Mussomeli
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Mussomeli | |
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| Comune di Mussomeli | |
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 Coat of arms | |
Location of Mussomeli  | |
  Mussomeli Location of Mussomeli in Italy  Mussomeli Mussomeli (Sicily) | |
| Coordinates: 37°34′46″N 13°45′09″E / 37.57944°N 13.75250°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Sicily |
| Province | Caltanissetta (CL) |
| Frazioni | Mappa, Polizzello |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Giuseppe Catania |
| Area | |
| • Total | 161 km2 (62 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 650 m (2,130 ft) |
| Population (January 31, 2004)[2] | |
| • Total | 11,354 |
| • Density | 71/km2 (180/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Mussomelesi |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| 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.
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 Latin or Arab origin, was imposed. 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. This created a depopulation problem in the town, and as of 2021 the town is seeking foreign purchasers of the empty houses in central Mussomeli.[4]
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), journalist and poet
Main sights
[edit]
- The Chiaramonte Castle Castello Manfredonico, 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]- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ George Dennis (1864). A handbook for travellers in Sicily. Oxford University. p. 247.
- ^ Moore, Tim (23 October 2021). "An Italian house for less than €1 - what's the catch?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
External links
[edit]| International | |
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| National | |
