In today’s article, we want to talk about the Brancaccio neighborhood in Palermo, a place as well-known as it is mysterious and definitely worth visiting. Brancaccio-Ciaculli is the twelfth district of Palermo, located in the II Circoscrizione. It is a rapidly expanding area that includes the industrial and residential areas of Brancaccio and the localities of Ciaculli and Croceverde-Giardina, which are large agricultural zones where late mandarins are cultivated.
The neighborhood also houses all the depots of the municipal urban bus company, AMAT, and those of the municipal waste disposal company, RAP. On September 15, 1993, the neighborhood became particularly notorious for the tragic murder of Father Pino Puglisi, who had been actively fighting against local mafia families for years.
The district takes its name from Don Antonio Brancaccio, the governor of the town of Monreale, a nobleman of Neapolitan origin. The Brancaccio family owned numerous lands in the area, and it was Don Antonio who, in 1747, erected the church of St. Anna, which later became the church of St. Gaetano da Thiene.
The name “Ciaculli” derives from the Sicilian word “ciaca,” meaning “stone,” due to the presence of small stones that rolled down from Mount Grifone after the rains.
What to See in Brancaccio, Palermo
A primary attraction in the Brancaccio neighborhood is the Museum-House. On May 25, 2014, the house-museum of Blessed Giuseppe Puglisi was inaugurated and blessed. This was his home until the evening of September 15, 1993, the day he was murdered by the mafia.
Inside the Museum-House, you can find books, furniture, various objects, clothes, and a series of memorabilia that belonged to Blessed Giuseppe Puglisi and his parents. These precious memories were carefully kept by his family and have now been returned to their original location.
This allows visitors to truly understand Don Pino Puglisi’s way of life, his choice to live in poverty, his “functional” relationship with objects, and his love for books. In fact, about 6,000 books were found in the Museum-House and transferred to the Diocesan Seminary, though the family kept many texts in the apartment. But why is this neighborhood so famous?
Brancaccio is well-known due to the story of Don Pino Puglisi, who, starting in 1990, began his fight against the mafia families, rescuing many young people from the mafia’s grip. His denunciations and revitalization activities became a hindrance to the mafia’s business, leading to threats that did not break his willpower.
The event that made Brancaccio famous throughout Italy and beyond was the murder of Father Puglisi on his 56th birthday, right in front of his home at Piazzale Anita Garibaldi. Despite the many activities of associations working to uplift the neighborhood, Brancaccio-Ciaculli remains a critical area where severe economic and social hardships persist in certain parts.
