For years a very bad reputation
has been attributed to the village of Mariuolanzo, even if it
was injustified at all, and has somehow handicapped its tourist
vocation.
Recently has begun the rediscovery of this graceful center, which,
unique in the world, counts more inhabitants in prison
than free. Furthermore the medium level of instruction of the
inhabitants is very high, with a 27% of graduates, all lawyers.
The bad reputation of the country is denied by the lack of complaints
at the local Police station on theft underwent by tourists, even
if somebody explains it with the fact that the only policeman
of the station has barricaded himself inside and since 1964 refuses
to open or to come out.
Shopping
At Mariuolanzo, in many stores and stalls, you can buy goods of
every kind; a wallet (probably the
yours), a purse (usually are already full), a car radio, a set
of used tires or a mobile telephone, that in the village it's
not called "cellular", in order to avoid distressing
misunderstandings on the term, since the same name is used for
the prison van.
In the village's weekly market's stalls are on sale creams for
the eternal youth, philters of immortality and a miraculous potion
for the healing of cancer, dandruff, misfortune and other diseases.
In the village's wear shops can be bought clothes, accessories
and cosmetics, by the greatest companies, like as an example an
Armani jacket, that the stylist tried in vain to have given back
years ago.
Handicraft
The typical products of Mariuolanzese handicraft are the wrought
iron picklocks, the characteristic knitted balaclava
caps and the nice small jack-knives
to elude body searches.
In every road of the village you can find a stall for the three tablets' game, of which the
mariuolanzeses are skilled, also for the presence in the village
of the International Academy of such discipline.
What to see
On the village's main square at the moment it's not possible to
see the monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi, since it vanished on a
winter night of 1947.
For a refreshment pause in the summer months you can seat in the
Shady Boulevard, even though both the park-benches and the double
row of holm-oaks disappeared many years ago; you can anyway take
some rest standing under the sun.
The parochial church is very charming in its bare simplicity:
in fact all the sacred images and the furnishings are missing,
in particular the alms-boxes, probably referring to the Franciscan
poverty.
The night tour of the village is not advisable, in particular
during the frequent black-outs, which occurr every time the electrical
company cuts off the self-managed connections with the electric
net, fixed spontaneously by the villagers.
Mariuolanzo has also a natural park, very famous in the region,
crossed by the river Scolo, with its characteristic color yellow
saffron and the unusual smell of rotten garlic.
The park is very frequented, not only in the weekends, but also
in the week days and even by night, when traffic jams are made
by tankers, coming even from hundreds kilometers of distance.
The park fauna counts some valuable endemisms, like the to three-legged
heron, the phosphorescent fox, the flying otter and the depressed
toad.
Popular festivities
and traditions
The most important Mariuolanzese popular feast is Saint Liberato
day, dedicated to patron saint of the village, with a large attendance
of people, specially after pardons and amnesties, while less people
is present after the police drag-nets.
During the festivity the statue of the saint passes by in procession
with the release orders of the villagers fixed on, as votive offerings.
Every friday the traditional withdrawal of the automatic teller
with a scraper is performed, attendend by an enthusiastic public,
while the holdups are not programmed in advance and happen in
an extemporaneous way.
In August takes place the secular contest between the village's
quarters, that consists in a bag-snatching contest. Every quarter
lines up a crew composed of two old women on a motor scooter that
tear the bag out to a young foreigner; the victory is awarded
to the quarter which obtains the greater value's booty.
For Christmas the villagers exchanges gifts bought in stores,
since Santa Claus refuses to enter Mariuolanzo since in 1957 he
was kidnapped by a family of the village, not satisfied for the
gifts he delivered.
Gastronomy
Mariuolanzo cooking is very peculiar: the most famous specialty
is the "slop", a tasty soup
served in mess-tins.
The mariuolanzese cakes are tasty, but some heavy and bearing
strange names, like "jam knife-file tart" and "hacksaw
cake".
Mariuolanzo has also a huge production of wine and olive oil,
in the cooperative wine cellar and oil mill, which are the bigger
of the region although, in the fields around the village, within
living memory, nor a vine neither an olive tree was ever seen,
and this testifies of the villagers' cleverness and laboriousness.
Hospitality
In Mariuolanzo there are no hotels, but you can try to get hospitality
knocking at any private house and whispering "Paunchy sent
me here".
Several foreigner have been hosted by the Mariuolanzeses in the
neighbouring caves, but many of them did not appreciate the hotel
treatment, including a chain at the ankle, a hood on head and
the payment of a ransom. Those who do not appreciate this kind
of performances are advised to avoid this kind of hospitality.
How to get there
The railway line to Mariuolanzo has been suspended because of
the repeated disappearance of the tracks and of the copper electric
line; bus companies do not carry out connections with the village
because of the mysterious disappearance, happened several times,
of all the four tires, while the bus was running.
The village can be reached by a private car, keeping in mind that
no insurance company covers the risk of theft in the Mariuolanzo
area.
Contacts
The person in charge of Mariuolanzo Tourist Office receives in
the parlatory of Mariuolanzo Jail no 3,
every thursdays from 10,00 AM to 10.30 AM.
page
last updated:
March 18th 2007