Obelisk for the 13 Victims of 14 April 1860, Palermo

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The Obelisk for the 13 Victims of 14 April 1860 (Obelisco Alle Tredici Vittime Del 14 Aprile 1860) is a monument honoring the thirteen prisoners executed, without trial, for conspiring to lead a revolt against the Bourbon monarchy. It is located in a park, the Piazza delle XIII Vittime, at the intersection of Via Cavour and Via Francesco Crispi, just north of the church of San Giorgio dei Genovesi in the ancient quarter of Castellammare of Palermo, region of Sicily, Italy. The failed plot which led to the execution of the 13 men is known as the Gancia Revolt, after the church and convent of Santa Maria della Gancia.

With the aid of some of the Franciscans, some thirty conspirators had hidden themselves and weapons in the Gancia convent, but were betrayed to the police by one of the friars, Michele da Sant’Antonino. The head of police, Salvatore Maniscalco, gathered a regiment an on 4 April 1860 stormed the convent killing nearly twenty and capturing thirteen rebels. Two were able to escape by hiding amid corpses in the crypt tombs, and later tunneling out through a small perforation in the wall (bucca della salvezza) still marked on Via Allora.

Further color is added to the events,...