RACALMUTO
Racalmuto is an agricultural town of approx. 9,000 people a few kilometres from Agrigento. The town was a feud of the La Grua family until 1812, but its origins date back to the Arab domination. In fact, the town’s name most probably originates from the Arabic Rahal Maut, which can be translated in "Dead Village", because, when the Arabs got there, they found the citizens decimated by the plague. The city layout is medieval, and it is in that epoch that the town reached its maximum splendour, taking the look that it shows still today. The main town attraction is the castle of the Chiaramonte, a majestic building located in the old town, in Piazza Umberto. Racalmuto’s religious architecture is of great interest: there are beautiful churches like the Mother Church and the Church of Santa Maria del Monte. Finally, Racalmuto is the hometown of the writer Leonardo Sciascia, who spent here a good part of his life. The city has dedicated him the Fondazione Leonardo Sciascia and the Parco Letterario Regalpetra to promote his thought and his work.
