In the presence of the President of the Region, Renato Schifani, the farmhouse where on 9 May 1978 Peppino Impastato, the proletarian democracy militant killed by the mafia for his battles against Cosa Nostra, was inaugurated in Cinisi, in the province of Palermo. The farmhouse, which had been abandoned for a long time, was restored by the Superintendency of Fine Arts. The work officially started in January 2023. The construction site, the Region explained in a note, was financed by the Sicilian Region “with resources from the 2014-2020 Development and Cohesion Fund, for a total amount of approximately 126 thousand euros”.
Schifani: “We are against the mafia”
“The restoration of the farmhouse where Peppino Impastato was killed, which involved the Region, through the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage, is in line with our commitment against the mafia. We are against organized crime without any ifs or buts”. These are Schifani’s words during the inauguration of the farmhouse. “After the massacres of ’92 – added the governor – the population reacted and a civil movement for redemption against the mafia started from Palermo. Sicily paid a very high price but from the blood of the victims a cultural revolution was born which involved the whole society.” Schifani then underlined the importance of education on legality in schools. “The Region’s commitment is across the board. We will also monitor the municipalities and the actions of the administrations”, the governor said again.
Giovanni Impastato: “The farmhouse as a place of memory”
“We will use it as a place for photographic exhibitions, we will organize debates and concerts. We will revive Peppino’s memory here.” This was reported by Peppino’s brother, Giovanni, who with his association requested the assignment of the property on loan for use to the Region. “Here Peppino’s companions found traces of his brutal murder,” he explained. “Then we were completely alone. And we were the ones who recovered my brother’s remains scattered in the area after his body was blown up.”
The inauguration ceremony
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the superintendent Adelina Giuliano, Impastato’s brother, Giovanni, the extraordinary commissioner of the Municipality of Cinisi Angelo Sajeva, the police commissioner of Palermo Vito Calvino, the prefect of Palermo Massimo Mariani as well as the president of the regional anti-mafia commission Antonello Cracolici . Some students also participated.
