Seal of the Town of Serradifalco

       The raptor shown on the seal is interpreted by some as an eagle holding a torch in its beak, but I prefer to interpret it as a hawk or falcon. The falcon, symbol of a leader's swiftness and courage, represents the town's name (originally Serra del Falco), which means "Mountain of the Hawk". The hawk also represents one who does not rest until his objective is achieved. The Sicilian language is more ancient than the Tuscan dialect that is the "official" Italian language. In Sicilian, the name of the town is pronounced SERRADIFARCU (sair-uh-dee-FAR-koo).
       The green diagonal on the crest represents a loyal defender, the vertical stripes (pales), military strength. The starbursts are the rowells of a pair of spurs, signifying knighthood or nobility, emphasized by the surmounting ducal crown, indicating the noble origin of the town's founder, the Baron (later Duke) Leonardo LoFaso Pietrasanta.
       The entire shield is bordered by branches of indigenous trees: on the left, the olive, for peace; on the right, the oak, signifying strength and endurance.

(Analysis of the Seal of the Town of Serradifalco, based on assumptions by Angelo F. Coniglio.)

^{A copy of the book Serradifalco was
kindly sent to us by Giuseppe
Micciche, grandson of Gaetano
Vincenzo Coniglio's brother Antonio.
It was written by Giuseppe Testa in 1990, the 350th anniversary of the founding of
the town. Below is the beginning of the first chapter of that book, in Italian, and
then translated into English. To see more of the book, CLICK HERE.}

CAPITOLO I

ARCHEOLOGIA DEL TERRITORIO

Archeologia del Territorio

          <<Ogni sette anni, a mezzanotte in punto, nella piazzetta vicino alla sorgente “la testa di l'acqua“, si svolge una magica fiera. Chi vuole assistervi deve salire su un gran masso che sorge sull'acqua, prima dei ventiquattro rintocchi, e vedrà come per incanto illuminarsi tutta la piazzetta come se fosse pieno giorno. Vedrà quindi una gran quantità di buoi, di pecore, capre, e vicino prender posto i rivenditori di arnesi di lavoro, per i campi, per le officine, per gli usi comuni.
          E vedrà anche rivenditori di frutta come mele, melarance, melagrane. Tutti si affollano ma nessuno compra, nessuno vende. Se si riesce per prima a comprare anche un solo frutto spigna la fiera e diviene ricco, perche il frutto e un masso tutto d'oro zecchino.
          Questa fiera avviene ogni sette anni>>¹.
.
¹S.D. Di Raimondi, in SICANIA, anno 1, No. 6, 1 dicembre 1913, pag. 211 <<La fiera di mezzanotte>> (Serradifalco).

CHAPTER I

ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE TERRITORY

Archaeology of the Territory

          "Every seven years, at midnight on the dot, in the little plaza close to the fountain, 'the head of water', a magical fair unfolds. Those who are careful to observe must go up on a large rock that rises above the water, before the clock strikes twenty-four times, and they will see, as though by enchantment, a light illuminating all the plaza as if it were broad daylight. They will see there a large number of cattle, of sheep, and goats, and near the corral, vendors of work implements, for the fields, workshops, and common uses.
          And they will also see vendors of fruit like apples, oranges, and pomegranates. Everyone crowds around, but nobody buys, no one sells. If someone succeeds in buying even a single fruit, the festival lights go out, the fair ends, and he becomes rich, because the fruit is a heap of gold coins.
          This festival appears every seven years "¹.
.
¹S.D. Di Raimondi, in SICANIA, year 1, No. 6, 1 December 1913, p. 211 "The midnight fair" (Serradifalco).
.

Below is a map of the topography and streets of Serradifalco, derived from a 1996 aerial photo.
Click on the map, expand to full size, and scroll to see details.

Below is a map of a portion of Serradifalco. In red, it shows the 'testa di l'acqua' mentioned above, in a little piazza reached through Vicolo Fonte (Fountain Alley). Blue locates the house where Gaetano Vincenzo Coniglio was born, at Vicolo Migliore No. 10. Green locates the birthplace of Rosa Alessi, at Via Prizzi No. 9. In purple is the Chiesa Matrice San Leonardo Abate, the church where Gaetano and Rosa were married on November 30, 1912. Click on the map, expand to full size, and scroll to see details.

			Serradifalco Heritage	Generations:
	Site Index	Robertsdale, Pennsylvania	Genesis	1	2	3	4


More about Serradifalco
A Visit	The Church	La Societa'	The Book
La Bedda Sicilia