From the plain in front of the Sanctuary of the Holy Crucifix, following Viale Oberdan, you find yourself in a large panoramic square, the Belvedere Francesco Vivona. A prominent figure in the city, Francesco Vivona was a poet and friend of Giovanni Pascoli, who translated Virgil’s Aeneid into selected hendecasyllables.

From this vantage point, on May 15, 1860, Bourbon General Francesco Landi followed the Battle of Pianto Romano. To prevent a popular uprising or external attacks, Calatafimi was garrisoned that day by more than a thousand Neapolitan soldiers, and two cannons were aimed at the town.

To the west, atop a hill stands the Mausoleum of Pianto Romano, which houses the remains of those fallen in the battle of May 15, 1860, built to a design by Palermo architect Ernesto Basile.