Vizzini is a town and ''

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 ...

'' in the

Metropolitan City of Catania The Metropolitan City of Catania ( it, Città metropolitana di Catania) is a Metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city in Sicily, southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Catania. It replaced the Province of Catania and comprises the city o ...

, on the island of

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

, southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. It is located from Catania in the

Hyblaean Mountains The Hyblaean Mountains ( scn, Munt'Ibblei; it, Monti Iblei; la, Hyblaei montes) is a mountain range in south-eastern Sicily, Italy. It straddles the provinces of Ragusa, Syracuse and Catania. The highest peak of the range is Monte Lauro, at 98 ...

, on the most northwesterly slopes of

Monte Lauro Mount Lauro is a mountain reaching 986 metres located in south-eastern Sicily belonging to the chain of Hyblaean Mountains, stretching between the three provinces of Catania, Ragusa and Siracusa. Monte Lauro is part of a complex of extinct volc ...

. The commune territory is bounded by the comuni of

Buccheri Buccheri is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily (southern Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the ...

Francofonte Francofonte ( Sicilian: ''Francufonti'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily, southern Italy, located about southeast of Palermo and about northwest of Syracuse. Francofonte borders the following municipalities: B ...

, Giarratana,

Licodia Eubea Licodia Eubea ( scn, Licuddìa) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Catania, on the island of Sicily, southern Italy. It is bounded by the comuni of Caltagirone, Chiaramonte Gulfi, Giarratana, Grammichele, Mazzarrone, Mineo, ...

Militello in Val di Catania Militello in Val di Catania ( Sicilian: ''Militeḍḍu'') is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo and about southwest of Catania, on the last slopes ...

Mineo Mineo ( scn, Minìu, Greek: ''Menaion'' and ''Μεναί'', Latin: ''Menaeum'' and ''Menaenum'') is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Catania, part of Sicily. It lies southwest of Catania, from Ragusa, Italy, Ragusa, from Gel ...

History

Bidis, a Roman city mentioned by

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, ...

and

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the est ...

, stood here in a territory that has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The modern town developed in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

around a now non-extant castle, as a

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of f ...

of various lords, including the Chiaromontes and the Schittinos, although for many years it was also part of the royal domain. In 1358,

Roland of Sicily Orlando (or Roland) (1296–1361) was the second-eldest illegitimate son of Frederick II of Sicily by his concubine Sibilla di Sormella. During his father's reign, he lived in the shadows, but he rose to influence in the courts of his half-brother ...

reconquered the area from Vizzini to

Avola Avola (; scn, Àvula/, becoming / if preceded by vowel; la, Abola) is a city and in the province of Syracuse, Sicily (southern Italy). History The foundation of the city in an area previously inhabited by the Sicani and invaded by the Si ...

. In 1415, the Jewish community of Vizzini was expelled by Queen Blanca, and was never permitted to return. On the 14th of July, 1943 the town of Vizzini was liberated from fascist forces by the British military. Specifically, by that time Vizzini was occupied by a small detachment of forces from Nazi Germany. Britain's XXX Corps under

General Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and ...

consisting largely of

M4 Sherman } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It ...

Tanks easily overpowered the small group of German tanks that were present in the town. The town had been in the American occupational zone and this caused some confusion when British forces liberated the town first.

Main sights

The Arab layout of the town is evident seen passing from Via Verga to Via San Gregorio Magno and proceeding as far as Largo della Matrice, a square with a modern statue of

St Gregory Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...

in the middle and the Chiesa Madre (mother church) of

San Gregorio Magno San Gregorio Magno (local dialect: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of southern Italy. Overview San Gregorio Magno is located in an ethnographic region of Southern Italy with a unique form of folk musi ...

at one side. The portal on the left flank of the church, in splendid 15th-century Gothic-Catalan style, probably derived from the old Town Hall, destroyed by the earthquake in

1693 Events January–March * January 11 – 1693 Sicily earthquake: Mount Etna erupts, causing a devastating earthquake that affects parts of Sicily and Malta. * January 22 – A total lunar eclipse is visible across North and South America. ...

; in the interior there are late 18th century stuccos and a wooden ceiling by

Natale Bonaiuto Natale is a village in Central District of Botswana. The village is located 30 km west of Francistown, and it has a primary school, a kgotla and a Health post. The population counted 1,117 in the 2001 census. See also *Mathangwane M ...

, as well as two paintings (''The Martyrdom of St. Laurence'' and the ''Madonna delle Mercede'') by Filippo Paladini (or Paladino), born in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

about 1544. Another painting by Paladino, ''The Deposition'' (1607), is in the Chiesa del Convento dei Cappuccini. Nearby is the church of Sant'Agata, rebuilt in the 18th century on the site of a previous 15th-century building and houses a

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''rank ...

created around 1770. The church of San Giovanni Battista was built in the 18th century. The stuccos decorating the interior are by Natale Bonaiuto. The front of the church of Santa Teresa is said to be the setting for scenes from

Cavalleria Rusticana ''Cavalleria rusticana'' (; Italian for "rustic chivalry") is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 Cavalleria rusticana (short story), short story of ...

, the libretto of which is based on the play of the same name by

Giovanni Verga Giovanni Carmelo Verga di Fontanabianca (; 2 September 1840 – 27 January 1922) was an Italian realist ('' verista'') writer, best known for his depictions of life in his native Sicily, especially the short story and later play ''Cavalleria ...

, who lived in Vizzini for a time. The statue depicting the ''Madonna and Child'' (1527) in the Chiesa dei Minori Osservanti was sculpted by

Antonello Gagini Antonello Gagini (1478–1536) was an Italian sculptor of the Renaissance, mainly active in Sicily and Calabria. Antonello belonged to a family of sculptors and artisans, originally from Northern Italy, but active throughout Italy, including Ge ...

Religious buildings

, chiesa madre. * Chiesa dello Spirito Santo *

Santa Maria di Gesù Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

and convent *

San Vito San Vito may refer to: Persons * Saint Vitus, saint, origin of all San Vito names Places *Bagnolo San Vito, province of Mantua *Celle di San Vito, province of Foggia *Monte San Vito, province of Ancona * San Vito, Sardinia, province of Cagliari * ...

* Santissima Annunziata * San Francesco di Paola * Santa Maria del Pericolo * San Sebastiano * Santa Teresa * Sant'Agata * Chiesa del Convento dei Cappuccini * Monastero Santa Maria dei Greci *

Santa Lucia Santa Lucia and similar terms may refer to: Architecture * Abbey of Santa Lucia, a medieval abbey in the comune of Rocca di Cambio, Abruzzo, central Italy * Monastero di Santa Lucia, Adrano, a former Benedictine monastery in Catania, Italy * S ...

Palaces and other buildings

* Palazzo di Citta (early 19th century) * Palazzo Verga (family of the writer)(18th century) * Palazzo di città (municipio)(Town Hall Building) * Palazzo Cannizzaro * Palazzo Passanisi * Palazzo Cafici * Palazzo La Gurna * Palazzo Trao * Palazzo Gandolfo Maggiore

Culture

The writer

used Vizzini as the setting for his ''

'' and ''Mastro Don Gesualdo'', describing places and scenes that are still recognizable (the prickly pears of

Cunziria Cunziria (also spelled Canziria) is an 18th-century village in Vizzini, Sicily. History Cunziria is situated in an open valley adjacent to hills covered with prickly pears. The buildings' structure and architectural details make it an example o ...

, and in a sloping alley the house of the Trao family).

People

(1840–1922), Italian realist writer. *

Lucio Marineo Siculo Lucio Marineo Siculo ( Vizzini, 1444 or 1445 – Spain, 1533) was a Sicilian humanist, historian and poet, known as a prominent figure of the Spanish Renaissance. He first taught Greek and Latin literature in Palermo. He moved to Spain and t ...

(1444–1533).

Humanists Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...

Scholar at the University of Salamanca, Spain, teacher of translating

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 ...

love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings ...

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

, and

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

lyrics into Spanish. Lived in the court of the Spanish kings Ferdinand and Isabel where he taught

Joan Boscà i Almogàver Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters *:Joan of Arc, a French military heroine *Joan (surname) Weather events *Tropical Storm Joan (disambiguation), multiple ...

. * Matteo Agosta (1922–1964) was an Italian politician who represented the

Christian Democracy Christian democracy (sometimes named Centrist democracy) is a political ideology that emerged in 19th-century Europe under the influence of Catholic social teaching and neo-Calvinism. It was conceived as a combination of modern democratic ...

party in the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon ...

from 1958 to 1964.

Economy

The economy of the commune is mainly

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...

(

cereal A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more foo ...

s, prickly pears,

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems ...

sumac Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Ea ...

). Other activities include handmade

shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the Foot, human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from cult ...

s and carpentry.

Transportation

Buses travel to and near Vizzini regularly from surrounding cities Catania and

Ragusa Ragusa is the historical name of Dubrovnik. It may also refer to: Places Croatia * the Republic of Ragusa (or Republic of Dubrovnik), the maritime city-state of Ragusa * Cavtat (historically ' in Italian), a town in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Cro ...

. Major operators include AST and ETNA. The railway station Vizzini-Licodia is situated 6 km outside the city in the

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

Vizzini Scalo Vizzini is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Catania, on the island of Sicily, southern Italy. It is located from Catania in the Hyblaean Mountains, on the most northwesterly slopes of Monte Lauro. The commune territory is b ...

Events

* Procession of "Sorrows" – Good Friday * "A Cugnunta" – Easter Sunday * "Ricotta and Cheese Festival" – 23, 24 and 25 April * Festival of San Giuseppe – 19 April * "Festival of Taste and Odours" – 2 June * Festival of San Giovanni Battista – 28 and 29 August * Events Verghiane – July / August * Festival of the Patron San Gregorio Magno – 2 and 3 September * "Rocksticana " – Rock music festival for emerging groups – September * Traditional "Festival of the Dead" – 30–31 October and 1 November * "Living Nativity" – December

Twin towns

Cerignola Cerignola (; nap, label=Bari dialect, Cerignolano, Ceregnòule ) is a town and ''comune'' of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, southeast from the town of Foggia. It has the third-largest land area of any ''comune'' in Italy, at , afte ...

, Italy *

Aci Catena Aci Catena ( scn, Jaci Catina) is a town and ''comune'' in Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. Main sights Among the churches in town are the Santuario Maria Santissima della Catena and Santa Lucia. Twin towns * Ceuta, Spain ...

, Italy * Livorno, Italy

References

External links

Official website of the Comune di Vizzini

InfoVizzini.it – "The website of the Citizens of Vizzini"

Vizzini Genealogy
Birth / Marriage / Death indices 1820-1860 / Military Draft Index 1840-1913)
Archived

http://www.concordanza.com/misc/si_tipol/si4.html (Page 4)]
B-26 320th Bomb Group 1943 Missions
– 10 July 1943 – Vizzini (Sicily) (Mission No.44 No. Aircraft 22) �
Scanned pdf
copy of the Mission Summary an

*
Vizzini - A Small Sicily City
{{Authority control Municipalities of the Metropolitan City of Catania