Mongrassano

Mongrassano is a town and comune of the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy, located 42 kilometers northwest of Cosenza.

The town is part of the Comunità Montana Media Valle Crate.

History

Mongrassano already existed in the 12th century as a hamlet of San Marco named Mons Crasanus, Mocrasani, Montegrassano or Magrosani. It was originally divided in two hamlets: Serra di Leo and Mongrassano. Like many other Albanian-origin settlements the urban structure was based on the gijtonia, in other words, circular streets. Either in 1459 or early in the 16th century, another group of Albanian political refugees came and settled in Mongrassano.

On 20 July 1459 the Prince of Bisignano gave the civil jurisdiction of the city to the Bishop of San Marco. In 1642 the Gaetani acquired the territory; in 1688 they sold the property to the Marquesses of Fuscaldo, who held it until the end of the feudal system in 1806. In 1807 Mongrassano became state owned and in 1811 it joined with Serra di Leo. In 1816 it was elevated to the level of a comune, with Serra di Leo as its frazione.

Language and dialect

Officially the inhabitants speak Italian. Traditionally, the dialect is of Albanian origin (Arbëresh), but is spoken by an increasingly restricted number of inhabitants.

Festivals

The patron saint of Mongrassano is Saint Catherine of Siena, but the most important festival in the town is Saint Lucy that occurs during the month of August.

Calabria · Comuni of the Province of Cosenza

Arbëreshë settlements

Basilicata	Barile Ginestra Maschito San Costantino Albanese San Paolo Albanese

Calabria	Acquaformosa Amato Andali Caraffa di Catanzaro Carfizzi Civita Castroregio Cervicati Cerzeto Falconara Albanese Farneta Firmo Frascineto Gizzeria Lungro Marcedusa Maida Marri Mongrassano Pallagorio Plataci Rota Greca San Basile San Benedetto Ullano San Cosmo Albanese San Demetrio Corone San Giacomo San Giorgio Albanese San Lorenzo del Vallo San Martino di Finita San Nicola dell'Alto Santa Caterina Albanese Santa Sofia d'Epiro Spezzano Albanese Vaccarizzo Albanese Zagarise

Campania	Greci

Molise	Campomarino Montecilfone Portocannone Ururi

Puglia	Casalvecchio di Puglia Chieuti San Marzano di San Giuseppe

Sicily	Contessa Entellina Piana degli Albanesi Santa Cristina Gela Mezzojuso

See also Arbëreshë people Arbëresh language Vaccarizzo Albanian

Notes and references

External links

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