Obelisk

3 Minutes of reading

The obelisk, erected in 1997 in the heart of the town’s main square to celebrate the fourth centenary of the licentia populandi, stands 12 meters high and is the work of the artist Salvatore Montebello.

Obelisco

It is clad in white travertine from Alcamo and red travertine from Piana degli Albanesi, colors that match those of the Mother Church. It rests on a pavement bordered in white with a red core. On this base sits a square prismatic bench in travertine, supporting a cruciform plinth, also in travertine, connected by four red panels that hold square bronze plaques (30 cm), depicting: the logo of the fourth centenary, Saint Rosalia, patron saint of Delia, the coat of arms of the Lucchese family, founders of the town, and the municipal emblem. On the plinth rises a red square prism, with vertical faces of 3 x 1.30 m, oriented toward the four cardinal points, supporting bronze panels narrating the history of the community from the Middle Ages to the year 2000.

The first, facing the Castellaccio to the west, recounts Delia’s medieval history, including the Castellaccio fortress, the War of the Vespers—when Delia contributed with six archers and six oncie d’oro—complete with horses, soldiers, and swords, and at the bottom the “Beautiful Castellana” with a melancholy gaze, whose story was told by Niccolò Speciale.

The second, facing the countryside to the south, depicts the town’s agro-pastoral life: the shepherd with tools for ricotta and cheese, the farmer with his mule and tools for cultivating the land, and a woman with a bundle (truscia) on her head.

The third, facing the Mother Church to the east, summarizes local traditions: religious ones such as the procession of the Holy Urn, lay-religious ones such as Holy Week with the Scinnenza on Good Friday and the ‘Ncuentru on Easter Sunday, represented with banners. It also shows the “vampa” bonfire of the Immaculate Conception and culinary traditions such as the cuddrireddra and muffuletta.

The fourth, facing north, represents the 20th century: the two World Wars with bombs, helmet, bayonet, and tank, and emigration with farewells, the railway, and the cardboard suitcase. There are also references to urban development, education, and agricultural progress, with tractors, grape, and peach cultivation.

The obelisk culminates in a tapering cruciform shape of white travertine, soaring skyward.

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