The sicilian cart was born as a means of transport of goods and people. It is the best known and the most characteristic object of the Sicilian folk art. In these joyful and folkloristic masterpieces, yellow, red, and green, predominate representing the colors of the sun , the oranges, the sea , the sky and the fiery Sicily. The story of the sicilian chariot dates back to the early nineteenth century. Until the eighteenth century the poor development of roads on the island had limited transport to the backs of animals. Only in the early nineteenth century the chariots were built with very big wheels in order to overcome the obstacles of the “trazzere”, steep streets made up of large paths with curves, subject to landslides and full of ditches. Initially the choice of the designs fell on sacred themes for the protection of the chariot. Afterwards the repertoire was enriched with new themes due to the influence of the storytellers who told stories of knights and loves. The saints were replaced by the stories of the Paladins and by the “Rustican cavalry” Giovanni Verga’s novel dedicated to the figure of the cart. Over the years the chariot has taken a folkloristic value. The three types of chariots are:
- “U Tiralloru” which was used to transport soil.
- “U Furmentaru” which was used to transport wheat
- “U Vinaloru” which was used to transport wine.
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