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| Arianna Todisco |
Caminanti derives from the Sicilian term camminatori, which means walkers. The caminanti are a group of Sicilian wanderers, continuers of an ancient tradition centered on the word and sale of balloons.
I have been photographing the descendants of these nomads who landed in Sicily at the end of the 14th century, following the Arberesh refugees. The walkers have kept intact the original family organization, of a patriarchal type and with marriages established within the community.
The caminanti were originally nomads, but they are neither Roma nor Gypsy. They live permanently in eastern Sicily and travel for their work as balloon sellers in geographically more limited spaces. Following the coronavirus pandemic, their errant spirit is waning, but their tradition of selling balloons remains intact.