Where to go when you are thirsty in Sicily

Thirsty can mean two things. It could either mean you want to drink or it could mean you are looking for something more of a sexual nature. Whichever one it is there is this place that answers those needs in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

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I am writing this article right now because I encountered this reel on Instagram (on the right) that just had me in stitches. I suppose it helps that I am mostly open-minded which is why I found it funny, not offensive.

It made me think of Andre, a character in the story Hybrid Alpha by Bryant who, when he was still unmated, was known for his sexcapades with shifters and humans alike. He is openly and unapologetically gay and I just know that Turrisi Bar would be a place he would go to for giggles. Also, Andre lives in Sicily so it surely isn’t that far from where the Incubi pack is located.

You know what? I’ve thought about it and, yes, I am convinced that Andre is a regular of Turrisi Bar, lol!

Turrisi Bar is in Sicily

Turrisi Bar or Bar Turrisi is an establishment in Castelmola, Sicily that has been around since 1947 and, yes, phalluses are a thing there. You will see it in the statuary, paintings, door handles, furniture and fixtures, some of the wine bottles, and let us not forget the faucets.

That faucet in the video was interesting, I must admit. Not that it is shaped like a phallus but that it needs to be handled like an actual penis to make the water come out! I don’t want to explain the how or why for the uninformed but suffice it to say, this is definitely not a place we would want to bring our “innocent” friends if we want to preserve their innocence or naivete.

To be clear, though, it is a faucet so there better not be anyone attempting to mount it. That would just break the sink!

What is the story behind all the phalluses in Turrisi Bar?

I went to the website (which is in Italian) I used Google Translate to read what it says on the page called “The Phalluses” found within “The Bar” main link with some minor tweaks from me. Note, on the page there are paintings on the side that support the text I copied and pasted below. Here is an excerpt of what it says:

It was these places that hosted the first gay communities under the Mediterranean sun, in the last decades of the nineteenth century: fragile, restless, and refined offspring of illustrious and wealthy families, who cradled here the “existential torments of an already decadent Europe”, real and presumed intellectuals, darkened in the salons of London, Paris, Berlin, who in the small “oasis” of Sicily indulged in all kinds of extravagance, unbridledness and freedom.

The idea of the phallus certainly initially aroused great dismay, especially for the parish priest, but in reality, it is a symbol by no means vulgar, it is also found in the culture of the Greeks, ancient colonizers of this land. It is the god Priapus who represented fertility, freedom, luck, life, and beauty in ancient Greece. These ideals, which have always hovered in the air of this hot and arid land, find a well-defined location in this bar, which together with the other choreographic elements, such as Sicilian carts, puppets, cart keys, etc. tries to synthesize part of Sicilian culture.

The phallus is also a symbol that in ancient times represented the antidote against the evil eye, whose effectiveness certainly cannot be denied. Today this place continues to carry on what history has left, without neglecting the needs of the present.

Turrisi offers more

Having a phallic-themed establishment may not be unique in itself but it is certainly different a good way to start a conversation and drum up interest not only in the bar but also in the town where it is located. They even have a B&B called Casa Turrisi where travelers can stay and appreciate the beauty of Castelmola.

If you want to bring home a little bit of Turrisi Bar with you they also have an online store called Vino Mandorla. I don’t know if their wines are expensive or not but the Phallic Shot that contains 3 cl costs €7, 10 cl Phallic bottle costs €12, and the 50 cl bottle is €25.

When I converted that to Philippine Peso I fell out of my seat. The wines are supposed to be good but I think we are mostly paying for the uniqueness of the bottle. As a matter of fact, we COULD purchase an empty phallic shot bottle for €3.