The plaza of the Italy Pavilion draws from a number of cities and other parts of the country. You’ll see Venetian, Roman, and Florentine art and architecture all together to evoke the feel of Italy as a whole. And you’ll also see details from Sicily (where my own family has roots)—like this authentic carretto siciliano, a traditional Sicilian donkey cart. When road travel expanded in Sicily in the early 19th century, these ornate carts were used to transport everything from people to food and wine.
The carts are covered in carvings and brightly painted scenes from Sicilian folklore and history. And it’s not just painters that make them a reality. Each carretto siciliano has upwards of sixty working parts, crafted by cartwrights, ironsmiths, painters, and woodworkers.
The one at EPCOT is stationary, though. You can stop by on a hot day for a limoncello or a tiramisu popsicle or a variety of other drinks and frozen treats.
It’s been said, though I cannot currently verify for certain, that Giuseppe Ducato of Bagheria, near Palermo, one of the few remaining painters still practicing this dying art at the time, painted this EPCOT carretto siciliano. Whether or not that’s certain, the cart itself is a work of art in its own right. It’s easy to see a Cast Member nearby pedaling bellinis and gelato and overlook the artistry, but, like so many other things here, it’s there if you stop for a moment to look.