Crowdfunding campaign for Franco & Ciccio monument in Palermo

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to erect a monument to the beloved Sicilian comic duo Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia in Palermo. The initiative is spearheaded by Laboratorio Saccardi, the artistic duo of Vincenzo Profeta and Marco Leone Barone (born 1977 and 1978), active in Sicily since 2002. The artists announced the fundraising on Facebook, emphasizing the need for a public and popular monument that engages the community. Franchi and Ingrassia starred in 116 films, ranging from terrible to masterpieces, and worked with directors like Pier Paolo Pasolini (Che cosa sono le nuvole?, 1968), Luigi Comencini (Pinocchio, 1972), Federico Fellini (Amarcord, 1973), and Elio Petri (Todo Modo, 1976). Their expressive faces and movements captured the hunger, bitterness, and despair of post-World War II Italy, making them icons of Sicilian and Italian culture. The proposed monument is planned for Piazza Sant'Anna al Capo, a small semi-abandoned garden in Palermo. The artists invite public participation through crowdfunding and social media, allowing interaction with the monument during its creation. A rendering of the project has been released.