Contessa Entellina

Contessa Entellina
Comune
Comune di Contessa Entellina Bashkia e Kundisës
Landscape of Contessa Entellina
Contessa Entellina Location of Contessa Entellina in Italy
Coordinates: 37°44′N 13°11′E / 37.733°N 13.183°ECoordinates: 37°44′N 13°11′E / 37.733°N 13.183°E
Country	Italy
Region	Sicily
Province	Palermo (PA)
Government
• Mayor	Sergio Gioachino Parrino (since June 16, 2008)
Area
• Total	136 km^2 (53 sq mi)
Elevation	571 m (1,873 ft)
Population (2013)
• Total	2,184
• Density	16/km^2 (42/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Contessioti
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	90030
Dialing code	091
Patron saint	Saint Nicholas of Myra
Saint day	December 6

Contessa Entellina (Albanian: Kundisa; Sicilian: Cuntissa) is a small comune of 2,184 inhabitants in the province of Palermo, in Sicily, southern Italy.

Is located in the "Valle del Belìce" to 571 metres (1,873 ft) above sea level in the mountains called Brinjat, is situated 80 km from Palermo. The country, along with Piana degli Albanesi and Santa Cristina Gela, is among the three ethnic communities of Arbëreshë of Sicily, who still speak Albanian, carefully preserve the Orthodox rite, the Albanian costumes, musical and gastronomic traditions of the ancient Albania.

History

The foundation is attributed to about 1450 on the ruins of a remote farmhouse seniority, the "Comitissa", but the chapter officers, the granting of fiefs, were built in 1520, when he start the rebuilding, upgrading and restocking of Albanians from Albania and subsequently also by the southern Morea, from Albanian communities where they lived from 1300.

In ancient times it was near them the ancient Elymian city of Entella, in fact, with the discovery of archaeological ancient site, to give relief to the old site, you would add the name of the country, even the term Entella.

Today Contessa Entellina keeps the Albanian language, the culture of their ancestors, and holds the Byzantine-Greek rite; but lives a very difficult period. From earthquake of Belice to date have followed many migrations, halving the population and depopulating the city center, the Albanian language is also taught to fewer and fewer young people, so the community is constantly lost and stolen the identities.

Notable people

• Nicola Chetta (1741–1803), Byzantine-Greek rite priest, ethnographic, writer and poet.
• Antonino Cuccia (1850–1938), popular poet whose work represent an important testimony of the Arbëreshë language spoken in Contessa Entellina.
• Vaccaro brothers
• Lorenzo Tardo (1883–1967), Basilian priest and scholar of Byzantine music.
• Vincenzo Scramuzza (1886?–1956), historian.
• Leonardo Lala (1906–2000), writer and expert of Arbëreshë language, history and folk traditions.
• Matteo Sciambra (1914–1967), Byzantine rite priest, university professor and writer, whose work focuses on the study of the Arbëreshë language and on the preservation of the Byzantine liturgical heritage of the Arbëreshë communities in Sicily.
• Bino (singer) (1953-2010), pop singer

Gallery

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  View of Contessa Entellina

• 

  Table bilingual Italian-Albanian

• 

  Church of Holy Annunciation and St. Nicholas

• 

  inside the mother church Byzantine, iconostasis

• 

  Priest of the Orthodox rite

• 

  Albanian flag in the streets of Contessa

• 

  Map of comune of Contessa Entellina

See also

• Albania
• Byzantine Rite
• Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi
• George Kastrioti Skanderbeg

External links

• Contessa Entellina Birth, Marriage and Death Records 1820-1865
• Contessa Entellina Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, founded in 1896
• Contessa Entellina in Google Maps