Villafrati

Villafrati is a small inland hill village in the Province of Palermo, set at about 475 metres above sea level between Palermo and Agrigento. Its landscape is rural and elevated, lying along the Milicia river and near rocky, protected countryside with thermal springs, with Rocca Busambra forming part of its wider setting. The village has a compact Sicilian character rooted in agriculture, pastoral life and strong local devotion.

Its identity comes from a feudal origin rather than from an ancient city past. Around the turn of the 17th century, Baron Don Vincenzo Spuches acquired the estate and in 1602 obtained the *licentia populandi* to establish a new inhabited centre. The settlement later became closely associated with the Filangeri family, a noble family described as being of Norman origin, before becoming an autonomous comune after the abolition of feudalism.

Villafrati is also remembered for gypsum production, with old kiln structures known as *carcari* and the local nickname *u paisi ru issu*. This combination of hill-country setting, feudal memory and rural-industrial heritage gives the village a distinct identity within the Palermo hinterland.