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__NOTOC__ Bronte ( aae, Brontë) is a town and comune in the
Metropolitan City of Catania The Metropolitan City of Catania ( it, Città metropolitana di Catania) is a metropolitan city in Sicily, southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Catania. It replaced the Province of Catania and comprises the city of Catania and other 57 municip ...
, in Sicily, southern Italy. The town is situated approximately west-northwest from Mount Etna, on the side of the valley of the
Simeto The Simeto (; scn, Simetu; la, Symaethus; el, Σύμαιθος) is a long river in Sicily, southern Italy. At , it is the second longest river on the island after the Salso (also known as Southern Imera), but the most important in terms of wa ...
river, and about west from
Giarre Giarre ( scn, Giarri) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily. The town is located about southeast of Palermo and around north of Catania. Geography Giarre is bounded by the municipalities of Acireale, Mascal ...
and Sicily's eastern coast. Bronte's economy relies mostly on farming, particularly of
pistachio The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as f ...
nuts. The town was settled and historically inhabited by the Arbëreshë community.


History

Bronte's name derives from that of one of the
Cyclopes In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
in Greek mythology and it means "The Thunderer". Legend has it that the Cyclopes lived under Mount Etna. In 1520
Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...
united the twenty-four hamlets of the surrounding area, which formed the town of Bronte. Mount Etna nearly destroyed the town three times, in 1651, in 1832, and finally in 1843. In 1799, King Ferdinand III created Bronte as a Duchy, and rewarded admiral
Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...
with the title of Duke for the help he had provided him in suppressing the revolution in Naples and so in recovering his throne. As well as being made a Duke, Nelson was given as a fief the
Castello di Maniace Maniace (Italian: ''Maniace''; Sicilian dialect: ''Maniaci'') is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about east of Palermo and about northwest of Catania. The municipality bear ...
, which at the time was the remains of a Benedictine monastery. The Castle passed into the Bridport family when the 1st Viscount Bridport married the then Duchess of Bronte, who was Admiral Nelson's niece. The Bridports continued to live in the castle until 1982 when the current Viscount sold the property to the Comune of Bronte. Today it is a local tourist attraction in Maniace, and has been restored (including the recreation of ceramic-tiled floors) by the Comune. It is built in the style of an English country house (with formal garden) set in the hills of eastern Sicily. In 1860, during Giuseppe Garibaldi's Expedition of the thousand, there was a citizen's revolt. Sicilian peasants had hoped for - and did not get from Garibaldi - reforms from the restrictive conditions imposed by noble landowners. This hope had been reinforced by Garibaldi's decree of 2 June 1860 that land would be re-distributed. The southerners revolted in several localities including at Bronte, where 16 were cruelly massacred. Buildings were also set on fire, including the thea­tre, the municipal archive, other builds andany houses. On August 5th, 1860, Garibaldi's sent general Girolamo ("Nino") Bixio with two battalions of bersaglieri to restore order in Bronte. Bixio reached Bronte the next day and repressed the riots. On the 9th trials where hastily setup, which only lasted for four hours and led to the summary executions of six people. The facts and details of the riots and it's repression have been the subject of reinterpretation and debate.


Main sights

* Castello Nelson – a museum about north from the town center. Originally an abbey dating to 1174, it has a Gothic-Norman portico and contains a Byzantine icon which, according to tradition, was painted by St Luke. * Church of the Annunziata (1535) * Collegio Capizzi (1774–1779)


Twin towns

*
Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
, Ireland


References


Sources

* Pratt, Michael (2006); ''Nelson's Duchy: A Sicilian Anomaly'', Spellmount Publishers Ltd. *Fleming, Ian. ''Thunderball''. (1961) Penguin Group. . P-076


External links


Photographic gallery


guide Arbëresh settlements {{Sicily-geo-stub