Sambuca di Sicilia
Comune
Comune di Sambuca di Sicilia
Location of Sambuca di Sicilia
Sambuca di Sicilia is located in Italy
Sambuca di Sicilia
Sambuca di Sicilia
Location of Sambuca di Sicilia in Italy
Sambuca di Sicilia is located in Sicily
Sambuca di Sicilia
Sambuca di Sicilia
Sambuca di Sicilia (Sicily)
Coordinates: 37°38′56″N 13°06′46″E / 37.6488307°N 13.1128226°E / 37.6488307; 13.1128226
CountryItaly
RegionSicily
ProvinceAgrigento (AG)
Government
 • MayorLeonardo Ciaccio
Area
[1]
 • Total96.37 km2 (37.21 sq mi)
Elevation
364 m (1,194 ft)
Population
 (30 November 2016)[2]
 • Total5,878
 • Density61/km2 (160/sq mi)
DemonymSambucese
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
92017
Dialing code0925
Patron saintSt. George
Saint day23 April
WebsiteOfficial website

Sambuca di Sicilia (Sicilian: Sammuca) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region Sicily, located about 68 kilometres (42 mi) southwest of Palermo and about 89 kilometres (55 mi) northwest of Agrigento. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").[3]

Sambuca di Sicilia borders the following municipalities; Bisacquino, Caltabellotta, Contessa Entellina, Giuliana, Menfi, Santa Margherita di Belice, and Sciacca.

Sambuca di Sicilia in Agrigento

History

The origins of the name Sambuca are uncertain. The main assumptions: from the Greek stringed instrument Sambuca ; or from Sambucus, commonly referred to as elderberry plants, widespread since antiquity in the valley of Lake Arancio. Leonardo Sciascia breaks down the name Sambuca in As-Sambuqah and interprets it as a "remote place".[4] Until 1928 the town was called Sambuca Zabut. In 1928, Benito Mussolini removed "Zabut" and added "di Sicilia".

Sambuca, founded by ancient Greek colonists, rose to regional prominence as a trading hub after invading Arab Muslims took over around 830, a few years after their landing in Sicily. According to the folk tradition, It was called Zabuth, in remembrance of the emir Zabut ("The Splendid One") Al-Arab, who built a castle at that place, on the slopes of Mount Genuardo, between the rivers Belice and Sosius, 350 meters above sea level. Zabut Al-Maghrebi was a follower of the ascetic Ibn Mankud,[5] "Burning Warrior of faith," Lord of the independent Kabyle of Trapani, Marsala, Sciacca.

Zabut was inhabited by a Muslim population until the 13th century, when it was conquered by Frederick II.

From the 15th to 19th centuries, Sambuca experienced alternating extremes of prosperity and poor economic times. The court passed the Roman family Barberini and new neighborhoods were built, the city wall was expanded, and palaces, baronial mansions, churches, monasteries, and convents were built. The Land of Sambuca was promoted from barony to marquessate with the privilege of Philip II of Spain (Madrid 15 November 1570). On 16 September 1666, the Marquessate of Sambuca passed to the Beccadelli family from Bologna, who had risen to the rank of princes of the Principality of Camporeale.

Sambuca in the 19th century was rich with culture, and in those years an enlightened middle class emerged. The writer, poet and patriot Vincenzo Navarro (it) died there in 1867.

The town's population declined in the 21st century due to its lacking economy and low birth rate. The population in the 2010s was 5834. Since the 2012 census, the town has seen a decrease of over 200 inhabitants.

Sambuca di Sicilia gained international media attention in January 2019 for selling homes in an auction with a starting price of €1,[6][7][8][9][10][11] in hopes of attracting foreign residents to stop the area's depopulation.[12][13] This became the basis for the HGTV documentary television series shot there, My Big Italian Adventure, starring American actress Lorraine Bracco and chronicling her months-long effort to renovate a roughly 200-year-old €1 townhouse at Via Guglielmo Marconi.[14][15][16][17]

Geography

The city has an area of 37 square miles (96 km2). The territory of Sambuca di Sicilia is located in 42.25 miles (67.99 km) from Palermo, about 21 miles (34 km) from the archaeological park of Selinunte, and about 21 miles (34 km) from Lido Fiori, location of a Blue Flag beach. Perched on a hill, with a Belvedere terrace at its peak, the town is surrounded by hills and woods, Mount Genuardo (3,305 feet - 1,007 m), and the valleys of the river Carboj that form the reservoir of Lake Arancio.

Main sights

Belvedere terrace
  • Belvedere terrace
  • remains of the castle of the Emir.
  • palace Panitteri (17th century), home of the ethno-anthropological museum)
  • Palazzo dell'Arpa (town hall)
  • Palazzo Ciaccio
  • setti vaneddi (seven Saracen alleyways)

Outside the center, are the ancient towers of Pandolfina and Cellaro, the Fortino di Mazzallakkar which emerge only in the summer months when the lake level is lowered. On Adranon mountain there is the 4th century BC archaeological complex. There is an old Arab house in the holiday area of Adragna.

Churches

Chiesa di Santa Caterina.
  • Santuario di Maria SS. dell'Udienza and Carmelites convent
  • Chiesa della Matrice
  • Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo
  • Chiesa del Rosario
  • Chiesa della Madonna dei Vassalli
  • Chiesa del Purgatorio
  • Chiesa di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria and Benedictine monastery
  • Chiesa della Concezione
  • Chiesa di Gesù e Maria
  • Chiesa di San Giuseppe
  • Chiesa di San Calogero
  • Chiesa di Santa Lucia
  • Chiesa di Sant'Antonino
  • Chiesa della Bammina
  • Chiesa di San Giuseppe del Serrone
  • Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista
  • Convento dei Cappuccini
  • Collegio di Maria
  • Monastero di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

Twin towns


References

  1. ↑ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ↑ All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.
  3. ↑ "Sicilia" (in Italian). Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  4. ↑ Ciongoli, A. Kenneth; Parini, Jay (1997). Beyond the Godfather: Italian American Writers on the Real Italian American Experience. UPNE. pp. 60–61. ISBN 978-0-87451-888-7.
  5. ↑ Birk, Joshua C. (2017-01-11). Norman Kings of Sicily and the Rise of the Anti-Islamic Critique: Baptized Sultans. Springer. p. 42. ISBN 978-3-319-47042-9.
  6. ↑ "Homepage". Case 1 Euro.
  7. ↑ DauvO (2019-12-07). "Sambuca Sicily Private Tour November 2019 One euro house due diligence". youtube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  8. ↑ "A picturesque Italian town is selling abandoned houses for just $1.60". NewsComAu. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  9. ↑ Murray, Tom. "I stayed in one of Italy's ghost towns that's selling off homes for $1, and I was treated like royalty". Business Insider. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  10. ↑ Marchetti, Silvia (18 January 2019). "$1 home deal triggers property stampede in Sambuca, Italy". CNN. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  11. ↑ Tondo, Lorenzo (26 January 2019). "Can selling its homes for the price of an espresso save this Sicilian town?". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  12. ↑ Marchetti, Silvia (16 January 2019). "Pretty Italian town sells homes for $1". CNN Travel. CNN. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  13. ↑ Tondo, Lorenzo (9 May 2019). "Foreign buyers snap up Sicilian homes at €1 auction". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  14. ↑ "Immobili a 1 euro". Municipality of Sambuca di Sicilia. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  15. ↑ "Actress Lorraine Bracco Buys and Renovates a Sicilian Home for One Euro in New HGVT Series 'My Big Italian Adventure'" (Press release). Discovery Networks. September 16, 2020. Archived from the original on October 13, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  16. ↑ Maglio, Tony (September 16, 2020). "'Goodfellas' Actress Lorraine Bracco Is Going to Renovate a Home in Sicily for New HGTV Series". TheWrap. Archived from the original on October 13, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Here are the houses you can buy for just €1 in a Sicilian village". The Local. 2019-01-23. Archived from the original on 2019-01-25. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  18. ↑ it:Minna di virgini
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