Origin of the name "Saponara"
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Saponara is a small Sicilian village which owes its name to a plant.
The term Saponara in fact derives from the name of the plant Saponaria Officinalis, once very widespread in the area. The peculiarity of this plant is given by the fact that its root is rich in saponin, a substance which, when in contact with water, produces an excellent foam as a natural detergent.
The cleansing properties of this plant were in the past exploited by the women of the village who went to wash clothes in the tanks of the Bottesco Fountain which were continuously filled with water coming from the heights of the Peloritani and naturally soaked in saponin.
