Licata – Itinerary 5

Licata is situated on a gentle plain close to the sea, protected all around by hills and crossed by a river; it has been a crossroad for commerce and cultural exchange for as long as can be recalled. Possibly this was the site of the hellenistic polis Finzìade, founded in 280 BC by the Greek tyrant from Akragas, Phintias. Certainly this area was inhabited many centuries BC, as is proven by the archaeological sites found on Colle Sant’Angelo and Monte Sole. Besides the magnificent baroque-style fortress called Castel Sant’Angelo which embraces a 16^th century tower, Colle Sant’Angelo has revealed traces of prehistoric settlements, a necropolis with domed cave-tombs and traces of a greek polis dating back to the 5^th century BC. Monte Sole is no less important: it has yielded traces of greek fortifications of the Hellenistic period and, in the vicinities of the rupestrian Church of San Cataldo, the Stagnone Pontillo. This Stagnone is an extensive and mysterious network of underground tunnels, presumably a monumental grave complex or a bronze-age ritual area also used for sacred rites by the Greeks and later as a water cistern by the Arabs.

The inscriptions found on the walls of these hypogea are in different languages, some of which indecipherable, and of different epochs. All the archaeological objects found here are now exhibited in the Archaeological Musem of the Badia and in the Museum of the Sea Chiostro Sant’Angelo.Another intriguing site is the Grangela: a wide of the aqueducts system of pre-hellenistic era, used centuries ago to collect water. The centre of town is adorned with many churches and Liberty-style villas. The churches of San Francesco, Santa Maria La Nuova, SS.Salvatore, San Domenico and del Carmine were all originally built before, but have been rebuilt and decorated in 17th century according to the Baroque-style in vogue at that time.

The Church of Sant’Angelo, located on the Piazza dedicated to the same Saint, contains a silver urn in which the relics of the Patron Saint, Sant’Angelo, are preserved.  Sant’Angelo in honoured every year from 3 to 6 May. There are many interesting Liberty-style monuments to visit in the centre of town: first of all, Palazzo Città, architected by Ernesto Basile, and then Palazzo Urso, Palazzo Frangipane, Palazzo Verderame and with its fine frescoes. There are also a number of art nouveau villas just outside the town, on the surrounding hills. These fine dwellings, built by noble families of yesteryear, still convey the glory of the past today. The coast of Licata has lovely beaches, bays and buttresses, as well as a fishing harbour. To the East of the port there is a long sandy beach called Marianello and a little further on there are smaller beaches of great charm such as Cala del Re, Cala Paradiso, and Rocca San Nicola.