The Montagnola
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Description

The Montagnola

This small limestone relief at the gates of the small town of Villabate, on the border with the territory of Palermo, locally known as the Montagnola, anonymous in the IGM cartography, has almost disappeared today. The tiny hill falls on the tablet 249 II SE, it is represented in the relief of 1912: elliptical in shape about 500 meters long, oriented North South, quoted South "93". Very different is the representation in the edition of 4-1974 coming from photogrammetry of 1968. In 1963, following a report by the geologist Giovanni Floridia, of some small caves dug in an ancient shore line of 50 m placed in the eventuality of finding traces of rock art which at that time was the dominant motif of my research. Visiting the eastern side, I ascertained the presence of three caves, almost a copy of each other, more shelters than caves, about 6-7 meters wide, half deep and more or less a couple of meters high. In the front they presented a sort of low wall made up of limestone blocks detached from the external wall of the vault, fixed in a soil that the crushed stone and the manure made indefinable. The internal surface of these blocks, which did not exceed the height of 60-70 cm, had been smoothed by the fleece of sheep like the rocky outcrops of the walls. Only the internal surface of the boulders of the central cavity satisfied my research in revealing some zoomorphic figures and various linear engravings. I proceeded, as usual, first to the glossy reproduction, then to the photographic documentation. I had just placed the tripod that I had a surprise: a few steps from me there was a man, advanced in years, with a rifle on his shoulder who ordered me to go. I passed myself off as a geologist photographing fossils, a ruse that had worked several times. Maybe I didn't even understand my explanation and thundered "you are still here". Strengthened by other experiences, I understood that there was no discussion but to retreat and I did it quickly. In the following years I looked for intermediaries to find out if I could conclude my discovery. The answer was always to avoid, "turn arrassu", that is, stay away. In 1998, hoping not to find heirs of my old interlocutor, I returned to Montagnola, I did not recognize the place! The limestone quarry, then family-run, destroyed everything. A large building and a large parking area have arisen. Of this discovery, perhaps the greatest of mine, the transparencies and notes that I have transferred here remain. The engravings were found on two boulders: in one boulder three figures in a row, a bovid and two equidae; the second boulder an equid figure and linear engravings. The group is technically the same as the figures in the Grotta dei Puntali, the appearance reminded me of the beautiful smooth wall of the Addaura. F ° 249 II SE, Misilmeri; UTM: UC62781596, Altitude: 45 m.  

Text source: Giovanni Mannino: Guide to the Prehistory of Palermo - List of prehistoric sites in the province of Palermo - Sicilian Institute for Political and Economic Studies)

Bibliography and further in-depth documents:

100) FIRST SICILY - AT THE ORIGINS OF SICILIAN SOCIETY - volume first edited by Sebastiano Tusa Palermo 1997.

Ignazio Caloggero: Sicily between History, Myths and Legends. Vol. 1: From Prehistory to the Phoenicians. First edition 2018 - Revised and updated edition of 2022

Ignazio Caloggero:

 
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Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero Web

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