Centuripe – The Italian Town That’s Shaped Like a Person
-
LocationCenturipe is located in the Province of Enna, high in the hills of eastern Sicily.
-
HistoryThe town was likely founded by the Sicilians and has ancient origins.
-
LayoutThe town’s layout is designed to mirror the human form, with alleyways that resemble the contours of the body. The layout’s subtle nuances, such as the resemblance of arteries, veins, and organs, create a visual spectacle that goes beyond traditional town planning.
-
BuildingsThe buildings in Centuripe are vibrantly colored, which symbolizes vitality
Background
Centuripe is a town and commune located in Enna. It is in east-central Sicily, Italy, and only has about 5,000 inhabitants. It lies on a ridge between the Dittaino and Simento Rivers at an elevation of 2,402 feet (732 m). The history of this town dates back to at least the 5th century BC!
The Shape
Centuripe is remarkable due to its figure. Much of the shape is subjective and left up to the viewer’s creativity and imagination. The town of Centuripe appears to have a torso, two arms, two legs, and a head. Others believe that it resembles Da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man, a 5-point star, a swallow with two legs, or even a starfish!
Pio Andrea Peri, a drone snapper, uncovered the shape of the town when viewing it on Google Earth! He was unable to capture the entire “figure” in one shot because of the limit of the drone. Thus, he took the photos seen below by combining multiple other shots!
