Belmonte Mezzagno ( Sicilian: ''Bellumunti'' but more properly ''U Mizzagnu'' in the local version of the Sicilian language) is a ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

region

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, located about south of Palermo. Belmonte Mezzagno was founded in 1752, when Prince Giuseppe Emanuele Ventimiglia asked and obtained the "Licentia Populandi" from King Charles III. The first urban settlement of the country was the "Bagghiu", a large open-air court, where the houses overlooked and was accessed by a large common entrance dominated by an arch placed at the edge of the Spatola torrent, where inhabitants could easily draw water. The first census taken in 1752 by the priest, don Stefano Grasso, shows that there were 64 houses and 185 inhabitants. The Bourbon army destroyed much of the town by fire on May 8, 1849 as retribution for the towns support of the 1848 Sicilian revolution. In the State Archives of Palermo, there is a request by priest don Nicolo Lo Valvo for compensation for pastoral services in the land of Belmonte prior to its official founding from September 1741 to December 1742. It is not known for certain whether the land was being occupied seasonally or permanently during this period of time. The first church, founded in 1756, soon became too small for the growing community. The result was the construction of the Chiesa Madre del SS. Crocifisso in 1776 which is still a center of life in Belmonte Mezzagno today. Belmonte Mezzagno is famous for its olive oil and

goat's milk cheese Goat cheese, or chèvre ( or ; from French language, French ''fromage de chèvre'' 'goat cheese'), is cheese made from goat's milk. Goats were among the first animals to be domesticated for producing food. Goat cheese is made around the world w ...

. Benedetto Spera, member of the Sicilian Mafia convicted ''

in absentia is Latin for absence. , a legal term, is Latin for "in the absence" or "while absent". may also refer to: * Award in absentia * Declared death in absentia, or simply, death in absentia, legally declared death without a body * Election in ab ...

'' of the killings of anti-mafia judges

Paolo Borsellino Paolo Emanuele Borsellino (; scn, Pàulu Borsellino; 19 January 1940 – 19 July 1992) was an Italian judge and prosecuting magistrate. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, Sicily, he spent most of his professional life trying t ...

and

Giovanni Falcone Giovanni Falcone (; 18 May 1939 – 23 May 1992) was an Italian judge and prosecuting magistrate. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, Sicily, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Sicilian ...

was born in Belmonte Mezzagno.

Demographic evolution

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References

External links

www.comune.belmonte.pa.it/
{{authority control Municipalities of the Metropolitan City of Palermo