Nowadays the town territory includes an area of 130,79 square kilometres and is the second municipality as for population density in the province of Trapani, afterErice.[2]
Alcamo is bounded by theTyrrhenian Sea on the north,Balestrate andPartinico on the east,Camporeale on the south andCalatafimi-Segesta andCastellammare del Golfo on the west. Its most important hamlet isAlcamo Marina at about 6 kilometres from the town centre.Together with other municipalities it takes part in theAssociazione Città del Vino, the movementPatto dei Sindaci,Progetto Città dei Bambini,Rete dei Comuni Solidali[3] andPatto Territoriale Golfo di Castellammare.[2]
There are discordances about the etymology of the toponym "Alcamo".[7] According to some scholars, the name Alcamo would derive fromcaccamu, a dialectal word referring to the plantCitrullus colocynthis.[8]
Though there is little information about it, there are evidences that territory of Alcamo was inhabited even in prehistoric times; in one of the most ancient sites, near "contrada" Molinello (a country district), they discovered archaeological findings dating back to theMesolithic, approximately 9,000–6,000 BC[9] and other very old ones dating back to theNeolithic during the archaeological excavations done by the archaeologistPaolo Orsi (1899) and the marquisAntonio De Gregorio (1917) near the riverFiume Freddo.[10] One of the most important finds is anaxe from the Neolithic, kept at theMuseo archeologico regionale Paolo Orsi of Syracuse.[9]
From the quotations byLycophron we know that in old times there was an inhabited centre called "Longuro" on Mount Bonifato.[11] According to an old story, this settlement was founded by a Greek colony which had escaped from the destruction of the town of Troy.[12]
During the Roman period the inhabitants of Longuro moved to the foot of the mountain so they could practice agriculture in the surrounding lands.[11] The town was calledLongaricum;[11] this name appears in theItinerario di Antonino Pio (=Itinerary of Antoninus Pius, in the 3rd century AD)[11] and would coincide with the Latin name of Longuro.[13]
According to a supposition the two hillocks appearing on the gonfalon of Alcamo would represent both the towns of Longaricum and Longuro.
The first document mentioning Alcamo is dating back to 1154, in a paper written by the Berber geographer Idrisi who was given this task byRoger II of Sicily[14] in order to get a collection of geographic maps. From a distance longer than a mile, the writer describes the position of Alcamo viewed from theCastle of Calatubo (visible even today from the town territory) and defines it as a hamlet or a group of houses with rich soil and a flourishing market.[14]
Alcamo was divided into four hamlets named San Vito, San Leonardo, Sant'Ippolito and San Nicolò del Vauso.[15] but a series of revolts between 1221 and 1243 led KingFrederick II to move most of the population[16] to a colony atLucera, while Christians fromBonifato came to inhabit the town. In this period the poet Ciullo orCielo d'Alcamo was born.
In the 14th century Alcamo had several thousands of inhabitants[19] and hundreds of them had immigrated from different parts of Sicily and Italy (in particular:Pisa,Amalfi,Bologna,Calabria,Liguria), and some also from Spain.[19] During this period,Antonello da Messina moved to Alcamo for three years (around 1438–1441) in order to learn thetanning techniques from the tanner masterGuglielmo Adragna di Alcamo,[19] in fact the town was an important pole of development for commerce and handicraft.[20] In particular, it had a massive exchange of wheat and wine with the nearby towns[20] and there were also expert artisans such as bakers, blacksmiths, tanners and weavers.[20] During this century Alcamo was an important centre for wheat storage and sorting.[20] In the same period the writerGiacomo Adragna transcribed theCommentarii in Persium and Pietro d'Alcamo many works from the library of San Martino.[21]
At about the year 1500, Alcamo was under thejurisdiction of the captain of justice Ferdinando Vega, who fought against the raiding Turkish pirates. The town was surrounded by defensive embattled walls provided with four gates:[22]
Porta Palermo (afterwards calledPorta Saccari), at the end of the present via Rossotti;
Porta Corleone, at the end of the present via Commendatore Navarra;
The division between these quarters was coincident with the main streets of the town, that are the present Corso 6 Aprile and Via Rossotti and its continuation via dei Baroni Emanuele di San Giuseppe[23] (called incorrectly "Via Barone di San Giuseppe"[25]).
In 1535, in coincidence with the visit of the emperorCharles V, coming back fromTunisia, the old Porta Trapani was closed and four gates were opened:[22]
newPorta Trapani, near the beginning of the present Corso 6 Aprile (that was called "Corso Imperiale");
newPorta Palermo (initially calledPorta San Francesco), at the end of today's Corso 6 Aprile;
Porta Stella, at the corner between Via Stella andPiazza Ciullo; this name derives from the name of theChurch of Our Lady of the Star (in Italian "Madonna della Stella"), near there;
Porta Nuova, between the presentDiscesa al Santuario andPiazza della Libertà.
During the 16th century there was a development in education in Alcamo because of the construction of new schools and the activity of expert teachers, in particular the poet and scholarSebastiano Bagolino (1562–1604).[21][24] In 1547 the Madonna appeared to some women of the people and an image of MadonnaFons Misericordiae was discovered and worshipped as "Our Lady of Miracles".[26]
In the late 16th century, the population was decimated by an infectious disease.[27] and the victims were buried in the cemetery of Saint Ippolito.[27]
In 1667 Mariano Ballo ordered the construction of a theatre, called "teatro Ferrigno", later demolished and rebuilt during the 1960s; after the reconstruction it was first called "cine-teatro Euro" and later "Teatro Cielo d'Alcamo".
Between 1752 and 1780,Ignazio De Blasi, an Alcamese nobleman, wrote the first book on Alcamo's history, entitled:Discorso storico della opulenta città di Alcamo situata a piè del Monte Bonifato, e dell'antichissima città di Longarico ossia Lacarico, dopo detta Alcamo, su di esso monte.[29]
The population of the town, gradually recovered from the pestilence and increased to 13,000 in 1798.[27]
At the beginning of the 19th century Alcamo's feudal status was abolished (1812)[17] and the town became a direct royal possession.[24]
The archpriests Stefano Triolo Galifi and Giuseppe Virgilio, together with the baronFelice Pastore were members of the Sicilian Parliament as representatives of Alcamo.[28] In 1820, during a revolt, there were different murders, sacks, release of criminals from prison and a fire in the municipal archives.[30] and in 1829 many people died ofcholera.[30] In 1843 the construction of the present Town Hall started, on a land of the baron Felice Pastore.
On 6 April 1860, Stefano and Giuseppe Triolo let the ItalianTricolour wave on the town hall,[30] creating groups of volunteers in order to helpGiuseppe Garibaldi in thebattle of Calatafimi and from Alcamo some dictatorialedicts onVictor Emmanuel II's behalf were issued. Some time laterFrancesco Crispi prepared the Constitution for the lands set free. Further to this event, Corso Imperiale was named Corso 6 Aprile, in memory of 6 April, in which the volunteers started to be enlisted in Alcamo.[24]
The Great War Memorial (1915–1918), inaugurated in 1929.[31]
At the end of the 19th century, in 1897, public lighting was inaugurated in Alcamo during the traditional feast ofOur Lady of Miracles. Among the most important people of this period we have to remind DonGiuseppe Rizzo, a priest who founded the bank called "Cassa Rurale e Artigiana Don Rizzo" (1902).[32]
At the beginning of the 20th century (1901–1911) the number of citizens in Alcamo diminished abruptly, partially because of the emigration of 36,718 Sicilians abroad and in particular to the United States,[33] but it is possible that the statistics about this year and the previous years were not reliable because the census was carried out without following certain criteria.[34] In the same period the cultivations in the territory of Alcamo were affected byphylloxera and two banks ("Cooperativa" and "Segestana") went bankrupt with subsequent economic difficulties for its citizens.[35]
There were also some events linked tothe Mafia, such as the murder of Gaspare Cottone, a carter (1899)[32] and the death of the 19-years-old Benedetto Guastella during a fire conflict withcarabinieri in 1900.[32]As the Mafia had taken power in the districts ofTrapani and Alcamo,[32] the commissaryCesare Mori intervened with a series of arrests and charges against the material executors of the crimes occurred in the area[32] and finally they arrested Vincenzo and Michele Tedesco, brothers, and Baldassare Adragna, considered the heads of thegangs in Trapani's territory.[32]
Façade of the cinema-theatre Marconi; today a congress centre
During theFirst World War, four hundred citizens from Alcamo died[30] and the following period was characterized by poverty because ofmonetary inflation andbanditry. In 1918 about five hundred people died because ofSpanish flu[30] and in theSecond World War 213 citizens from Alcamo died or were lost.[30] In 1927, Don Vincenzo Giovenco (1880–1954) operated and opened the first cinema in Alcamo, 'Cinema Marconi'. It subsequently closed less than ten years after opening, due to a fire[36]
The entrance toSocietà Generale Elettrica della Sicilia (SGES) in Alcamo (in the '40s)
The foundation ofSocietà Elettrotecnica Palermitana,[37] whose name was changed intoSocietà Generale Electrica della Sicilia (SGES) and which installed an important electric workroom in the district ofSaint Augustine in Alcamo, dates back to the twenties.[37] The jobs inside this firm were very longed-for because it was the only firm inTrapani Province which had aHealth insurance fund and granted holidays.[37] The electric workroom existed until 1963, when it was acquired byEnel and demolished.[37] During the years in which SGES operated, there was an improvement of the electric services in Alcamo's territory, owing also to the realization of several artificial lakes.[37]
DuringFascism, the citizens asked the government to appoint Alcamo as thecapital of the province (1930), but this request was not satisfied.[30]
The old theatre Ferrigno in Alcamo (early 20th century)
On 19 August 1937 the fascist leaderBenito Mussolini visited the town, crossing Corso 6 Aprile by an open car and parading through the crowd of his supporters.[38] The visit was due to the inauguration of therailway line betweenTrapani and Alcamo, completed in the same year.[39] Some weeks later,prince Umberto visited Alcamo too.[38]
On 21 July 1943 the American troops entered Alcamo without any opposition,[30] freeing the town fromItalian Fascism.On 18 December 1944, because of the economic and social discomfort, the citizens raised up, occupied theTown Hall and put its archives on fire.[30]Since 1960 the townplanning system has been greatly expanding, particularly at the foot ofMount Bonifato with the construction ofViale Europa, which is one of the most important street in Alcamo.
At about the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s there was a bloodyMafia war between theclan Greco (related to the Rimi family) and the members of the emergent Mafia ofCorleone, led by the boss Vincenzo Milazzo in the territory of Alcamo. Vincenzo Milazzo received orders fromTotò Riina to eliminate members of the old Mafia (in particular the member of the clan Greco) and put in command only his trusted men. Just for this reason the Greco family represented an obstacle: the cause which roused the conflict was the approaching of some members ofCosa Nostra to the rival clan of Grecos. The war bathed the town in blood for about five years and provoked tens of victims. The newCorleone'sMafia prevailed, but the cost to be paid was very high, because a lot of members of this clan died.During the same period, in which there were armed clashes between the Mafia families, at contrada Virgini in Alcamo, they discovered the biggest heroin refinery in Sicily. (1985)[40] Tens of people died in five years, and at the end the Mafia of Corleone prevailed.
While the crimes of the Mafia went on and tens of people disappeared as victims of "lupara bianca",[41] there was a religious revival which led to the birth of severalCatholic associations such asRinnovamento nello Spirito Santo,Neocatechumenal Way and the movement ofComunione e Liberazione.[42] From the last one the parish community of theChurch of Jesus Christ the Redeemer originated in the district of Sant'Anna (2006).[42] This religious revival was followed by a new interest into the town's old traditions, mentioned in the works of Roberto Calia andCarlo Cataldo, historians from Alcamo.[42]Carlo Cataldo has also been prized several times both for his historical works and for his dialectal poems which tell Alcamo's folklore.[42]
The Cuba delle rose after its restoration
In the 21st century there was a renovation of Alcamo's architectural context, thanks to the restoration of some important historical buildings such as theCastle of the Counts of Modica, the Theatre Cielo d'Alcamo, the Cine-Theatre Marconi, theEx Jesuits' College, theCuba delle rose (in 2013), thechurch of College (in 2014), the façade ofBadia Nuova (in 2014) and theold Arab fountain (in 2016). Thanks also to the intervention ofFondo Ambiente Italiano, it is expected the restoration of theCastle of Calatubo; its chapel and the path leading to the castle have already been cleaned by the volunteers' association "Salviamo il Castello di Calatubo" (in 2015).[43]
Among the works of revaluation of theurban areas there are the restoration ofPiazza Ciullo by the architectGae Aulenti (1996)[44] and the realization of an underground car park inPiazza Bagolino, together with the creation of the nearsuburban park San Francesco.The interest in environment is also associated with that in the territory, in fact, after the adhesion to the initiative "Rifiuti Zero" (Zero Rubbish), Alcamo has been considered an example to be followed for the results got between 2010 and 2013 in the field ofwaste sorting (raccolta differenziata).[45]
The Coat of arms of Alcamo used since the kingdom ofFrederick II of Swabia is a black flying Eagle, crowned by Gold in a Silver range, with three hills below and two Golden Oaks.[46]
Palazzo De Ballis (in Via Mariano de Ballis): built in the 16th century, with a square tower withbattlements, adorned with a round arch that contains two windows, a double lancet and one triple lancet;[48] it was probably designed in 1490 by Tommaso and Pietro Oddo[25]
Ex Loggia Comunale (1500): built after the design of the architectDomenico Vitale, it has a base made withtravertine and the upper part incalcarenite. It was used as aloggia from 1525 to 1767; It is located at the corner between Corso 6 Aprile and via Barone di San Giuseppe.
Palazzo Aversa (in via Porta Stella n°48): it hasbalconies incarved stone and thecoat of arms, with a red lion looking at a red comet.
Palazzo D'Angelo (between corso 6 Aprile and via Fratelli sant'Anna), built in 1768
Palazzo D'Angelo (Piazza Ciullo n°12): 19th century
Palazzo Diana (or Termine): it is located at the corner between via Ignazio de Blasi and Corso 6 Aprile; there are two small columns at the corner, one double lancet window in via De Blasi, with the Diana's coat of arms and acornice similar to Gothic style above the door
Palazzo Guarrasi (via 15 Maggio n°15): built in the early 18th century
Palazzo Mistretta Galati, earlier palazzo Fraccia (between Piazza Bagolino and corso 6 Aprile): in Liberty style
Palazzo Morfino (via Giuseppe Fazio n°17) built in the 18th century
Palazzo Palmerini: at the corner of via Madonna dell'Alto and via Buonarroti
Palazzo Pastore (in Corso 6 Aprile, near Piazza Ciullo): inneoclassic style, built at the end of the 18th century;[48] Some elements of the façade are similar to those ofBasilica and Palazzo Di Gregorio in via Dante.
Palazzo Patti (Piazza Ciullo n°24): built in the 18th century;[48]
Palazzo Peria (corso 6 Aprile n°102, opposite Centro Congressi Marconi): built in 1700, it has two floors, restored with the system Livigny; in 1806 it was the seat of the municipality[48]
Palazzo Polizzi (between corso 6 Aprile and Via Don Rizzo)
Palazzo Quattrocchi (built in the 18th century), at via 15 Maggio n°47
Palazzo Rocca, in Corso 6 Aprile: built in 1629. Inside it there is a garden.[48]
Palazzo Rossotti-Chiarelli (in via Rossotti): in baroque style, built in the 18th century; it has an artistic main door and some magnificent balconies with ironrailings[48]
Palazzo Speciale (in corso 6 Aprile n°51, at the corner with via Mariano de Ballis): built at the end of the 18th centuries; its balconies havewrought iron railings.
Palazzo Triolo (between Corso 6 Aprile and via Fratelli Sant'Anna): built at the end of the 18th century, it belonged to the barons of Sant'Anna
Villa Luisa (between via Madonna Alto Mare, via Rossotti and via Federico II): built in 1903 inLiberty style with aMoorish trend, after a project of the architect Francesco Naselli.[48]
TheChurch of our Lady of the Star (Chiesa di Santa Maria della Stella) which is abandoned now, was the first Mother Church of Alcamo since 1313.[49] It was located in the old district of San Vito[50] and inside it there was the painting of Our Lady of Honey (Madonna del Miele) dated 1300 and later moved into theSaints Paul and Bartholomew's Church:[51] they believe this painting is the oldest one in Alcamo.[52][53]
Church of Saint Thomas (Chiesa di San Tommaso): the date of its construction is uncertain, probably the first half of the 15th century.[55][56] It is faced by a great portal with geometrical decorations.
Church ofsaint Vito (Chiesa di San Vito): it gave the name to the ancient district of San Vito and to the street where it is located. It was already existing in 1492 and, according to Ignazio de Blasi (a historian from Alcamo), it was founded by a member of the Confraternity of the Annunciation, together with a hospital for poor people next to it.[59] It was restored in 1922 and some decades ago; there is nothing old in it and today is used byEastern Orthodox Church Christians for their rites.
Church of the Holy Spirit: quoted in a deed dated 1491, as it is affirmed by the historianIgnazio De Blasi. It is located next to the first cemetery, on the North side.
Church of the Holy Saviour (Alcamo) (Chiesa del Santissimo Salvatore or"Badia Grande") is very important from the artistic point of view; it was built in the 14th century baroque style and rebuilt around the middle of the 15th century and between 1690 and 1697.[60] Inside it there are pictures by Novelli dating back to the mid of the 17th century.
Church of Saint Olivia (Chiesa di Sant'Oliva) was built in 1533 and renovated in 1724.[61][62]) Inside there are a picture byPietro Novelli on the main altar ("Sacrificio della Messa" dated 1639)[17] and works by the Gagini.
Church of the Annunciation (Chiesa dell'Annunziata o del Carmine): built in the 14th century, it was rebuilt in 16th and 17th centuries but collapsed in 1866.[66][67]
Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption was realized during the 14th century and rebuilt in 1669; the present façade was realized in 1786;[69] the portal and the bell tower are the only remains from the original church of the 14th century. It is located in the centre of the town, near piazza Ciullo. The interior is tripartite and contains frescoes byGuglielmo Borremans. In theapse and side chapels there are works byAntonello Gagini, called"Madonna with the Saints Philip and James", the"Crucifix" and the"Transit of the Virgin".[17] There are also other works made by his apprentices. In a chapel there is also "The Holy Thorn".[70] In 2010 theSacred Art Museum was opened: it contains many works from other churches. On the right, in the first chapel, there is also a modern architectural work dedicated to Don Rizzo (founder of the homonymous bank), designed by the architectPaolo Portoghesi.
Church of Saint Francis from Assisi (Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi): built between the years 1224–1226, demolished and rebuilt between 1608 and 1648.[71] Inside it there are a marble ancon, probably by Domenico Gagini, and two sculptures reproducing the Maddalena and Saint Mark, both ascribed to Antonello Gagini.
Church of Saints Paul and Bartholomew (Chiesa dei Santissimi Paolo e Bartolomeo) built between 1615 and 1689,[72][73] has got characteristic baroque features and holds a very ancient and valuable picture, theMadonna del Miele (made about the year 1300).
Church of Saint Peter (Ex Chiesa di San Pietro): Via Barone di san Giuseppe, 19. It was built in 1367 and reconstructed in the years 1645–1649, then enlarged in 1742 after the design ofGiovanni Biagio Amico, an architect. The artistic portal (1649) is on the main door; the roof fell down because of the1968 Belice earthquake. It was rebuilt after 20 years, thanks to the financing of 300 millions of liras and to the procurement assigned to Genio Civile.
Church of Our Lady with a Chain (Chiesa Maria della Catena): Built in 1661 it hosts a portrait of Our Lady with a Chain, ascribed to Giuseppe Renda (18th century).
Badia Nuova (orMonastero di San Francesco di Paola'), not to be confused with thehomonymous Church, was built in 1531, demolished in 1699 and rebuilt in the first half of the 18th century.[82][83] There are a picture byPietro Novelli and some allegorical representations byGiacomo Serpotta.[17]
TheCastle of the Counts of Modica (or "Castle of Alcamo"): probably built in the 14th or 15th century by thePeralta family and then completed by the feudatoriesEnrico andFederico Chiaromonte. In 1535 the emperorCharles V lodged there. It was a possession of theCabreras and then of theCounts of Modica, until 1812. Later, during theReign of Italy and until 1960, it was used as a prison. It has a rhomboidal shape, with four towers: two quadrangular at the corners and the other two are connected by curtains and are cylindrical. In each tower there were a torture room for prisoners, rooms for sentinels and for passing guest sovereigns. One of the particular characteristics of the castle is given by the thick walls which bound it and that in old times defended it from the enemies' attacks extremely well.
Castle of Ventimiglia: situated on the top ofMount Bonifato. It is a medieval castle and today there are only some parts of the walls, the primary tower and the dungeons. It took the name from Enrico Ventimiglia, who declared he had built it just for defence, though according to some interpretations, it would date back to a previous period.[91]
TheCalatubo Castle, outside the town but inside its territory and on the road leading to Palermo, is a fortress built in the early Middle Ages. The homonymous village of Calatubo stood nearby and its commerce was based on the exportation of cereals and millstones.[92] In the same place there is an old necropolis dating back to the 6th century BC.[93]
The watchtower located in the town centre, in Corso 6 Aprile, next to theChurch of Saint Maria del Soccorso, opposite the Mother Church. Its construction dates back to 980 A.D. and is the oldest architectural work existing in Alcamo, in perfect preservation conditions.[94] Later the tower was bought by the diocese (1400) and used as a bell tower for the near Mother Church which, at the time, didn't have one.[94] They put then two bells on its top, the remaining one is on the west, while the smaller one on the north side was dismounted at about 1950 for safety reasons.[94] Inside the building you can see a stone winding staircase with 84 steps, 50 of them are original ones.[94]
In the territory of Alcamo there are several and interesting archaeological sites:
Theruins on Mount Bonifato[11] includeFuntanazza (probably used as a water reservoir), Porta Regina, theCastle of Ventimiglia, the snowfields and the remains of the ancient village of Bonifato;
The ruins in the area of Calatubo, which include theCastle of Calatubo, the necropolis near it and the ruins of the surrounding village.[93]
Among the areas of naturalistic interest near Alcamo there are the beaches ofAlcamo Marina, theNature Reserve Bosco di Alcamo onMount Bonifato and theSegestan thermal baths.The hot springs are produced by the reclimbing of water of meteoric origin which meets the water of Fiume Caldo.[98] They are seven kilometres far from Alcamo and next to the boundary with the territory ofCastellammare del Golfo, a small town which shares this naturalistic attraction with Alcamo.According to the narration given byDiodorus Siculus, they were created by the nymphs to favourEracle's rest during his trip fromPiloro toErice.[48]
The surrounding areas include interesting touristic and historical locations likeSegesta andGibellina. The old fishing village ofScopello, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Alcamo, has been referred to as having a remarkable seaside. Another small town considered worth visiting isCastellammare del Golfo which is between these two places.
According to the ISTAT data of 1 January 2013, the foreign people resident in Alcamo were 1,258 people corresponding to the 2.58% of the residing population.[99] The most represented nationalities, according to the percentage on the total residing population, were:[99]
The poetCielo d'Alcamo (known also as "Ciullo d'Alcamo") was the author of thecontrasto"Rosa fresca aulentissima".[24] He wrote in vernacular in the 12th century and was from Alcamo.Many important places of the town, such as the main square, the theatre and the Classical Lyceum founded in 1862, have been named after the famous poet.
From the cultural point of view, in the following centuries Alcamo saw the rise of activities connected with arts such as the construction of churches and buildings, first in thebaroque and thenRenaissance style, with the coming of several artists of international level: painters (likeGuglielmo Borremans and the very talentedPietro Novelli fromMonreale), sculptors (Antonello Gagini andGiacomo Serpotta) and other various artists who embellished the town's image.
Inside theCastle of the Counts of Modica there is apuppet theatre: it has born again thanks to the engagement of Salvatore Oliveri, the grandson of thepuppet masterGaspare Canino, who worked in Alcamo for about 50 years, continuing the work of Luigi, his father.They often give performances inside the castles or in the square.
It is also noteworthy the activity ofCompagnia Piccolo Teatro, a theatre company founded in 1976, which has seen the rise (and success) of some actors and theatre directors.
During the feasts in Alcamo there are often streets entertainers andpedlars selling sweets,dried fruit and different objects in their stands called"baracchelle".
Monument toCielo d'Alcamo: the work, realized by the sculptor Mariano Cassarà, is a faithful representation of the scene of the famousContrasto entitled "Rosa fresca aulentissima", written in 1240 byCielo d'Alcamo, the first Italian poet who made use oflingua volgare. The two bronze statues represent the poet and his beloved; it is completed by the artistic fountain made withTravertine, and the coat of arms of Alcamo.
Exhibition of the Choir "Mater Dei" inside the garden ofPalazzo Rocca
There are various musical associations in Alcamo:
thePremiato Complesso Bandistico "Città di Alcamo", which is the oldest band in theprovince of Trapani, was founded in 1880 .[103] In the first years it was led by thebaronGiuseppe Triolo di Sant'Anna.[103] In 1892, during a contest with the other Sicilian musical bands (and under the direction of the MaestroRaffaele Caravaglios), it won the honour Diploma and the golden Medal, that is why it is namedpremiato(=prized).[103]
TheBrass Group, has been the promoter of the "Summertime Blues Festival", which was held for various consecutive years in Piazza Ciullo and whereblues singers and musicians from different parts of the world took part.[104]
TheAssociazione Amici della Musica (Association of Friends of Music), founded in 1986, organizes an annual season of classical and contemporary music concerts held in Alcamo and surrounding localities. Since 1998 it has run an annual singing competition open to young opera singers of all nationalities. In 2001 the association also established the international cultural prize known as "Vissi d'Arte-Città di Alcamo". An annual prize, the "Vissi d'Arte" is awarded to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to art and society.[105]
TheAssociazione Jacopone da Todi, is a chorus founded in 1989: it has the objective of spreading the knowledge of holy art, in its different expressions; the director is Gaetano Stellino, a school teacher.
TheCoro Mater Dei is a musical association born in 1998 and made up of about 30 members; it has held various concerts (especially during the Christmas holidays) in Alcamo and in the province of Trapani. The chorus master is Baldo Barone.
TheCoro Francesca Adragna was founded in 2008 under the direction of the chorus master Maria Messana. It has a very varied repertory: arias fromoperettas, opera melodies, church music,Sicilian popular tunes and Neapolitan songs.
A live concert during XXI edition of the Summertime Blues Festival, in piazza Ciullo.
There are different school dances in Alcamo, such as:
Whisky a Gogò: it has organized for 20 years theConcorso Nazionale coreografico Danzalcamo:Sara Renda, the ètoile at theOpéra National de Bordeaux, started his career as a dancer in this school.
13 June: celebration in honour of SaintAnthony of Padua (novena and procession)
19–21 June: Celebration in honour of Maria Santissima dei Miracoli (Saint Mary of Miracles, the patron saint of Alcamo): cultural and religious events. During the feast there are a solemn procession of the Madonna's simulacrum, fireworks from the "bastione" in Piazza Bagolino and the descent of civil and political authorities to theSanctuary of Madonna of Miracles. In the past (until 8–10 years ago) there were horse races along Corso 6 Aprile; the last two times they took place in Viale Italia.
End of July:Saint Anne's feast with novena, procession and cultural-recreational activities.
July–August:Alcamo Estate ("sagras" or festivals,"Calici di Stelle","Blues Festival","Festival di Nuove Impressioni")
July–August:Concorso Nazionale Coreografico Danzalcamo
Second half of August:"Alcart – legalità e cultura" (Legality and Culture) a series of events (exhibitions, seminars, music, theatre etc.).
October:Concorso Internazionale per Cantanti Lirici “Città di Alcamo”, organized since 1998 by theAssociazione Amici della Musica of Alcamo.
Second or third week-end of December:Cortiamo – International Contest of short films organized since 2006 by "Segni Nuovi" (a club of cinematographic culture within theChurch of the Saints Paul and Bartholomew).
2–6 January:International Costa Gaia Trophy (youth soccer tournament).
European lightweight title (professional boxing) was contested in Alcamo on 14 August 1991. Defending champion Antonio Renzo (from Calabria) stopped British challenger Paul Charters in the 11th round.
Alcamo is one of the most important centres in Sicily for wine production, especiallyBianco Alcamo D.O.C.,[111] made from vineyards with espalier or"tendone" structures and using white common or brightcatarratto vines, eventually associated withdamaschino,grecanico andtrebbiano.[48]
Besides the wine activity there are cattle and sheep breeding,olive growing (for the extraction ofextra virgin olive oil),[48] cereals (particularly wheat) and the typical oval melon, with a green wrinkled peel, locally called"miluni purceddu",[48] which has the peculiarity that can be kept longer than other kinds of melon.[48]
In the primary sector it is also significant quarrying (of different marbles and mostlytravertino), though the tertiary sector (more or less advanced) has however got the majority of employed people.
There are two motorway junctions fromA29 motorwayPalermo-Mazara del Vallo: Alcamo Est and Alcamo Ovest, apart the junction ofCastellammare del Golfo which links up with the north entrance to Alcamo. Another motorway junction is from Alcamo Ovest (A29 motorway, diramazione Alcamo-Trapani). Alcamo is crossed by two National Roads: strada statale 113, connecting Trapani withMessina, and strada statale 119, connecting Alcamo with Castelvetrano.The Railway line doesn't pass through the town centre but along the coast, then inland on the west side. The railway station of Alcamo Diramazione is located near the motorway junction of Alcamo Ovest and the station ofCastellammare del Golfo is situated in the territory of Alcamo, precisely atAlcamo Marina.
In the area of Alcamo there are also the followingdraining roads of the province of Trapani:
SB 21 Bisurdo-Stracciabisacce;
SB 22 Case di Piraino;
SB 23 Maruggi-Montelongo.
Along theNational RoadPalermo-Sciacca (SS 624) there is the exit "Alcamo" in both directions and is about 30 km from on the south-west side of the town. This exit, wholly located in the territory ofPoggioreale, connects with the National Road ofGibellina (SS 119) near the ex railway station and motorway junction ofGallitello through the Provincial road SP9 (of the series n.182 Macchia-Sella-Bonfalco) and the SB0 (a local link road ofGibellina), to the border between the territories ofPoggioreale andMonreale.
Alcamo is about 40 km from the airport"Falcone-Borsellino Airport" ofPalermo-Punta Raisi and about 50 km from the"Vincenzo Florio Airport" ofTrapani-Birgi.
The most popular and practised sport in Alcamo, as in most Italian towns, has always been soccer; the greatest team is theAlcamo team, which was in the past a protagonist in some football seasons inLeague C (Italian Serie C), for its victories againstBari andCrotone, and inLeague D. Apart various regional trophies, it has won theCoppa Italia Dilettanti in 1996 and the subsequent Supercoppa Italiana Dilettanti. Together with the golden period in League C, these were the most notable pages of the football history in Alcamo.[citation needed] A recent[when?] society crisis has caused bankruptcy and the team which played in League D had to restart from theFirst Category League. Today it competes in theregional Eccellenza championship following the 2010 refoundation.The activity of juvenile soccer is very active, and the Adelkam football school emerges among the various youth teams because it has launched different football players and has won a lot of national and international competitions. Alcamo is also the principal centre of theCosta Gaia International Trophy, a youth football kermess in which a lot of titled teams take part and where many great players of the bigger championships have been the protagonists.
Basketball is also popular, today with better results than football anyway.[citation needed] The female teamBasket Alcamo (Gea Magazzini) which has obtained important results in its history (a long participation inA1 League and the final match in theRonchetti Cup), has played in theA2 League for eleven years, and has regained the major league in the season 2011–2012. The male team has also obtained good results, but not at the same levels.
The local handball team,Pallamano Alcamo plays its home matches at thePalasport Enzo D'Angelo.
The town has got several sport facilities, the most important are the stadium Lelio Catella (with a capacity of about 10,000 people) for football and athletics, thePalazzetto dello Sport (sports hall) Tre Santi for Basket and thePalasport Enzo D'Angelo (an indoor stadium) for handball.
There is a private swimpool open to public use (La Fenice) where young boys (who have won National prizes) train regularly. In the same facility there is an ice-skating rink.When Alcamo football team played in League C, the home matches were played at stadium Don Rizzo, which together with Sant'Ippolito stadium, is now used by juvenile and minor teams.
Regina, Vincenzo (1972).Profilo storico di Alcamo e sue opere d'arte dalle origini al secolo XV (in Italian). Edizioni Accademia di Studi "Cielo d'Alcamo".
Mirabella, Francesco M. (1876).Cenni degli alcamesi rinomati in scienze, lettere, arti, armi e santità. Alcamo: Surdi.
Le guide oro – Sicilia. Firenze: Casa editrice Bonechi. 1992.
Gruppo Archeologico Drepanon (2014).Bonifato – La montagna ritrovata (in Italian). Trapani: Il Sole editrice.ISBN978-88-905457-3-3.
Bembina, G. B.; Mirabella, Francesco Maria; Pietro Maria, Rocca (1956).Alcamo sacra (in Italian). Alcamo: Tipografia Cartografica. Archived fromthe original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved15 February 2015.
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