
It is a bar that is passed from generation to generation. The age of the
Cavalier ended in the mid seventies and the age of the Cavalier's son Peppino
began. An extravagant character, Peppino almost left the bar to be an actor, but
he realised he had to build his life in Castelmola and so he stayed.
In 1975 Peppino married his wife Rosa and
together they refurbished the bar as it stands today, particularly concentrating
on enhancing the interior. They recognised that their era was particularly happy
and prolific. Having had three sons within five years, there was one particular
symbol that could represent it all: the penis, vulgarly referred to in Sicilian
as: La Minchia. The idea of the penis has definitely had a big impact on the
population, especially on the priest. However, in the following years the symbol
was accepted by everyone and became a important part of the bar. In fact, it is
present in different shapes, lengths and materials, in wood, ceramics,
terracotta, worked iron, pasta and marzipan. The Minchia sets the tempo of the
bar and the moods of all those within it. The penis is not a vulgar symbol and
finds his roots in Greek culture, where the god Priapous represented fertility,
freedom, fortune, life and beauty. Greek culture has influenced our own for
centuries.
At the end of the 19th century the famous
German baron W. Von Gloden sent a message to all the world with his photographs
of nude men and almond trees, as well as with his poetry, reflecting Sicily's
absolute freedom. These ideals, always floating on the air of this warm and dry
land, find a collocation and an exaltation well defined in Bar Turrisi. The
Penis, together with the other ornamental items such as a Sicilian cart,
puppets, old keys to mention a few, try to synthesize part of Sicilian culture.
Nowadays this place continues to bring the
story with it, but without forgetting about the relevance of the present. The
visitor also has the possibility to relax, sipping the classic almond wine or
trying the strong red wine of our countryside with local dishes. The Bar Turrisi
is not only part of what we have tried to explain here; from Cavalier to son and
to nephews, but it is much more. It is a tradition rich with events and emphasis
that deserves to be seen.
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