of connection between the French naturalists and the realistic writers.
In 1860, the garibaldinis stopped in Sambuca, they were refreshed, they made provisions of mules, horses, provisions. The spirit of the risorgimento in Sambuca was confirmed by the large number of volunteers who followed Garibaldi and from the results of the plebiscite. After 1860, when Sicily was joned to the Kingdom of Italy, in order to distinguish our Sambuca from Sambuca Pistoiese, the second name Zabut was added. The name of Sambuca Zabut was replaced with Sambuca of Sicily in a session of the Town Hall in 1923, in respect to the directives of the fascism.

CHURCHS AND CONVENTS

The church of St. Giuseppe
It belongs to the first half of the seventeenth century. The church of St. Giuseppe is also situated in Corso Umberto, on the right, at the corner of Via Orfanotrofio. The frontispiece, which was rebuilt after its initial construction. It harmonises with the style of the main door nevertheless it is an imposing, fine and noble building. A rose window divides the pointed arched niche, in which there is a stone statue of the Saint, from the pointed arch of the gable. In the window there are some interesting works: a wooden statue of St. Giuseppe from 1812 which was given by the Marquis of Sambuca and made by Palermitan craftsmen, some paintings of that period and a fresco by Fra Felice of Sambuca (1734-1805) on the vaults.

The church of the Rosario
Founded at the end of the 16th century, this squatlooking church with three naves, low arches and vaults, was frequented by peopie. The bell-tower built between 1950 and 1955, in a questionabie style, the frontispiece and the whole pian keeps a sober originai style and the austerity added during four centuries. The church is rich in paintings that belong to the seventeenth century schools. Note worthy is the wooden portai scupitured in base-relief in which are told events of St. Domenico di Cusman, the inventor of the "Rosary". The Domenican coat of arms - a dog which carries bwetween its teeh a lighted torch - is made of brown coble in the centre of white cobled paving of the Sacrarium. The Church of St. Michele and the Church of the Rosary are the only churches of Sambuca that present three frontal doors, a central one and two on each side arranged symmetrrically.

The church and convent of the Carmine
Now the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Udienza, after several modifications it was built in 1530 by the Marquis of Sambuca Don Salvatore Bardi Mast'Antonio and dedicated to St. Antonio Abbate. A successor Don Vincenzo Bardi Mastr'Antonio founded the Convent of the Carmelites built next to the church which was enlarged during 1615. So enlarged the church was dedicated to the Madonna Annunziata afterwards in 1633 and then was modified: two smali isies were built on each side and the primitive body of the church remained as the centrai nave. At the beginning of the twentieth century work began and in 1928 the church was finished in the state as seen today. Built on a limestone hillock which can be seen from Via St. Croce, the convent included the low body that opened in Via Pietro Caruso and a mezzanine which was between the first and the second floors. The floors followed the slope of the hillock: the entrance of the convent corrisponded to the first floor in Via Pietro Caruso. The friars, that first inhabitated the convent were the friars of St. Elia near the church of St. Lucia, left because it was narrow and ruined. The last friars left the convent in 1866. Part of the convent nowadays bellongs to the town-hall. Note-worthy is the cloister that includes, through arcades that stand on limestone monolitics columns, the area of the little garden on which the friars' cells opened

The Church of St. Michele
After the left arch of the City building there is Belvedere street and then on the left there is Largo St. Michele in which rises the homonymous church. This church is considered according to the tradition - for its age - the second church of Sambuca. Probably it was founded soon after the expulsion of the Saracens, in the first half of the XIIIth century. This is proved by the fact that the central door of this church, when constructed was on the apposite side, where now there is the apse. In this place, before 1400, there were no buildings except the church of St. Giorgio: both churches looked into the same square. In fact, in the south side now Largo St. Michele, where the church entrance is, there was the city wall that closed Zabut.

TIPICAL SWEETS
"Minni di Virgini"	"Minni di virgini" means "breast fo virgins". It is typical sweet of Sambuca but it is also made in other places in the island. Here at Sambuca it was historically invented by the sisters of the Collegio di Maria for the wedding between Don Giuseppe Beccadelli Marquis of Sambuca and Lady Marianna Gravina. It has the shape of a magnificent and charming breast of Virgin with a marked nipple; the interior of the breast contains ricotta cream, pieces of candied marrow, chocolate powder and other things that we do not know because the cake makers that make them, pass the recipe from father to son in the most secret way.
"Cucciddata"	Little cakes with dried figs. The shape of this little cakes is according to the housewives that make them especially during Christmass time. Generally they have a round shape: the figs are minced with a special machine, and then they are mixed with peal of mandarins that give to it a particular flavour; some other spices are also added like clove and cynnamon.
"Mpignulata"	Pastry knealed with milk and eggs; it is tapered in a rod shape, like the normal iron that is used for the cement reinforcement, this tapered macaroon of pastry is cut in pieces. These pieces are fried in a pan with hot olive-oil. When they are cold they are put together in a pine-cone shape with liquid honey. The pine-cones made are delicous.
"Cudduruna"	They are made or risen plain pastry, with natural yeast. It is usually taken from the pastry already made for the bread. They are flattened into a round shape, half an inch thick, and fried. When taken off the olive-oil, they are sugared and eaten, This sweet was made to appease one's hanger when they ran out of bread.
"Scocche"	"Scocche", "Cravatte" or "chiacchere". Pastry with eggs a little Marsala and a drop of milk. After the mixture is done a piece of pastry is taken and flattened, out with a special little wheel with a zig zag border; these little "fettuccine" are interlaced in bow-ite; they are fried in boiling olive-oil, covered with honey, sugar, chocolate powred and cynnamon. They never satisfy you!
"Muffuletta"	For appeasing one's hanger or for devout tradition (Festa dell'Immacolata), particular shapes are made, smaller than the one made for the bread but with very soft pastry: Cook them in oven for a few minutes, the time necessary to give the pastry a golden colour. They are taken out of the oven and filled with ricotta (cottage-cheese) flavoured with sugar. If there isn.t any ricotta they are filled with raw olive-oil, salt and pepper.
"Zippuli"	"Zippuli" or in italin "zeppoler". They made of kneaded pastry with eggs and ricotta in the same quantity, with "nipitella" (wild mint) thet gives an excellent aroma. Then they are fried in a pan in very hot oil, in little pines, as small as walnuts. When browned they are put to cool and spread with sugar. Rhey are so delicious that you might get indigestion.

LIKE ARRIVING TO SAMBUCA

The roads that carry to Sambuca are mainly two: an inner one, the fast Sliding Palermo Sciacca, that can be feed exiting from the freeway Messina-Palermo or Catania-Palermo, after to have arrived in the regional sicialian main town; the other, the coastal one, than from Agrigento leads until Sciacca and from here to Sambuca through S.S.188. It can be reached Sambuca also covering the freeway A29 Palermo-Mazara del Vallo and exiting to the exit way of Castelvetrano, to feed the fast Sliding that lead to Sciacca, to exit to the exit way of Menfi and to continue for others 18 kilometers here towards Sambuca. The visitor that reaches in Sambuca, enters in the citizen through the only income that historically was the main Door of Zabut: door Santa Maria on the Great Way, today name Run Umberto I°.
Draft of a city road axis that cuts in two you leave the country. In deed the citizen lies down on one hill in light declivity from North towards Sud-Ovest and Sud-Est to shape of ass back. In the back of the back extended for approximately thousand meters the Course Umberto I° that goes from state road 188 until to he arches myself on which the Municipal Palace is constructed.

IMAGE AND INFORMATION ABOUT MY VILLAGE