Also marked in the early twentieth century by the emigration of many sailors to the Americas in search of better fortune, Giorgio La Pira was born on 9 January 1904, son of Gaetano and Angela Occhipinti, a seamstress in Via Giulia, 8. His birthplace is an earthen building, raised above the road axis with the traditional "terrace" in front from which it is accessed. It is located in the "Vicci" district, located in the heart of the historic urban center and protected by the nearby Mother Church of Madonna del Rosario, where he was baptized (on 7 February 1904) and where he went to pray during his stays in Pozzallo.
The human and Christian story of Giorgio La Pira began in these places, and on 5 November 1977 he concluded his earthly pilgrimage in Florence.
After finishing primary school, in 1914 he was sent by his parents to study in Messina, with his uncle Enrico Occhipinti. Three years later he enrolled at the accounting institute, obtaining his diploma in 1921. The following year he also passed the classical high school exam in Palermo, under the supervision of the Italian professor Federico Rampolla del Tindaro, who directed him to continue his studies in law.
The Christian ideal of peace and justice sustains him in recent years, made difficult by a serious illness and painful isolation. Giorgio La Pira was initially buried in the Rifredi cemetery. Subsequently, his body was transferred to the Basilica of San Marco in Florence, where it still remains.
The site is a destination for pilgrims, devotees of the Blessed Pozzallo, who stop in front of the house, most of the time, reciting prayers and remembering the figure of the former mayor of Florence.