Arvulu Rossu first stage of Catania Rainbow
© Roberta Schilirò
Arvulu Rossu Tree
Culture, Tipical places
Via Cardinale Dusmet, 2 - 95121 Catania
A place symbolic of a past sociality, forbidden and lived in hiding by a part of the Catanese citizenry.
A dialect term that can be translated as “Big Tree” is used by the Catanese citizenry to refer to the large Platano present at the intersection of Via Porticello and Via Cardinale Dusmet, a symbol of extreme importance for the local LGBTQIA+ community.
This stage linked to the memory of the forty-five “iarrusi” has been for decades a meeting point for different members belonging to different social classes and neighborhoods of the city: the homosexual group from San Berillo and the group residing in San Cristoforo.
The Avvulu Rossu, with its mighty roots, represents today the symbol of a past sociality, forbidden and lived in clandestinity by a part of Catania’s citizenry.