Snowfields

The 24 snowfields scattered throughout the territory of Buccheri, a charming mountain village in the province of Syracuse, represent a valuable historical and cultural heritage. Witnesses of a world now distant in time, these particular structures tell us how the inhabitants of Buccheri were able to exploit the elevated position of the village (820 m above sea level) and the abundant winter snowfalls to their advantage, giving rise to a trade and commerce that later became legend.

An ancient trade: the "nivaruolo" and snow collection
The "nivaruolo" was a key character in the daily life of Buccheri, the one who was in charge of collecting the snow that fell during the winter in order to store it inside the "neviere. These structures, characterized by a dome shape or dug into the ground, were made of stone and allowed the snow to be kept cool until the summer season.

Once the snow was stored in these neviere, the "nivaruolo" had the task of turning it into blocks of ice that were then sold for a wide variety of uses, including export as far as Malta, demonstrating the extent of the trade associated with this ancient practice.

The historical memory of snowfields and a popular saying
With the advent of modern refrigerators and refrigeration systems, the trade of "nivaruolo" and the trade related to neviere disappeared in the last century. However, the neviere remain as a symbol of Buccheri's history and traditions, bearing witness to a time when the link with nature and its resources was essential to the survival and well-being of the community.

An old popular saying goes, "Buccheri cu la nivi è mpastatu, rrara è dd'annata ca nun-ha-nnivicatu" ("Buccheri with snow is kneaded, rare is that year that has not snowed"), underscoring the importance that snow had in the life of the village and its livelihood.