ITS22 Visit the little port of Mondello

The students discover a lovely little port and how the city manages sustainable development with sea.

Mondello is a district of Palermo but feels a world away from the chaotic city. It is 12 kilometers from Palermo and separated from the city by the Parco della Favorita, further enhancing the feeling of being a totally separate town. The two promontories - Monte Gallo and Monte Pellegrino, both have nature preserves, and ancient historical sites, so Mondello really does rest in its own world, in a sense.
The beaches on the half-moon bay are simply splendid, with soft sand that arcs along the gulf and provides beautiful views. The seafront is studded with cedar and palm trees, and Liberty-style villas. Our students discovered the town which has all the services and shops you'd want, with some excellent restaurants, nice cafes, and beach bars. 
The town is spread out, but the best views come from the panoramic overlook atop Monte Pellegrino.
Mondello was a well-established agricultural town by the 15th century. It was originally a fishing village centred aroundwhat is now the main piazza. Two fortified towers were erected there in the 15th century as part of Sicily’s coastaldefences. In 1910, a Belgian company, Les Tramways de Palerme, purchased a significant portion of the seafront,promising to create a prestigious seaside resort that would rival Nice and its Promenade des Anglais. The “Mondelloproject” quickly became the talk of the town and soon Palermo’s aristocratic families began buying up lots and commissioning the city’s best architects. This concentration of Art Nouveau architecture is the unique, defining featureof Mondello. It was, in essence, a model village. The jewel in the crown was the Stabilimento Balneare, a magnificentArt Nouveau gem built on stilts above the aquamarine waters. The architect, Rudolf Stualker, had originally designedthe bathing station for Ostend in Belgium, but thought it would look much better in the Mediterranean climes of Mondello. Accessed by a wooden, pier-like bridge, the Stabilimento Balneare is a yellow and white ode to the Liberty Style. Our pupils enjoyed the fine sand and the gently shelving, shallow, placid waters as ideal place. Its nautical clubs have produced World and Olympic Champions in sailing and windsurfing, and there are plenty of water sports opportunities for amateurs too, including kayaking, surfing, paddle boarding, sailing and windsurfing.

Students spent a great peace moment in this small village and discuss as old friends with the all group.