Rating: 8,7/10 (865 votes) The Magic Castle is a superb structure set amid almond and olive groves in western Sicily. There are many fine sculptures made from stone by the artist Filippo dei Testi. Filippo was born into a fisherman's family in 1880 under the name Bentivegna. Since his family was poor, the boy had to work from an early age. At the age of 20, Filippo volunteered to join the Navy, where he served for 4 years. Upon returning to his homeland, Filippo could not find a job, so he decided to emigrate to America. Life was very unfavorable to Filippo. He was an opponent of racism, in connection with which he was disliked in the United States. Here he met a charming girl, however, her family considered the young man unworthy of their daughter. Having earned a small capital in America, Filippo returned to his homeland, where he acquired a farm. The last years of his life, Filippo devoted to carving figures from wood and stone. Each sculpture on the farm is unique. In the central part of the farm, you can see a small house in which the artist lived. The walls of the house were decorated with American skyscrapers and ships. Part of Filippo's works after his death were transported to the Museum of Nonprofessional Art in Lausanne (Switzerland). The Sicilian government bought the castle in 1974 and turned the estate into a tourist attraction. We also recommend reading Naro in Italy, Sicily resort Topic: Magic castle in Italy, Sicily resort. |