Bastone siciliano
Also known as: vastuni sicilianu, paranza lunga
A Sicilian stick about 1.2 m long made of wild olive or other hardwood, the weapon of rural stick fighting that has been codified as a sport since the 1970s.
Quick Facts
ItalyAbout the weapon
Bastone siciliano, in Sicilian vastuni sicilianu, also called paranza lunga, is both the stick and the art of Sicilian stick fighting. According to tradition it arose in the 13th century during the Sicilian Vespers, when the ruling Angevins forbade the local population to carry swords and Sicilians turned to sticks; there is also a legend of a shepherd who astonished attackers with his skill with his walking stick. We have not been able to establish this origin historically: the only detailed source we found is a popular-science article, and encyclopedic sources do not cover the topic. The traditional stick measures about 1.2 m. Four woods are sought: wild olive (agghiastru), bitter orange (aranciu amaru), wild pear (piru prainu), and the rare rusedda. After harvesting, the wood is carefully tempered over fire. Several styles, called tirata, are distinguished: cavalleresca, fiorata, battuta, ruotata, and giocata. In the 1970s, the traditional martial arts of Sicilian peasants and shepherds began to be codified as a contact sport; researchers were assisted by Vito Presti of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. In 2013 the Associazione Nazionale Bastone Siciliano was founded. Letterio Tomarchio created the offshoot Liu-Bo, whose name combines his nickname with the Japanese word bō, staff; it is recognized by the Italian sports committee CSEN.