Italy is full of folkloric art forms, and in Sicily one is particularly renowned and a symbol of the region...an #ItalianThread on

🍋 IL CARRETTO SICILIANO 🍋

The art of painted carts

1/? https://t.co/xC3tQKSZG5

This two-wheeled cart was a common way to transport goods in Sicily until the first half of the XX century. In the past, it was decorated with paintings following a sacred theme, in an attempt to ask the saints for protection against misfortune https://t.co/wp8OUC6UtH

With the advent of the cantastorie, who shared tales of knight epics, the theme represented shifted - on the carts were painted the adventures of Charlemagne's paladins, though the religious themes never fully disappeared. https://t.co/V13SxPTDfo

There are different types of carts according to what material they transported (wine, dirt or grain) and according to the "school" decorating them - Palermitan or Catanese. All of them, though, are mesmerizingly beautiful. Some details: https://t.co/0Tetqhtoz8

Unfortunately, the "mastri" who keep this folkloric art alive are fewer and fewer. Some older, some younger, these artists are to thank for the survival of this incredible heritage which has become synonym of "Sicily" https://t.co/afrkY51Py5

The gaudy colors and intricate designs of the carts indeed left a mark in popular culture...trucks and cars, too, have begun to be painted in a similar style! The style even found its way into fashion and home decor https://t.co/bgGZNlKlZs

The real thing, though, is simply impossible to imitate 😌 https://t.co/p1g0qU4k14