[PERSONAGGI] A volte nei quartieri popolari di Palermo ci sono storie ambientate nei vicoli più angusti, che hanno come protagonisti personaggi singolari... Chi per una ragione o chi per l'altra, hanno avuto un momento di celebrità, magari per cose non proprio belle, o per strani episodi come quello che di seguito leggerete...
A Ballarò, tra la fine dell'800 e i primi del'900, abitava tale Martino. Abbastanza avanti negli anni, era conosciutissimo nel rione e veniva comunemente appellato come "Zù Martinu"...
Ma per cosa era famoso nel quartiere? Per un gesto eroico ? Per un furto ? Per un adulterio ? Niente di tutto ciò... Lo zio Martino era famoso per la sua... pipì ! Il 31 Marzo di ogni anno, a mezzanotte, usava orinare dal balcone di casa sua, in pubblico, per un odio contro quel mese dell'anno, che pare gli avesse tolto in passato sia la moglie che un figlio... E quando si avvicinava l'ora di quel singolare "rito", era un accorrere da tutto il quartiere, ed anche da altre zone della città. Appena lo zio Martino si affacciava, partiva un applauso fragoroso, seguito da un religiosissimo silenzio che precedeva l'espletamento della sua funzione (e probabilmente la folla sotto il suo balcone si allargava per non essere "bagnata"). Finito di orinare, tra i rinnovati applausi del pubblico sottostante, Martino urlava più o meno : "E pure per quest'anno ti ho pisciato addosso, Marzo !" Pare che il giorno fatidico si riempisse la vescica di una notevole quantità d'acqua e magari anche altro, per far durare la sua orinata il più possibile... Sino a qualche decennio addietro, infatti, in alcuni quartieri popolari, quando ci si riferiva a qualcosa che durava fin troppo, si usava dire : "E' comu a pisciata ru zù Martinu"... Non si sa altro di tale personaggio, rimasto famoso per questo motivo.
Pazienza... Viene solo da dire che nel suo caso la classe non era di sicuro... acqua !
QUESTO POST E' DISPONIBILE ANCHE IN INGLESE
Sometimes in the popular neighborhoods of Palermo, there are stories set in the narrow alleys, which have unique characters as protagonists ... Those who for one reason or another, have had a moment of celebrity, maybe not just beautiful, or strange episodes like what you read below ...
In Ballarò, in the late '800 and early '900, that Martino lived. Fairly advanced in years, was well known in the district and was commonly appealed to as "Zù Martinu"...
But for what was known in the neighborhood? For a heroic act ? For a burglary ? For adultery ? None of this ... Uncle Martino was famous for its ... pee ! On March 31st of each year, at midnight, he used to urinate from the balcony of his home, in public, to show his hate for that month, that in the past, has taken away from him, his wife and a son...
Pazienza... Viene solo da dire che nel suo caso la classe non era di sicuro... acqua !
Una strada del quartiere Albergheria |
UNCLE MARTINO’S RITUAL
Sometimes in the popular neighborhoods of Palermo, there are stories set in the narrow alleys, which have unique characters as protagonists ... Those who for one reason or another, have had a moment of celebrity, maybe not just beautiful, or strange episodes like what you read below ...
In Ballarò, in the late '800 and early '900, that Martino lived. Fairly advanced in years, was well known in the district and was commonly appealed to as "Zù Martinu"...
But for what was known in the neighborhood? For a heroic act ? For a burglary ? For adultery ? None of this ... Uncle Martino was famous for its ... pee ! On March 31st of each year, at midnight, he used to urinate from the balcony of his home, in public, to show his hate for that month, that in the past, has taken away from him, his wife and a son...
And when he approached the hour of that weird "ritual", was a rush from all over the neighborhood, and also from other parts of the city. As soon as Uncle Martino came out on the balcony, started a thunderous applause, followed by a pious silence that preceded the completion of its function (and probably under his balcony, the crowd spread out not to be "wet"). Finished urinating, including the renewed applause of the audience below, more or less Martino used to scream : "And yet this year I peed on you, fuckin' March!" It seems that fateful day he used to fill the bladder with a considerable amount of water and maybe other stuff, to take his urination as long as possible... Until a few decades ago, in fact, in some neighborhoods, when people referred to something that had lasted too much, they used to say: "It seems Zio Martino’s pee !"... We don’t know much of this character, except he was famous for this reason.
Patience... It is just to say that in his case the class surely was not... water!
Patience... It is just to say that in his case the class surely was not... water!