Bronte, not only pistachio

 

Bronte, near the Etna, is certainly known around the world for its typical product, the pistachio.

 

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The “littorina” on rail from Bronte to Catania
The history of this town, however, is also full of curiosity and important historical events, such as:

 

  • the revolt of 1860 during the expedition of the Thousand of Garibaldi, repressed by Nino Bixio (so-called “Bronte’s Facts“);
  • the “gift” of the castle site in Maniace (today Nelson’s Castle) and all the surrounding areas to the famous British Admiral Horatio Nelson, the hero of Trafalgar (resulting in the birth of “Ducea di Nelson“);
 
The Church of Matrice, sixteenth-century union of the churches of Santa Maria and SS. Trinity, keeps in its archives documents that date back to 1582.
Among them you can find documents related to descendants or officials designated by Nelson (Thovez), the marriage at point of death of the mayor of 1860 Don Nicolò Lombardo, executed by Bixio along with four other “troublemakers” (including Nunzio Ciraldo Fraiunco, the “village idiot”).
 
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Ancient wheel of projetti of the Monastery of St. Scholastica in Bronte

 

In Bronte, at the ancient Monastery of St. Scholastica, it was also one of the famous “wheel” mainly scattered in southern Italy until the beginning of the last century.

These helped mothers who could not \ didn’t want to raise their babies: a few days after birth the baby was abandoned at the wheel adjacent to the monastery, because nuns, supported by nurses salaried by the Deputation de ‘Projetti Palermo, raise him.

Today the monastery no longer exists and Bronte’s people refer to the place calling it ‘u chianu a Batia.

 

In this town the foundlings were often called “Incognito” (because children “of unknown parents”), still very common surname in city.

The godfather was the same priest celebrant; when 5 years old the boys were sent to work as laborers at the artisans, the girls 7 years old included in Consevatorio di Esposte site in the Strada degli Ammalati n. 63 in Catania (nowadays Via Maddem).

 

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“The guard at the wheel of foundlings” by Gioacchino Toma

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