Castelbuono: the race that gets the whole region moving

This is well documented in the book published to mark the anniversary, *Il Giro Podistico Internazionale di Castelbuono 1912/2026. 100 edizioni tra sport, storia, fede, cultura* (The Castelbuono International Road Race 1912/2026: 100 editions of sport, history, faith and culture), edited by Martino Spallino, Tommaso Raimondo and Antonio Castiglia for Edizioni Le Madonie. It is not merely a roll of honour. It is the story of a community that has kept a race alive through wars, financial crises, organisational changes, social transformations and periods of renewal.

The first edition dates back to 1912. It was organised by the Nebrodese Sports Club, under the auspices and at the expense of the Committee for the organisation of the patron saint’s festival of Saint Anne. From the very beginning, therefore, the race was rooted in the social and economic life of the town: sport, religious festival, trade and public participation. It was not yet regional marketing, but it already possessed some of its characteristics: attracting people, generating interest, and giving the town an event that stood out.

The most significant story dates back to the 1920s. When the Giro was in danger of being cancelled, *Il Bancarello*, the local newspaper edited by Giovanni Lupo, stepped in to take the reins. It was not merely a publication that reported on the event, but one that helped to organise it. Lupo, who was already one of the founders of the Sport Club Nebrodese, even went so far as to pay the competitors out of his own pocket during times of financial difficulty.

From *Il Bancarello* to *L’Eco delle Madonie*, right through to *Le Madonie*, the local press has covered the Giro for decades, preserving its reports, results, images and history. Even before social media campaigns and press offices, Castelbuono had already built up a lasting narrative around the race.

This is where the company’s role comes in. Not simply as a sponsor, not just as a logo displayed along the route, but as part of a deeper relationship with the local area. The Fiasconaro case is emblematic. The family that has put Castelbuono on the international pastry map has been linked to the race for generations. In the centenary book, this connection is also evident through the photographs: the Extrabar Fiasconaro, in Piazza Margherita, ‘where sport is at home’; Gelindo Bordin being honoured in 1988 by Don Mario Fiasconaro; the family bar as a meeting place for athletes, organisers, journalists and local residents.

“My father Mario saw the Giro as a family and community affair,” says Fausto Fiasconaro. “The Extrabar, in Piazza Margherita, became a meeting place during the race: athletes, organisers, journalists and friends would all drop by. Supporting the Giro means giving something back to Castelbuono and continuing a bond that goes back a long way.”

The 100th edition thus becomes a litmus test. It is not enough to say that the Giro is historic, prestigious and beloved. Meanwhile, one fact remains – not a figure, but an obvious one: for 100 editions, Castelbuono has regarded the Giro not as an expense to be borne, but as a heritage to be defended. Mayor Mario Cicero writes in the centenary book: ‘The Giro Podistico is part of Castelbuono’s heritage: it tells the story of its citizens, its entrepreneurs, its workers, and those who strive tirelessly every day to bring prestige to our culture and our identity’. A tangible mark of the hundred editions of the Castelbuono Giro will be the new ‘Walk of Fame’ created at the starting line, with the names of all the winners engraved in stone and two illuminated steles to preserve their memory.