Isravele: The Hermit Who Turned a Lighthouse into a Cathedral of Outsider Art

Since 1997, Nino, now known as Isravele (changed from Israele in 2013), has lived as a hermit in an abandoned 19th-century military lighthouse called 'Il Semaforo borbonico' on Pizzo Sella, a promontory in Capo Gallo, Palermo, overlooking the gulfs of Sferracavallo and Mondello. Once a construction worker in the Zen district, he experienced a divine calling in 1985 and left his family and job to pursue a life of solitude and prayer. He transformed the dilapidated structure into a dazzling temple, or 'turris aurea,' covered in mosaics made from found materials, paintings, and symbols including Stars of David, angels with swords, hearts, and pop culture figures like Ken the Warrior and Bruce Lee. His work is considered a masterpiece of Outsider Art, blending technical skill, symbolic complexity, and visionary spirituality. The site is threatened by lack of protection, as no preservation order exists from the Soprintendenza. Scholars like Eva Di Stefano, director of the Osservatorio Outsiderart at the University of Palermo, and art historian Rachele Fiorelli have documented his story. The future of the lighthouse remains uncertain, though similar sites like Filippo Bentivegna's castle in Sciacca have become regional museums.