In 1732 a new church was completed in Ficarazzi. This wasn’t just any church. It marked a turning point for the village.
Ficarazzi a small town near Palermo boasts a history stretching back to at least 1290. Before that evidence suggests inhabitation during the Phoenician-Punic era. Archaeologists unearthed sarcophagi dating to around the 5th century BC. These ancient relics now reside in Palermo’s Salinas Archaeological Museum.
For centuries Ficarazzi was a forested area. Its documented history begins in 1290. The La Grua family owned the land in the 14th century. Palermo’s expanding population led to deforestation. New crops replaced the ancient woodland.
Ficarazzi’s fame arrived in the 15th and 17th centuries. It became renowned for sugar cane production. The Arabs likely introduced sugar cane to Sicily. A 1176 document mentions a sugar mill in Palermo. Frederick II’s court encouraged sugar production. Many sugar cane plantations and mills flourished across Sicily in the 15th century.
Pietro Speciale a powerful figure built the first Ficarazzi sugar mill around the early 15th century. He also constructed a fortified farm. It had staff housing stables warehouses and even a church. An impressive aqueduct sourced water from the Eleuterio river.
The sugar industry boomed for a time. However it declined in the mid-16th century. Financial troubles crippled the industry. In 1610 the Theatine Fathers of Palermo took over the mill. Sugar production ended completely in 1690.
To settle debts the treasury seized Ficarazzi. In 1721 Marquis Luigi Gerardo Giardina de Guevara bought the fiefdom at auction. He invested heavily in the town’s development. He built a public fountain and the aforementioned church Sant’Atanasio. He transformed the Speciale tower into a grand residence. A magnificent staircase connects the tower to the street below. In 1734 the church became a parish.
The 1751 census recorded 135 families totaling 487 inhabitants. Many surnames still exist in Ficarazzi today. The Giardina family’s rule lasted until Italian unification. Ficarazzi became a municipality shortly after. It continued to grow and prosper thanks to its proximity to Palermo. The church and castle stand as testaments to Ficarazzi’s rich and fascinating history.