Campobello di Licata: Squares, Art and Local Cuisine

Campobello di Licata stretches between the fields of a fertile high plateau. Its character is particularly evident where squares, religious buildings, murals and local food connect the town with rural traditions and public festivals.

Squares, Art and Local History

Piazza XX Settembre is the central agora of Campobello di Licata; the town’s most important festivals and events take place there. Its modern Baroque-style paving consists of marble and granite and combines bas-reliefs with stone mosaics.

The bronze statues “Il Seminatore” and “La Donna con Quartara” recall water and earth. At the same time, they embody the folk traditions and rural origins of Campobello di Licata. Palazzo Municipale, also known as Palazzo di Città, stands on the same piazza; it was built in 1650. Its façade bears a mural by Silvio Benedetto with six scenes from rural life.

Religious Sites and Art in the Urban Landscape

The Chiesa Gesù e Maria houses a painting attributed to Domenico Provenzani, valuable frescoes and a large wooden crucifix. The Chiesa di San Giuseppe was initially built around 1865 outside the town, on the plan of an older chapel that had been destroyed by a fire during an epidemic. Its crypt dates back to the church’s original core.

The visual design continues beyond Piazza XX Settembre: the murals “I mille bambini” on the outer walls of the Scuola Materna on Via Edison welcome visitors upon their arrival in Campobello di Licata. On Piazza Aldo Moro, the Fontana delle fanciulle is made of worked marble, unworked stones and bronze. The bronze monument to manual labor on Piazza Tien An Men consists of “Le grandi mani” and “L'insieme degli attrezzi di lavoro”.

Local Cuisine and Festivals

Local dishes include Lu 'Mpurnatu, a baked pasta casserole made with ziti-like pasta, meat sauce, wild fennel, typical cheeses and eggs. La 'Mpanata, by contrast, is a thin pastry baked in the oven and filled with cauliflower, spinach, onions and black olives.

The Festa San Giuseppe is celebrated in Campobello di Licata on March 19 with processions and a reenactment of the Flight into Egypt. This festival includes Tavole di San Giuseppe, tables set up by believers in gratitude for a grace received. These tables are filled with sweets, cakes and the first produce of the season. During La Rietina, the procession is followed by fireworks.

Literary Garden and Landscape

The Parco della Divina Commedia is also known as Valle delle pietre dipinte and is a literary garden in Campobello di Licata. In it, 110 travertine stones depict Dante’s journey through the three realms of the afterlife. The park lies on the southern slopes of the hill on which Campobello di Licata stands.

About 5 km from the town center lies the Parco Antico di Iachinu Filì, also locally known as Iachinu Filì. It is a narrow limestone ridge of about 1.5 hectares, running east to west along the Iacopo Filippo stream. This landscape therefore complements the squares, churches and artworks with a nature-focused dimension.

More Destinations

For more travel ideas, you can also explore Località Maragani, Realmonte, Lampedusa, San Leone, Menfi, Montevago, Fiumenaro and Siculiana Marina.

To the higher-level travel overview: Agrigento.