There are many curiosities to discover in the old town:
- In the front elevation of Saint Francis there is a marble plaque for the conversion of the old measures dated 28th April 1862, with which the Italian unitary state, two years after Garibaldi and a year after the plebiscite, immortalized in marble the “Comparison between the old measures with the decimal metric system”.
- sundials sundials to discover, including those built by Father Fedele Bencivinni: the first one was made in 1882 and placed in the bell tower of Mercy with this inscription::”Esile raggio sulla curva addita il tempo medio,e in uno l’ombra il vero sulla retta, dall’asse dipartita” (“Faint ray on the curve points to the average time, and in one the shadow hailing from the axis indicates true time on the line “).The second sundial was made in 1904, and it is located in a small country house, on the way to Palermo, belonging to the Priest Inguaggiato Antonio. Below the sundial there is the following inscription: :”Qui solare ombra,l’ora vera addita: la media avrai,se equazione adopri; fugaci entrambe; ed tale ò pur l a vita” (“Here the solar shade points to the true time: you will have the average if you use the equation; both of them are fleeting; as the life is”). In 1913 Father Fedele Bencivinni, although he was blind at that time, drew his third sundial for the Capuchin Monastery of Petralia. It is on the wall of the choir, looking at noon, with the epigraph:”Dell’Asse l’ombra la vera ora segna; la media appresta se equazione apponi; che il tempo fugge e da apprezzarsi insegna”. (“The shadow tells the true time; and it will give you the average if you put an equation; that time runs away and teaches to appreciate it.”);
- • Petralia Sottana is a town rich in water, so there are a lot of fountains, drinking fountains and bevai (big fountains for horses, cows, oxen..).
A peculiarity of the old town center is the presence of the ancient wells that are located in the ground floor of some houses.
Quota Mille Association
Telefono 389 063 5221
E-mail quotamillemadonie@gmail.com
Torre Civica con Meridiana
Tabella Conversione Antiche Misure
U' Canali
