The area on which Baglio Pilo stands, in the catchment area of the San Vincenzo-Vallone della Grazia stream, in the 15th-17th centuries lay within a vast sugarcane plantation and was occupied by a tower and a number of buildings, which were in close relation to the recently discovered trappeto in some sectors of the catacomb below. Among the buildings adjacent to the tower, some were used for the operations of cooking the juice extracted from the ground reeds in the trappeto; others served as warehouses and rooms to house the workers; and others were stables to house the animals used in the operation of the trappeto and in the transport of the harvest and finished product.
The Baglio underwent a major renovation of the spaces thanks to the intervention of the La Grua Talamanca family, to whom we also owe the large body of the building where the museum building now stands.
The baglio renovation project included the consolidation of the wall faces and part of the building’s foundations, the construction of a new wooden roof, thermally insulated floors and walls, and new installations. In order to fully verify the state of the existing floor in relation to the underlying structure of the catacombs, it was necessary to perform a georadar analysis, which confirmed the data reported in the papers at the Salinas, regarding the sector below the Baglio and under the SS113 road axis.
NOW PRIVATE PROPERTY
The execution of new excavation essays inside the Baglio brought to light a cistern with a 19th-century “bell-shaped” profile and outside, adjacent to the south wall of the building, a 20th-century concrete trough.
In the face of the 9000 square meters of underground cemetery surface, of which about 1500 can be visited by the public, the Baglio with the museum layout of its rooms in addition to improving the enjoyment of the catacombs, offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about the history of the territory of Carini through the results of archaeological research.
The display of interesting finds and the aid of new audio-visual technologies will allow each visitor to enjoy a unique and engaging experience.
