Mussomeli
| Mussomeli | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comune | ||
| Comune di Mussomeli | ||
|
||
| Location of Mussomeli in Italy | ||
| Coordinates: 37°35′N 13°45′E / 37.583°N 13.750°ECoordinates: 37°35′N 13°45′E / 37.583°N 13.750°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Sicily | |
| Province / Metropolitan city | Caltanissetta (CL) | |
| Frazioni | Mappa, Polizzello | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Salvatore Calà | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 161 km2 (62 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 650 m (2,130 ft) | |
| Population (January 31, 2004) | ||
| • Total | 11,354 | |
| • Density | 71/km2 (180/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Mussomelesi | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 93014 | |
| Dialing code | 0934 | |
| Patron saint | Madonna of the Miracles | |
| Saint day | September 8 | |
| Website | Official website | |
Mussomeli (Mussumeli in Sicilian) is a town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy.
The name of the town is derived from Arabic.[1][2] The most common surname in Mussomeli is Messina.
Contents
History[edit]
Mussomeli is claimed to have been founded in the 14th century by Manfredo III Chiaramonte[3] with the name Manfredi, but later the current name, of Arab origin, was reimposed. In 1549 it became a county under the Lanza family.
Culture[edit]
A feast is held every September for the Madonna of the Miracles. A similar feast is held simultaneously in Buffalo, NY, which has a large number of Mussomeli émigrés and their descendants.
Diaspora[edit]
Many townspeople emigrated to the UK, to London and Woking, Surrey where the Madonna dei Miracoli (Madonna of Miracles) is celebrated every July.
People linked to Mussomeli[edit]
- Don Francesco Langela (1598-1679)
- Don Giuseppe Langela, majon in 1625 and in 1648
- Paolo Emiliani Giudici (1812-1872), writer and literary critic
- Salvatore Frangiamore (1853-1915) painter
- Giuseppe Sorge (1857-1937), historian, prefect and director of the public security
- Giuseppe Genco Russo (1893-1976), mafioso
- Santo Sorge (1908-1972), mafioso
- Domenico Canalella (1914-1978), priest and italian translator
- Salvatore Cardinale (1948), italian politician
- Roberto Mistretta (1963), journanist and poet
Main sights[edit]
- The Chiaramonte Castle Castello Mafredonico, built in 1370 in Norman-Gothic style. It stands on a high crag, elevation 778 metres (2,552 ft), 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) outside the town. It has large halls, dungeons and torture cells, and a chapel with a precious alabaster depicting the Madonna dell Catena (1516). Near the castle are the ruins of a Greek-Italic village.
- The Santuario della Madonna dei Miracoli (Church of Our Lady of the Miracles)
- The Chiesa Madre of San Ludovico (14th century). It was restored along Baroque lines in the 17th century.
- The Renaissance church of San Francesco.
- The 17th Palazzo Trabìa, with a noteworthy art gallery.
- The church of St. Anthony (16th century)
References[edit]
- ^ Giuseppe Quatriglio (1991). A Thousand Years in Sicily: From the Arabs to the Bourbons (illustrated ed.). Legas / Gaetano Cipolla. p. 17. ISBN 9780921252177.
- ^ Isaac Taylor (1865). Words and Places: Or, Etymological Illustrations of History, Ethnology, and Geography. Macmillan. p. 101.
- ^ George Dennis (1864). A handbook for travellers in Sicily. Oxford University. p. 247.
External links[edit]
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