Cunziria, Abandoned tannery village in Vizzini, Italy

Cunziria is an 18th-century village in Vizzini, Sicily, set in an open valley beside hills covered with prickly pears. Its huts are built of iron-coloured local stone, placed on the slopes to catch the sun and speed the drying of hides. Tanks cut into the rock, some later buried and re-exposed by recent excavations, served the tanning trade.

Cunziria grew around a spring whose water and sumac tannins supported leather tanning; huts of iron-coloured local stone were set on the sunny slopes to dry hides, and skins were cleaned in tanks cut into the rock. Tanning declined from the late 1920s and was abandoned by the 1960s. The ruins of the church of Sant'Egidio, possibly of Roman origin, remain, alongside the later church of Sant'Angelo.

Giovanni Verga featured this place in a central scene of his work Cavalleria Rusticana, making it a reference point in Italian literature. The location carries meaning today as a connection to a classic work of Italian culture.

The village is reachable on foot via hiking paths, though sturdy footwear is recommended as the ground is uneven and can be slippery in places. There is little shade, so visiting earlier in the day or during cooler temperatures works better.

The tanks where hides were cleaned were cut into the rock, and some were later filled in; recent excavations have brought several back into view. The village also keeps the ruins of the church of Sant'Egidio, which may date from Roman times, alongside the later church of Sant'Angelo.