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= Casteldaccia =

Casteldaccia, founded by Marchese Longarini is an Italian town near the sea, in the Sicilian district of Palermo including 11,303 inhabitants. His name is the union of two words: castle and "accia" or celery, a plant that grew abundantly in the place where now the village stands.

Population
The historical town-planning is irregular, characterized by narrow streets and typical houses of the Sicilian tradition. The center correspond to Matrice square on which appear the building's facades of the town church and the Duke of Salaparuta’s castle, a symbol of the past feudal splendor, as well as a small chapel called Chiesetta. Unfortunately, in recent years, Casteldaccia’s citizens witnessed a completely confused urban development: a real estate speculation has irreparably damaged the territory. It does not exist, for example, a public garden or a playground for children. Moreover, when the tourists go to the main square to visit the Duke of Salaparuta’s castle, they are forced to walk on the edge of the road, as there is no sidewalk. Casteldaccia’s railway station is placed on the lines Palermo-Messina, Palermo-Agrigento and Palermo-Catania.

Customs and traditions
The majority of population has a relatively advanced age. During the Carnival period, every Saturday and Sunday, gathered citizens in families and friends watch allegorical trucks parading across the village. There are no large commercial activities. The citizens especially move to Bagheria and Palermo to carry out their work. At one time most of the inhabitants, male population prevalently, was active as a farmhand. Actually agriculture does not exist anymore, because local politicians got the most farm lands construable, and now many buildings are still unsold and uninhabited. Casteldaccia's patronal festival is one of the most awaited appointment. The little town comes alive with the typical stalls placed around the main square; The last August's Sunday, the patron St. Joseph's image is carried in procession by the local artisans, especially carpenters. The festival ends at midnight with the fireworks' outbreack.

History
Country’s fame is almost exclusively tied to the Dukes of Salaparuta’s family and in particular to Joseph Alliatas Moncada who, in 1824, at his Villa Valguarnera in the neighbour village of Bagheria, started to bottle up a white wine produced with the Inzolia grapes coming from his property in Corvo di Salaparuta’s district. So, in those years the first bottled Sicilian wine was born, as well as the today most famous all over the world homonymic Sicilian wine-producing industry. There is a fun legend about the Earl Alliata who chose for its wine the name of "Corvo di Salaparuta". It is said that among the Casteldaccia’s vineyards the peasants could no longer work owing to the troubles caused them by the incessant cawing of a crow; it was interpellate a friar who was reputed to be able to speak with the beasts; he retired with the bird and came to an agreement: the raven would have no more bothered the farmers as long as its image and its name were used as a symbol of goodness and quality.

Productive activities
Another very important industry, collocated in this village, is the Macaroni factory called Tomasello from name of the family which founded it. A famous oil company called Giada Oil, bottles and export the greatest part of the Oil producted in the country In the ancient times (XVI century) the territory was intensely cultivated with sugarcane, so a tower called Bellacera was built to protect the territory

Tourism
Casteldaccia is a resort area. In summertime many Palermo’s citizens move to some villas located on the coast to a few tens of meters from the shoreline. However, other villas, some of which in Art Nouveau, surrounded by large gardens, are located on the hill overlooking the railway station. There are several well-known restaurants in Casteldaccia, where in summer you can enjoy a pleasant musical evening, such as "La Rotonda" or "Café 113" or the most ancient “Casetta Bianca”, all located on the main arterial road "S.S.113" from Palermo to Messina.