Graffiti

So graffiti is a huge problem here in Sicily and Southern Italy in general. There are absolutely no controls on the purchase of spray paint. Anyone with a few Euro can buy a can. The low police presence and lack of respect for what police presence does exist, creates a perfect atmospere for teen vandalism and tagging. The tragedy is when you see graffiti on buildings older than the United States. We went and visited a Norman Castle, and there was graffiti all over it. The US hadn't been discovered yet! Yet here, it's no biggie, tag that baby up. Every once in a while though you see a work of art. These are two pieces painted near our home. Don't ask me to explain the symbolism on the "mammory soup" one, but the writing on the old man one translates roughly to "for the Sicilian culture, looking forward to a better future."