Ficuzza is a southern

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

village and hamlet (''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'') of

Corleone Corleone (; scn, Cunigghiuni or ) is an Italian town and ''comune'' of roughly 11,158 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, in Sicily. Several Mafia bosses have come from Corleone, including Tommy Gagliano, Gaetano Reina, Jack D ...

, a municipality in the

Metropolitan City of Palermo The Metropolitan City of Palermo ( it, Città metropolitana di Palermo; scn, Cità metrupulitana di Palermu) is a metropolitan city in Sicily, Italy. Its capital is the city of Palermo. It replaced the Province of Palermo and comprises the city o ...

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

. in 2011 it had a population of 112.

History

Originally a

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of f ...

belonging to the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the t ...

, the foundation of the settlement is closely related to its

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Mass ...

( it, Real Casina di Caccia di Ficuzza), a hunting lodge commissioned by

Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand I (12 January 1751 – 4 January 1825) was the King of the Two Sicilies from 1816, after his restoration following victory in the Napoleonic Wars. Before that he had been, since 1759, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinand ...

in 1799, started in 1802 and completed in 1807. From 1810 the king lived there until 1813.Provincial Tourist Office of Palermo: The Royal Palace of Ficuzza
In early 20th century, Ficuzza became a favorite holiday destination for the nobility of

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The city is noted for it ...

, and was declared a climatic health resort in 1901. The request for the granting of state-owned land, in order to build new residences, grew over the years; but the Regional Administration of Forests and State Property of the Sicilian Region rejected the concessions, and the building development of the little village stopped.

Geography

Ficuzza, located south of

, lies below Rocca Busambra, the highest peak of the Sicani Mountains; and close to the Bosco della Ficuzza (i.e. "Ficuzza Forest").Bosco della Ficuzza Nature Reserve
/ref> The village represents, along with the municipal territories of San Cipirello and San Giuseppe Jato, an

enclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

in the municipality of

Monreale Monreale (; ; Sicilian: ''Murriali'') is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, in Sicily, southern Italy. It is located on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the very fertile valley called ''"La Conca d'oro"'' (the Gold ...

. It is from

Godrano Godrano ( Sicilian: ''Cutranu'') is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about south of Palermo. Godrano borders the following municipalities: Corleone, Marineo, Mezzojuso, Mo ...

, the nearest settlement, from

Marineo Marineo ( Sicilian: ''Marineu'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about south of Palermo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 6,885 and an area of .All demographi ...

and Cefalà Diana, from Villafrati, from

and

Santa Cristina Gela Santa Cristina Gela ( Arberesh: ''Sëndahstina'') is an Arbëreshë village in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in Sicily. The village, along with Contessa Entellina and Piana degli Albanesi, is one of three Arberesh settlements in Sicily where ...

, from Piana degli Albanesi, and from

Main sights

* Royal Palace of Ficuzza: a hunting lodge commissioned by Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies in 1799. * Bosco della Ficuzza: a large forest and

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

in the Sicani Mountains. *The railway station, built in 1884 and working, until 1959, on the former Palermo-Corleone- San Carlo line, was restored and is nowadays a restaurant. The former track route is a

cycleway Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except ...

and a pedestrian trail.

Gallery

Popular culture

Ficuzza was the set of an episode ("Tore", 1x04) of the Italian TV series '' The Mafia Kills Only in Summer'', based on the homonym film by

Pierfrancesco Diliberto Pierfrancesco Diliberto, nicknamed Pif (born 1972), is an Italian television host, film director, actor and writer. Biography and career Pif was born in Palermo, Italy on 4 June 1972. He is the son of the Italian director Maurizio Diliberto and ...

. In the episode, focusesd on the murder of the

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...

leader

Placido Rizzotto Placido Rizzotto (; 2 January 1914 – 10 March 1948) was an Italian partisan, socialist peasant and trade union leader from Corleone, who was kidnapped and murdered by Sicilian Mafia boss Luciano Leggio on 10 March 1948. Before he was killed, ...

, it was shown the little village and the surrounding forest.''The Mafia Kills Only in Summer'', episode 1x04
(movietele.it)

References

External links

Bosco della Ficuzza Nature Reserve
* Ficuzza on Corleone municipal website

{{authority control Frazioni of the Province of Palermo Corleone Enclaves and exclaves