Agrigento, a small municipality on the southern coast of Sicily, is a gem of history and a top destination for lovers of antiquity and landscapes. Its history dates back to the 6th century BC, and along its rugged coastline, travelers can enjoy the Valley of the Temples, promoted by Italian authorities as “one of the world’s greatest archaeological sites.”

Despite this history and its UNESCO recognition, visitors to the town often leave with souvenirs that remind them of a less educational side of the city: its ties to the mafia. Your mayor is fed up. And enough said.

Mafia magnets banned. Tired of his town being associated with Cosa Nostra, Agrigento mayor Francesco Miccichè decided enough was enough. At the end of August, he issued a municipal order that sought to blur the connection to the Italian mafia. Or at least prevent merchants from profiting from it and tourists from returning home to spread it around the world. Like? Banning the sale of mafia-related souvenirs.

“In a positive sense”. The order was signed on the 20th and could not have been more emphatic. Miccichè declared to the entire town a strict and extendable ban on the sale of “any object, souvenir or gadget that glorifies or simply refers to the mafia and organized crime in any way or form in ‘positive terms'”. And to ensure that the authorization did not remain on paper, he gave the police the green light to comply with it.

“Family mafia”The order is so strange that it has attracted the attention of other countries’ media such as Euro News, Business Insider or Time Out, but it is better understood when you wander around the souvenir shops of Agrigento.

Sicily National Park He explained that it is not difficult to find shop windows displaying mafia-related souvenirs on Via Atenea, one of the city’s busiest streets. One particularly popular one is a black-dressed Sicilian figure known as a lupara, with a sawed-off shotgun and the words “U mafiusu” written on it. There are also figures of a couple with guns in a car or elsewhere, showing the entire family, including parents and child, with the words “famiglia mafiusa” referring to “The Godfather”.

But… Why now? Because this is a particularly important moment for Agrigento. Although the town is a recognized tourist destination for both its landscapes and its archaeological remains, in 2025 it will have a special visibility: it will be the cultural capital of Italy, with the position it has achieved after leaving behind other towns such as Assisi, Orvieto , Roccasecca or Spoleto and this is accompanied by an injection of funds to be able to show off its culture.

In the choice of the Minister of Culture, of course, Agrigento’s connection with Cosa Nostra did not weigh heavily on what the authorities themselves call “the rich cultural heritage of the region”. And that is what the mayor now wants to promote, even if it means banning the ‘Godfather’ magnets. As part of his candidacy, Agrigento has launched a joint programme with Lampedusa and other municipalities that will revolve around elements of Empedocles and will have 44 projects.

A city that smells of history.Decision Miccichè is a clear reminder of Agrigento’s rich history. And its many and varied nuances. As noted in the World History Encyclopedia, the ancient polis that served as its cradle was founded around 580 BC by settlers from Rhodes and Crete and at its peak was home to several hundred thousand inhabitants and a prosperous economy reflected in its architecture. It dates from the 5th century BC and is still preserved. The destination is famous for the Valley of the Temples, a turning point in Mediterranean history, and its archaeological remains are protected by UNESCO for their value.

But the region is also known for a less educational aspect: its ties to the mafia. Italian police even recently reported arrests of members of the crime syndicate in Agrigento. In fact, Micchichè is not the first attempt to ward off tourism and the mafia. In 2023, regional authorities moved to ensure that at least certain ferries no longer sell Cosa Nostra-related souvenirs. The goal was exactly the same as that which prompted Agrigento’s municipal order: not to tarnish Sicily’s image.

Images | Verity Cridland (Flickr) and Komers Real (Flickr)

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