Corso Vittorio Emanuele is the lengthy avenue that divides Palermo in two and ends at a big stone gate, Porta Felice. Crossing it you can see the Foro Italico with its sea views.
But when as a substitute of crossing it you have a look at the steps proper subsequent to Porta Felice you’ll be able to climb them, undergo an iron gate and stroll alongside what have been initially town partitions.
You can be strolling on the Mure delle Cattive. If you recognize any Italian, you will know that “cattive” is the female plural of “cattiva” which suggests dangerous. So sure, you might be on the “wall of dangerous girls”.
Do not assume it is a typo, the signal hanging over the gate you have walked via says it fairly clearly. So, if it is not a mistake, you are in all probability now questioning who these girls are and what might need finished to have earned that label.
Thieves, murderers, swindlers?
Not one of the above.
These girls have been simply prisoners. Not of their household, not of a king, not of a jailer. They have been prisoners of their ache, that’s, they have been widows.
Every thing is because of a misunderstanding between the phrase captiva (captive, prisoner) and the phrase cattiva (dangerous).
In 1823 this promenade with a paved terrace was constructed on the partitions to have the ability to take a stroll overlooking the ocean to get pleasure from a cooler breeze. This may have allowed these widows, who in response to custom needs to be wearing black and mourning their loss to infinity, to stroll extra discreetly.
One other model of the story tells that what they actually did was to let themselves be seen to point out that they have been obtainable…
Right this moment, after some years closed, you’ll not see widows strolling round, however not less than you’ll be able to sit in the one bar to have a snack within the shade of the timber.
